Greetings all
It was a busy weekend and I’m only now catching up with the blogging. Here’s Sunday’s scroll text.
I have been blessed to get the opportunity to write scroll texts for a number of awards bestowed outside of Calontir. This one was written for a friend who now lives in the Outlands, Albrecht von Trier.
The text is modeled on that of the Hildebrandslied, an epic poem of the 9th century. Also serving as inspiration was the Ludwigslied. This was an example of a Preislied, a poem in praise of a warrior.
As I’m sure you can tell, it seems very much like that of Beowulf and Anglo-Saxon poetry. This is not surprising, of course, as they all come from a similar poetic tradition. About the only difference is that the Germanic tradition is a little looser on the location of the alliteration but much stricter in the language, preferring not to have much in the way of kennings or other word-play.
I chose this style as opposed to my initial expectation that I would be writing in the style of the Nibelungenlied because it matched better with Albrecht’s historical persona of a warrior in Saxony during the tenth century. Interestingly, as a result of the Anglo-Saxons wanting to convert the old homeland of Saxony, much of the literature and learning of Saxony especially was influenced by Wessex and Mercia.
Some words are glossed below. They are all in Old High German.
Albrecht – Chivalry
I have heard tell of heroic deeds
When armies stood arrayed against foes
Of a heriman proud wearing bright halsberg
Who stood in battle when stags shed blood
And held shieldwalls with soaring huscarls 5
His sight so clear seeing all around him
No foe escaped his eyes except that lantwyrm
Lurking in southern sands luring wandering souls
Though he stood tall even after it struck
And he heaped ruin on other hosts 10
With flickering spear and flowing blade
Such that falkkuning’s own sword was given
And on fields where blood flowed to three seas
Yet once more did Albrecht von Trier
Stand before many hosts breaking linden-shields 15
There did Garick kuning gift-giving kneht
And Yasamin kuningen call to their host
That Albrecht be raised to his rightful station
So on this, the feast day of St. Theotimus
In the XLIVth season since the stag first ran 20
Is Their word spoken, sealed and witnessed.
Notes
Line 3: Heriman: warrior
Line 3: Halsberg: coat of mail
Line 4: A reference to Estrella War
Line 5: Though getting this award in the Outlands, he was also a Calontir huscarl
Line 6: This line refers to his eyesight, which is terrible
Line 7-9: Lantwyrm: land dragon (in this case the culverts at the Florence Estrella site). This refers to his ability to stumble through huge obstacles which he cannot see yet somehow emerge unscathed. These concrete irrigation culverts are 4-5 deep and 6 or more feet across that required bridges for everyone but Albrecht.
Line 12: Falkkuning: Falcon king, and this line tells of the Sword of Calontir that was bestowed upon him.
Line 16: Kuning: King
Line 16: Kneht: warrior, obviously a cognate with cniht in Old English and knight in Modern English
Line 17: Kuningen: Queen
Line 19: Theotimus was a saint who preached through Germany in the 4th and early 5th centuries.