Haustdag hástoðum

Today´s offering is a poem of the harvest. It is written in haðarlog, a dróttkvætt variant. Snorri cites it in the Hattatal, section 79 (p. 211 in the Everyman edition of the Edda). It is the same as dróttkvætt, except that there are only five syllables per line. The prime example of haðarlog may be Hrafnsmál by Sturla Þórðarson. You can read it here. In her notes on the poem, found in Poetry from the Kings Sagas, vol. 2, pp. 727-745, Kari Ellen Gade notes, "Because of the restrictions imposed by the metre, the poems contains a wealth of nominal compounds, many of which are hap[ax] leg[omenon]" (words or terms not found elsewhere) "and some of which are very awkward." In other words, the missing syllable forces you to invent new compound words for the poem. It's nice to know that Sturla had the same challenge I did in this matter.

The verse, which started life as a gentle pastoral, turned into an extended metaphor for war, as ON poems are wont to do. Snorri would call this use of the same metaphor throughout the verse nýgjǫrvingar "allegory" (Hattatal, section 6; Everyman, p. 170)

There is a recording, as well as the verse and its translation. The music is mine, based on a version of the Lilja, a medieval Icelandic song, which you can find here
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Enjoy!
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Old Norse Verses	Poetic Translation
Haustdagr hástóðum Hornar gullkorni gransíðr góðþegnar gáfa þorpskáru. Vélinn ljárvaldi vaðblóði mýgjaðu ok fargað vínberjum fyr fínast ulfsvínsgǫrðr.	On Fall days high-stood Freyja´s golden wheat good thegns Long-bearded field-sheared the gifts. Good-men scythe-wielders mowed-down blood-waders pressed the wine-berries for the fine wolf-wine.

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Two beautiful ladies helped make this poem better: Emer Holbert, who has given me the courage to dig for music for my verses; and Lilli Haicken, who suggested the hap. leg. þorpskáru in line 4.

Kennings Used

gullkorni > "golden wheat/corn" > WARRIORS (in shining armor)
ljárvaldi > "scythe-wielders" > WARRIORS
vaðblóði > "blood-waders" > WARRIORS
ulfsvín > "wolf-wine" > BLOOD
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Thank you!

Tolftinn Sǫngr (The Song of Twelve) NOW WITH A RECORDING!

NOTE: This is a reposting with an added recording.

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.

Since I wrote this poem, THL Emer nic Aidan, a good friend from Toronto, and an amazing talent in her own right, has helped me find my musical "voice". Because of her inspiration, I have put Tolftinn Sǫngr to music. The music is based on the ancient Danish song, Drømde mik en drøm i natt which may be found at Viking Songs.

You can hear Tolftinn Sǫngr here:

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Old Norse Verses

Poetic Translation

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 Koma lát sigrmeyjar sálur vár úpskera! af vár skjaldum linna lœblandinn dauð úpsnara! 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. Koma lát sigrmeyjar sálur vár úpskera! af vár skjaldum linna lœblandinn dauð úpsnara! 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. Koma lát sigrmeyjar sálur vár úpskera! af vár skjaldum linna lœblandinn dauð úpsnara! Hríðkǫttr kallar frændum ásjá þín hverr beðit en kǫttar sonr snuízk í fjándum ok seimtýnir forréðit. Hverfa þú hringstríði tolftinn ulfgœðendr; Jarl Þú ert í fríði með Þín fleinhristendr! Koma lát sigrmeyjar sálur vár úpskera! af vár skjaldum linna lœblandinn dauð úpsnara!

Gracious faithful jarl - clearer of seas horses - faithful to your kinsmen and to your men troll-true. Gallant lofty ring-strewer led you helmet envoys - banes of shield walls followed to battle, raven-feeder. Let the victory-maidens Ours souls come to harvest! From our shield-snakes raging, let death ensnare the traitors! 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. Let the victory-maidens Ours souls come to harvest! From our shield-snakes raging, let death ensnare the traitors! At your bidding, Jarl, journeys plankhorse mighty; sped across the ship's path, Móða's spear full-gleaming. Stood you on water´s heart-beam with dozen open-handed- on sea-strand, troop obliger, treason's snarling heard you. Let the victory-maidens Ours souls come to harvest! From our shield-snakes raging, let death ensnare the traitors! Snowcat called you kinsman who begged for your protection but foeman turned the cat's-son betrayed you, gold-destroyer. Surrounded you ring-harmer the dozen bold wolf-feeders; Safely kept my Jarl Your kinsmen, all spear shakers! Let the victory-maidens Ours souls come to harvest! From our shield-snakes raging, let death ensnare the traitors!

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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.