Hávamál 71: On Ableism and Tribalism
For my first real post, I want to address what I consider a flaw in a recent interpretation of the Hávamál's 71st verse. The verse reads: A limping man can ride a horse, a handless man can herd, a deaf man can fight and win. It's better even to be blind than fuel for the funeral pyre; what can a dead man do? Translation by: Dr. Jackson Crawford : The Poetic Edda, Stories of the Norse Gods and Heroes Now, the most basic interpretation of this verse is a simple anti-suicide message: No matter what your condition, "what can a dead man do?" has the answer of "nothing." There is no such thing as a "worthless" or "useless" individual. That's not where a Tribalist took this passage , however. From a Tribal perspective, if I understand it correctly, the smallest unit of consideration when making important decisions is the Tribe, rather than the Individual. It's never what's best for me , but rather for us . It...