Ten Commandments of the Pagan Germanic Tribes

1. “It is always better to avenge dear ones than to indulge in mourning” (1384-1385)
2. Always pile your leaders’ funeral pyres with as much gold and treasure as possible, for “gold under gravel, gone to earth, as useless to men now as it ever was” (3167-3168)
3. “Do not give way to pride” (1760), for “your piercing eye will dim and darken; and death will arrive, dear warrior, to sweep you away” (1766-1768)
4. Be wary of the mothers of the monsters you kill
5. Always keep troves of treasure handy as payment for helpful traveling monster-slayers
6. Don’t steal any treasure from dragons, not even one “gem-studded goblet” (2217) from a dragon, because sometimes they can become irritable
7. Giant blood can melt swords
8. Even accidents can be punishable by death- no fratricide
9. Stand by your leaders-even when facing a dragon
10. “Every man should act, be at hand when needed” (2708-2709)