Aelfric - Thuner Biad [Thunor Boast]

The music of pre-conversion England and Old Frisia, eerily evocative in it's ability to speak to some long-lost yet never forgotten depth of the folk soul. Ancient and new compositions by various galdormen. The vocals are poems/songs in the Anglo-Saxon language accompanied by the Anglo-Saxon harp, penny whistle, drum and other instruments.
Songs of the Elder Trow (1998)

Smithe in smithem isern smitand, (Smiths in smithies iron smiting)
Hit werthath warm brond burnand, (Grows it hot, fires burning)
Erme sterkath, stifna kaltiand: (Arms strengthen, voices calling:)
'Hal thu Thuner, homerhaldand!' ('Hail thou Thunor, hammer holding!')

Ekkera bura, thorstiche, stuviche, (Farmers' fields, thirsty, dusty,)
Fretlike zerle, benmithiche, (Fretful churls, bone-weary,)
Kinda ondleta, herda, hungriche, (Children's faces, hard, hungry,)
'Hal thu Thuner, triowewerthich!' ('Hail thou Thunor, trustworthy!')

In threthhamum thawlika, ezenhringida, (In Thryth-home thewsome, oaken-ringed)
Thuner Almechticha, unbeid, unbrezen, (Thunor Almighty, unbowed, unbroken,)
Erthe sunu radieth reinwolken, (Earth's son readies rainclouds,)
Homer klinnand, blixen liachtand. (Hammering ringing, lightning flashing.)

Thiu triowe hi haldeth is isern, ezen, (The troth he keeps is iron, oaken,)
Ethe send wichtiche, mein is mechtich (Oaths are weighty, main is mighty,)
Mod is mizil to monnum bisitta (Mood is much to men beset,)
Sa anskir tha tiaga ond wes forthfarand! (So gear the goats and be forthfaring!)

• Category

  • Music

• License

  • Standard YouTube License