Lectio Divina – March 30, 2021: Havamal, stanza 138

Gangleri's Grove

I woke up thinking today that I should start doing more exegesis of our lore – sort of like what I do in my approach to the creation narrative. I asked my assistant to randomly pick a bit of lore, and she suggested the Runatal section of the Havamal. This is the part that talks about Odin’s sacrifice on Yggdrasil by which He won the runes. I will preface this by noting that this is not an academic reading of this text. It is lectio divina, sacred reading for the purpose of devotion.

(Taking up the first stanza, here is the Bellows English translation, followed by the Old Norse, followed by my own translation)

1. I ween that I hung | on the windy tree,
   Hung there for nights full nine;
   With the spear I was wounded, | and offered I was
   To Othin, myself to myself,

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