The Nine Noble Virtues are a list of ideals that were codified in the 1970’s by the Odinic Rite.They are: honour, courage, industriousness, fidelity, discipline, self-reliance, truth, hospitality, and perseverance. They used the Havamal to create some simple ideas of what they felt were the most important traits for Asatruar to have. The Havamal are said to be the words of Odin himself; mostly, it is advice for how a person should live their lives. Our ancestors may not have made a list like this, but the values of the Nine Noble are some that they would have held as important.
The Knighthood within the SCA is based on the code of chivalry, which has its own list of virtues. They are, in some cases, very much based on the values of a Christian society. This means that for those of us who either are not Christian mundanely, or wish to stay true to a persona who is non-Christian, the code doesn’t quite fit. Nearly every culture has some sort of behavioral ideal. In many cultures, these ideals line up with the warrior elite or the nobility. In Japan, the code of Bushido; the Koreans had Hwarang, and so on. I have seen these codes used by some members of the Chivalry, and I appreciate the flavour it adds to our Dream. For me, the Nine Noble Virtues and the words of the Havamal are the closest to a code for an Úlfheðinn, which is the closest the ancient Norse had to a warrior elite.
One of the biggest criticism of the Nine Noble Virtues as a whole is the idea that they are just an attempt by former Christians to make their new religion fit better into their culture and mindset. While there may be some validity to these arguments, it is difficult to say that this was the main reason for the creation of the list. Realistically, the list makes it easier for many people to meditate and think on these aspects individually instead of the whole of the text, for better or worse. I don’t think it matters if they were originally plagued by a need for something similar to Christianity: not everything the Christians have done is bad. While to me personally it's important not only to read the whole of the Havamal, but also to analyze it for yourself, lest you fall into the practice of dogmatically following what your “elders” tell you, it's also important to have the interpretations of those who came before you. Take the knowledge of your forebears and add to it.
The Nine, the text they were derived from, and my thoughts.
Honour:
"An ill tempered, unhappy man
Ridicules all he hears,
Makes fun of others, refusing always
To see the faults in himself" Havamal-verse 22
Honour, of all the virtues, is the most difficult to define. By its very nature, it incorporates many aspects of the others, and yet stands alone. Honour is your name, your reputation. It is the aggregate of everything you do, meaning that to lack the other virtues will hurt your honour. If you are dishonest, craven, discourteous... you will not be viewed as an honourable person.
For our ancestors, nothing was more important than your reputation. You were known by your deeds and actions. Oaths were sacred, and to break one was condemnable. To swear an oath was to make words concrete, and the deeds that followed your oath would forever be part of your tale, whether good or bad.
Courage:
"Silence becomes the Son of a prince,
To be silent but brave in battle:
It befits a man to be merry and glad
Until the day of his death," Havamal-verse 15
"The coward believes he will live forever
If he holds back in the battle,
But in old age he shall have no peace
Though spears have spared his limbs" Havamal-Verse 16
"The generous and bold have the best lives,
Are seldom beset by cares,
But the base man sees bogies everywhere
And the miser pines for presents." Havamal - Verse 48
Each of these verses, to me, speak of different kinds of courage, each important in its own way and each showing the type of people our ancestors were. In verse 15, he speaks of battle, but in passing. The main point is that one should face each day happily, bravely stepping out against its challenges. This is the courage that most of us need in the modern sense. The bravery that allows us to move on through the mundanities of life. The strength of character that allows us to live in this modern, corrupt world without losing our sense of self. Verse 48 continues in this same vein. If you live your life bravely and boldly, the little concerns will not drag you down. Basically the All-Father himself is telling us not to sweat the small stuff.
Verse 16 is one of my favourite verses of the whole Havamal. It speaks to me that there is no point in the fear; no matter what, you must face your destiny. In battle, it means you'll die one day, whether it's this day or many years from now. In life, it means that quite often, no matter how we try and avoid a problem or take the easy way out, it will come back to us. You can only plug the holes in the dam for so long.
Industriousness:
"A small hut of one's own is better,
A man is his master at home:
A couple of goats and a corded roof
Still are better than begging." Havamal - Verse 36
Our ancestors were a people who lived in a land that was harsh, unforgiving, and huge. To survive in these circumstances meant to work hard, and they not only survived, they thrived: working to build cities, and a culture that traveled the majority of the known world.
This verse speaks, as much about self reliance (see below) as it does about industriousness. Basically, work hard so that you may have things, but do not depend on others. Anything that you earn yourself is worth more than charity. It was worked for, and in many cases bled for: that gives it value. When you look at your own home, a hearth built for your family through your own endeavours, you know that you have the right to be the master in this place.
Fidelity:
"With presents friends should please each other,
With a shield or a costly coat:
Mutual giving makes for friendship
So long as life goes well," Havamal - Verse 41
"A man should be loyal through life to friends,
And return gift for gift,
Laugh when they laugh,but with lies repay
A false foe who lies." Havamal - Verse 42
"A man should be loyal through life to friends,
To them and to friends of theirs,
But nenever shall a man make offer
Of friendship to his foes." Havamal - Verse 43
"Young and alone on a long road,
Once I lost my way:
Rich I felt when I found a another;
Man rejoices in man." Havamal - Verse 47
"The young fir that falls and rots
Having neither needles nor bark,
So is the fate of the friendless man:
Why should he live long?" Havamal - Verse 50
Fidelity, loyalty: the All-Father speaks at great length about loyalty to friends and family. While self-reliance is a virtue, the importance of community was never taken away. The ancestors were a social people, and with that interaction came the question of loyalty.
Loyalty at the time was not just to your immediate family, but to the community as a whole. When everyone worked together for the betterment of the whole, it was important to know that people were not going to betray the interests of the town. In battle, being able to depend on your brethren is the difference between victory and a rout. These are active examples of how loyalty was important to our ancestors. In a less concrete way, loyalty also ties into the virtue of honesty by being true to your word: when you swear to a friend or lord, you keep your oath.
Discipline:
"Less good than belief would have it
Is mead for the sons of men:
A man knows less the more he drinks,
Becomes a befuddled fool," Havamal - Verse 12
"Cattle die, kindred die,
Every man is mortal:
But the good name never dies
Of one who has done well" Havamal - Verse 76
When we are trying to build ourselves, and create our world, discipline is what allows us to build the habits that keep us going. Along with perseverance and honour, discipline builds our name. It's the foundation for our actions. Choosing a hard road because it's for the best is discipline; sticking on that road when it no longer seems worth it is perseverance. Without the discipline to stick to our training, we will never improve.
Discipline is also about knowing when enough is enough. Whether it's drinking or tongue wagging, discipline is what helps us not to make fools of ourselves. We know when it's time to be still, and having the control to actually do it: that's what discipline is about.
Self Reliance:
"A small hut of one's own is better,
A man is his master at home:
His heart bleeds in the beggar who must
Ask at each meal for meat." Havamal - Verse 37
The ability to survive without anyone else is the truest expression of freedom. Self reliance is important because it means that you’ve achieved the success that will allow you to genuinely improve yourself, and to help others. It is a hierarchy of needs: if you are struggling to get the basics, you can never reach greatness. Worse still, if you are begging just to get through, you haven’t reached the point where you can improve on the parts of your character that need work.
At first look, this is a selfish virtue: “I am self reliant, I need no one, BLARGH!” The reality of it is, self-reliance is also the first step towards hospitality. Once you have provided for yourself, you can begin to help others grow and provide for themselves. It’s like your friendly flight attendant says: “If you are travelling with a child or someone who requires assistance, secure your mask first, and then assist the other person.” You can’t help anyone if you’re gasping for air.
Truth:
"To ask well, to answer rightly,
Are the marks of a wise man:
Men must speak of men's deeds,
What happens may not be hidden." Havamal - Verse 28
"To a false friend the footpath winds
Though his house be on the highway.
To a sure friend there is a short cut,
Though he live a long way off." havamal - Verse 34
Truth is such an abstract concept/virtue. Of course it has to do with being honest, not lying, not obscuring the facts, but it’s so much more. That’s the easy answer, the surface. These qualities may be found in many people. The second part of Truth works with courage. It means being true: to your beliefs, to yourself, in the eyes of the gods and our ancestors. When everything is stacked against you and it would be easier to kneel and give in, Truth lets you stand tall and stick to your convictions.
Queen Sigrid was true to herself and her blood when she told Olaf Oathbreaker that she wouldn’t marry him if he intended to force her to convert. Many ancestors whose names have been forgotten faced a harder choice: death or conversion. The mass graves left behind by the Oathbreaker are a testament to their convictions.
Hospitality:
"Fire is needed by the newcomer
Whose knees are frozen numb;
Meat and clean linen a man needs
Who has fared across the fells," Havamal-Verse 3
"A guest should be courteous
When he comes to the table
And sit in wary silence,
His ears attentive,his eyes alert:
So he protects himself," Havamal-Verse 7
"The wise guest has his way of dealing
With those who taunt him at table:
He smiles through the meal,not seeming to hear
The twaddle talked by his foes" Havamal - verse 31
To our ancestors, hospitality meant actual travelers, and while this meaning is still important, it isn’t the only type of hospitality that can be included in our modern lives. A friend who has lost everything because of layoffs or some other tragedy may need hospitality while he gets himself to the point where he’s self-reliant once more. Hospitality is founded in compassion and community; it’s what allows a community to thrive. Think of a herd: they turn their horns out, putting the weakest in the center, leaving none to be picked off by the predators.
There is a big difference between hospitality and charity. Charity is a crutch, a gift; Hospitality is a leg up, a stepping stone to better places. The difference in my eyes is that in charity, the person might not be actively working towards the solution to their hardship, and when you give charity, it might be abstract: you give money instead of food. By offering hospitality, you’re helping someone continue their journey. You may give them food and shelter so they can continue.
There’s also another side to hospitality: your guest has rules to follow as well. The Havamal speaks at length about how not to take advantage of your host, and how one should act in the home of someone who has done you a kindness. Heeding this advice is crucial if you'd like to be offered hospitality once again, as your reputation as a guest will follow you.
Perseverance:
"It is always better to be alive,
The living can keep a cow.
Fire, I saw, warming a wealthy man,
With a cold corpse at his door." Havamal - Verse 70
The ability to trudge on through anything: perseverance. When every muscle aches, when your lungs are screaming, you keep putting one foot in front of the other. Each step brings you closer to your goal. As long as your legs keep pushing, you will reach it.
Verse 70 tells us it’s always better to be alive; as long as we’re alive, we can improve our situation. It’s when we die, when we quit, when we stop moving forward that we fail. To me, it’s the virtue I hold in highest regard. It embodies strength of character and hope. I sincerely believe that with those two things, you can get anywhere.
This is my code of behavior. It’s what I seek to embody in my actions and my thoughts. I am not perfect, so I don’t always succeed, but I wake up each day with the idea to do better than I did the day before.
I think, for the most part, the Nine Noble are compatible with the Society ideals of what a Knight should be. They aren’t exactly the same, but I personally don’t see any contradictions.
What do you think? Are they similar? Or are both codes altogether different? What other codes do you follow, or have seen? I’d love to hear different opinions and points of view.
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