Sonatorrek from Long Nights by Winterblade
The famed skaldic poet, Egill Skallagrímsson, suffered a great tragedy in his old age. Two of his sons perished: Gunnar, by fever, and Böthvarr by drowning.
Stricken by grief, it is said that Egill committed himself to joining his children in the afterlife, and decided to starve himself. But the skald's life was saved by his own daughter, Thorgerd, who convinced Egill that he should commemorate the life of his sons in a new poem.
Thus, Sonatorrek was born. At 25 stanzas, it laments the death of Gunnar and Böthvarr, reflects on Egill's older brother's death, and at last, ponders how to accept one's unavoidable demise.
The chorus of this song is a loose translation of Egill's own words.
Tracklist
| 4. | Sonatorrek | 4:36 |
Lyrics
The misty mountains old and grey
Sulfur water warms my face
In misery, alone I bathe
The eagle screams for life reborn
As he lay bleeding on the shore
My brother, pale and lifeless, lay
An ancient volume sits by me
And someday it may bring me peace
I read aloud to nobody
Even as I walk this earth,
My end is coming
High on the headland
Hel awaits me
Life fades and I must fall
To face my last breath
But not in mourning,
With the heart of a man!
The hopeful dawn gives way to dusk
The sky is red, the sea is rough
I gave my all, it’s not enough
Now I lay down my iron sword
As I stand underneath the fjord
And I find comfort in those words
Sorrow unavoidable you see
I will find a way back home to love you one last time
Credits
Lyrics inspired by and loosely translated from Egill Skallagrímsson's Sonatorrek
License
All rights reserved.
Winterblade is one man with a passion for the Old Norse Æsir and heavy metal. Those passions are combined on the album "Long Nights," a project rooted in Viking history and often drawn from historical texts. Just released: GREATEST SAGA, the 11-part story of how Norway's first king rose to power in the most unusual way...