So, from a situational standpoint, there is a time and place where showing honestly would not be a virtue, because to do so would harm one’s own family and efforts. In the Havamal it tells us that one should meet lies with lies.

For instance, while Truthfulness is listed among the Noble Virtues, a Heathen does not owe honesty to his worst enemies. The key to the Noble Virtues is doing the correct thing, at the proper time, toward the right people. They are very situational in nature and must be applied with the context of the situation in mind. New heathens can gain great benefit from familiarizing themselves with a particular list and attempting to live according to the guidelines provided there.Īs guidelines, the Noble Virtues don’t always apply. Each Heathen tends to have his or her favorite version of the Noble Virtues. They are not “scripture.” They are simply moral and situational ethical guidelines. It is worth saying again that the Noble Virtues are not commandments.

Some Heathens focus very little, if at all, on a list of the Noble Virtues, considering these lists a modern invention and not paricularly relevant to their own beliefs and practices. They are drawn from the epic tales and poetic lore passed down to us through the ages from our ancestors, and many a Tru Heathen strives to nourish these Noble Virtues in his life, his Kindred, and Heathenry in general.īecause of the tribal and decentralized nature of Heathenry, there are various lists of “Noble Virtues.” These lists closely parallel each other, but the exact words used, the definitions given, and even the number of virtues included in each list can vary. These lists of Noble Virtues are a modern creation based on our reading and understanding of the surviving Lore.

Many have attempted to codify or formalize these “Noble Virtues” into lists that include definitions or information about each virtue. Rather than of a list of commandments and “thou shall not’s,” modern Heathenry places importance on certain virtues or values that one can say are part of a life well-lived. We are in awe of the glory of our Gods, but we do not teach our children that they are worthless and undeserving of the love of their Gods. Heathens do not grovel before their Gods, nor do they “worship” them as sheep to a shephard, slaves to a master, or ignorant children to an all-knowing father. Heathenry does not have “commandments” from our Gods, for our relationship with the Heathen Gods is one of respect, honor, and kinship.

Heathen Gods by Mark Ludwig Stinson