Skaldsong #1

  • You, Balgruuf, gift-hand, anxious

    sat on skull-crowned gold-throne,

    fearing dragonfire of

    Mirmulnir, man-slayer.

    Homeward dragged I, hero

    and Ulfric's war-hound, bones

    of Whiterun's bane as Hrothgar named

    your doom working: Dovahkiin.

Comments

6 Comments
  • Paul England
    Paul England   ·  April 27, 2016
    Thank you, Phil!  :)  I was reading the Icelandic sagas pretty heavily around the time I wrote this, and had read a book of skaldic poetry as well, so that's where you can quickly get a sense of the 'tone'.  
    I recently got a book called 'Crimsoning...  more
  • A-Pocky-Hah!
    A-Pocky-Hah!   ·  April 27, 2016
    I like this kind of poetry. But kinda having difficulty finding a correct 'rhythm' to rhyme to.
  • Paws
    Paws   ·  April 27, 2016
    Ladies and gentlemen, Paul England!
    Man, how do you do it? Drag that old Norse and make it Old Nord with so little effort and in such style that it makes one want to boot up Skyrim and immerse? How ever you do it, just don't stop.
  • Paul England
    Paul England   ·  April 26, 2016
    Thanks, Lissette!  It was a lot of fun to do.  I've done 3 of these so far (will post the others too), and trying to follow the form's 'rules' actually helps give me ideas, I find.  The constraints make for creativity.  
  • The Long-Chapper
    The Long-Chapper   ·  April 26, 2016
    Very well done, Paul. It is a tough poetry form. 
  • Paul England
    Paul England   ·  April 26, 2016
    An in-character poem I wrote while playing through a build I may post at some point.  
    It's loosely based on the rules of one of the commoner forms of skaldic poetry, drottkvaett:  8 lines, 6 syllables per line, alliteration.  As you can see it stre...  more