Nótt-veidr (Night-Hunt)

This poem is for Halloween. In Old Germanic lore, this time of year was when the Wild Hunt took place. There is a great deal of literature on the lore of the Wild Hunt. One explanation is at the Orkneyjar website. I have chosen the Wild Hunt motif here, lead by Loki and consisting of the ghouls, ghasts, and goblins we popularly think of when we dress for Halloween.

I have written in runhent, which literally means rhyming endings. It is the only metre in Old Norse-Icelandic poetry that uses end-rhymes. Although lines of runhent can vary in length from four to eight syllables, I have used primarily a four-syllable line, with occasional five-syllable lines. The verses should move fairly quickly when spoken and I hope the form is more comfortable for you to read than the longer, more technically demanding dróttkvætt that I usually write.

The poem is presented, as usual, in Old Icelandic, English Line by Line, and a Prose Translation, all followed by notes on the kennings used.

A note about the Jack-o-Lantern. When it first became a popular symbol of Halloween, the Jack-o-Lantern was based on folklore that shows it being a guardian spirit. The bold fellow i the picture above is a traditional Irish Jack-o-Lantern, carved from a turnip! You can read more here.

Enjoy!

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Old Icelandic	English Line-by-Line	Prose Order
Lopts fár-veiði bereð mús-flæði ok tán-riðinn ok úlf-héðinn. Almsorg ýla blóð-tungl fýlla eðl-vina blistra slydda rísta	Loki´s hunt brings the flood-mouse and the hedge-rider and the wolf-skin. The elm-grief howls the blood-moon fills the toad friend whistles the rain slashes.	Loki´s hunt brings the flood-mouse and the hedge-rider and the wolf-skin. The elm-grief howls the blood-moon fills the toad friend whistles the rain slashes.
Upp strætir býrs kveld-riðar fyrst borgar-lýðr hvak á gýgjar blakr. Bjarnar tryllska seið-kvenna sjá ok menn mein-samr með vargar u-tamr.	Up streets town dark-riders flow towns-people quail at orges black. Children bewitched spell-women see and men noxious with wolves wild.	Up the town's streets dark-riders flow towns-people quail at orges black. Children bewitched see spell-women and noxious men with wild wolves.
Háf-ulfr í blys-ljos hálf-limt af kveld-mús fenja-menna flet-þak brenna. Stað-fólk gnella á skræmir ílla; brysti bera fyrir fólk hverra?	Half-wolf in torch-lit twilight of night-mouse fen-men straw-thatch burn Town-folk scream at scarecrows evil; breast bares for folk who?	Torch-lit half-wolf in twilight of the night-mouse; fen-men burn straw-thatch (roofs). Town-folk scream at scarecrows evil; who bares his breast for the folk?
Upp fram-hus stíg inn skulla-víg brósa rauð-gull ward festa-ból. Kyndill-skella egg-leika krella. Fára á hæl veiði-konungr bæl.	Up porch stair the skull of war smiles red-yellow guard abode. Candle skull edge-plays spirits. Takes to the heel the hunt-king burn(ing).	Up the porch stair the skull of war smiles - red-yellow house guard . Candle skull edge-plays with spirits. The burn(ing) hunt-king takes to his heels.
Brý-bana bið gefa fólk fríð ok staðir-drott allr svófu-rott.	The witch-bane abiding gives the folk peace and town- people all sleep sweetly.	The abiding witch-bane gives the folk peace and the town-people all sleep sweetly.

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KENNINGS USED

mús-flæði – the ´flood-mouse´ > BAT
tán-riðinn – the hedge-rider > GHOST
úlf-héðinn – the wolf-skin > WEREWOLF
almsorg – the grief of elms > WIND
eðl-vina – toad-friend > WITCH
kveld-riðar – dark riders > ZOMBIES
seið-kvenna – spell-women > WITCHES
háf-ulfr – half-wolf > WEREWOLF
kveld-mús – night-mouse > VAMPIRE
skulla-víg – skull (of) war > JACK-o-LANTERN
festa-ból – locked or fast house > ABODE
kyndill-skella - candle skull > JACK-o-LANTERN
egg-leika – edge-plays > BATTLES
veiði-konungr – hunt-king > LOKI
brý-bana – witch-bane > JACK-o-LANTERN

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Now it's your turn - to leave a comment. Here are three questions to help you get started.

1. What image or images did you like the most?

2. What images or idea in the poem would you like to know more about?

3. What do you like or dislike about this metre, runhent?