Rarely do we give scrolls to champions as they step down, but Her Majesty Ariel wanted one for her champion Maren and this is it. It’s written in a Norse style with 5-syllables per verse, 2 verses per line, at least one alliteration in each verse, remembering that all vowels alliterate with all other vowels in Norse usage.
There are several of my favorite kennings in this one, especially some of the more complicated ones towards the ends.
Text
Glory’s brilliance waits beneath the sky’s gem
Bearing Thor’s sword-fame and Sif’s cup-giving
This heartjoy named by noiseless stepping queen (3)
Wielder of swift blood-worms and bright god’s sharp spears
Storm-cleaver daughter stalwart heir of steel
Brightest jewel in just ruler’s meadhall (6)
Aided by hind-helm heroic doomhound
She sees face and eyes of Heimdall’s offspring
Giving joy to moon-foes mindful of duty (9)
In highest of halls holder of cup list
Delivers wolf-drink at days of sword-play
Kraki sowed less than this lady of mist (12)
With Valkyrie’s thorn valiant is her tale
With weaver’s sharp tool terrible her fate
Yet still in hearth-wall her heart stands dauntless (15)
Thus Ariel queen awards distinction
To battle-maiden Maren Thorskabitr
Before the falcon thrones fair home of sworn oaths (18)
Done thirty years since thirsty stormbirds drank
When glory of elves gives way to grassbane
In heath of heroes held not by mind-fame (21)
Notes
Line 1: Sky’s gem is a kenning for the sun
Line 2: By listing the aspects of both Thor and Sif, I emphasize both martial and non-martial accomplishments
Line 3: Cats were known as noiseless steppers, and this is a reference to the cat on Ariel’s heraldry
Line 4: Blood-worms is a kenning for swords, bright god is a kenning for Baldur, god of learning, so the whole kenning of bright god’s sharp spears is a kenning for pens and writing
Line 5: Storm-cleaver is a kenning for falcon, and this line is a reference to Maren being the daughter of Gawayne and Brialen
Line 10: The highest of halls would be the king’s hall, and the greatest faux pas in diplomacy was to give the cup of welcome out of order, so the holder of the cup list is a person advising the king and, especially, the queen
Line 11: Wolf’s-drink is a kenning for blood
Line 12: Kraki’s seed is a kenning for gold, and in this usage I am emphasizing her generosity, the lady of mist is a kenning for a Valkyrie or battle-maiden
Line 13: Valkyrie’s thorn is a kenning for a spear
Line 14: Weaver’s sharp tool is a kenning for a needle, and thus an allusion to a sewing needle incident
Line 15: Hearth-wall is an oblique kenning, even for me, it’s a reference to shield-wall but in the context of the home, so it’s a kenning of working at arts and sciences
Line 19: This is a reference to the founding of Calontir
Line 20: The glory of elves is a kenning for the sun, and the middle of June to the middle of July is the Sun’s Month, the middle of July to the middle of August is Heyannir, or the haying month, so this is one long kenning for the middle of July
Line 21: This line is another long kenning for Lost Moor
I am awestruck at this and how much time it must have taken to do all the research to put this together. Well done!
Thank you.
To be honest, though, not all of the kennings are researched. I have worked with them for some time now and I love making up my own. Kennings, once you get used to them, are actually fairly easy.