The Hávamál has 164 verses, generally broken down into eight sections. The first, Wisdom for Wanderers and Counsel to Guests, is a rather impressive 79 verses.
But there are tighter sub-divisions in there as well, and they make for much more digestible chunks of wisdom to mess around with. Especially when you really don’t know what you’re doing! Here are two sections on magic (whoo!) and drinking (how dry does Odin like his martinis, I wonder?).
So anyway, here’s Wonderwall. I mean…
On guests and halls
On some uses of Magic
Happy are they
who fairly wins
praise and healing runes.
Of less worth
is power possessed
over the heart of another.
Happy are they
who in their lifetime
owns praise and wisdom.
Ill advice
is often received
from the hearts of others.
No better load
can one carry on a hard road
than good sense;
better than wealth
on untrodden ways
and a ward against woe.
On drinking and good sense
No better load
can one carry on a hard road
than good sense;
no worse burden is there
for any journey
than heavy draughts of ale.
It is not good,
though some may say,
for mortals to drink deep.
I know full well
that one who drinks more
is in want of good sense.
The heron of oblivion
flies over feasts of ale
to steal the wits of those below.
In these feathers once
did I place myself in thrall,
in the halls of Gunnlöð.
Drunk I have been,
and drunker still,
with Fjalar the Wise.
The better part of drinking
is when later returns
your wisdom and your wits.
Throwing Words at the Stars 