The Tournament (from The Old Danish) Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: AAABCDEEF CDGHA HIHJJCJHK CELMCCNNA HAKK OAPA AAQA AHFH RNQN AKAK AAHA AAHA AAHA ASAS AHHH ANCN AAHA AKHK ATAK ANHN AAHA AHHH AUKU ACCC AKAK AVHV ANKN AAAA AKNK AAHA AKHK AAHA ANHN AFSF AVHV NAAA HAKA HNKN AANA AKHK HHKH AAAA NNKN AHKH HANA AWXW KAYA AHKH HAAA AAHA AHHH NNHN FHNH NNHN KANA FNAN NHAH ANKN AHHH NAAA AKNK AANA HHNH ZKNK AANA HVA2K AAAA AHAH AHAH KAHA

This is one of those Ballads which from the days of ArildA
have been much sung in Denmark we find in it the names andA
bearings of most of those renowned heroes who are mentionedA
separately in other poems It divides itself into twoB
parts the first which treats of the warrior'sC
bearings has a great resemblance to the th chapter ofD
the Vilkina Saga as likewise has the last part wherein theE
Duel is described to the th and st chapters of theE
sameF
-
I cannot here forbear quoting and translating what AndersC
Sorensen Vedel the good old Editor of the first Edition ofD
the Kiaempe Viser which appeared in says concerningG
the apparently superhuman performances of the heroes thereinH
celebratedA
-
Hvad ellers Kiaempernes Storlemhed Styrke og andenH
Vilkaar berorer som overgaaer de Menneskers der nu leveI
deres Vaext og Kraft det Stykke kan ikke her noksom nuH
forhandles men skal i den Danske Kronikes tredie BogJ
videligere omtales Thi det jo i Sandhed befindes ogJ
bevises af adskillige Documenter og Kundskab at disseC
gamle Hellede som de kaldes have levet fast laenger ogJ
vaeret mandeligere storre staerkere og hoiere end denH
gemene Mand er som nu lever paa denne DagK
-
That part which relates to these Warriors' sizeC
strength or other qualities so far surpassing theE
stature and powers of the men who now exist cannot beL
here sufficiently treated upon but shall be furtherM
discussed in the third Book of the Danish ChroniclesC
for in truth it is discovered and proved from variousC
documents and sources that these old heroes as they areN
called lived much longer and were manlier stouterN
stronger and taller than man at the present dayA
-
-
Six score there were six score and tenH
From Hald that rode that dayA
And when they came to BrattingsborgK
They pitch'd their pavilion gayK
-
King Nilaus stood on the turret's topO
Had all around in sightA
Why hold those heroes their lives so cheapP
That it lists them here to fightA
-
Now hear me Sivard SnaresvendA
Far hast thou rov'd and wideA
Those warriors' weapons thou shalt proveQ
To their tent thou must straightway rideA
-
It was Sivard SnaresvendA
To the broad tent speeded he thenH
I greet ye fair in my master's nameF
All all ye Dane king's menH
-
Now be not wroth that here I comeR
I come as a warrior freeN
The battle together we soon will proveQ
Let me your bearings seeN
-
There stands upon the first good shieldA
A lion so fierce and starkK
With a crown on his head of the ruddy goldA
That is King Diderik's markK
-
There shine upon the second shieldA
A hammer and pincers brightA
Them carries Vidrik VerlandsonH
Ne'er gives he quarter in fightA
-
There shines upon the third good shieldA
A falcon blazing with goldA
And that by Helled Hogan is borneH
No knight than he more boldA
-
There shines upon the fourth good shieldA
An eagle and that is redA
Is borne by none but Olger the DaneH
He strikes his foemen deadA
-
There shines upon the fifth good shieldA
A couchant hawk on a wallS
That's borne by Master HildebrandA
He tries with heroes a fallS
-
And now comes forth the sixth good shieldA
A linden is thereuponH
And that by young Sir Humble is borneH
King Abelon's eldest sonH
-
There shines upon the seventh good shieldA
A spur of a fashion so freeN
And that is borne by Hogan the lessC
Because he will foremost beN
-
There shines upon the eighth good shieldA
A gray wolf meagre and gauntA
Is borne by youthful Ulf van JernH
Beware how him you tauntA
-
There shine upon the ninth good shieldA
Three arrows and white are theyK
Are borne by Vidrik StagesonH
And trust that gallant you mayK
-
There shines upon the tenth good shieldA
A fiddle and 'neath it a bowT
That's borne by Folker SpillemandA
For drink he will sleep foregoK
-
There shines upon the eleventh shieldA
A dragon that looks so direN
Is carried by Orm the youthful swainH
He trembles at no man's ireN
-
And now behold the twelfth good shieldA
And upon it a burning brandA
Is borne by stout Sir VifferlinH
Through many a prince's landA
-
There stands upon the thirteenth shieldA
A sprig of the mournful yewH
That's borne by Harrald GriskesonH
And he's a comrade trueH
-
There stand upon the fourteenth shieldA
A cloak and a mighty staffU
And them bore Alsing the stalwart monkK
When he beat his foes to chaffU
-
And now comes forth the fifteenth shieldA
And upon it three naked bladesC
Are borne by good King Esmer's sonsC
In their wars and furious raidsC
-
There stands upon the sixteenth shieldA
With coal black pinion a crowK
That's borne by rich Count RaadengaardA
The dark Runes well can he throwK
-
There shines upon the seventeenth shieldA
A horse so stately and highV
Is borne by Count Sir GuncelinH
Slay slay bide not is his cryV
-
There shine upon the eighteenth shieldA
A man and a fierce wild boarN
Are borne by the Count of LidebiergK
His blows fall heavy and soreN
-
There shines upon the nineteenth shieldA
A hound at the stretch of his speedA
Is borne by Oisten Kiaempe boldA
He risks his neck without heedA
-
There shines upon the twentieth shieldA
Among branches a rose so gayK
Wherever Sir Nordman comes in warN
He bears bright honour awayK
-
There shines on the one and twentieth shieldA
A vase and of copper 't is madeA
That's borne by Mogan Sir OlgersonH
He wins broad lands with his bladeA
-
And now comes forth the next good shieldA
With a sun dispelling the mirkK
And that by Asbiorn Milde is borneH
He sets the knights' backs at workK
-
There shines on the three and twentieth shieldA
An arm in a manacle boundA
And that by Alvor Sir Lange is borneH
To the heroes he hands mead roundA
-
Now comes the four and twentieth shieldA
And a bright sword there you seeN
And that by Humble Sir Jerfing is borneH
Full worthy of that is heN
-
There shines upon the next good shieldA
A goss hawk striking his gameF
That's borne by a knight the best of allS
Sir Iver Blaa is his nameF
-
Now comes the six and twentieth shieldA
A jav'lin there you spyV
Is borne by little Mimring TanH
From no one will he flyV
-
Such knights and bearings as were thereN
And who can them all relateA
It was Sivard the SnaresvendA
No longer he deign'd to waitA
-
If there be one of the Dane king's menH
Who at Dyst is willing to rideA
Let him I pray without pause or delayK
Meet me by the wild wood's sideA
-
The man among you ye Danish court menH
Who at Dyst has won most meedsN
Him I am ready to fight this dayK
For both of our noble steedsN
-
The heroes cast the die on the boardA
The die it roll'd so wideA
Since young Sir Humble it stops by theeN
'Gainst Sivard thou must rideA
-
Sir Humble struck his hand on the boardA
No longer he lists to playK
I tell you forsooth that the rosy hueH
From his cheek fast faded awayK
-
Now hear me Vidrik VerlandsonH
Thou art so free a manH
Do lend me Skimming thy horse this dayK
I'll pledge for him what I canH
-
Eight good castles in Birting's landA
As pledges for him I'll setA
My sister too the lily cheek'd maidA
A fairer thou ne'er hast metA
-
Eight good castles and eight good knightsN
I'd scorn to offer thee lessN
If Skimming should meet any hurt this dayK
My sister thou shalt caressN
-
If yonder mountains all were goldA
And yonder streams were wineH
The whole for Skimming I would not takeK
I bless God he is mineH
-
Sivard is a purblind swainH
Sees not to his faulchion's endA
If Skimming were hurt thou couldst not pay meN
With the help of thy every friendA
-
The sword it whirls in Sivard's handA
As whirl the sails of the millW
If thou take Skimming 'gainst that wild foolX
'T is sorely against my willW
-
Humble he sat him on Skimming's backK
So gallantly can he rideA
But Skimming thought it passing strangeY
That a spur was clapt to his sideA
-
The first course that together they rodeA
So strong were the knightly twoH
Asunder went Humble's saddle ringK
And a furlong his good shield flewH
-
Methinks thou art a fair young swainH
And well thy horse canst rideA
Dismount thee straight and gird up thy steedA
I am willing for thee to bideA
-
The second course that together they rodeA
Was worthy of knights renown'dA
Then both their saddles burst in twoH
And Humble was sent to the groundA
-
Now have I cast thee from thy steedA
Thy courser by right is mineH
But tell me youthful and gallant swainH
Who art thou and of what lineH
-
Now have I won from thee the prizeN
And Skimming belongs to meN
But tell me youthful and gallant swainH
What parents gave birth to theeN
-
Abelon is my father's nameF
He sits upon Birting's throneH
Queen Ellina my mother isN
And that for truth is knownH
-
Queen Ellina my mother isN
A Queen whom all admireN
Good King Abelon HaardestaalH
So call they my hoary sireN
-
And who am I but Humble the youngK
A knight of Birting's landA
Of hero race whose fame extendsN
To the wide earth's farthest strandA
-
If Abelon be thy father's nameF
The courser I straight restoreN
Thou art I find my very good friendA
I knew thee not youth beforeN
-
If Queen Ellina thy mother isN
Then Skimming thou hast rewonH
Thou art indeed my very good friendA
Thou art my sister's sonH
-
Take both the shield ropes take them straightA
And bind me to yon oak treeN
Then hie thee back to King DiderikK
And say thou hast conquer'd meN
-
In came Humble the youthful knightA
Was clad in a kirtle greenH
O I have got my courser againH
And have bound the warrior keenH
-
In came Humble with boot and spurN
He cast on the table his swordA
Sivard stands in the green wood boundA
He speaks not a single wordA
-
O I have been to the wild forestA
And have seiz'd the warrior starkK
Sivard there was taken by meN
And tied to the oak's rough barkK
-
Now hear me young Sir Humble the knightA
'T is plain a jest is meantA
Whenever Sivard was bound by theeN
'T was done with his own consentA
-
It was Vidrik VerlandsonH
And he would fain know allH
O I will ride to the wood and seeN
How Sivard endures his thrallH
-
Vidrik spoke to his burly groomZ
Go saddle me Skimming grayK
For I will ride to the wood and hearN
What Sivard himself will sayK
-
Sivard stands in the good green woodA
There sees he Vidrik rideA
If Vidrik finds me bounden hereN
He'll hew my rib bones from my sideA
-
Then loud laugh'd Vidrik VerlandsonH
And Skimming began to neighV
For Sivard rooted the oak tree upA2
He dar'd no longer stayK
-
The queen she sat in the high high loftA
And thence look'd far and wideA
O there comes Sivard SnaresvendA
With a stately oak at his sideA
-
Then loud laugh'd fair Queen GloriantA
As she look'd on Sivard fullH
Thou wert no doubt in great great needA
When thou such flowers didst pullH
-
The King he stood at the castle gateA
In his robes and kingly crownH
O there comes Sivard SnaresvendA
And he brings us Summer to townH
-
Now dance the heroes by BrattingsborgK
They dance in their coats of feltA
There dances Sivard the purblind swainH
With an oak tree under his beltA

George Borrow



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