The Hardback Copies are still in the Preorder state.

The files were sent to the publisher on the 14th of November, and it's estimated that the final copies will be shipped to me for roughly the middle of February.

The version you see in the photos is a printed dummy, based on the draft.

 

A Modern Journey Through Ancient Wisdom

Hávamál: The Wisdom of Óðinn isn’t just something to read
— it’s something to spend time with.

Across 364 full-colour pages, the full Hávamál is presented in English, Old Norse, and Younger Futhark runes, paired with detailed illustrations and reflections on what each stanza can teach us today.

It’s built to slow you down a little, to give space for thought, for perspective, and for seeing how Odin’s words on humility, awareness, and self-mastery still make sense in a modern world.

Every page has been crafted with care. It’s made for those who love Norse art, heritage, and the kind of wisdom that only grows deeper the more you sit with it.

 

What Is Hávamál?

Hávamál ('The Words of the High One') is one of the poems from the Poetic Edda, written close to a thousand years ago. It’s presenting to be the voice of Óðinn himself, offering lessons on how to live with awareness, strength, and respect for others.

Some verses are blunt, some are poetic, and some hit a little too close to home, but together they paint a picture of what it means to live well and stay grounded in a changing world.

It’s part myth, part wisdom, and still as relevant today as it was when it was first spoken.

 

 

Crafted to Be Held, Kept, and Revisited

This edition of Hávamál: The Wisdom of Óðinn was designed to feel as good in your hands as it looks on your shelf.

The book is bound in a canvas-style navy blue hardcover, finished with silver-foiled artwork that catches the light just right. The page edges are silver-gilt, giving the whole book a clean, sharp finish that feels rooted in tradition.

Inside, every page is printed in full colour, with a deep maroon ribbon to mark your place and red thread binding to keep the book strong and flexible for years of reading. It’s the kind of book meant to be used, kept, and revisited, made with the same care and attention that went into the words and art themselves.

 

What’s inside

• 364 pages with every stanza illustrated
• The complete poem in 10th-century Old Norse and Younger Futhark runes
• Full-colour artwork on every page
• Double-page spreads of original art to create visual rhythm
• A nine-part story by Svein Ekers exploring Óðinn’s many names, forms & kennings
• Nine Odin Godmask tattoo designs by various artists
• Personal commentary and interpretation of every stanza, drawing from lived experience
• A structure that’s easy to read and insightful without being dense
• Hidden details and Easter eggs scattered throughout

 

 

 

Who It’s For

This book is for anyone who feels drawn to the old Norse world, its wisdom, its symbols, and the stories that still echo today.

Hávamál: The Wisdom of Óðinn is made for readers who want more than a translation, for those who want to experience the poem through art, reflection, and the lessons it still carries.

It’s for those who:

• Feel inspired by Norse mythology, Viking Age culture, or the Poetic Edda
• Appreciate craft — in words, in art, and in the making of beautiful things
• Value reflection and personal growth through ancient wisdom
• Like exploring spirituality and meaning without dogma or labels
• Want to understand Odin not just as a god, but as a symbol of curiosity and the search for knowledge

For thinkers, makers, and wanderers — anyone who senses that wisdom doesn’t fade with time.

 

 

A Visual Journey Through Odin’s Wisdom

There are 103 illustrations throughout the book — one for every stanza — each following Einarr, a stand-in for every seeker walking the path of Odin’s wisdom.

Instead of Loddfáfnir from the original poem, Einarr takes his place as the one receiving Odin’s words, learning and changing along the way. Each image matches the tone of its stanza, turning the Hávamál into a living story rather than a static text.

The artwork pulls you straight into the world these words came from, moments of quiet reflection, hard lessons, and small victories along the road toward understanding. Every spread sets the mood before you even start reading, helping the stanzas hit a little deeper once you do.

The visuals were created through over a thousand hours of work by a close friend and collaborator who helped shape the look and spirit of Einarr’s Journey. His art is a huge part of why this book feels alive, and though he’s since stepped away from the project, I’ll always be grateful for the time, passion, and care he put into it.

If you look closely, you’ll see that some of the faces in the artwork belong to real people, friends, creators, and supporters from the Norse community who’ve been part of this journey from the start. Including them felt right; this project has always been about more than just me.

The result is a visual story that walks hand in hand with the words, a journey through Odin’s lessons, told not just in language, but through the eyes of those who still carry that spark of curiosity and respect for the old ways.

 

 

The Hávamál Stanzas

Every stanza of the Hávamál is given space to breathe, spread across two pages that combine art, language, and reflection.

On one side, a full-page illustration sets the scene, capturing the feeling and message of the verse. On the other, you’ll find the stanza in English, followed by thoughts on how to understand it today and what it can teach us about life, people, and ourselves.

Each reflection is divided into two parts: the first explains the meaning of the original verse, while the second connects that wisdom to modern life, how it still shows up in the choices we make and the way we move through the world. A short takeaway line at the end distills the core lesson into something simple and practical.

This layout gives the book its rhythm, a calm back-and-forth between seeing, reading, and reflecting. The artwork pulls you in; the writing grounds you. Every spread becomes a small pause for thought, personal yet timeless, a meeting point between old Norse insight and the kind of clarity we’re all still looking for today.

 

 

Hávamál in Old Norse and Runes

Near the end of the book, the entire Hávamál is presented in its original form.

First in 10th-century Old Norse, then rendered line by line in Younger Futhark runes by Svein Ekers.

This section preserves the voice of the poem as it might have been spoken and carved a thousand years ago — raw, rhythmic, and resonant.

It stands as a bridge between past and present: a space to experience the sound, form, and flow of Óðinn’s wisdom in the language of its origin.

It’s both a reference and a ritual, a way to connect directly to the words that shaped the reflections and art throughout the book.

 

 

The Nine Ages of Odin

Closing the book is The Nine Ages of Óðinn, a mythic story written by Svein Ekers that traces the High One’s journey through nine phases of his existence.

From his first sacrifice at Mímir’s Well to his final waiting before Ragnarök, each age reveals a different facet of Óðinn’s character, the seeker, the wanderer, the lover, the king, and finally, the weary sage who knows his fate.

Every section is paired with a Godmask, nine striking illustrations by different artists, each portraying one of Óðinn’s transformations across time. Together, they form a visual and spiritual portrait of the god of wisdom: flawed, restless, and endlessly striving.

This chapter serves as both an epilogue and a mirror, a reminder that the wisdom of Hávamál is not static, but a path we walk again and again, just as Óðinn himself did.

 

 

Meet the Makers

Connor Benson

Writer, artist, and the creator of Einarr’s Journey. I’ve always been drawn to the wisdom of the Viking Age, not as distant history, but as something we can still learn from today. My goal with this book was to bring those lessons into a modern space through art, storytelling, and reflection.

 

Svein Ekers

A close friend and scholar of medieval languages and runology. Svein transliterated the entire poem into Younger Futhark and wrote The Nine Ages of Óðinn, exploring the many sides of the god through story. His precision and passion for Norse language helped shape the heart of this project.

 

Illustrator (Anonymous)

A good friend and creative partner who poured more than a thousand hours into the artwork for this book. His illustrations defined the look and feel of Hávamál: The Wisdom of Óðinn, and while he’s chosen to remain unnamed, his mark is everywhere in these pages.

 

Jonas Lau Markussen

Designer, artist, and my partner at Gelmir — the historical yin to the mythological yang of Einarr’s Journey. Jonas and I worked closely on the cover design: he created the Yggdrasil on the front, the ravens and wolves on the back, and the knotwork that runs across the spine.

 

 

The Hardcover Book

First Edition — Now Available to Pre-Order

This is the limited first edition of Hávamál: The Wisdom of Óðinn printed in full colour, bound in deep navy canvas, and finished with silver foil and gilt edges.

Every copy has been designed with the same care and respect that went into the words inside.

• Canvas-style navy blue hardcover with silver-foiled artwork
• Silver-gilt page edges
• Deep maroon bookmark ribbon to contrast the blue
• Red thread binding for strength and elegance
• Printed in full colour

 

Specifications

• Title: Hávamál: The Wisdom of Óðinn
• Authors: Connor Benson & Svein Ekers
• Illustrator: Anaonymous
• Publisher: Einarr’s Journey
• Pages: 364
• Format: Hardback, full colour
• Language: English
• ISBN (Hardcover): 978-1-0685085-3-0
• ISBN (eBook): 978-1-0685085-2-3
• Printer: Imago Group, Turkey