Tristhamsaga

By Maister Colyne Stewart, April AS 52 (2018)

In memory
Of man’s deeds
Stand these word marks writ by Colyne
In memory
Of March day
When Tristham came with Þórr’s blessing

I say the tale
To troll-fellers
Eagle-feeders fane listen well
Of Vendel
Victorious
Fired-handed ferocious drottin

I say this second
As deed worthy of saga
Odin approved of him that day
Slayer of Steinarr
Serpent of flame
Styrbjörn’s son scion Tyr’s get

Tristham saw Steinarr standing war-ready
He drew his Hel-fang and danced on spread cloak
Felt Logi’s fire flame of Glöð’s blood
Sword held to heaven swore to strike true

Wound-fire flashing down fell to feed
Hit hard like giant on Heðinn’s token
Gave harm of forest of flame a crown
Helm made of fire the maker of ash


At the Tournament of Renown held on April 7, 2018, THL Tristham Ovinra I Groffa fought a bout with Count Steinarr Aggarson. He hit the Count a blow that drove his Excellency’s metal cammaille into his helmet and caused a burst of flame to appear. This incident was caught on camera but I thought it should also be immortalized in verse.

This poem is based on the inscription on the Rök Runestone of Sweden. The stone was carved around 800 CE by a man named Varinn. In the 19th century it was discovered inside the wall of a church in Rök (located between Mjölby and Ödeshög), in Östergötland, Sweden. The stone is considered to be the first piece of written Swedish literature.

At the end of those text I have included one translation of the stone’s inscription. Though most researchers agree on the deciphered text there is conjecture about their interpretation. The first part is written in ljóðaháttr meter, and the part about Theoderic (Þjóðríkr) is written in the fornyrðislag meter. (Both are Eddic meters.) I decided to follow the stone’s structure and wrote three stanzas in ljóðaháttr and then two in fornyrðislag.

ljóðaháttr : six lines (two units of three lines). The first two lines in each unit have at least 2 syllables each and alliterate with each other. The third lines are in fornyrðislag and have at least three syllables and alliterate with themselves. All vowels alliterate with each other and the letter j.

fornyrðislag : two half-lines linked by alliteration. Alliteration on first or second stressed syllable in first half-line and on the first stressed syllable of the second half-line. There are six variations of half-lines (based on placement of stressed and unstressed syllables). A poem completely written in fornyrðislag would consist of four line stanzas with half lines of four or five syllables (with two of the syllables stressed).

A copy of the poem with footnotes and the alliteration and caesuras marked follows:


In memory
Of man’s deeds
Stand these word marks / writ by Colyne
In memory
Of March day
When Tristham came / with Þórr[1]’s blessing

I say the tale
To troll-fellers[2]
Eagle-feeders[3] / fane listen well
Of Vendel[4]
Victorious
Fired-handed / Ferocious drottin[5]

I say this second
As deed worthy of saga
Odin approved / of him that day
Slayer of Steinarr
Serpent of flame
Styrbjörn[6]’s son / Scion Tyr[7]’s get

Tristham saw Steinarr / standing war-ready
He drew his Hel[8]-fang / and danced on spread cloak[9]
Felt Logi[10]’s fire / flame of Glöð[11]’s blood
Sword held to heaven / Swore to strike true

Wound-fire[12] flashing / down fell to feed
Hit hard like giant / on Heðinn’s token[13]
Gave harm of forest[14] / of flame a crown
Helm made of fire / the maker of ash


[1] Thor, god of--among other things--lightening.

[2] Warriors.

[3] Also warriors.

[4] The Vendels were pre-Viking Swedes.

[5] Early Swedish title.

[6] Styrbörn the Strong (d. 985), son of a Swedish king, and portrayed as very strong (though occasionally too violent).

[7] God of heroic glory.

[8] A goddess of death.

[9] Reference to the holmgang, a duel often fought on top of a spread cloak.

[10] A fire jotunn god, personification of fire.

[11] Logi’s wife, also a fire jotunn and a goddess.

[12] A kenning for sword from Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.) 2012, ‘Einarr skálaglamm Helgason, Lausavísur 3’ in Diana Whaley (ed.), Poetry from the Kings’ Sagas 1: From Mythical Times to c. 1035. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 1. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 333.

[13] A kenning for helmet, from Hubert Seelow (ed.) 2017, ‘Hálfs saga ok Hálfsrekka 9 (Marmennill, Lausavísur 4)’ in Margaret Clunies Ross (ed.), Poetry in fornaldarsögur. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 8. Turnhout: Brepols, p. 312.

[14] A kenning for fire, from Kari Ellen Gade (ed.) 2009, ‘Bjǫrn krepphendi, Magnússdrápa 3’ in Kari Ellen Gade (ed.), Poetry from the Kings’ Sagas 2: From c. 1035 to c. 1300. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 2. Turnhout: Brepols, pp. 398-9.

This is the translation of the original text:


In memory of Vémóðr/Vámóðr stand these runes.
And Varinn coloured them, the father,
in memory of his dead son.

I say the folktale / to the young men, which the two war-booties were, which twelve times were taken as war-booty, both together from various men.

I say this second, who nine generations ago lost his life with the Hreidgoths; and died with them for his guilt.

Þjóðríkr the bold,
chief of sea-warriors,
ruled over the shores of the Hreiðsea.
Now he sits armed
on his Goth(ic horse),
his shield strapped,
the prince of the Mærings.

I say this the twelfth, where the horse of Gunnr sees fodder on the battlefield, where twenty kings lie.

This I say as thirteenth, which twenty kings sat on Sjólund for four winters, of four names, born of four brothers: five Valkis, sons of Hráðulfr, five Hreiðulfrs, sons of Rugulfr, five Háisl, sons of Hôrðr, five Gunnmundrs/Kynmundrs, sons of Bjôrn.

Now I say the tales in full. Someone ...

I say the folktale / to the young men, which of the line of Ingold was repaid by a wife's sacrifice.

I say the folktale / to the young men, to whom is born a relative, to a valiant man. It is Vélinn. He could crush a giant. It is Vélinn ... [Nit]

I say the folktale / to the young men: Þórr. Sibbi of Vé, nonagenarian, begot (a son).

Blóðhrafn: For Duchess Dagmar halvdan on her Elevation to the Order of the Pelican

By Maister Colyne Stewart, August AS 52 (2017)

Dagmar halvdan | Daughter of ravens

Walker of valleys | Vildar’s favoured

Yggdrasil trav’ler | dew treading wolf

Giver of rings | golden of name

Hertogakona | kin of high fame

Skalds sing her name | Sif, Sól, both love her

Garðhús chron’cler | Chosen of dyrgja

Lover of lanterns | Layer of lines

A sea of wounds | has stained Fjörgyn

Hrafn-fed ulfvins | elevate towns

Verǫld-folk heed me | Her name exalt

Raven-wine giver | Pelican víf

Written in fornyrðislag (pronounced fort-near-this-lagh; “meter of ancient words”), an Eddic verse form consisting of a 4-line stanza, each line divided by a caesura into two half-lines, which in turn have two accented syllables and two or three unaccented ones. There are six variations of half-lines that could be used. The two half-lines are linked together by alliteration, which in case of the first line could fall on one or the other of the stressed syllables, but in the second half-line had to fall on the first stressed syllables. The alliteration of the first half-line was called stuðlar (props), the one in the second half-line höfuðstafr (head-stave). The alliteration is actually an initial rhyme consisting of consonants alliterating with the same consonants, except sk, sp and st, which could be alliterated with themselves, and of a vowel alliterating with any other vowel, as well as with j.

A footnoted version of the poem follows, with alliteration bolded and stressed syllables shown in italics.

Dagmar halvdan | Daughter of ravens[1]

Walker of valleys[2] | Vildar’s favoured[3]

Yggdrasil trav’ler[4] | dew treading[5] wolf[6]

Giver of rings[7] | golden of name

Hertogakona[8] | kin of high fame[9]

Skalds sing her name | Sif[10], Sól[11], both love her

Garðhús[12] chron’cler[13] | Chosen of dyrgja[14]

Lover of lanterns[15] | Layer of lines[16]

A sea of wounds[17] | has stained Fjörgyn[18]

Hrafn-fed[19] ulfvins[20] | elevate towns[21]

Verǫld[22]-folk heed me | Her name exalt

Raven-wine giver | Pelican víf[23]

---

[1] Dagmar is a member of House Galbraith, whose charge is the raven.

[2] She is well known for her love of hiking.

[3] Vildar is the Norse god of the forst.

[4] Yggdrasil was the world-tree, and her symbolizes how Dagmr travels all over the knowne world.

[5] Hike start early, you know. She also rises early when working at Pennsic.

[6] Dagmar is Ealdormerean and therefore a wolf.

[7] Dagmar is known for her generosity.

[8] A Norwegian equivalent for the title Duchess.

[9] Many members of House Galbraith are Peers of one sort or another.

[10] Goddess of the harvest.

[11] Goddess of the sun.

[12] Old Norse for ‘yard house’ or an outhouse. https://arstechnica.com/science/2017/06/unexpected-viking-toilet-discovery-leads-to-controversy/

[13] Leading up to Pennsic 2017, Dagmar posted photos as port-a-potties appeared on sire as if they were part of a nature documentaring.

[14] A female dwarf. Dwarves were known for their skill at building. Dagmar helps build up not just Pennsic but the Society as a whole.

[15] Dagmar is up early and goes to bed late. Lanterns are a necessity. In fact, her Pelican scroll was incorporated into a stained glass lantern.

[16] One of the tasks Dagmar takes on at Pennsic is marking out camp sites.

[17] A kenning for blood.

[18] Another name for Jörð, goddess of the earth. Dagmar has blistered her hands and feet while working at Pennsic, feeding the soil with her blood.

[19] Hrafn is Old Norse for raven. Dagmar is the raven feeding the earth. On her Peerage coat the Pelicans have been fused with ravens.

[20] “wolf-wine”, a keening for blood.

[21] It is partly through her work that Pennsic War occurs.

[22] Old Norse for “world”.

[23] Old Norse for “woman”.

Emma of Bearhall

Upon the Birth of Emma, daughter of Bjarn and Orlaith

By Maister Colyne Stewart, May AS 52 (2017)

Listen carl | skald come and thane

Of Emma hear | of Ēostre’s get

Eagle-feeder | ancient ageless

Fenrir’s pack mate | proud hound of blood

Bearman’s daughter | Berzerker seed

Maiden mother | maker of weavings

Both iron wrought | bless’d well by Freyja

Within her hall | hale Emma slept

Loath the babe was | leaving naught her bed

Iðunn guardian | implored action

wound-sea born her | Bjarnsdottir

Orlaith’s belov’d | bold northern youth

Tremble Norðri | tales will be sung

Of Emma’s deeds | as ages pass on

Odin written | Jarl’s wyrd one

What force can stand | before bear’s daughter?

Written in fornyrðislag, an Eddic verse form consisting of a 4-line stanza, each line divided by a caesura into two half-lines, which in turn have two accented syllables and two or three unaccented ones. There are six variations of half-lines that could be used. The half-lines are linked together by alliteration, which in case of the first line could fall on one or the other of the stressed syllables, but in the second half-line had to fall on the first stressed syllables. The alliteration of the first half-line was called stuðlar (props), the one in the second half-line höfuðstafr (head-stave). The alliteration is actually an initial rhyme consisting of consonants alliterating with the same consonants, except sk, sp and st, which could be alliterated with themselves, and of a vowel alliterating with any other vowel, as well as with j.

Annotated version follows:

Listen carl[1] | skald[2] come and thegn[3]

Of Emma hear | of Ēostre’s[4] get[5]

Eagle-feeder[6] | ancient ageless

Fenrir’s pack mate[7] | proud hound of blood[8]

Bearman’s daughter[9] | Berzerker[10] seed

Maiden mother[11] | maker of weavings[12]

Both iron wrought[13] | bless’d well by Freyja[14]

Within her hall[15] | hale Emma slept[16]

Loath she was | leaving naught her bed

Iðunn[17] guardian[18] | implored action[19]

wound-sea[20] born her | Bjarnsdottir

Orlaith’s belov’d | bold northern youth

Tremble Norðri[21] | tales will be sung

Of Emma’s deeds | as ages pass on

Odin written | Jarl’s[22] wyrd[23] one[24]

What force can stand | Before bear’s daughter?

---

[1] A servant or housetroop.

[2] A bard.

[3] A retainer to a king.

[4] Goddess of fertility.

[5] Get as in offspring, brood.

[6] Warrior. Emma was a fighter from the get go.

[7] A wolf. Emma is of Ealdormere, sybmolized by the wolf.

[8] Also a kenning for wolf.

[9] Bjarn, Emma’s father, whose name means ‘bear’.

[10] Norse warriors who wore bearskins. Bjorn is a fighter.

[11] Orlaith, Emma’s mother.

[12] Orlaith is a skilled fabric artist.

[13] Bjarn and Orlath are two of the toughest people I know.

[14] Goddess of Fertility.

[15] Orlaith’s womb.

[16] Emma seemed quite content to stay inside and her birth had to be induced.

[17] Goddess of the young.

[18] “Iðunn guardian” kenning for the doctor.

[19] The birth is induced.

[20] Blood.

[21] Old Norse for the North.

[22] A chief.

[23] Fate.

[24] I’m implying there is much to come for young Emma.

"Through the mists a northern ship"

Through the mists a northern ship,

Lets oars dip in water cold,

As warriors bold their axes clasp

And rough breaths rasp in hungry throats.

In wolfen cloaks they howl loud,

Fierce and proud and free to roam

So far from home yet not afraid.

Their foes waylaid and sent to Hel

And told to tell of how they passed

From first to last upon the blades—

In forest glades—of the northmen.

A ship of ten they treasure take,

And thirst they slake, with blood and mead

As fury’s freed to wander south

While bearded mouth of mighty skald

Loudly called and told of deeds

Of planted seeds that grew so tall

They could not fall to any man.

Bezerker clan leaps into lake

And like cold drake they wade ashore

Grip axe and oar in burly hands.

They scan the lands they’ve come to reave

While Southerns leave in haste and fear

As ten draw near, the moon so bright

In fell light bloody work commences.

Riot of the senses, scent of blood,

The feel of mud and steel and flesh,

Muscles thresh, the sounds of fright

And fierce delight, panic, pain and disbelief,

And sobbing grief. Then sudden still

In morning chill as pelted wolf-men,

Now nine of ten, collect their geld

From those they felled upon their boat.

With laugh and gloat they fill their fists

As through the mists they disappear.

Written using the Aicill rhyme scheme where the final word of one line rhymes with an internal word in the next rhyme.

Winter Solstice

By THLaird Colyne Stewart, December AS 50 (2015)

House bound hearth-herds[1]    huddled by Surt[2]-breath

To Jólner[3] turn they                 julblotet[4] offer

Asking for favour                   for Fenris[5] still captive

And Vetr[6] fallen                     Vanquished by Sumarr[7]

Written in málaháttr, an Eddic measure closely related to fornyrðislag. Each line of the 4-line stanza was divided into two half-lines by a caesura. The half-lines had two accented and three or four unaccented syllables. The two half-lines are linked together by alliteration, which in case of the first line could fall on one or the other of the stressed syllables, but in the second half-line had to fall on the first stressed syllables.

---

[1] Referring to the people and animals crowded together inside to share their warmth.

[2] Surt (or Surtr) is a Norse fire giant, thus this is a kenning for a fire.

[3] The god of Jul and one of the guises of Odin.

[4] A sacrifice.

[5] When the great wolf was freed, it was though he would bring about Ragnarok—the end of the world.

[6] Personification of Winter.

[7] Personification of Summer.

For Bjarn and Orlaith on the Occasion of Their Wedding

By THLaird Colyne Stewart, June 26, 2015

Bjarn food-finder                    Orlaith oath-singer

Hungers for more                    Weaves her way brightly

Odin’s-hand gifted                 Freyja’s most loved

Handler of hunt-beast             Sky-mead maiden

Raven-feeding warrior            Valkyrie striding

Bound now together               Bound now forever

Praised by skald singing         Avowed by the Althing

Two wolf-hearts one               One heart beats on

Written in the style of a Norse poem without following the conventions of any style in particular.

Ardchreag Einvigi II

By THLaird Colyne Stewart, June AS 50 (2015)

Konungr called

Skalds spread the call

War-born came

To high cliffs hall

Ox-cloak spread

Spear-din commenced

All fought all

In Freyja’s name

Blood-worms fed crows

Bold ring-rich fought

Feet firm set

Hel claiming dead

Hœnir wept

For Mjolnir-slain

But for one

Bjarn the untouched

Helheim Unfed

By THLaird Colyne Stewart, June As 50 (2015)

The rotter of bodies

Ravished my friend

But she fought

Like no other foe

Warrior stout

Weary but brave

Baldur’s best

Eir has well blessed

Writen as a kviðuhátr for Raven Haraldson, who beat cancer.

Kviðuhátr was an 8-line alliterative verse form, resembling fornyrðislag except that its lines alternated between three and four syllables. Alternatively, other sources say it is line 3, 5 and 7 that are 3 syllables with the rest being four. The alliteration can also carry over from one line to the next (so a word in line 1 alliterates with a word in line 2, a word in line 3 with line 4, and so on).

Poem for Grom Meinfretr's Barony Scroll

Weather of wolves      winter-spear dying

Elf-glory rises              enlightening thegn

Heavy the arm-ring     hardy his sinew

Ring-giver rightly        roaring his blood-worm

Honour-fed honey-claw          hero of clan-kin

Blood-ember burier     Bold spear-dancer

Head-ring adorns him             hanged-god’s favoured

Faces now future        following uncut thread

With kennings footnoted:

Weather of wolves[1]     winter-spear[2] dying

Elf-glory[3] rises                        enlightening thegn

Heavy the arm-ring     hardy his sinew

Ring-giver rightly        roaring his blood-worm[4]

Honour-fed honey-claw[5]        hero of clan-kin

Blood-ember[6] burier    Bold spear-dancer[7]

Head-ring[8] adorns him                        hanged-god’s[9] favoured

Faces now future        following uncut thread[10]

---

[1] Harsh winter

[2] Icicle

[3] The sun

[4] Sword

[5] Bear, referring to Grom as being Septentrian

[6] Axe

[7] Warrior

[8] His baronial coronet

[9] Odin

[10] Unfilled destiny, meaning there is more in store for Grom to accomplish

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

---

[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.

Þorfinnasaga

Þorfinnasaga

By THLaird Colyne Stewart, 2014 (AS 49)

Þorfinna, Thor’s finest,
there she stands red-handed,
life-friend and foe-hammer,
Serpent’s favoured daughter.
In spear-din, shield-maiden,
in saga, skald singer,
on cloak her foes flounder,
at Althing friends gather.

‘Neath sky-candle’s searing,
the gray-coat stands waiting,
blood-ember flood flowing,
long-tooth eagle feeding.
Her fingers ring heavy,
her arms and hands banded,
Hersir’s mind’s-worth healing,
heart-treasure of husband.

For Þorfinna gráfeldr, in recognition of her deeds at the Passo Hanso tournament held at War of the Trillium 2014, where she was selected by the viewing gallery as the winner of the tourney for her exemplification of the virtue of humility.

This was my first attempt at writing in the Old Norse drótkvætt style, and my inexperience does show in my lack of near rhymes in some of the second and fourth lines in the half stanzas.

Below is an annotated version of the poem.

Þorfinna, Thor’s finest[1],
there she stands red-handed,
life-friend[2] and foe-hammer,
Serpent’s favoured daughter[3].
In spear-din[4], shield-maiden[5],
in saga, skald singer[6],
on cloak her foes flounder[7],
at Althing friends gather[8].

‘Neath sky-candle’s[9] searing,
the gray-coat[10] stands waiting,
blood-ember[11] flood flowing,
long-tooth[12] eagle feeding[13].
Her fingers ring heavy[14],
her arms and hands banded,
Hersir[15]’s mind’s-worth[16] healing,
heart-treasure[17] of husband.



[1] Þorfinna means Thor’s finest.

[2] Wife.

[3] This line alludes to the serpents in her heraldry, equating them with Jormungand, the Midgard Serpent.

[4] Battle.

[5] Þorfinna is a fighter.

[6] She is also a bard. A skald was a Norse bard.

[7] This alludes to the holmgang duels which the Norse fought on a cloak laid on the ground.

[8] An Althing was a gathering to deal with judicial issues. This line is saying that Þorfinna is well respected, something she was told at this same event.

[9] The sun.

[10] Þorfinna’s byname ‘gráfeldr’ means ‘gray coat’.

[11] An axe, this one freeing her foe’s blood.

[12] Sword.

[13] Slaying her foes.

[14] The Norse gave rings as tokens quite often. After the Passo Hanso, one of Þorfinna’s opponents gave her such a token.

[15] Baron.

[16] Honour. This line is saying Þorfinna brings honour to her baron (and baroness).

[17] She is my everything.