| The White Raven & The Black Lion | ||
| The White Raven & The Black Lion I wrote this poem in honor of Khalek and Branwyn as they were crowned King and Queen of Aethelmearc. The title is taken from the literal translation of Branwyn's name: "white raven", and my impression of Khalek's fighting sttyle. I attempted in it to bring the two main characters into a poetic "dance", as I will explain below. The poem is written in drottkveitt, an Old Icelandic poetic form that has some essential features: 1. The stanzas consist of eight lines (four couplets). each having six syllables 2. In the first line of each couplet, the third and fifth syllables are accented and display alliteration. 3. In the second line of eacvh couplet, the first syllable continues the alliteration, and the third and fifth syllables are accented and display rhyme. 4. As is often true in all Norse and Anglo-Saxon poetry of the early period, the drottkveitt makes fairly liberal use of kennings, a form of figurative speech which matches nouns and adjectives together to form a metaphor. For example, a kenning for clouds is "high barrels of rain" As you read the poem, be aware that the kennings I use are often for Khalek & Branwyn, although there are some instances of kennings for the woods. Also, be aware that a couplet or even a half-stnza may make up a syntactic unit, or sentence. On a couple of occasions, the thought of one line may lead into the next. You have to watch out for that, as the lack of punctuation (also a feature of the form) can cause confusion. I mentioned earlier that I attempted to create a poetic dance between Branwyn and Khalek. The poem works as follows: Stanza 1 is Branwyn's alone, followed by stanza 2 which is Khalek's. In stanza 3, each character has a half-stanza (first Branwyn, then Khalek). In stanza 4, the order reverses. Stsnza 5 takes the split further, as the characters alternate couplets. In stanza 6, they alternate single lines, until the final couplet, where there are joined. Finally, in the last stanza, the dance ends in their Coronation. I hope this helps explain the poem's origins & style. Further books or websites you can read for more on this topic: Kari Ellen Gade, The Structure of Old Norse Drottkveitt Poetry (Cornell U Press, 1995) Snorri Sturluson, Edda (Everyman Press, 1987) Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages <<http://skaldic.arts.usyd.edu.au/db.php?table=home>> (last checker 10 April 2008) Jonas Hallgrimsson Selected Poetry and Prose <<http://www.library.wisc.edu/etext/Jonas/Jonas.html>> ----------------------------------------- The White Raven and the Black Lion, by FRIDRIKR TOMASSON |
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| Deep woods flash with flight's blur Fleet bird snow clad goes free ring tree's laughter light fills Lonely soul with full heart Bright war eagle's eyes shine Artless maiden gazes Flees from happy homestead Hunts she harts for heart's ease Shadow lurking lion Lets no eye bespy him Keeps his guard against all Guileful beast lord seeks foes Climb tree stalks the stalwart Stag through darkened lark homes Sharp claws flash stop fleet deer Flight of elder elk ends Eagle's stand goes stoney Still gold-tree swift sees all white warhark's new heart sings Hope her soul now full fills Elk bane tenses turning Tilts his eyes to spy her Raven crined crouches creeping preyward flay-claw Silent daring death moves Doom's dark gaze amazes Rises high to hold fast Hawk-wing hastens day's end Thor's hawk silent sights him Sighing gold-tree boldly Meets his gold orb's gaze and Gains his heart with dart's sting |
Turns then white-clad warhawk Whispers peace to beast-lord Sudden still he stands to Stay by light-wing's right hand Calms his blood-lust blazing Blessed love discovers Soft-paw gently joins Joyous partner's heart song Black-lord rises rightly Ring-tree's sweet song greets all Full of pride & power Pleasing music soothes Gold-tree lightly laughing Lion's soaring roar calls Brazen rounds of Royals Ring their brows & rouse cheers Come now Hearth-lords high-born Hill folk wending 'tend them Praise all Branwyn Bright-eyes Bringing joyous noises Noble Khalek Khan now Crowns his love above all Good folk all round exult Aethling Crowns resounding |
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