Fimbulvetr

by Master Efenwealt Wystle
copyright © 1999 by Scott F. Vaughan
Listen to it at Soundclick.com

Crashing ever forward --- the longship cuts the sea.
The captain watches skyward --- for he knows what's soon to be.
Dark storm clouds are rising --- from the edges of the world.
The cold white sun is dying --- for the giant's axe is hurled.

The world now sleeps frozen --- in winter's ice grasp.
The frost giants leave the mountains --- armed with spear and axe.
Storm they now the lowlands --- raging death to all.
Merciful to no man --- the mightiest shall fall.

And through the three year --- winter they raid with evil joy.
March they now on Asgard --- Valhalla to destroy.
Fimbulveter has ended. --- The crows in warning cry.
The Einherjar awaken --- for Ragnorock is nigh.

Odin calls to council --- all valiant gods and men.
Arm themselves for battle --- for war they must attend.
The massacre is final --- save those few who should survive
Who've hidden in Yggdrasil --- A world they'll revive.

The captain watches, tired. --- His face it shows now glee.
His eyes turn slowly downward --- for he knows what's soon to be.

I was at Shelly Lake near my parents' house in North Raleigh one winter afternoon (January 1990?) when a storm was coming. The sky seemed very low, and there was a chilling wind blowing (a Cold Wind to Valhalla... to you Tull fans). For a moment I looked out over the water and had a flash of being on board a Viking longship. In Norse mythology, Ragnarok is the great battle at the end of time. Fimbulvetr is the 3 years of winter that precede it. Although this song contains many references to Norse myth, its style is fairly modern. The Norse were more concerned with alliteration and rhythm than with cute rhyme schemes. I entered this in a poetry competition for the Tourney of Ymir in February of 1990. I didn't win the competition, but a couple years later I turned it into one of my favorite songs. On a whim for this recording, I added a guitar intro that I usually play for my arrangement of a favorite Leslie Fish song. Someday, I hope I'll meet a heavy metal band that wants to do a really kick-ass arrangement of this.

This work is copyright © 1999 by Scott F. Vaughan (aka Master Efenwealt Wystle). The lyrics are published here for limited personal use only. Any other reproductions (electronic, printed, audio, etc.) are prohibited. Vocal performance of the piece at events and other functions of the Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc. is permissible so long as the author is given credit.

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