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Jon Vidar Sigurdsson
Hávamál: A Window into the Viking Mind

Hávamál is the great wisdom poem of the Vikings, containing a thousand years of life wisdom that remains as relevant today as it was in the Viking Age. In the poem, Odin himself speaks; across 164 verses. He offers counsel on friendship, power, moderation, love, and living wisely.

Historian and Viking Age expert Jon Vidar Sigurdson presents the first comprehensive book on Hávamál. In addition to providing a rich introduction to the era, mindset, and way of life of the Vikings, he connects the verses to the sagas, revealing what these words of wisdom tell us about the people, society, and values ​​of that time - and why they still matter to us today.

The book also features a new translation that places greater emphasis on the poem’s original meaning.

The result is a beautiful and insightful book about one of our oldest and most important treasures of wisdom.

Jon Vidar Sigurdsson

Jon Vidar Sigurdsson
Agnete Brun

Jon Vidar Sigurdsson (b. 1958) is a professor of history at the University of Oslo. He is an expert in Old Norse medieval history, with a particular focus on the Viking Age. He has written numerous books on religion and power, social organization, and mobility in the Norse world. Through this work, he is bringing the Viking Age to life and making it accessible to a broad audience.

Foreign rights

Stilton Literary Agency
Agent: Hans Petter Bakketeig
[email protected]
Agent: Leyla Körner Øier
[email protected]
stilton.no

Edited September 23, 2026 by Stilton Literary Agency