Old Norse philosophy

Kine die, kinsfolk die,
oneself dies the same;
one thing I know which dies not ever,
renown of all noble dead.

- Stanza 77 of Hávamál[a]

Old Norse philosophy was the philosophy of the early Scandinavians.[b][c][d]

Similar to the patterns of thought of other early Germanic peoples, Old Norse philosophy is best attested in the Poetic Edda, particularly Hávamál, which is a poem attributed to Odin, the leading deity in Norse mythology. It emphasized that happiness could only be attained through living a life of virtue, particularly one characterized by the interconnected virtues of wisdom, self-control and personal independence.[3]


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  1. ^ Johnson 1938, p. 18.
  2. ^ Johnson 1938, p. 23.
  3. ^ Johnson 1938, pp. 32–33.