Ye powerful hags, of the Northern hills,
Rid our friends of, their terrible ills.
I doth here invoke, and call upon ye,
Ye hags rough ride out, return and help me.
Oh thou cavalcade, of women riding,
Dreadful shield-maidens, the battle deciding.
Defend our Ukraine, from Putin attack,
Help us overthrow, and send them back.
Tha mihtigan wif, return to us now,
Dreadful Wælcyrige, protect them somehow.
With ragged garments, and thine linden shield,
Like devils ride out, on this battle field.
Oh ye Haegtesse, with helmets on head,
Fill our enemies, with thine battle dread.
Ride ye loudly through, fair country again,
Through heathen sky come, cast out the profane.
May din of thine spears, force army to flea,
Thunor's magic spear, from ash the world tree.
Females from beyond, return to help me,
May all sacred country be Putin free!
Introduction (this poem was first published on my Facebook page on 1st March 2022)
During WWII there existed a squadron of Ukrainian female fighter pilots known as нічні відьми (night witches). They flew at night reaching the enemy at dawn with the sun behind them. They were much feared and were very successful in their raids.
This poem employs the somewhat unusual construct of invoking an Anglo-Saxon mythical group akin to the night witches to come to our aid and help defeat the invading armies in Ukraine.
The Haegtesse were wild, armed supernatural women riding out in a group and causing harm havoc and mayhem! But were also known to help warriors on the battlefield and hinder others. These Supernatural cavalcades rode loudly over the landscape. They were also referred to as ‘ða (tha) mihtigan wif’ (the mighty women) and were seen as a cavalcade of riding women shooting its victims.
In some documents the word Haegtesse was used as a scan for Wælcyrige, sometimes the term ‘shield-maidens’ was employed. From the word Haegtesse we also derive the word hag used in Saxon times to describe a witch.
