Lion-Wolf of Ealdormere

By THlaird Colyne Stewart, January AS 49 (2015)

From West he came    to wed the north

Strong-armed and true                        and stalwart bold

He took a crown         in clawed paws strong

Blood-song brightened           and to battle sworn

In Shire he came         sweet song sung his blade

Cloak-danced with foes          clad bright in mail

Breaker of rings          brought forth wound-sea

Fed eagles bold           and foes he tamed

Then jarl of old           earl among earls

Trod the spread cloak             two blood-worms held

Former prince-king      Foe-man hammer

David, raven feeder    dared all to battle

In spear-din met          swift lion and wolf

Slayer of giants           singing of the deed

Took note the skalds   took note the mighty

Slaughter-dew flew    as sun light fell

They battled long        bold fighters both

Found honour there    in foe-man’s fierceness

When din was done    down fell the jarl

The Western lion        had won the day

At Tournoi de Coeur des Glace in 2015, His Royal Highness Steinnar met Syr David Martin Failsworth in the finals of the grand tournament. Syr David was the first Prince of the Principality of Ealdormere, and the first King of the Kingdom of Ealdormere, and is one of our greatest fighters. His Highness gladly met this living legend in honourable combat and was able through his own great skill to carry the day.

This poem, written in an Eddic verse form called Fornyrðislag, is to commemorate this meeting of giants. Fornyrðislag consists of 4-line stanzas, with each line broken into two half lines. The first half line had to have two stressed and two unstressed syllables, while the second half had to have two stressed and either two or three unstressed syllables. It was an alliterative form, with either the first or second stressed syllable in the first half-line alliterating with the first stressed syllable in the second half-line. As was not unusual with Nordic verse I also made liberal use of kennings.

Below I have included a foot-noted version of the poem.

From West[1] he came   to wed the north

Strong-armed and true                        and stalwart bold

He took a crown         in clawed paws strong

Blood-song[2] brightened          and to battle sworn

In Shire[3] he came        sweet song sung his blade

Cloak-danced[4] with foes        clad bright in mail

Breaker of rings[5]         brought forth wound-sea[6]

Fed eagles[7] bold          and foes he tamed

Then jarl of old           earl among earls

Trod the spread cloak             two blood-worms[8] held

Former prince-king      Foe-man hammer

David, raven feeder[9]   dared all to battle

In spear-din[10] met       swift lion[11] and wolf[12]

Slayer of giants[13]         singing of the deed

Took note the skalds[14]            took note the mighty

Slaughter-dew[15] flew  as sun light fell

They battled long        bold fighters both

Found honour there    in foe-man’s fierceness

When din was done    down fell the jarl

The Western lion        had won the day

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[1] HRH Steinnar originally hailed from An Tir, whose heraldry features a lion.

[2] Battle.

[3] Bastille du Lac.

[4] When the Norse dueled they sometimes put down a cloak, upon which the combatants had to stand.

[5] A chieftain or king, here referring to the fact he is Prince of Ealdormere.

[6] Blood, indicting that he is hitting his opponents.

[7] Defeating enemies.

[8] Swords.

[9] Warrior.

[10] Battle.

[11] Steinnar is a lion, the symbol of his former home An Tir.

[12] David is a wolf, a symbol of Ealdormere.

[13] Thor.

[14] Norse poets and bards.

[15] Blood.