Valhalla Quotes: Norse Warrior Sayings (With Old Norse Originals)
The internet is full of invented “Viking quotes.” These are the real thing — sayings from the Poetic Edda, mostly the Hávamál (“Sayings of the High One”), each with its Old Norse original, source, and a plain-English rendering.
Warrior Wisdom from the Hávamál
1. Reputation outlives everything
Cattle die, kinsmen die, you yourself will die the same — but one thing I know never dies: the reputation of the one who earned it.
Deyr fé, deyja frændr, deyr sjálfr it sama; ek veit einn at aldri deyr: dómr um dauðan hvern.
Source: Hávamál, stanza 76.
2. The coward’s bargain
The coward believes he will live forever if he keeps away from battle — but old age gives him no peace, though spears may spare him.
Ósnjallr maðr hyggsk munu ey lifa ef hann við víg varask; en elli gefr hánum engi frið þótt hánum geirar gefi.
Source: Hávamál, stanza 16.
3. Company is joy
I was young once; I traveled alone and felt lost on the road. Rich I felt when I found another — one person is another’s joy.
Ungr var ek forðum, fór ek einn saman, þá varð ek villr vega; auðigr þóttumk þá er ek annan fann, maðr er manns gaman.
Source: Hávamál, stanza 135.
4. Look before you enter
At every doorway, before you go in, look around and spy out carefully.
Gáttir allar, áðr gangi fram, um skoðask skyli, um skyggnask skyli.
Source: Hávamál, stanza 1.
5. The fool lies awake
The fool lies awake all night thinking of many things; worn out when morning comes — and everything as troubled as before.
Ósnotr maðr vakir um allar nætr ok hyggr at mörgu hverju; þá er móðr þá er at morgni kemr, allt er víl sem var.
Source: Hávamál, stanza 23.
6. The silent chieftain’s son
Silent and thoughtful a chieftain’s son should be, and bold in battle.
Þagalt ok hugalt skyli þjóðans barn ok vígdjarft vera.
Source: Hávamál, stanza 15 (opening lines).
Prophecy: The Doom of the Gods
7. Brothers will fight
Brothers will fight and kill one another; kinship bonds will be broken. Hard times for men, much adultery — axe-age, sword-age, shields shattered; wind-age, wolf-age, before the world falls.
Brœðr munu berjask ok at bǫnum verðask, munu systrungar sifjum spilla; hart er í heimi, hórdómr mikill, skeggǫld, skálmǫld, skildir ro klofnir, vindǫld, vargǫld, áðr verǫld steypisk.
Source: Vǫluspá, stanza 45 — the prophecy of Ragnarök.
A Saga Proverb
8. Where wolf’s ears are
Where wolf’s ears are seen, wolf’s teeth are near.
Þar sem úlfs eyru sjást, er úlfs tenn nær.
Source: Saga proverb, recorded in Grettis saga.
About These Translations
The English versions above are my own plain renderings from the Old Norse, made for readability — not a published scholarly translation. For academic translations, seek the editions of Carolyne Larrington or Jackson Crawford.
FAQs
Are these real Viking quotes?
Yes — each is quoted with its Old Norse original and Edda or saga source, unlike the many invented “Viking quotes” circulating online.
What is the Hávamál?
The “Sayings of the High One” — a collection of Old Norse wisdom poetry attributed to Odin, preserved in the Poetic Edda.
Related Guides
- Norse Mythology Guide — gods, Ragnarök and cosmology
- Old Norse Phrases — everyday expressions
- What Does Norse Mean? — the term explained
About the author: Adeel Shahzad is the creator of Norse Translator Hub, an independent project making Old Norse language and runes easier to explore. He builds the site’s dictionary-based translation tools and writes its reference guides, drawing on public-domain sources like Cleasby & Vigfusson’s Icelandic-English Dictionary. Read more on the About page.