Friday, August 31, 2012

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.

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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!

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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

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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.

4 comments:

  1. Wow Fridrikr, excellently done. Now, OE as opposed to Old Norse is more in my repertoire, but this is really good. Even the Modern English translation has a solid flow, and the feel is very authentic to me. Bravo sir! I look forward to the next piece. :)

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  2. Some fantastic imagery in this. Nice work, boss ---#3

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  3. It's cool that as I'm reading more of your work I "get" more of the kennings while reading, and have to check the notes less. Awesome.

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  4. thanks for the comments, all. My next trick will be to find music for it.

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