Virtues
Nine Noble Virtues
A modern nine-virtue list usually comprising courage, truth, honour, fidelity, discipline, hospitality, self-reliance, industriousness and perseverance.
- Tradition or school
- Heathenry
- Framework type
- Virtues
- Authority classification
- Modern reconstruction
- Observance
- Disputed
- Research status
- Published and reviewed
- Origin period
- Twentieth century, especially the 1970s
- Origin region
- Modern British and transatlantic Heathenry
- Attributed origin
- Modern codifiers drawing selectively on Norse and Germanic literature
- Intended audience
- Some modern Heathen, Odinist and Ásatrú communities
- Published constituent items
- 9
- Last reviewed
- 28 June 2026
Names and terminology
Alternative names: Nine Noble Virtues of modern Heathenry
Primary texts and authority
The list is not an ancient text. Its codifiers drew on modern interpretations of sources such as the Hávamál, heroic poetry and sagas.
Rules, principles or steps
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Courage
Act despite fear when action is justified and necessary.
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Truth
Value honest speech and accurate representation of reality.
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Honour
Maintain integrity and conduct worthy of legitimate respect.
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Fidelity
Remain faithful to justified commitments and trusting relationships.
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Discipline
Develop reliable control over conduct and follow through on worthwhile commitments.
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Hospitality
Receive guests and strangers with generosity and appropriate protection.
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Self-Reliance
Develop practical capacity and avoid imposing avoidable burdens on others.
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Industriousness
Apply sustained effort to useful and responsible work.
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Perseverance
Continue worthwhile effort through difficulty rather than abandoning it impulsively.
Historical development
A recognisable nine-item list was formulated in the modern revival of Germanic religion during the 1970s. Alternative versions later appeared.
Variations
Different organisations use different wording and, in some cases, different virtues.
Traditional interpretation
Adherents may use the list as a practical character code inspired by reconstructed ancestral literature.
Controversies and disputes
The list is not universal in Heathenry. Some versions have been promoted by ethnically exclusionary or folkish organisations, while inclusive Heathens reject racism and inherited ethnic restrictions.
Truth By Reason analysis
Several virtues are useful when constrained by justice and concern for others. Courage, loyalty and discipline can become dangerous when detached from the moral quality of the cause they serve.
Ethical themes
Explanations, comparisons and discussions
Source investigation
Are the Wiccan Rede and Nine Noble Virtues Ancient Teachings?
Both are influential modern formulations, not intact codes inherited unchanged from antiquity.
Sources
- The Nine Noble Virtues Commentary / interpretation