~ Historical & Classical Poetry ~
Click to jump below to:
* Rune Poems * Poetic Edda *
Icelandic Sagas * Anglo-Saxon *
German *
* Norwegian * Swedish *
Danish * Faroese *
Modern English * Of kindred spirit
*
This list is intended as an overview over the original texts, and their adoption
throughout the centuries.
I´ve chosen a representative "Best of" to awaken interest in further reading.
There is far more material 'out there' - check the
Poetry Links.
* The
Anglo-Saxon Rune Poem
All rune poems with original and modern english translation.
* The Norwegian Rune Poem
All these are very early, alliterative poems.
* The Icelandic Rune Poem
* The Abecedarium Nordmannicum
*
Havamal (Words of the High
One)
Complete Translation by
W.H.Auden
* Hail
Day !
The
"Sigdrifumál" from
the Poetic Edda
* Hail Day
Sung version (MP3)
* The
Waking of Angantyr
Ghost/adventure
poem from the Poetic Edda (Auden-Taylor translation)
* Hrafnagaldr
Odins
Odin´s Raven Magic
*
Icelandic poetry, or the Edda of Saemund translated into English verses
(1797) by Amos Simon Cottle (1768?-1800)
A rather free translation, written in rhyming couplets throughout.
Read
on
Northvegr.org, or
the Internet Archive, or
GoogleBooks.
* Valkyries at the Grisly Loom
The "Darradarljóð" from the
Njáls Saga
* Egil´s
Lament for his Son
The "Sonatorrek" from
the Egilssaga
*
Höfuðlausn (Head-Ransom)
Egil Skalla-Grimsson, from the Egilssaga
* Hjalmarr´s Death-Song
From
the Saga of Arrow-Oddr
*
Busla´s Curse
From the Bosasaga, 14th
cent.
*
Death
Song of Ragnar Lodbrok From
the "Krákumál", end of 12th century, transl. by
James Johnstone
*
Ragnar Lodbrok´s
Death Song
Translation by Ben Waggoner
* Hakonarmal
From "Heimskringla" by
Snorri Sturluson
* Vellekla
ca. 986 by the skald Einar Skålaglam
*
Select Icelandic poetry: translated from the originals; with
notes. Part First William Herbert, 1804
In endrhyme. (The song of Thrym, The battle of Hafurs bay, The descent of
Odin, The dying song of Asbiorn, Gunnlaug and Rafen,
The combat of Hialmar &c, The song of Hroke the black, The death of Hacon,
Fragment of Biarkamal)
* Nine Herbs
Charm
alliterative
* Beowulf -
chapter 14
ca. 1000 CE. Beowulf celebrates his victory over Grendel.
* Beowulf - several short excerpts
From different chapters, selected for their beauty
* Beowulf - last chapter (41)
Beowulf´s funeral
*
The Lay of Guthorm
Anonymous
* The
Wanderer
ca. 1000 Ce, anonymous
* Deor
From Old English, 10th century, translated by Steve Pollington
Old English, 144 lines, ca. 9th c.a survey of the peoples, kings, and heroes
* The Two Merseburg Charms 9th
c., Old High German, alliterative
* Lay of
Hildebrand
8th c., Old High German long verse, original, transl.,
annotations, MP3
* The Younger Lay of
Hildebrand 15th c.
ballad, original & transl.
* Lay of Old Hildebrandt
19th c. ballad, original & transl.
* The
Nibelungenlied
13th c., Middle High German (1st Adventure, stanzas 1-6)
* The Ring of the
Nibelung
19th c., Richard Wagner. (3. act, 3. scene: Wotan takes leave of
Brunhilde)
* The Nibelungs
19th c., Agnes Miegel
* Faithful Eckart
18th c., J.W. Goethe
*
The
King of Thule 18th
c.,
J.W. Goethe
* Herman
and Thusnelda
18th c., F. G. Klopstock
*
Gorm Grymme 19th
c.,
Theodor Fontane
* The Last Goths
19th c.,
Felix Dahn
* Thus
Spake Zarathrustra (... to Odin ?)
19th c., Friedrich Nietzsche
19th c., Rainer Maria Rilke
*
Bergliot
19th c., melodrama by Edvard Grieg
* Olav
Tryggvason
19th c., E.Grieg/Bjørnsson. Beautiful
invocation to the Gods.
* Suttungs Mead
19th c., Johan S. Welhaven
* Asgardsreien
(The Wild Hunt)
19th c., Johan S. Welhaven
* Snorre
19th c., Per Sivle
*
The
Hardy Norseman
19th c.,
traditional song
* Who Can
Sail Without the Wind Swedish Folk
song
* The Giant
Esaias Tegner (1782-1846)
* The Giant
Esaias Tegner, transl. by J.E.D. Bethune
*
Skidbladner
Esaias Tegner, transl. by J.E.D. Bethune
* Fridhtjof
Comes to King Ring
Esaias Tegner, from the "Fridthjof´s Saga"
* Balder´s
Funeral Pyre
Esaias Tegner,
from the "Fridthjof´s Saga"
*
Fridthjof and Ingeborg
Esaias Tegner,
from the "Fridthjof´s Saga"
* Ring´s Dirge
Esaias Tegner,
from the "Fridthjof´s Saga"
* The Viking Erik Gustaf Geijer (1783-1847)
* The last
Skald
Erik Gustaf Geijer
* The last Warrior
Erik Gustaf Geijer
* The Necken
Erik Gustaf Geijer
* The Merman´s Dance (Näckens
polska)
Arvid August Afzelius (1785-1871)
*
Nordens Gudar (Gods of the
North)
Erik Sjöberg ("Vitalis") (1794-1828)
*
The Pyre of Balder
Viktor Rydberg (1828-1895)
* The New Song of
Grotte
Viktor Rydberg
*
Snowfrid
Viktor Rydberg
*
Finn's Saga: From the Swedish.
Mary Elizabeth Hewitt
(1807-1884)
*
Grimilds Revenge
Old Denish ballad, ca. 14th cent.
* Sivord and
Brynhild
Old Denish ballad, ca. 14th cent.
Adam Gottlob Oehlenschläger
(1779-1850)
* To
the Gods
Transl. by Rune
Bjørnsen
*
The Gods of the North
(Nordens Gudar) Transl. by William Edward Frye
(1784-1853), as PDF
Or, read online at
Archive.org
*
The Gods of the North -
Transl. by G. Pigott, excerpted
from
"A Manual of Scandinavian Mythology"
* Creation of the
world... * The Vaner *
Aegir... *
Njord... * Freya... * Hel...
* Frigga on
Balder´s death... * Thor and Sif...
*
Loki... * Thor´s Journey to Jotunheim
* Thor´s Visit to
the Giant Hymir
* Thor´s Fishing
* Loke´s Cunning
(Thrymskvida)
* Thor Recovers the
Hammer * The Dwarfs
(Loki & Sif´s hair)
*
Valhalla...
From Faroese
From the Sigurd Lays, ca. 14th century:
* Brynhild´s Ballad
Transl. by
A. E. Petersen
* The Ballad of
Regin
Transl. by E.M. Smith-Dampier, 1934 With recording
*
The Ballad of
Brynhild
Transl.
by E.M. Smith-Dampier, 1934
* The Ballad of
Hogni
Transl.
by E.M. Smith-Dampier, 1934
*
The Ballad of Ragnar
Transl. by E.M. Smith-Dampier, 1934
*
The Ballad of Ísmal
Transl. by E.M. Smith-Dampier, 1934
*
The Rime of Asla
Transl. by E.M. Smith-Dampier, 1934
*
The Rime of Nornagest
Transl. by E.M. Smith-Dampier, 1934
*
The Faroese Ballad of
Nornagest
Transl. by Nora Kershaw With sheet music
*
The Ballad of Hjalmar and Angantyr Transl. by Nora Kershaw With sheet music
* The Ballad of
Arngrim´s Sons Transl. by Nora Kershaw With sheet music
* Loka táttur
Transl. by
Kiyo
*
The Lay of Skrymner
Transl.
by G.H. Borrow (1803–1881)
Modern English Sorted by author´s birth year
Thomas Warton the elder (1688?-1745)
*
A Runic Ode.
*
Another, on the Same Subject.
James Thomson (1700-1748)
* Liberty
Thomas Gray (1716-1771)
* The
Fatal Sisters
*
The Descent of Odin
Thomas Penrose (1742-1779)
* Carousal of Odin
Thomas James Mathias (1754?-1835)
Runic Odes from the Norse Tongue:
* Ode I:
The Twilight of the Gods, or, The Destruction of the World
* Ode II:
The Renovation of the World, and Future Retribution
* Ode III: Dialogue at the Tomb of Argantyr
Frank
Sayers (1763-1817)
* Oswald
* The Descent of Frea:
Act 1,
Act 2
Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832)
*
The Saxon War Song
* Harold the Dauntless
Robert Southey (1774-1843)
* The Race of Odin
* Death of Odin
*
To A.S. Cottle from Robert Southey
Felicia Dorothea Browne Hemans (1793-1835)
*
Valkyrjur Song
*
The Wild Huntsman
* The Sword of the Tomb
Wilhelm Wagner (1800-1886)
*
The Wonderful Quern Stones
in: "Asgard
(1882)
George Henry Borrow (1803–1881)
*
Runic Verses
*
Vidrik Verlandson
(From the Old Denish)
*
Grimhild´s Vengeance.
Three Ballads. Song the First,
Song the Second,
Song the Third
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882)
*
Tales of a Wayside Inn - The Musician's Tale: The Saga of King Olaf
Part 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
My favorite parts:
* Interlude
* The
Challenge of Thor (Part 1)
*
Queen Sigrid the Haughty (Part 4)
* The
Wraith of Odin (Part 6)
* The
Dwarves
*
Tegner´s Drapa
*
The Skeleton in
Armor
* The Grave
John Greenleaf Whittier
(1807-1892)
* The Norsemen
Alfred Lord Tennyson
(1809-1892)
* Home
They Brought Her Warrior Dead
James Russell Lowell (1819-1891)
* The Voyage to
Vinland
Charles Kingsley (1819-1875)
*
The Longbeards´ Saga
*
The Song of the little Baltung A.D. 395
Matthew Arnold (1822-1888)
*
Balder Dead
George John Cayley
(1826-1878?)
* The Death of Baldur
Edward Robert Bulwer-Lytton (1831-1891)
* The
Death of King Hacon
William Morris
(1834-1896)
*
The House of the Wolfings
* The Prophecy of Guest the Wise
* Of
the Slaying of Sigurd the Volsung
*
On the Last Battle of King
Sigmund
Edmund William Gosse (1849-1928)
*
King Erik, a Tragedy
*
The Death of Arnkel
Donald Robert Perry Marquis (1878–1937)
*
The God-maker, Man
Julia Clinton Jones (publ. 1878)
*
Valhalla: The Myths of Norseland; A Saga, in Twelve Parts (PDF)
Part 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12 (HTML)
Rudyard Kipling
(1865-1936)
* Harp
Song of the Dane Women
* Song
of the Men´s Side
*
Song of the Red War-Boat
* Thorkild´s
Song
* The
Runes on Weland´s Sword
* Norman and Saxon
Donald A. Mackenzie (1873-1936)
*
Njord and Skade
G. K. Chesterton
(1874–1936)
* The Ballad of the White Horse
Robert
Frost (1874–1963)
* Fire and Ice
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (1875-1912)
*
Viking Song
Howard Phillips Lovecraft (1890-1937)
*
The Teuton´s Battle Song
J.R.R.Tolkien
(1892-1973)
* Lament
of the Rohirrim From "The Lord of the Rings"
C.S. Lewis (1898-1963)
*
Cliche Came Out Of Its Cage
Robert E. Howard (1906-1936)
* The
Gold and the Grey
*
Lay of the Norse Gods
*
The Song of Horsa's Galley
* Thor´s Son
Christopher Logue (1926- )
* Come to the
Edge
From the film "The 13th Warrior"
(1999)
*
Lo, there do I see...
inspired by Ibn Fadlan´s 10th c. account
******************
Less directly Norse-related, but of kindred spirit:
*
Your
tombstone stands among the rest
Author unknown. A wonderful ancestor poem.
*
How did you die ?
Edmund Vance Cooke (1866-1932)
* If
Rudyard Kipling
(1865-1936)
* Opportunity
Edward Rowland Sill (1841-1887)
* L'ENVOI: The Poet and his Songs
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882)
*
To a Poet a Thousand Years Hence
James Elroy Flecker (1884-1915)
* In
the black season of deep winter
Celtic
poem, 11th century
* I
prize no meat or drink
Bertran de Born (1140-1215)
* The two Crows
Traditional, originally Scottish
*
Bivouac of the Dead
Theodore O'Hara (1820-1867)
Harp image: Licensed from 123rf.com
