Noble Virtues
The nine noble virtues are those based on in the ancient document called the Hávamál. These were the values that helped guide the Norsemen and Germanic tribes on their epic quests and journeys during the early medieval period. One other common name for one particular group of Norsemen you might be familiar with was the Vikings, which were a group of Norsemen that led lives as explorers and plunderers.
Whether or not you are interested in Norse mythology, the Nine Noble Virtues are an excellent series of values that served to drive one of the more successful cultures and warriors of the ancient world. These Norsemen were even the first Europeans to colonize North America and spread colonies in different areas all over Europe.
If you study the list of Noble Virtues below, you will quickly see how these virtues will make you a stronger and, well, nobler person and also make you more successful in your daily conquests. You will learn how to survive by your own strength and develop the qualities you need to forge strong alliances with close friends who follow similar ideals.
In our program, we will help you create your own personalized program that will develop your inner strength. You will discover your weaknesses and learn how to stamp them out—one at a time. As you admit to your own short-comings and stand firm against them, you will become a independent, powerful human being. As you work on each of these Noble Virtues you will do more than face each day: you will stand up to every challenge with courage and discipline.
In our program, you will:
- Develop your own personalized program based on your needs and your own goals
- Discover your weak spots, and learn how to eliminate them
- Keep track of your progress and results
Virtues
- Courage — To acknowledge and live ones beliefs.
- Truth — In order to uphold a code of honor, one must be brutally honest with oneself and others.
- Honor — On the outside it is reputation, on the inside it is a sacred moral compass.
- Fidelity — Faithful to God and to the ways of ones ancestors.
- Discipline — The exercise of personal will so it upholds honor and other virtues.
- Hospitality — Treating each other with respect and acting together for the good of community as a whole.
- Self Reliance — Being able to make your own way in the world and not to have to lean on others to fulfill ones physical needs.
- Industriousness — To work hard in order to achieve goals; to work with care and pride in all that we do.
- Perseverance — To be willing to keep doing whatever it takes to complete what we set out to accomplish. Through imperfections, through frustrations, through failure, through it all.
Asatru
There are many people who take the nine virtues very seriously and that work together in keeping these virtues as a community. Considering the roots in Norse and Germanic tradition, many people see this as a discovery of their cultural tradition and others see it as an alternative religion. There are people all over the UK, Canada, the US, and Germany that practice Ásatrú today. If you are interested in learning more, you should look it up on Google or read some of the resources below.
Opinion
Much of the Nine Noble Virtues come from a series of Norse poetry called the Hávamál. If you are interested in history or classical literature, or simply want to learn more about Germanic culture, then this might be a great read for you.
Here is one of the better-known quotes from the work to give you an idea. This quote is about honor, and how precious one's reputation and loyalty is:
- Cattle die, kinsmen die
- The self must also die;
- I know one thing which never dies:
- The reputation of each dead man.
Resources
D'Aulaires' Book of Norse Myths
The Norse myths present a way into a world of fantasy and struggle and charm that has served as inspiration for Marvel Comics and the Lord of the Rings.
Living Asatru
Asatru is the Ethnic Religion of indigenous Northern European People. This concise book describes the ethics, the Nine Noble Virtues, and teaches how to apply Heathen concepts to day to day living.
Essential Asatru: Walking the Path of Norse Paganism
Excellent read about the noble virtues, such as honor, truth, fidelity, and hospitality, that shape Asatru's tenets.
General Rules
Practice virtues daily so that they become ‘habits of the heart’.
Don‘t strive for perfection.
Never give up! Remember: even the greats have off days.
Rely on your intuition.
Avoid extremes. Strive to achieve the golden mean between excess and deficiency of a virtue.
Have fun and enjoy the program with humor and optimism.