Monday, September 26, 2011

Króna burt-reið (Crown Tournament)

Hej!


This poem is an attempt to present a skaldic view of a Crown Tournament in the SCA.  For those who are  not in the SCA, every few months (six in our Kingdom of Æthelmearc), we hold a tournament to decide our next royalty.  All bouts are fought in an enclosed area (a holm-gang in Old Norse parlance).  The poem, while not "telling the story",  does attempt to give allusions to the narrative that might be written about Crown Tournament, with many fighters being reduced to two, and finally, to one in the final bout.


WARNING: Kennings abound!  The poem is presented in its entirety and is followed by a verse-by-verse gloss.


Enjoy!  Comment, PLEASE!


Fridrikr


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Króna burt-reið (Crown Tournament)

Ski-puðr unviggs skoru
á skalð-þing sextán manna
geirvíðar máttigr grípask
gulla-króna hungran.
Prýði jarla prúd-ligr
prófað styri-Þrottar
leitað at lið-drugastr
lund-hjorva þinn arfuni.

Stokkr-bryni snúðigt
skjaldar ganga á hjaldar
barninn skegglauss bond-ligr
ban-skot garðað megin-grimmr.
Gjorð-vitr prýdi gjarnastr
gjögar kljufuð róg-þornar
hlynir-brandr hlákka
Hlóriðs sinna hjör-opi.

Folk-Tyr mattig (fagr-eygr)
(furu-rafir) krúnu
fara andvigr (fylgt hinn)
feginn-samligr (legg ást).
Rauði-skjoldr rótfastr
runnr brygði gunnar
hauksjóllum hersir
hrækóstr hlóðu reyki

Gra-skegg gengr á gras-svórðr
grand-storir hafa rand-þel
hjart-prýði inn hjorvíður
hlæjað hátt þott eygr-grim.
Fergir hinn með hand-sek
á hjorveðr kemað mjor-elma
klif-hauka grapa hjo-alm
hjaldrliðr söngvinn alstiðr

Hilmr-ýta kallað á hólm-gangr
hjalmar-Týr tví jam-ýkkr
brand-þrottr berjast til þrautar
þrek-sterki reynst fjand-brékr.
Þjód-konungr, snallr jófurr
hjalm-stafr reynast dram-laus
riki-alm-viðs reka
runni efni er buinnast

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ski-puðr unviggs skoru
á skalð-þing sextán manna
geirvíðar máttigr grípask
gulla-króna hungran.
Prýði jarla prúd-ligr
prófað styri-Þrottar
leitað at lið-drugastr
lund-hjorva þinn arfuni

Commander of the wave-steeds summoned
to the shield thing sixteen men
spear-trees were gripped by
gold-crown-hunger.
Jarl-adorner magnificent
you put on trial the steel-Þrottar
you searched for the strongest
tree of swords – your heir.

King [ski-puðr unviggs > commander of the wave steeds > KING] you summoned sixteen men to the battle [ skalð-þing > shield-thing > BATTLE]. Mighty warriors [geirvíðr > spear trees > WARRIORS] are gripped by desire for victory [gulla-króna hungran > gold-crown-hunger > VICTORY DESIRE].
Mighty king [Prýði jarla > Jarl adorner > KING] you tested the warriors [styri-Þrottar > steel-Þrottar > Gods of steel > WARRIORS]; you earched for the strongest warrior [lund-hjorva > sword tree > WARRIOR] (to be) your heir.

Stokkr-bryni snúðigt
skjaldar ganga á hjaldar
barninn skegglauss bond-ligr
ban-skot garðað megin-grimmr.
Gjorð-vitr prýdi gjarnastr
gjögar kljufuð róg-þornar
hlynir-brandr hlákka
Hlóriðs sinna hjör-opi.

Tree-trunk byrnie haughtily
shield strode to uproar
the youth beardless, famer-like,
death-shot delivered, very fierce
Belt-white proud most willing
rifts cleaved foemen.
Sword-maple eagle-screamed
Bellowing-Thunderer's his sword cry

The large warrior [Stokkr-bryni > tree-trunk byrnie > large WARRIOR] strode haughtlily to the battle [skjaldar-hjaldar > shield uproar > BATTLE]. He fiercely delivered the killing blow [ban-skot > death-shot > KILLING BOW] to the farmer-like, beard-less youth. The most-willing knight [Gjorð-vitr > white belt > KNIGHT] cleaved rifts in his foemen [róg-þornar > war-thorns > WARRIORS]. The warrior [hlynir-brandr > sword-maple > WARRIOR] of Óðinn [Hlóriðs > of Bellowing Thunderer's > of Óðinn] screamed his war-cry [hjör-ópi > sword-hoop > WAR-CRY] like the eagle.

Folk-Tyr mattig (fagr-eygr)
(furu-rafir) krúnu
fara andvigr (fylgt hinn)
feginn-samligr (legg ást).
Rauði-skjoldr rótfastr
runnr brygði gunnar
hauksjóllum hersir
hrækóstr hlóðu reyki

Army-Tyr mighty (fair-eyed)
(fir tree of amber) crown
goes to fight for (guide him)
joyfulness-filled (by love)
red-shield root-fast
tree brandishes battle -
hawk-brave lord
corpse-pile stacks reeking

A mighty warrior [Folk-Tyr > god of the army > WARRIOR] goes to fight for crown joyfully; a fair-eyed lady [furu-rafir > amber fir tree > WOMAN] guides him by her love. The stedfast warrior [rót-fastr runnr gunnar > root-fast tree of battle > steadfast WARRIOR] brandishes the red-shield. The warrior [hauksjóllum hersir > hawk-brave lord > WARRIOR] kills many.

Gra-skegg gengr á gras-svórðr
grand-storir hafa rand-þel
hjart-prýði inn hjorvíður
hlæjað hátt þott eygr-grim.
Fergir hinn með hand-sek
á hjorveðr kemað mjor-elma
klif-hauka grapa hjo-alm
hjaldrliðr söngvinn alstiðr

Greybearded walked to the greens-ward
Wound increaser hefted rim-file
Proud-hearted the sword tree
Laughed loud although eyes grim
Enemy his with hand-sax
to sword storm comes thin elm
cliff of hawk grips the hew branch
battle-snake singing all-stiff

The old warrior [Gra-skegg grand-storir > Grey bearded wound increaser > OLD WARRIOR] walks to the list hefting his blade [rand-þel > rin-file > SWORD]. The proud hearted warrior [hjorvíður
> sword-tree > WARRIOR] laughs loudly though he is grim-eyed. His elm-thin enemy comes with his sword to battle [ hjorveðr > sword storm > BATTLE]. His hand [klif-hauka > hawk cliff > HAND/ARM] grips the the sword [hjo-alm> hew branch > SWORD] – the singing blade [hjaldrliðr alstiðr > all-stiff snake of battle > SWORD].

Hilmr-ýta kallað á hólm-gangr
hjalmar-Týr tví jam-ýkkr
brand-þrottr berjast til þrautar
þrek-sterki reynst fjand-brékr.
Þjód-konungr, snallr jófurr
hjalm-stafr reynast dram-laus
riki-alm-viðs reka
runni efni er buinnast

The Protector of men calls to holm-gang
helmet-Tyrs two well-matched
sword-god struggles to the end
courageous (he) proves foe-breaker
Mighty king, your brave prince
helm-stave is proven modest.
Realm of elm-leaves counselor
of warriors heir is most ready

The King [Hilmr-ýta > Protector of men > KING] calls two well-matched warriors [hjalmar-Týr > helmet-Tyrs > WARRIORS] to the holm-gang. The courageous warrior [brand-þrottr > sword god > WARRIOR] struggles to the end (and) proves to be the victor [fjand-brékr > foe-breaker > VICTOR]. Mighty king, the modest warrior [hjalm-stafr > helmet-stave > WARRIOR] is proven your brave prince. The heir of Aethelmearc [riki-alm-viðs > realm of elm-leaves > sylvan realm > Aethelmearc] is most ready.

6 comments:

  1. I agree with Sorcha. I like it.

    What poetic form is this?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi, Becky,

    The form is dróttkvætt (Court Meter). I've written bout it in previous posts. Essentially, the rules are

    1. Eight line verses, six syllables to a line (though this is flexible)
    2. Three stressed syllables in each line
    3. Alliteration in he odd numbered lines, which carries over to the first syllable of the subsequent even-numbered line.
    4. Internal Rhyme (partial or approximate rhymes in the odd-numbered lines; exact or perfect rhymes i the even-numbered lines).

    Generally, the first four lines in each verse form a syntactic unit (or two related syntactic units), as do the second four lines in each verse. The two halves of each verse must be related in terms of subject matter.

    That's a very long-winded answer, and I apologize for the length, but you asked.....

    Thanks for reading & commenting,

    Fridrikr

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thanks Fridrikr. I took an into to Old Norse poetry class this summer and while we focused on fyrnirdislag (phonetic-ish because it is VERY early) and ljod-something, we did tadrottkvaeglk about drottkvaett. I am just not skilled enough to remember all the rules yet.
    I appreciate the explanations of the kennings.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hej, Becky!

    You're welcome. Remember that these rules are more like guidelines. Snorri analysed the forms of Norse-Icelandic poetry after the fact. If you read his Prose Edda carefully, you'll find many variants of the form. I've written some verses in a few of these forms and put them in previous posts.

    It is not unusual to find verses that deviate from Snorri's forms. My general rule is to follow the lines rules, the alliteration rule, and the even-numbered rhyme rule. I have difficulty with the approximate rhyme rule.

    If you want to go into greater depth, I suggest you read the Prose Edda (the Anthony Faulkes edition is the best, as far as I'm concerned) and, if you REALLY want to get geeky on it, Kari Ellen Gade's The Structure of Od Norse Drottkvaett Poetry. Snorri's Prose Edda is the basic "gotta read it" book, though.

    Hope this helps. Keep Reading!

    ReplyDelete