251+ Old Norse Sayings From Odin to Everyday Life! (Images)

In the annals of history, the Old Norse civilization left an indelible mark on the world, and within its rich tapestry of culture and folklore, lies a treasure trove of wisdom encapsulated in Old Norse sayings.

These ancient proverbs passed down through generations, offer profound insights into the values, beliefs, and worldviews of the Norse people.

From their deep connection to nature to their fearless exploration of uncharted waters, these sayings are like time capsules, preserving the essence of a people who once roamed the rugged landscapes of the North.

Join us on a journey through these age-old expressions and unravel the wisdom they hold.

Table of Contents

Old Norse Sayings

– Too neat has no appreciation.

– A terrible oarsman criticizes the oar.

– Only lifeless fish follow the river.

– Boatless individuals are linked to the land.

– Every individual is powerless without a brother.

– Merely reading a book does not make you smart.

– A good wind at our back is nicest.

– Once you experience negative consequences or situations, you will ignore that situation in life.

– Growling dogs rarely bite.

– It is gloomiest before light.

– There is no terrible climate, only terrible clothes.

– Things will be not hidden, unknown things will be revealed.

– You must know how to crawl before you can step.

– You should not avoid when an old dog husks.

– Old affection does not fade away.

– The later in the sunset, the more gorgeous the individuals.

– You will attain your goal even though you go unhurriedly.

– If you are unable to bite, avoid showing your teeth.

– There infrequent is the only wave.

– Time does not wait for anyone.

– Avoid stepping away from home without your sword and ax. You can’t expect a battle or feel a fight in your bones.

– Incredible actions and ill actions always fall within each other’s Silhouette.

– A task is done quickly if many individuals help.

– Growling dogs never bite.

– There is more respect in growing little by little than in attaining for the sky and fall.

– An individual should be willing to oak if they wish to survive under it.

– Show your teeth if only you are able to bite.

– An individual without knowledge is required much.

– Suffering is the consequence of allowing fear to control thine actions.

– An individual must disagree today to what they’ll feel guilty about tomorrow.

– It is lucky to be supported with popularity and honor. It is a terrible fate to be dependent on the emotions of other people.

– The foolish individual is open-eyed all night concerned over and again. When morning rises he is disturbed still, his concern as before.

– Better to expire with respect than breathing with disgrace.

– Be your companion’s real companion. Give blessing for blessing. Return laughter with laughter again, but disloyalty with disloyalty.

– No amount of money is more important than a person’s life.

– Trust your action and not by what others say.

– Fairly wise an individual should be, not too smart or crafty. A knowledgeable man’s heart – whose knowledge is deep seldom sings with pleasure.

– An individual’s accomplishments are often worse than their purposes.

– To utilize incredible determinations, and then to put them aside, only ends in shame.

– You should be real to your family members.

– Nothing nice can happen to individuals who don’t keep their intense promises.

– Words of honor will never erase, nor a distinguished name.

– Better to battle and lose than to exist without hope.

– Knowledge is nice wherever it comes from.

– Who can’t protect the prosperity they have must share with the rover bold or expire.

– “Better to fight and fall than to live without hope.”

– “Wisdom is welcome wherever it comes from.”

– “A wise man’s heart is seldom glad if he’s not generous.”

– “A man’s heart is where he keeps his wealth.”

– “The early riser gets the cow.”

– “A word spoken can never be taken back.”

– “A faithful friend is always a good shelter.”

– “A wound gets worse if you do not care for it.”

– “Happiness is having your health.”

– “The good need not be asked twice.”

– “Many things are not believed until they happen.”

– “A good friend is always welcome.”

– “The thief does not steal from himself.”

– “A tale is but half told when only one person tells it.”

– “The fool is busy in everyone’s business but his own.”

– “All is not gold that glitters.”

– “One’s mouth is the door of misfortune.”

– “The strong is never distressed.”

– “The misfortune which lasts forever is misfortune enough.”

– “Only he who wanders finds a new path.”

Old Norse Phrases

“My attack is a multitude of poets.”

“One should not strike another if he can well avoid it.”

“A bad rower blames the oar.”

“A bad invitation is seldom disobeyed.”

“Little is good unless it is good to be.”

“Only he knows, who knows nothing.”

“It is very calm when it is all over.”

“It is little joy to carry what is already past.”

“It is bad to try what is already tried.”

“Later shall be soon, if we are to be longer.”

“Great want makes no man small.”

“Never scold the opposite woman, or confirm suspicion unless you have a fair guess or are in the confidence of a man.”

“He alone has a friend who has everyone.”

“The world is a wonderful place.”

“A man is not unarmed though he is unarmed of everything.”

“Men shall do as their wives require.”

“Everyone’s time comes when there is a great eruption.”

“He is unwilling who lays down against the ignorant.”

“Everyone’s time comes when there is a great eruption.”

Old Norse Proverbs

“A bad rower blames the oar.”

“It is better to be at odds than to be in bad company.”

“A cheerful room has never been cursed.”

“Burn if you will, but choose the fire carefully.”

“Do not leave your cave, which you do not know.”

“Don’t mock a guest or a wanderer.”

“Even a blind man is dangerous when he aims.”

“Fate will often spare a man if his courage holds.”

“In every beginning dwell its end.”

“It is best to pay off your debts promptly.”

“Man is man’s delight.”

“Never exchange a cow for a calf.”

“No one is a total fool if he can be silent.”

“No one should be deceived twice by the same person.”

“The cautious seldom err.”

“The guest has no use for a man who is tongue-tied in his hall.”

“The horse is the noblest of all animals.”

“The sleeping wolf is seldom caught.”

“Trust not him whose father, brother, and son have all died by violence.”

“You are a fool if you cannot turn a trick.”

Old Norse Quotes

“Fear not death; for the hour of your doom is set and none may escape it.” – Old Norse Proverb

“He who strikes first shall be struck last.” – Old Norse Saying

“One’s back is vulnerable unless one has a brother.” – Hávamál (The Sayings of the High One)

“In every man there is something to praise and something to blame.” – Hávamál

“Wisdom is welcome wherever it comes from.” – Old Norse Saying

“Cattle die, kinsmen die, all men are mortal. Words of praise will never perish, nor a noble name.” – Hávamál

“The path to Hel is paved with good intentions.” – Old Norse Saying

“A wise man is he who can best keep secrets.” – Hávamál

“Better to be silent than to tell lies.” – Old Norse Proverb

“Bare is back without brother behind it.” – Hávamál

“Fortune is good to many, few have wisdom.” – Hávamál

“Man is man’s delight.” – Hávamál

“A gift always looks for a gift in return.” – Hávamál

“Words of one who is wise make many a friend.” – Hávamál

“Brave men better than cowards be.” – Hávamál

“It is better to live than to die.” – Old Norse Saying

“The silent are often thoughtful.” – Hávamál

“He alone is aware of all who wanders wide, far and wide, in the world.” – Hávamál

“A man should be faithful through long friendship.” – Hávamál

“A fair wind is fair to everybody.” – Old Norse Proverb

Old Viking Sayings

“Forge your own destiny, for even the Norns may be swayed.”

“Like a Viking, face the storm with an unyielding heart.”

“Strength is not measured by the size of your axe, but by the courage in your heart.”

“A Viking’s honor is worth more than any treasure hoard.”

“Embrace the spirit of adventure and sail toward the unknown.”

“In the longship of life, steer toward valor and glory.”

“Even in the darkest fjords, the light of hope can still shine.”

“Beneath the helmet, a warrior’s soul burns with determination.”

“A true Viking knows that battles are not won with weapons alone.”

“May your shield be strong, and your heart even stronger.”

“Through the toughest winters, a Viking finds warmth in camaraderie.”

“Like the runes on a stone, let your deeds tell your tale.”

“A wise Viking values wisdom as much as riches.”

“To be a Viking is to embrace the wild spirit of the North.”

“Never underestimate the power of a Viking’s bond with nature.”

“In the mead hall of life, savor every moment and every triumph.”

“A Viking’s legacy is written not in words, but in actions.”

“Just as the fjords are shaped by time, so too is a Viking’s character.”

“A Viking never abandons their ship, or their honor.”

“May the courage of Odin guide you, and the strength of Thor protect you on your journey.”

Ancient Norse Sayings

“In the face of adversity, be as unyielding as Yggdrasil’s roots.”

“Like Mjölnir in the hands of Thor, determination can shatter any obstacle.”

“Find your inner strength, for even the mightiest gods were once mortal.”

“A warrior’s courage is his greatest weapon, even in the darkest of Ragnarok.”

“Embrace the winds of change, for they carry the secrets of the ancient runes.”

“As the Norns weave fate’s tapestry, we must seize our own threads of destiny.”

“Just as Freyja’s tears turn to gold, adversity can reveal hidden treasures.”

“The bonds of friendship are as unbreakable as the oath of blood brothers.”

“In the twilight of life, let your deeds shine as brightly as the Northern Lights.”

“Like Odin’s ravens, Huginn and Muninn, seek wisdom in every corner of the world.”

“Valor is measured not by the size of one’s sword but by the size of one’s heart.”

“As the serpent Jörmungandr encircles the Earth, so too does fate’s embrace.”

“The flame of courage burns brightest in the darkest of winters.”

“To find true riches, look beyond the glittering hoards of dragons.”

“Live each day as if it were your last, for even the gods cannot escape destiny.”

“The strength of the wolf is the pack; the strength of the pack is the wolf.”

“When facing Loki’s cunning, wisdom is your greatest shield.”

“In the echoes of Valhalla, may the tales of your deeds resound for eternity.”

“Like the longship cutting through the waves, carve your own path through life.”

“In the embrace of family, we find warmth against the harsh winds of Midgard.”

Old Norse Viking Sayings

“Fear not death; for the hour of your doom is set and none may escape it.”

“A wise man is awake, watchful, and waits for a good wind.”

“Better to fight and fall than to live without hope.”

“The brave are bold, but the bravest are those who have the clearest vision of what is before them.”

“Speak less, say more.”

“A man should be loyal to his friends and kind to his kin.”

“A cheerful heart is a good guide on a long journey.”

“Cattle die, kinsmen die; the self must also die. I know one thing that never dies: the reputation of each dead man.”

“Better to be silent than to tell a lie.”

“In weapons, we trust.”

“He alone is wise who can accommodate himself to all contingencies of life, but the fool contends, and struggles like a swimmer against the stream.”

“A ship in the harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.”

“Do not let the mead get cold in your horn.”

“Luck often enough will save a man if his courage holds.”

“A man’s own hand is the only true judge of his worth.”

“Even the bravest man is scared by a sudden snake.”

“The fool thinks he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool.”

“A faithful friend is better than gold.”

“A wise man’s heart is seldom at peace if he has a secret to hide.”

“Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.”

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