Songs of the Twelve, Part One

A very good friend of mine and great story-teller, Mistress Morgana Bro Morganwg, tells an inspiring tale of Jarl Haakon and his skald, Haukr. In the tale, the skald "stands in two worlds" - the world of man as well as that of the gods - and can sense things beyond the ken of mortal man.

In the tale, Haukr sings a battle song which so moves the valkyrie, Orðtrúaðr "Word-believer", that she spares the lives of Haakon and his men, and kills the Jarl's traitorous brother, instead.

In the poem I have written, I have imagined that song. The song is written in ríma, a "non-skaldic" form that can only be found at Óláfs ríma Haraldssonar. As I said in a previous post, this verse form seems to feature

• four lines to a verse
• six to eight syllable in each line
• alliteration in odd-to-even lines
• a rhyme scheme of abab

I have tried to follow that form as closely as possible in this poem.

===========================================================

Old Norse Verses

Poetic Translation

STEF: Koma lát sigrmeyjar sálur vár úpskera! Af vár linna skjaldar lœblandinn dauð úpsnara! VERSIR: Gæzku-fullr jarl gǫfgastr - glaðar eyðendr geimar - til frænda vartu trúfastr ok trǫlltrygða til þín beimar Drengi hôr hringdrífr hjalmôru þín leiddir fylgdu banar-hlifa til bardaga, hrafngreddir. Blétuð karlaskar fjándum með jafnan kappi miklu ok Æsir yfir lóndum at yndi eggmôts bliku. Er kallaði bróðir utan ef broddrjóðr kvaddi spjarrar tólfir komu þeir, sversbjóðr. At þín boði ríða borðhesti heiptfíkinn of ferla flausta, greiða Móða-flein fulbluíkinn. Á hjarta lagar, gjaf mildr, á meðal tolftinn stóttú - á útstrǫnd sendina, skyldir, gnístinn svikdóms fráttu. Hríðkǫttr kallar frændum ásjá þín hverr beðit en kǫttar sonr snuízk í fjándum ok seimtýnir forréðit. Hverfa þú hringstríði tolftinn ulfgœðendar; Jarl Þú ert í fríði með Þín fleinhristendar!

REFRAIN: Let the victory-maidens our souls come to harvest From our shield-snakes raging, let traitors death ensnare! VERSES: Gracious faithful jarl - clearer of the seas horses - to kinsmen were you faithful and to your men troll-true. Gallant lofty ring-strewer led you helmet envoys - banes of shield walls followed to battle, raven-feeder. Enemies' souls you offered Aesir with great zeal whose love of edge storm shone upon you, brave land-ruler. When called to you your brother point reddener without doubt you summoned twelve spears to you came they soon, sword-greeter. At your bidding, Jarl, journeys plankhorse mighty; sped across the ship's path, Móða's spear full-gleaming. On water´s heart, stood you, open-handed with the twelve - on sandy sea-strand, troop obliger, treason's snarling heard you. Snowcat called you kinsman who begged for your protection but foeman cat's son turned betrayed you, gold-destroyer. Surrounded you ring-harmer the dozen bold wolf-feeders; safely kept my Jarl your kinsmen, all spear-shakers!

============================================================
Kennings Used

sigrmeyjar > the victory-maidens > VALKYRIES
skjaldar linna > snakes of the shield > SWORDS
lœblandinn > the baleful > TRAITORS
glaðar eyðendr geimar > clearer of the horses of the sea > clearer of ships > SEA-WARRIOR, JARL
trǫlltrygða > troll-true > loyal til death > FAITHFUL MAN, JARL
hringdrífr > ring-strewer > RULER, JARL
hjalmôru > helmet envoys > WARRIORS
hrafngreddir > raven-feeder > WARRIOR, JARL
eggmôts > edge-storm > BATTLE
broddrjóðr > point reddener > WARRIOR, JARL
spjarrar tólfir > spears twelve > TWELVE WARRIORS
sversbjóðr > sword greeter > WARRIOR RULER, JARL
borðhesti > plankhorse > SHIP
ferla flausta > ship's path > SEA
Móða-flein > Móða's spear > WARSHIP
hjarta lagar — ‘the heart of the water' > ISLAND
gjaf mildr > open-handed, generous > JARL
skyldir > obliger > COMMANDER, JARL
gnístinn svikdóms > snarling of treason > TRAITORS
kǫttar sonr > cat's son > BASTARD
seimtýnir > Gold-destroyer > JARL

============================================================
Thanks for reading this long poem. I hope/plan to write two more: a song of Orðtrúaðr and an elegy for the Jarl, but they will have to wait for now. Please, leave me comments on this poem, either in the comments box below or send them to me.

It's a Beginning, Part two

So, in the past two days, three more verses of The Song of the Twelve have been written. They are not in their final order (a couple of intervening verses need to be written), but they are in pretty close to their final form. Those who know the tale they go with will recognize that I've changed the villain's name; it's, ummm, irony. For those who like that kind of stuff, here you go (Old Norse verses, followed by poetic translation; kennings at the end. The form is ríma - see "It's A Beginning" for details):

Old Norse

Drengi hôr hringdrífr
hjalmôru þín leiddir
fylgdu banar-hlifa
til bardaga, hrafngreddir

Blétuð karlaskar fjándum
með jafnan kappi miklu
ok Æsir yfir lóndum
at yndi eggmôts bliku.

Hríðkǫttr kallar frændum
ásjá þín hverr beðit
en kǫttar sonr snuízk í fjándum
ok seimtýnir forréðit.

Poetic Translation

Gallant lofty ring-strewer
led you helmet envoys -
banes of shield walls followed
to battle, raven-feeder.

Enemies' souls you offered
Aesir with great zeal
whose love of edge storm shone
upon you, brave land-ruler.

Snowcat called you kinsman
who begged for your protection
but the cat's son turned your foeman
and betrayed you, gold-destroyer.

Kennings Used

hringdrífr > ring-strewer > RULER
hjalmôru > helmet envoys > WARRIORS
hrafngreddir > raven-feeder > WARRIOR, JARL
eggmôts > edge-storm > BATTLE
kǫttar sonr > cat's son > BASTARD
seimtýnir > Gold-destroyer > JARL

===================

When the entire set of songs (probably totaling 12 to 15 verses) are completed, I'll post a reading of it all. For now, I hope you like it. Please give me comments below or Send Mail

It's a beginning

I'm working on a new project, a series of three songs that will go with a story an SCA friend tells. In the story she speaks of a skaldr singing a song that moves a valkyrie to action. But, being a good storyteller, she doesn't tell us the contents of the song.

This is where my impertinence comes into play.

So, here is the first verse. The poem/song is in a "non-skaldic" form called ríma. My analysis of the major example of ríma: Óláfs ríma Haraldssonar seems to show that there are four requirements:

• four lines to a verse
• six to eight syllable in each line
• alliteration in odd-to-even lines
• a rhyme scheme of abab

=====================

Original	Word-for-Word	Poetic Translation
Gæzku-fullr jarl gǫfgastr - glaðar eyðendr geimar - til frænda vartu trúfastr ok trǫlltrygða til þín beimar	Gracious jarl faithful - horses clearer of the seas to kinsmen were you faithful and troll-true to your men.	Gracious faithful jarl - clearer of the seas horses - to kinsmen were you faithful and to your men troll-true.

===================

Kennings used:

glaðar eyðendr geimar > clearer of the horses of the sea > clearer of ships > SEA-WARRIOR

trǫllatrygða > troll-true > loyal til death

The second kenning, trǫlltrygða, is a very interesting one. Cleasby-Vigfusson has the following explanation:

In one single instance the trolls, strange to say, play a good part, viz. as being grateful and faithful; trolls and giants were the old dwellers on the earth, whom the gods drove out and extirpated, replacing them by man, yet a few remained haunting lonely places in wildernesses and mountains; these trolls, if they meet with a good turn from man, are said to remain thankful for ever, and shew their gratitude; hence the phrases, tryggr sem tröll, faithful as a troll; and trygða-tröll, hann er mesta trygða-tröll, a faithful soul, faithful person; trölla-trygð, 'trolls-trust,' faithfulness to death;

For me, it is a wonderful image.

===================

I hope to continue this first song for about eight verses. I'll post more as I finish them. Please, leave comments below, or send them to me.

Hrafnars ýr (Ravens' yews)

In the Barony of Thescorre (located in Rochester, NY), we have excellent archers. In celebration of these fine folk, I wrote the following poem. It involves an attack by certain raiders from the Kingdom of Ealdormere and how they are repelled by the brave archers of the Barony. From what I understand, this  poem may well start a bardic war with our friends from across the Inland Seas.

If so, while I may perish, I will struggle to the end. To wit,

"HAVE AT YOU, WOLVES OF THE BREED!"

====================

                

Hrafnars ýr Fram norðt vargsfjǫll fimvig fjándr sigla svandalir; nautfé kaupangs unýtast níðings-sunnar rifsa gangandi til gunnar geirviðir af myrkskógi - akraspillir ekrum undír traðkað sunnhreinn. Athos goði ýskelfir ættfólk kallar snjallast: Virkismenn varðatu vals Yggs heim með hagl skóds. Á barna gylðis berbeinn bogaþruma dundu! Með undreyr svartast svǫrrblóð svíneyg ulfgrár dreiftu! Svara ýglǫð Eadmund enski : Bogar bendum svarttyrf hrafnars sverjum með skirir Hǫgna firra! þrir skora bog-menn þermsligr þrymu Ullar fljúgask. Hergaupur harki hagli Finna vinna. Nóttfǫrullars norðr nóra hlaunnar ǫrbursti. Flyja dreypandi frenjar til festa gaula hestr. Of vǫll lunda válandi vargmenn sigǫrs targa; rekald vargham Roaks hrylla til heim sigla.

The Ravens' Yews War-skilled fiends from wolf-fells northern sail swan-dales; niðings-bastards pillage townfolk's useless cattle. Spear trees from dark woods marching to battle - destroyers of fields trample sun-bright acres. Athos bow-shaker, chieftain, calls to his best kinsfolk: Yeomen, Yggs gull's homeland defend with weapons hail! On Gyldis's-bastards bare-legged rain down your bow-thunder! With blackest blood-birds' wound-reeds scatter swine-eyed grey-wolves!" Edmund yew-glad English answered: Bend we bows - Raven´s black-turf we swear to defend with Hogni's showers! " Three score fittest bow-men Join in Ullar´s Thunder; Rabble of war-lynxes suffer Sami's hail. Little northern night-thieves' buttocks arrow-bristle. They flee to mooring-horses dropping cattle lowing. Across the plain of puffins wolfmen – war-shafts targets; Roak’s wolfish jetsam horrid sail homeward.

====================

Kennings Used

svandalir > swan's dale > SEA
níðings-sunnar > níðings sons > RAIDERS
geirviðir > spear trees > WARRIORS
akraspillir > destroyers of fields > WARRIORS

vals Yggs > gulls of Ygg > RAVENS
vals Yggs heim > gulls of Yggs home > THESCORRE
barna gylðis > Gyldis's bastards > RAIDERS
bogaþruma > bow-thunder > ARROWS
undreyr svartast svǫrrblóð > blackest bloodbirds' wound-reeds > blackest ravens' wound-reeds > ARROWS
ulfgrár > grey wolves > RAIDERS

skirir Hǫgna > Hogna's showers > ARROWS
þrymu Ullar > Ullar's thunder > BATTLE
hagli Finna > Sami's hail > ARROWS

Nóttfǫrullars > Night thieves > RAIDERS
festa gaula > mooring horses > SHIPS
vǫll lunda > plain of puffins > SEA
sigǫrs targa victory (or war) shafts targets> arrows' targets > RAIDERS
rekald vargham Roaks > Roak's wolfish jetsam > RAIDERS

====================

LIKE IT? HATE IT? GOT QUESTIONS? WANNA RETALIATE?

Leave your comments below, or contact me directly!

Thanks for your continued readership and support.

Foes and Friends Forever

For those of you who are in the SCA, you may have heard that I was elevated by TRM Andreas and Kallista to the Most Noble Order of the Laurel. Her Majesty then invited me to be one of her bards for the Known World Bardic Challenge at the Pennsic Wars. As you read this entry, the circle has ended, and the following poem received its world debut.

The theme of the circle was Enemies and Friends , and this poem catches the theme, I think.  It is written in English, in the dróttkvætt meter. The kennings are pretty simple.

--------------------------------------------

Foes and Friends Forever

Battle joined by bitter bold foes crying old gripes - blood is let by blade-Tyrs blasting horns call fast spears. Sword-storm's lightning seering seething helm-lines heaving - Iron-gods' knights-errant On field reddened yield not. Day's heat on the hot field hammers foes in gam'sons drives the sword-tree droves drained of precious rains-gift. Seek the helm-folk sacred sups of Odin's cup-streams. Find they there the fiend-men friends to glad-night's ending. Joined by valor's gentle jumbling, spear-foes humbled honor's love find intact. Armored not gainst harm now, point-din yields til pint-song peals from laughing steel-oaks - spear-trees come from spar-storm sword-gods hug their war-friends.

--------------------------------------------

You can hear the poem by clicking below:

--------------------------------------------

I hope you enjoyed the poem. Please let me know by commenting below or by writing me.