FOLKEARTH LYRICS

1. Before Battle I Embrace

O mighty war Gods, mist-breathing doorkeepers of the Otherworld--Hearken now my last words
Into battle I must, the fray I shall embrace and with sword of bronze I will fight our enemies!
Come with us--fight steadfast
Rivers run red with blood!
Freedom calls--thunder rolls
Make them pay ere we die!
Brooding in silence lost in the deep serenity of the woodland glade
The bonfire crackles
The stream is flowing tranquil
I want my son to remember me a hero--not a coward
Come with us--fight steadfast
Rivers run red with blood!
Freedom calls--thunder rolls
Make them pay ere we die!
My bow of yew and my hounds I leave unto thee my son, for I shall not know the pride watching your first hunt
Goddess mother, under thy protection I leave my beloved wife
Dry her tears and comfort for I shall not return to keep her warm
Against the legions of Rome there can be no victory
So we only ask of the Morrigan for a warrior's death
Holy thunder, fires of Taranis
We know not fear, pain or defeat!
Spears can pierce, run my body through
Yet my spirit shall forever fight!
When I die I will to the sky
Where the Gods shall welcome me as kin!

2. Hoplites Awaiting Command

Come wind, come snow, come blazing heat and bitter rain
From Macedonia we march, from the northlands of Hellas
To the mouths of Euphrates for to set His throne...we are the thunderbolts of Amon Zeus, the sons of Pella
Sworn to revenge--the Persians' scourge...you were crowned on the mountain
In Olympian thunder and Promethean fire…Alexander your hoplites are waiting
To take the oath of revenge…when the star of Pella shall shine in the night
And all other stars will stop burning bright
Guiding our sarissae to the fight
We shall neither fear nor surrender
‘Til the end of the battle…Alexander your armies are waiting
Sound the charge and lead them to glory
Alexander your legions hail thee!

3. Hugin & Munin

The whole world wide, every day
Fly Hugin and Munin
I worry lest Hugin should fall in fight
Yet more I fear for Munin
[Taken from Grimnismol:] Four wings spreaded in the northern sky
Sent out everyday to gather knowledge
Far beyond the glance of dawn
Return with the shadows to the land of the norsemen
And over the Oden’s shoulder
Tell what their eyes saw
And over the Odin’s shoulder their ears
Become Odin’s ears
All-father I flown to the west and I saw
The dragons sail, beats of the waves
All-father I flown to the west and I saw
Woods and fjords beyond the nine worlds
Father of the god of the thunder
Whose Mjollnir guards our folk
We will ride the skies of the whole world wide

4. Grimnismol (The Ballad Of Grimnir)

[Inspired by the Eddic poem:]

Heerfather-in chains
Tortured by an unworthy king
Eight nights between two fires
A boy feels sympathy for him
In exchange for a single drink
(The boy is granted knowledge of the worlds
His father ignorant to the real nature of his binded guest
Knowledge of which will too late come to him)
Thor shall ever in Thruthheim dwell
Balder’s home Breithablik is called
Himinbjorg residence of Heimdall
Vithi is Vidar’s land—slayer of the wolf
Skoll and Hati the soon and moon will devour
Thus bidding the will of Hrothvitnir
Ravens y forth memory and thought
Bring me news of what happens in the world
Far famed fighters of old
Freki, Geri, who sit by me in my hall
Feast on my food, satisfy your lust
Wine is my food and drinking alike, alas!
Valgrind stands, the Sacred Gate
And behind are the holy doors
Old is the gate but few there are
Who can tell how it tightly is locked
Five hundred doors and forty there are
I wean, in Valhall’s walls
Eight hundred fighters through one door-fare
When to war with the Wolf they go
The best of trees, must Yggdrasil be
Skithblathnir best of boats
Of all the Gods Othin is the greatest
And Sleipnir the best of steeds
Bifrost of bridges, Bragi of skalds
Hobrok of hawks and Garm of hounds
Grim is my nae, wanderer am I
Ruler, Helmet-bearer, Hor the high one
A single name have I never had
Since first among men I fared
Allfather, Valfather, Rider, Grimnir I am
Siegfather, Overthrower, the Hooded, Flaming-Eyed…King Geiroth sat and had his sword on his knee, half drawn from its sheath
But when he heard that Othin was come thither, then he rose up and sought to take Othin from the fire
The sword slipped form his hand and fell with the hilt down
The king stumbled and fell forward, and the sword pierced him through and slew him
Then Othin vanished, but the boy long ruled there as king…

5. Hogtid

[Ulven: Music, acoustic guitar, Raven: Music, celtic harp, backing vocals, Axel: Electric guitar, bass, drums]

[Instrumental]

6. Sworn To The Raven

The Viking blood in me
Runs through my veins afire
Hearken to the voice within
That promises of immortality!
Sworn to the raven
The hammer and the sword!
Father Odin hear my call
O’er brooding mountains tall!
There can be no defeat
When I charge the battlefield!
There can be no death
For those who dwell in the Golden Hall!
Sworn to the raven
The hammer and the sword!
Father Odin hear my call
O’er brooding mountains tall!
Impaled on Saxon spears
Ran through with a sword: born without having fear my shoulder shield-slain god

7. Great God Pan

Once upon a time when mythic creatures thrived
My land was pure, the forests primeval still
And pagan reels would stir the crooked boughs
Surrendering them to the whims of the whispering wind…
There flowers sprung beneath the cloven hoofs
Of an elder being-far more ancient than the Olympians themselves…
The ancient trees know him by the name—Pan, what lust runs through thy veins!
The Dryads alone yet sing his fame—Pan, thy music the Gods entertains!
Ten score Satyr squires
With nymphs sought delight…thy flute is divine
O Pan, our music inspire!
Teach us thine art
The tunes that would win
The hearts of a nymph!
The ancient trees know him by the name—Pan, what lust runs through thy veins!
The Dryads alone yet sing his fame—Pan, thy music the Gods entertains!
Pan, great god
Spread panic in our enemy’s ranks!
We invoke thy name
In moonlit glades-grant us the gift
Of arcane prophecy…
The ancient trees know him by the name—Pan, what lust runs through thy veins!
The Dryads alone yet sing his fame—Pan, thy music the Gods entertains!

[Orphic hymn to Pan excerpt:]
“I invoke the brawny Pan, the sky and the sea—I invoke earth, the sovereign queen and immortal fire…
O friend of Echo, thou who dances with the nymphs, thou who knowest everything, bearer of light, the true horned Zeus…”

I can hear the rivers lamenting and the willows weep…
Pan, our forests doth miss you…
For now a loathsome Christ has dubbed you Satan
And cast thee in exile…
But your shrines are not forgotten—there are those who still utter thy name
To restore thy glory and behold thee, Horned god, enthroned once more!

[Orphic hymn to Pan excerpt continued:]
“Thou who changes the nature of every thing with thy predictions and guides the race of men upon this vast earth…
But come o blessed one, thou courtier of Bacchus, come o inciting one, come to our holiest of sacrifices and grant us a good life’s ending by dispersing the frenzy of panic unto the four corners of the earth…”

8. Drakkars In The Mist

Break thy silence o gray, turbulent sea!
Impart thy secrets, whisper tem to me
My eyes are focused out of this world
Where three hundred voices sing of glories old
Drakkars in the mist
Vikings are sailing to plunder in the East!
Drakkars in the mist
With sails full of wind, come, let us take to the sea!
I journeyed back in time
When offerings were rich on the shrines
Of Freyja and Odin alike
And runes were still young on the monoliths
“Blood we spill in the name of Thor, and the roar of thunder is our delight
We are the sons of battle, warriors of heathendom
Our hearts are made of steel and our swords of iron!”
Drakkars in the mist
Vikings are sailing to plunder in the East!
Drakkars in the mist
With sails full of wind, come, let us take to the sea!
But long years have gone by and all that remains is a darkened sky
I begged the waves to breathe a mist
So the drakkars may return anon one day!

9. Midgard Farewell

So I take my leave
Brothers farewell
My forefathers voice
I hear their call
I now take my place
In the great hall
Together we’ll feast
When your time has come
On Midgard’s plains
Our days are long gone
In the herald’s song
Our deeds live on
By the fire at night
Our tale can be heard
And with the wind
Our names will fly

10. De Tause Fjell

Over the dark—the deep valleys of earth
In the days of yore—they journey on the battlefield, their shining armour lay
Between the mountaintops their cries still roar
The quiet mountains, witness
The days of yore!
Like ice on the muddy, forest pond, breaking in the light of day
Out of the woods where they stood
Before they, to rest finally lay
But now the time is upon them
Once again, they shall the rise to ride the wind-song!

11. If I Should Fall

The long ships are awaiting me
I’m setting sail to fulfill my destiny: for the rising sun hath promised me
That the blood of foes shall anoint my sword!
I heed the call of Fatherland
Sung to the tone of battle horns!
By Odin’s spear I swear this day
I’ll make them fear the sound of my name!
“My Father’s Gods will welcome me
To Valhalla’s halls if I should fall…
And there I’ll feast as Einherjer
Until the dawn of dread is come…”
“Away, away! To Asgard fly
With Valkyries in the vanguard
Across the sky and over clouds
The furious host doth hunt tonight…”

12. When Long Ships Arrive

The secrets of the wind
Are whispered to the leaves
The song of hidden creeks
In the bronzing Autumn light
-elven dance in the twilight...the riddles of the sea
Raise a murmur to the shore
O mermaid,answer me!
Where's now the hero
Did he stand or did he fall?
I yearn for the tide
When long ships arrive
Underneath the amber sky
Wherein Odin's ravens fly!

Rolling thunder in the distance
A heavy rain begins to pour
I welcome the chariot of Thor
The wrath of heavens above
-full of pride I raise my sword!
The dying sound of battle horns
The screams subside on the field
The creek I knew so long ago
Now red it foams and rolls
Carrying my blood to Valhalla's hall!
I yearn for the tide
When long ships arrive
Underneath the amber sky
Wherein Odin's ravens fly!

13. On Wings Divine

The skies burst and lo!
I Perseus, hasten forth
On wings divine from above
In answer to her pleading cries!
The skies sing and lo!
I Perseus, hasten forth
On wings divine from above
To vanquish horror from her eyes!
Sword and shield
(Clash with kraken teeth)
The waves are whips
Their spray a deadly sting… like Hermes on the wing
Swift and deadly is my blade
To claim a hero’s victory
And my Andromeda set free!
Such pale beauty in despair
Eyes wild, framed in raven hair
Envied by the goddess of love
Andromeda lies chained to the crag

14. Thunders Of War

Rend the sky
Lash the clouds
Thor, bring down
Fire arcane: they thunders of war!
Fight to die
Stand your ground Son of Odin
Unleash thy thunders—thy thunders of war!
String and proud
A horn doth sound!
Valkyries sing
Of glories steeped in…thy thunders of war!
Iron runes
Etched in blood
A’ glimmer ‘mongst
The endless stars—and the thunders of war!
Thunders of war
From the sky to the shore!
On thunder of war
Rides the chariot of Thor!

15. The Bane Of Giants

[Bonus track]

Hear the distant thunders
Calling my name in awe—high up in the skies I was born
Tempests compose my glorious ode…
I defy the giants of frost
Alone I have faced their hordes!
At the hour of my wrath
Death was dealt by my avenging hand!
Mjollnir hammers the hills
The bane of giants it brings!
Mjollnir rides on the storm
The bane of giants is wrought!
I fear not the serpent
Coiled at the ancient
Roots of Yggdrasil
My hammer is a’ pounding
My chariot is riding
Power-girt by dwarfs
Beloved of men
And feared by giants!
I fear not the tempest
Boiling in the brooding Northern skies above
My hammer is a’ pounding
My chariot is riding
The wind has called me: I’ll descend to Midgard and face the giants!
Mjollnir hammers the hills
The bane of giants it brings!
Mjollnir rides on the storm
The bane of giants is wrought!
“I have come from above, riding my chariot anon! Woe to the giants of frost, for I am their mortal foe!”

16. Kingdom Of The Shades

[Bonus track]

I see the wolves gathered on the hill
And the carrion birds that fly
Etched against the (witching) moon…
I was a string in Apollo’s lyre
I was the sword in a warrior’s hand
I was the crown on an emperor’s brow
I was the seal on a sorcerer’s heart…
I saw the glory of Atlantis fall—the jeweled spires that would gleam no more…
I saw the grandeur that once was Greece—its crumbling walls I now call my home…
I see a woman crying on my mound—she has been lover and homeland to me:
Alas! I know I will not see her again—the kingdom of the shades is my home…
Where the Sidhe play mournful tunes
Where the sea is black, without a shore
Where meadows are strewn with ash

17. The Riding Of The Queen Boudiccea

[Bonus track]

Under grey clouds rides the victorious one
Leading the Norfolk and the Britain tribes
(To) An uprising against the Roman Empire
Spurring her leadership
And her attacks!
A song for a Dark Queen whose face was stained
With dark paintings and her enemies blood
No mercy, no prisoners, sacrifice ‘em all
“I talk in the name of the Gods of war”
Blessed by the wrath the Dark Queen led
Their armies towards the battlefields
And then a new age so glorious will rise
And then we will feast the Fall of the Empire
A song for a Dark Queen whose battle was lost
Their was painted were faded with their blood
Her spirit died and was buried by time
And the hopes withered away forevermore
The fate’s stone rolls downwards and then breaks
The name Iceni is lost in the winds
For the memories are written for those who won the wars
And a restless spirit rides her chariot throughout the woods







FOLKEARTH LYRICS