Warrior's Saga

2 Comments

  • LonoTheOno
  • is "Currently Seeking Muse (fem)- Inquire Within"

Poem Commentary


Based on a medieval Norse style and meter referencing translations from the Norse of works by Snorri Sturllasson, Egil Skallagrimmson, and others.  I play in the SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism), an international Medieval History club.  I wrote this in character as a reply to being questioned about why I, a long-time Peace activist, would put on armor and hit people with an ax.  Doesn't explain a thing, I know, but there you have it.

Warrior's Saga

Warrior's Saga

A spear's cast away
The Enemy stands
Drawn in ranks
To dice with Death
At my hands.

Over shield's edge
The eyes are bright.
They came seeking battle;
Let us give them
famous deaths.

What use prayer or plan
When the warriors are dieing?
In the feasting of swords
It is better to serve
Than be glutted on steel.

Now is the moment
A warrior  lives for-
His eyes full of Sun
And mouth full of dust,
His Fate in his hands.

Come closer, Foeman,
You came here to meet me.
I've saved you a place
In the House of the Dead,
Where you won't lack company.

To stand in the Shield-Wall
Is hard work, I'm thinking.
More fun is breaking
The foeman's formations
And treading on them as they fall.

Laughing, I strike-
I saw your blow coming.
I hope your armor
Is well padded inside,
Or that one hurt.

Bright is the sunshine
Gleaming on armor.
Dark is the view
Of the first ones to fall
Going over the bridge.

I once slew a Prince
With my Donegal Toothpick.
The many-slaying Jade
Came a long way
To die in the woods.

Sweet is the ale in the warrior's cup
After day's fighting is done.
Better is drinking
What the enemy left us
In the camp of the slain.

Many the hours
I spent loving women.
To many and enemy
I gave Death
For a Bride.

How can I be
Such a light-hearted slayer?
Even the Gods
Play their games
With our lives.

Poem Comments

(2)

Please login or register

You must be logged in or register a new account in order to
leave comments/feedback and rate this poem.

Login or Register

laydbak1 commented on Warrior's Saga

06-10-2009

A very vivid portrayal of a death dealer's mind... Sad that it might actually exist in a human this, gaining self-worth at the death of others, but well written none-the-less... I read it because it's a bit parallel to one of my own about a government covert assassin; only in mine, there are misgivings about what he's doing and he wants out... Yours is a good write on the subject...

WordSlinger commented on Warrior's Saga

06-05-2009

This is intense, the life, and emotions of a warrior. This is great, would be a great campfire poem.

Poetry is finer and more philosophical than history; for poetry expresses the universal, and history only the particular.

Aristotle (384 BC-322 BC) Greek philosopher.

LonoTheOno’s Poems (4)

Title Comments
Title Comments
Warrior's Saga 2
Manhood Saga 3
Elegy for Trippy Larry- Semper Fidelis 6
Montana In August 6