Ever wondered what kinds of sayings and expressions were used in the Viking Age? The medieval sagas written in Iceland capture a wealth of intriguing phrases that offer a glimpse into Norse culture. Here, we present 50 of our favourite Viking-Age sayings that reveal the wisdom and wit of the time.
“The king’s palace is an easy place to enter but hard to leave.” ~ Egil’s Saga
“Mind you don’t agree today to what you’ll regret tomorrow.” ~ Bandamanna saga
“Nothing ventured, nothing gained.” ~ Njáls saga
“True as daylight.” ~ Saga of the People of Eyri
“Word travels once it leaves the mouth.” ~ Saga of the People of Fljotsdal
“Women’s counsel is often cold.” ~ Gisli’s Saga
“Ale makes another man.” ~ Grettir’s Saga
“For a hungry wolf is bound to wage a hard battle.” ~ The Saga of the People of Laxardal
“Short is the life of the proud.” ~ Saga of Hrafnkel Frey’s Godi
”The shorter the sword the greater the need to find a vital joint.” ~ Vápnfirðinga saga
“As they say, a tree doesn’t fall at the first blow.” ~ Njáls saga
“One oath broken doesn’t destroy all others.” ~ The Saga of Bjorn, Champion of the Hitardale People
“The fish would bite on the hook now if we had the strength to drag it in.” ~ Fóstbræðra saga
“Bare is the back of a brotherless man.” ~ Grettir’s Saga
“The king has many ears.” ~ Orkneyinga saga
“Early lessons last the longest.” ~ The Saga of Gunnlaug Serpent-Tongue
“Someone who loses his gloves cannot be happy even if he gets another pair.” ~ Svarfdæla saga
“Now I took three steps too few.” ~ Egil’s Saga
“Many eyes squint when there’s money around.” ~ Bandamanna saga
“He’d better take care that his tongue doesn’t twist itself around his neck.” ~ Njáls saga
“You wag your tongue as a fox waves his tail.” ~ Saga of Havard of Isafjord
“That what happens to most others will happen to you.” ~ Saga of the People of Eyri
“It’s difficult to dwell in a distant land.” ~ Njáls saga
“The risk in words is that they may come to seem hasty.” ~ Bandamanna saga
“The treachery of a friend is worse than that of a foe.” ~ Gisli’s Saga
“Everyone has a friend among enemies.” ~ The Saga of Hallfred the Troublesome Poet
“Festivals are a time of fortune.” ~ The Saga of the People of Laxardal
“The more journeys you make, the more directions they take.” ~ Egil’s Saga
“There is more honour in accumulating little by little than in reaching for the sky and ending up flat on your face.” ~ The Saga of the People of Vatnsdal
“The longer the vengeance is drawn out, the more satisfying it will be.” ~ Ljósvetninga saga
“The fool is busy in everyone’s business but his own.” ~ Heiðarvíga saga
“There is a great difference in what men are born into the world for and what they become known for.” ~ Kjalnesinga saga
“He who gives warning is not at fault.” ~ Njáls saga
“Wisdom comes to a fool in hindsight.” ~ Vápnfirðinga saga
“Not every cloud which darkens the day brings rain.” ~ Heiðarvíga saga
“The fire seems hottest to a burned man.” ~ Grettir’s Saga
“It’s better to be betrayed than to trust no one.” ~ Saga of the People of Fljotsdal
“The seller is always better off than the buyer.” ~ Svarfdæla saga
“The words of a weakling are worthless.” ~ Gisli’s Saga
“The older a man, the feebler.” ~ Saga of Hrafnkel Frey’s Godi
“Eyes will tell who loveth well.” ~ The Saga of Gunnlaug Serpent-Tongue
“More people prefer the worse side of a story which has two versions.” ~ Grettir’s Saga
“This proves, as so often before, that anger is blind to the truth.” ~ Fóstbræðra saga
“If you mean well, your deeds will praise themselves, but if you mean evil, they will be self-condemning.” ~ Njáls saga
“Many a man becomes brave in dire straits.” ~ Saga of the People of Eyri
“There´s no slaying a man destined to live.” ~ Heiðarvíga saga
“The sleeping man seldom gains victory.” ~ Vápnfirðinga saga
“Bad things come from bad plans.” ~ Njáls saga
“Whatever is meant to happen will happen.” ~ Gisli’s Saga
“Tend the oak if you want to live under it.” ~ Egil’s Saga
