Spell of invincibility

Introduction

This poem is just a bit of fun, working with the four elements and four of the wights.

Remember in early Saxon times the elves were associated with positive qualities - Tolkien new this! Without dragon lore and the belief that they guarded buried treasure for an age such finds as Sutton Hoo would have been dug up the next day/month/year, (see the poem on this blog in Sept 2012). Anyone familiar with Tai Chi will know the value of flowing like water.  We know little about early dwarves Saxon but perhaps they were once good guys too, at least Tolkien went with this.

Spell of invincibility

Travel like an elf, as fast as the Wind,

Be a bright shining one, with him now twinned.

Fight like a drake, as potent as Fire,

Be strong of heart, soar higher and higher.

Yield like a nymph, as flowing as Water,

A fluid solution, all may thee alter.

Arise like a dwarf, as firm as the Earth,

Be to make ready, for thine own rebirth.

Copyright Andrew Rea 2009

Thou art Aelfscyne

Introduction

This poem is based on early Anglo-Saxon elves.

The reader is asked to imagine the mind of a lad that has traveled to a distant village. On his arrival he sits down exhausted from the long hot walk and has a bite to eat, then spies a young lady……

Glossary

Wifman = woman

Aelfheim = the realm of the light elves

Wyrm bed = golden in this context

Middangeard = the realm of man

Aelfscyne = elf beauty or as beautiful as an elf.

Wyrd = fate                        

Alfcynno = of the elfin race

Weaponmen = men

Aelfsiden = elfin magic

Gif thu waere scoten = if you were shot

Aelfadled = any illness caused by an elf

Smithas = supernatural beings that forged the elf shot

Galdor = a spell which would have been sung, from galen = to sing, compare Nightinggale =   night singer

Galdor-craeft = conjuring spirits by chanting, singing or spell crafting.

Aelfthone = elf vine, a herb which causes mind-altering experiences.

Thou art aelfscyne

The youthful wifman, Aelfflad be her name,

As if out of bright, aelfheim she doth came.

Long flowing blond hair, of the wyrm bed corn,

Into Middangeard, human realm was born.

Tall and slender, as a willow she be,

Brilliant sunny sapphire, eyes to see.

Wearing her long, aelfscyne gossamer dress,

With elfin enchantment, wilt thee impress.

Immaculate skin, and of perfect health,

She hast Aelfscyne beauty, as a wood elf.

The way of Wyrd, hast made her fare of face,

Is she Alfcynno? of the elfin race.

Alvingham Weaponmen, they doth admire,

Her fair dainty face, the best in the shire.

Forged with Aelfsiden, the magic of elves,

I think they want to keep her, for themselves.

Gif thu waere scoten, by her splendour,

Then thee be aelfadled, forever more.

An Alfcynno, or an illusion be,

Or hast Aelfsiden, put a hex on me.

With Aelfsiden magic, of elves to forge,

Didst the smithas spin, this pie to gorge.

Aelfflad fast of fare foot, and long in gate,

How I wouldst like to have her, as my mate.

A galdor hast been spun, with me as bait,

To be Aelfadled, surely is my fate.

Didst the grey beard, with Galdor-craeft create,

Or was it Aelthorn, in the pie I ate.

Copyright Andrew Rea 2009

Elizabethan May

Introduction

The poem describes village life from the eve of May Day throughout May Day itself.

I have drawn from some of the contemporary writers criticisms of the festival’s goings on. This poem was much inspired by the works of Prof Ronald Hutton of Bristol University
By the way, formation ribbon dancing around maypoles originates in the 18th century and is derived from dance forms in Italy and France, so is a modern import.

Elizabethan May

Young men women, and other married folk,

Run gadding to woods, and yon groves of oak.

To spend the warm night, in pleasant pastime,

Summer gives blessing, to those in their prime.

Forty oxen to carry, the Maypole,

Three hundred people, devotedly stroll.

Sweet nose gays of flowers, on oxen horn,

With branches and birch, return in the morn.

Back to the village, they doth slowly trek,

Mayday assemblies, ready to deck.

Hauling branches for, arbours and bowers,

The Maypole covered, with herbs and flowers.

From top to bottom, Maypole bound with string,

Painted with bright colours, for the May king.

Pulling on long ropes, they haul it up straight,

But amorous play, and dancing must wait.

Arbours and bowers, to be built hard by,

Raunchy summer halls, beneath the blue sky.

Bawdy fun in arbour, if it doth rain,

Only bishop and priest, might they abstain.

The lusty men, and their Lord of Misrule,

Hobby horses dragons, giants and fool.

Handkerchiefs borrowed, from their mopsies dear,

For busying them, in the dark with cheer.

Summer lord and queen, crown their love with flowers,

And revel with them, in summer bowers.

The pipe and tabor, make such merry glee,

As at a May pole, you would wish to see.

Pipers and drummers, strike up devils dance,

Skirmishing amongst, the throng they advance.

Into the church, like incarnate devils,

Jingling bells, like madmen in revels.

Handkerchiefs and flags, on the Maypole top,

The bawdy and lewd, behaviour nonstop.

The ground strewn about, with herbs and flowers,

Bears many a couple, in the small hours.

Falling to dance around, in the warm sun,

In times to come, prudish priests stopped the fun.

Handkerchiefs swinging, above heads like madmen,

Save us from rude, Hobby horses amen.

Copyright Andrew Rea 2010

     

     

A-Maying

Introduction

The poem is set in preindustrial and early industrial England and relates to the May Day practice whereby young maids in the villages went out in the morning to gather flowers for their mothers to use as decorations for the festival home. The poem draws on some writings by contemporary puritanical opponents of the practice.

A-Maying

Young ladies to, celebrate The May,

Out early morn, finding a bouquet.

Their families' homes. to soon adorn,

Gathering May baskets, in the corn.

Young wenches with, young lads doth play,

And laugh and court, in meadows stray.

On a warm and sunny, spring day such deeds,

May simply be guessed, among the meads.

In every bush, a song be’est made,

The landscapes beauty, is now laid.

In some secrete place, within the field,

Young men and maidens, willingly yield.

Oft ten maiden, who went to the May,

Nine returned home, with infant that day.

Its best be said: ‘courtship bed and wed’,

Else ‘grass widows’ women, be thee instead.

In every marriage, it be’est said,

In Avalon’s fields, bed precedes wed.

Love poems, to mistresses be writ,

Before to wenches, they doth commit.

Copyright Andrew Rea 2008

Here be Groves’

Introduction

Within the Dane Law ‘Lundr’(Old Norwegian and Old Danish) described a sacred grove. this word existed alongside the old English word 'land'. Over time Lundr lost its meaning and changed into Lunt, Lound or Land. This poem explores those names that can be traced back to the original Anglo-Saxon word for grove. There are far too many such places in England to do little more than just scratch the surface.

Here be Groves

Bright forest clearing, oak tree proudly stands,

Galdor songs are sung, in these ancient lands.

Assembled in groves, in tunic and hood,

Singing gallant songs, to lord of green wood.

Lundr Viking Old Norse, and Danish for grove,

Into sacred wood, with rune swords they strove.

Norse lundr and land, are not the same word,

But thousand years past, their meaning is blurred.

Kirkland Lancashire, hid from the Doomsday,

Does its round churchyard, Druid past betray.

Only one person, from the Black Death died,

The phantom church grove, on the other side.

Lancashire Lunt hid, from Doomsday Book too,

As part of Sefton, it had to make do.

Lund was its title, It was to rename,

Only this was a, ninth century name.

Art many more groves, hid in a place name,

Three Lounds in England, art found to remain.

Many suffixed ‘land’, did see Saxon rites,

Now old churches stand, on these sacred sites.

Copyright Andrew Rea 2012

Here be wizards

Introduction

Within the Dane Law the Old Norse word ‘skratti’ was used to denote wizard. In England the word became synonymous with devil or demon ,so it is sometimes difficult to infer the original intention behind these place names.

Here be Wizards

Norwegian wizard, Scratti he was named,

Awd Scrat the Devil, to him much was blamed.

Devil on the moor, demon in the wood,

On land canst thee see, where once he had stood.

Haunted Scratta Wood, in Nottinghamshire,

Forest uprooted, and burned out of fear?

Revealing Iron Age, dry stone wall compound,

Wyrd dancing blue lights, at night can be found

Cartgate in Cumbria, was known as Scratgate,

Carvings on church stones, did Vikings create.

Saint Bees Priory owned, Skratti Wizard’s Street

Its monks not demon, did Henry defeat.

Scrathawe, Scarthing Moor, Scratta can be found,

Preserved on England’s, landscapes all around.

Scratters and Scrathowes, Yorkshire’s Devil mound,

Scratby in Norfolk, his names still abound.

Long robed sorcerer, his spell now complete,

Blunting his foe’s swords, he did them defeat.

Preserved in the stones, set in circle round,

His magic lives on, his spell is still sound.

Copyright January 2012 Andrew Rea

April (Eostremonath)

Introduction

This poem explores the month from a farming perspective and draws from ‘The Good Reeve' an Anglo-Saxon farming document.

We know from Bede that in Saxon times, in April the spring goddess handed over to the goddess of fertility Eostre. From whom we get the modern name for Easter together with the fertility hormone oestrogen. This was one of eight major feast days in the calendar.

The two evenings when supernatural and magical powers were at their highest were: the eve of May (Walpurgis) and All Hallows Eve. Until the reformation it was common practice for priests to brew ale and sell it on feast days to raise money (however this may have started after the Saxon era).

Helheim was a cold dark subterranean world.

A furlong is the distance that a team of oxen can plough before needing a rest and thereby set the length of a field. The width (a chains length) was set by the area that could be ploughed in a day. The area defined by a furlong times a chain became an acre.

April (Eostremonath)

Anglo-Saxon, Eostremonath,

Spring vegetables, we shall soweth.

Much ale be drunk, this Eostre feast,

A whole hogs head, brewed by the priest.

Goddess of spring, with sacred hare,

Eostre maiden, art young and fair.

Days art longer, than damp dark nights,

Sacred season, for thy spring rites.

Winter banished, to cold Hellheim,

Ivy quickens, its oaken climb.

Bullace blossom, budding on shoot,

From heat returns, forthcoming fruit.

Fertile spirit, of furlong fields,

Rises again, as winter yields.

With oxen plough, no longer toil,

As shoots spring forth, upon soft soil.

Fire on hill top, beneath starry sky,

Walpurgis night, powers art high.

Raise the great wand, in night time toil,

In wild witch wood, with maiden loyal.

Copyright Andrew Rea Yule 2012 reworked