23. A paltry man             and poor of mind
At all things ever mocks;
For never he knows,             what he ought to know,
That he is not free from faults. (Havamal 23)

31. In mockery no one a man shall hold,
Although he fare to the feast;
Wise seems one oft,             if nought he is asked,
And safely he sits dry-skinned. (Havamal 31)

32. Wise a guest holds it to take to his heels,
When mock of another he makes;
But little he knows who laughs at the feast,
Though he mocks in the midst of his foes.
33. Friendly of mind             are many men,
Till feasting they mock at their friends;
To mankind a bane             must it ever be
When guests together strive. (Havamal 32-33)

In Loddfafnismal we are further counseled against mocking:

22. I rede thee, Loddfafnir!         and hear thou my rede,-
Profit thou hast if thou hearest,
Great thy gain if thou learnest:
Scorn or mocking        ne'er shalt thou make
Of a guest or a journey-goer. (Loddfafnismal 22)

25. I rede thee, Loddfafnir!         and hear thou my rede,-
Profit thou hast if thou hearest,
Great thy gain if thou learnest:
Curse not thy guest,                nor show him thy gate,
Deal well with a man in want. (Loddfafnismal 25)

The sagas give us further view of just how the mocker was viewed. It is easy to see how many a mocking word led the death of one or more people.

“Gunnar declared this their atonement at the Thingskala Thing, when most men were at it, and laid great weight on the way in which they (Njal and his sons) had behaved; he told too those bad words which cost Sigmund his life, and no man was to repeat them or sing the verses, but if any sung them, the man who uttered them was to fall without atonement.” (Njal's Saga, c.45)

In Volsunga saga it is said that the mocking between the two queens was the spark that inflamed all the ill that followed:

“And so ugly ill befell from that going to the river, and that knowing of the ring, wherefrom did all their talk arise.” (VS, c.28)

Boasting and arrogance were likewise, not qualities that brought one a good name.

7. A man shall not boast             of his keeness of mind,
But keep it close in his breast;
To the silent and wise             does ill come seldom
When he goes as guest to a house;
(For a faster friend             one never finds
Than wisdom tried and true.) (Havamal 7)

“Be not a braggard for if any work done be praise worthy, others will sing your praises for you.” (Sögumál 32)

“Pride and wrong often end badly.” (Sögumál 17)

   2.
                                'For fabling braggarts
                                Full am I of scorn,
                                But willing speak I
                                Of worthy friends:
                                Courts I of monarchs
                                A many have sought,
                                A gallant minstrel
                                Of guileless mood. (Egil's Saga, c.82)

“He was a good bondi and a kindly man, and was the strongest of all the men in the northern parts, as well as the most modest.” (GS, c.28)

“The second, Arngrim, was a tall strong man, big-boned and ginger-haired, with a prominent nose. He had gone bald at the temples while still young, his eyebrows met but his eyes were large and fine. He was a very arrogant man and unjust, which got him the name Styr.” (ES, c.12)

Styrr in Old Norse means “stir, tumult, brawl” (Zoëga)

If a man has secure rule of his domain, whether this means merely his own needs, the needs of his family, his extended family, or his realm, and the loving trust of his kin, then his life has met its reason and obligation, and his highest joy is in its process. What he reaps in work or battle is a benefit for the maintenance of his folk, as already he has received the fulfillment of his own needs, and what he procures is never truly his but by honorific title alone, as it soon passes into the hands of its rightful owners; the benefactors of his life's-duty. Those whom he supports will ever support him, materially as well as spiritually, he will never know want.

The lore shows us what happens when a ruler is not secure in his own domain. In Grimnismal, King Geirroth receives word that a stranger will come to his kingdom who would bewitch him. When Othinn visited in disguise, King Geirroth chained him up between two fires instead of giving him the hospitality which he should have given. When Geirroth's son, Agnar brings Othinn a horn of drink, saying that what his father was doing was wrong, Agnar is rewarded with the kingdom and Geirroth is rewarded with death.

 The Saga of Olaf Haraldsson also gives us an example of a king who forgot that he was in the position of leadership for the good of his people. He forgot that he was in that position for the good of his people and started thinking they were there for his good. The natural result of this was that his people removed him from leadership, at the Thing (law assembly). The histories of the Norwegian kings is one long example of kings gaining power and as soon as that power is established, forgetting they were there for the good of the people. As happens with kings who forget they serve the people and not the other way around, they were often times removed violently when the people could take no more of their tyranny. This very quick examination of Norse leadership may seem out of place in a work dealing with ethics but, in fact, it has everything to do with it. Whether a person rules only over themselves, their family, a tribe or a kingdom, the following of Northern Trúisms will make that rule prosperous because these virtues flow in perfect agreement with orlög, that is, forward law or what we might call natural law. When one acts in a way that is utlög or out of orlög (as an outlaw), the forces of lög (natural law) conspire against them and their downfall is assured. It was the belief of our ancestors and my personal experience that the following of these Northern Trúisms of our Northern European ancestors is to be in orlög and to not follow them is to be in utlög, basically, an outlaw.

Absolute certainty, deeper, perhaps unspeakable yet tangible knowing, is faith, is troth. With such certainty of one's ultimate outcome, those things which proceed from it are manifest in a person, man or woman. Courage to defend the lives and livelihoods of others is a natural state to one who knows only joy awaits him after death. To live the last moments of this life protecting or defending another without any possible emotion save outright sense of self filled joy in duty well performed and enjoyed for its own merits, that is our form of courage.

So it was not considered virtuous to oppress those under one's power or rule. Such actions were unbecoming of a true leader. Tolerance was valued and treasured. Those who exhibited this virtue were often praised for it as those who were not tolerant received ignominy. It says in Havamal:

63.The man who is prudent             a measured use
Of the might he has will make;
He finds when among the brave he fares
That the boldest he may not be.
64.-lacuna- ed. emmendation
A man must be watchful             and wary as well,
-lacuna- ed. emmendation And fearful of trusting a friend
Oft for the words             that to others one speaks
He will get but an evil gift. (Havamal 63-64)