Hávamál is a single poem found in the Codex Regius, a hefty collection of Old Norse poems from the Viking age, estimated to date between 900 and 1000 AD. It's essentially the Viking handbook for life, packed with advice on wisdom, conduct, and how not to embarrass yourself.

The poem is a mashup of shorter pieces, with the oldest part focused on ethics. Later sections dive into romance and, of course, the ever-popular topic of the "deceitfulness of women"—because apparently men have been griping about that for centuries.

Scholars have split the poem into stanzas, with some editions at 165, while others squish stanzas 11 and 12 together for a neat 164.

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