I have long read the words of the Norse Sagas and Edda's around the fire in the long hall whilst sipping mead from a horn-cup and seem always to find relevant meaning so thought I'd share some with you; The quote and my interpretation. Naturally my interpretation or understanding may vary to your own, as it should be, so feel free to add your own thoughts in the comments section below if you like.
I don't actually have a Viking long hall, but I have a fire and mead so I'm mostly there. Either way, the reading is valuable.
When men meet foes in fight, better is stout heart than sharp sword. - Völsunga saga
Attitude folks, that's what this quote says to me; More specifically the importance of having the right one. I know, I've talked a lot about attitude over the last four years on hive and in real life I've not only spoken about it, but actively addressed my own and pursued a better one when it was needed, or worked to maintain it.
There's a battlefield reference in this quote, foes in fight, and also a reference to tools and I'm sure in Viking times the right attitude and tools, and knowing how to use them, were important just like on the modern battlefield also but how could this quote relate to all of us in our everyday lives?
To me having the right tools, lets say skills, is very important to finding success, happiness, contentment or whatever it is one seeks; Let's just say, driving towards ones goals. But...Without the right attitude in combination those tools could become useless, or at the very least ineffective. Just like the most highly-trained warrior equipped with the best weaponry on the battlefield would be if his attitude is poor; If he approaches combat with a defeatist attitude performance will be diminished, lives possibly lost.
Maintaining the right attitude is critical to most aspects of life whether it's in combat, at work, in relationships, sporting endeavours, finding self-improvement and self-value or anything else. We will reap from the harvest we sow; This has always been the way of it.
Just a word on maintaining the right attitude...I find knowing the true reason, the why, we want to achieve a goal is a great help in this regard. Knowing why helps us focus and drive towards it...If the why is important enough we'll do what's required to attain it. There's other elements, but to me this is an important one and everything else follows on from here; Attitude.
In looking at this quote I see the words stout heart and feel it could also relate to bravery, courage, persistence, perseverance and endurance, physically but also mentally. Having the strength to do these things, to stand when we are knocked down through adversity or failure, to put one foot in front of the other and keep pushing forward could trump any tool we may have at our disposal. Take one's skills for instance - Useless without the impetus to deploy them, the persistence to keep doing so and the courage to stand when failure or adversity strikes. I think you get my point right?
That's what I see in this quote today anyway.
Here's some background on the Norse Edda's and Sagas including what they actually are. They were not written originally, the words I read have since been recorded of course though, and thankfully so.
An Edda is a collection of poems based around Norse legends held within two Icelandic books of the 13th-century called the Poetic Edda and Prose Edda. Much of the understanding around Scandinavian mythology derives from them.
A saga is a story focused on Norse, Icelandic and Viking history, folklore and heroic achievement - Mostly recorded around the 12th and 13th century.
It's interesting to note that Vikings were much more than violent raiders who revelled in battle and conquest, that they had a culture rich in story-telling and poetry; The Viking poet was one of the most respected among their society and in the mead-halls throughout the Viking world they could be found retelling stories of conquest, the gods, heroes, lovers and history in general. Sagas and Edda's were also passed from father to son and mother to daughter - The collective history of the Viking people passed by word of mouth, not written and recorded.
They had runes and glyphs however these were reserved for ceremonial purposes - They didn't write their history, they told it through the Edda's and Sagas.
Quotes are the wisdom in words of those who came before us and a wise person will seek that wisdom, determine how it may relate and if appropriate, put them into action.
Feel free to interpret the quote above your own way, to apply it to yourself, and let me know what you think in the comments below; I'm interested to know what you see and feel based on this weeks quote.
Skol.
Design and create your ideal life, don't live it by default - Tomorrow isn't promised so be humble and kind
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