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.

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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.

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You can hear the poem by clicking below:

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

For Queen Kallista

Yes, it's about time --- I know, I'm late. I started this on Saturday last at the Coronation of Kallista and Andreas, Queen and King of Æthelmearc. The verse is relatively straight forward, except that praise lines for Her Majesty are inserted between lines of action. In any case, here is the poem.




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Old Norse	Word-by-Word Translation	Prose-Order Translation
Sverðtré hvattu svartbrynn (svanni grœngeils fannvit) á frágǫrðum frœkligum (fríðast, sváss ok bliðust). Drjúgtmanna bjoða dróttningu (dreglaðr raftré fegna rauðharr verndar ratitosks) rausnarkona hraustviðs.	Sword-tree you prompted black-browed (swan of green-glen snow-white) To surpassing feats valiant (most beautiful, sweet, and gentlest) Crowds proclaim you queen (ribbon-trimmed amber tree joyful red-haired friend of squirrel) magnificent lady of the valiant woods.	You prompted the black-browed sword tree to valiant surpassing feats o snow-white swan of the green glen most beautiful, sweet, and gentlest. Crowds proclaim you queen, magnificent lady of the valiant woods Joyful ribbon-trimmed amber tree - red-tressed friend of the squirrel.

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Kennings Used

Sverðtré svart-brynn > sword tree black-browed > ANDREAS
grœngeils > of the green-glens > SYLVAN GLEN
svanni fannvit > swan snow-white > KALLISTA
raftré > amber tree > KALLISTA
hraustviðs > valiant woods > AETHELMEARC




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