The Viking Terror
Bitter is the wind tonight.
It tosses the ocean's white hair.
Tonight I fear not the fierce warriors of Norway
Coursing on the Irish Sea.
Commentary
translated by Kuno Meyer.
I must confess I have an inordinate liking for ‘Northern’ poetry - from the Icelandic Edda and Viking sagas through Old English alliterative verse and the Welsh bardic tradition, all the way down to the present day and good old Tolkien - there’s something about epic poetry that grabs my imagination. Today’s poem is a beautifully concentrated example of the same phenomenon - in just four short lines, the poet1 manages to conjure up an extraordinarily vivid atmosphere of grey northern skies and howling winds, longboats battling through the waves, honour and valour and courage…
Notice how direct the language of this poem is. It’s an especial characteristic of heroic verse that the words used be simple and common, the better to express strong emotions clearly and without unnecessary adornment. This again is the reason why much ‘older’ poetry (the Elder Edda, classical Haiku, Yoruba chants) seems elegant to modern readers - by stripping the verse to its essence, to the barest possible words, the folk poet achieves a simplicity and honesty lost to more ‘sophisticated’ craftsmen.
— Thomas
-
if indeed he was a ‘professional’ poet - I think it far more likely that this fragment of verse was composed by a warrior or (even more likely) a lover :-) ↩
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From the Wondering Minstrels mailing list, 1999–2008.
Godichiabois Linda · 29 May 2000
Well Met,
Just a little question, can I use this poetry on my homepage? It is wonderful!!!
Answers pleaser to
Thank you,
May all the Gods shine through you!
Craftmaster
Berna Michael · 5 June 2002
I have heard this poem interpreted differently. It goes as follows…
Since tonight
The winds are high
The sea’s white mane’s a fury
I shant not fear
The hordes of hell
Coursing the Irish Channel
Have a great day!
Anonymous · 4 August 2005
I have not heard this version of “Viking Terror” before.I rather prefere this version,which I read years ago
“FIERCE IS THE WIND TONIGHT “
“IT PLOUGHS UP THE WHITE HAIRS OF THE SEA”
“
I HAVE NO FEAR THAT THE VIKING HOSTS”
“WILL COME OVER THE WATER TO ME”
Please comment on this and if there are more versions written on this theme Sincerely,
Brian Condron
tomas · 22 August 2006
In Thomas Keneally’s book, “Now and in time to be”, he quotes a ninth-century monk’s quatrain:
Bitter the wind tonight, combing the sea’s hair white: from the North, no need to fear the proud sea-coursing warrior.
A wonderfully evocative piece of poetry that resonates today, especially in a force -nine gale on the coast of Donegal.
Regards,
Tomas