When you think about the civilization of vikings maybe the last thing that comes to mind is poetry storytelling and wood carving.
Rather, you associate them with movies about ships and bloody expeditions, with images of horned helmets, berserk warriors, drakars, the mythological hall Valhalla, the one-eyed God Odin and men who died with sword in hand and drank from skulls, raising their heads. cups with their beefy bodies. Today we have a compilation of Viking Proverbs.
And the reality is different: The Viking civilization was made up of a legion of pirates who raided enemy ships and they looted, they killed and they spread their own law (and with it, the most absolute terror) along the European coasts. But their reputation, as historians show us, is not entirely deserved: they were not only ruthless warriors who bathed the ocean in blood and viscera, but they were also very good merchants, administrators and artisans of metal and wood, resources with which that produced valuable jewelry and artifacts that have been preserved to this day.
Some of these Vikings were well known as storytellers in the north of the old continent and the Nordic sagas continue to attract the public today, eager to know the stories and teachings of this civilization. And, it is worth saying, the Vikings did not wear horned helmets: as you can imagine, no Viking in their right mind would want to look like a cow or a bull.
The best Viking proverbs
In today’s compilation we have selected a good number of proverbs, phrases and sayings attributed to the Vikings, so you can know his philosophy of life in a few lines. Shall we start?
1. “Before entering a place, look at where you can exit.”
A phrase that honors the conquering spirit of this civilization.
2. “If you eat cherries with the powerful you risk having the pits rain against your nose.”
A reflection on power and dangerous friendships.
3. “A man honors his friend with affection, he responds to a gift with a gift. “He responds to laughter with laughter and to tricks with tricks.”
As you do, as you receive. There’s no more.
4. “There is no better baggage to carry than sanity and a clear mind. In distant lands it is more useful than gold and saves the poor from trouble.”
Clear ideas can take you very far in life.
Viking phrases
5. “Live with enthusiasm while you are alive, the agile always comes out ahead. “I saw the flames of a mansion, but a dead man lay at the door.”
Vital energy is one of the great virtues that we can learn from the Viking civilization.
6. “The population felt afraid of the Vikings due to their ferocity and cruelty.”
This is rather a historiographical quote that shows us the fear that the Vikings aroused in the neighboring towns.
7. “If you manage to find a loyal friend and want him to be useful to you, open your heart to him, send him gifts and travel often to see him.”
Believe it or not, friendship and camaraderie were also values praised by these inhabitants of northern Europe.
8. “He who always speaks and never remains silent says a lot of nonsense. A light tongue causes trouble and often belittles man.”
Loose lips sink ships. If you want to be respected, don’t speak without clear direction.
Viking proverbs and sayings
9. “A man without friends is like a naked birch, without leaves or bark, alone on a bare hill.”
Another reflection that shows the importance they attributed to friendship and loyalty.
10. “A guest must leave on time and not overstay his welcome; even a friend becomes annoying if he stays too long.”
The good things, if brief, are twice as good. A maxim that northern Europeans also applied.
11. “Do not praise the day until the evening has come; do not praise a woman to her pyre; do not praise a sword until you have tried it; do not praise a maiden until she is married; do not praise the ice until you have crossed it; do not praise the beer until you have drunk it.”
A phrase that is a vaccine against prejudices and preconceived thoughts.
12. “Who knows how many enemies you have around the table!”
Prudence, above all. Those who smile now may later be your most fearsome enemies.
