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The
discussion and analysis presented after these
translated stanzas is our
opinion. Read the translations for yourself and our analysis, but also seek
out varied sources and come to your own conclusions.
STANZA 3 OF THE
HAVAMAL
Auden and Taylor:
Fire is needed by the newcomer Whose
knees are frozen numb; Meat and clean linen a man needs Who
has fared across the fells,
Bellows:
Fire he needs | who with frozen knees Has
come from the cold without; Food and clothes | must the farer
have, The man from the mountains come.
Bray:
He hath need of fire, who now is come,
numbed with cold to the knee; food and clothing the wanderer
craves who has fared o'er the rimy fell.
Chisholm:
Fire is needful for those who arrive with
cold knees. Food and clothing is needful to men who have fared
over the fells.
Hollander:
The warmth seeketh who hath wandered
long and is numb about the knees; meat and dry clothes the man
needeth over the fells who hath fared.
Terry:
There must be a fire for the frozen
knees of all arriving guests, food and clothing for those who
come over the hills to your hall.
Thorpe:
Fire is needful to him who is come
in, and whose knees are frozen; food and rainment a man
requires, who o’er the fell has travelled.
Original Old Norse:
Elds er þörf þeim er inn er kominn
og á kné kalinn. Matar og voða er manni þörf, þeim er hefir um fjall farið.
DISCUSSION AND
ANALYSIS OF STANZA 3
Stanza 3 is one of the more straight-forward
stanzas.
When a cold guest arrives, get him or her
warmed up by the fire. A guest who has traveled far will be in
need of food and
clothing.
Here we have a very clear expression of
hospitality. When a guest comes to one's home, it is the
responsibility of the host to provide for that guest. And in
this stanza, it makes it clear that the first prior or the first
order of business is to get them warm, fed, and into some clean
clothes.
In
modern terms, the responsibility of the host has not lessened or
changed. When we welcome guests into our home, they are in our
environment and in our care. Welcome them warmly. Offer
them a drink of some sort and perhaps a snack. Let them know
where the restroom is, in case they would like to wash their hands
or whatever after they journey. And provide for what they
need.
Their toddler's diaper leaks and they don't
have spare clothes for the kid? Well, if you have toddler
clothes that will fit their child, loan them or give them to
them.
Their 7 year old falls in the mud in the
backyard and is wet and upset. Provide a change of clothes
from your own children, and facilitate give the parents what they
need to get the child cleaned up, dry, and
clothed.
And
it goes further than just the basics. If you know your guests
have a certain food they can't eat, don't serve that food. As
a matter of fact, go the extra mile and find out what their favorite
food is and prepare it. Is there a brand of soda they really
like? Well, have it on hand. Are they staying
over-night? Well, ensure they have a warm, clean, comfortable
place to sleep...even if it means giving up your own
bed.
When you do these things for your guests, you
build bonds. They see the respect you are showing them, and
they show it back. They are driven to reciprocate the honor
that you are showing
them.
In
past
discussions of this topic, I've had people question my example
about giving up your bed to a guest. I give this as more of an
example, and not as something I believe a host is required to
do. As with all discussions of this nature, context is
everything.
The
one instance where we have given our own bed to guests,
involved a family we are very close with that visits and stays with
us. This family has a small child that sleeps with them.
Our bedroom is the only one in the home with a bed bigger than a
twin-sized bed in it. So, for us to ensure the comfort of this
family and their young child, our bed is the only one that will give
them proper accommodations. Obviously, we put fresh sheets on
there...make sure our room and master bathroom are clean for
them.
But, we don't always give up our bed! If
your bed is the only warm, comfortable place to sleep...then some
sort of accommodation needs to be made or the bed given up. I
can't imagine guests sleeping on a floor while I'm in my bed.
That would make me feel very uncomfortable as a
host.
If
a couple came to visit us and didn't have a small child that slept
with them, they will likely be given spots on comfy couches, twin
beds, or even nice cots. If I lived in a one-bedroom
apartment, I would gladly give up my bed to a guest who I felt
needed that bed. I would sleep on the couch, if that was the
level of respect and accommodation the guest
required.
Hopefully, some of this
discussion puts this stanza in context.
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