PRECOMP Entry #4

PREFACE
March 2013 other possible titles: Barditus | Halfdan Bard | Hávamál-Charm 

Concepts to consider and address in up-coming blog entries: Of so-called Celtic culture
1) Celtic ritual traditions (Bardic/Druidic)
2) The Music of Seán Ó Riada
3) Sean-nós songs of Ireland  
4) Caoineadh Songs of Ireland
5) The Carnyx and the Celtic veneration of the "Boar"
6) Neopaganism and the Drudic concept of "Awen"

 
HEROIC POETRY AND THE Hávamál

In research blog entry #3, much of the information and sources we explored, were brought to my attention by the independent research of Carla O'Harris. This includes one particular historical record, a source that comes to historians in the form of a complex multi-metric Saga. Specifically, verse #156 makes mention of the ritualistic practice of "shield-singing" as a preparation for battle:

 ...I sing under the shields,
and they go victoriously:
safe to the battle...

According to this poetic/mythological record, the peoples of Northern Europe were united in many cultural idiosyncrasies, including the tradition of vocalising under their shields before battle. I conclude, therefore, that this Hávamál  epic poem, is a plausible source for inspiration AND recitation during a re-enactment of the Barditus.

Tacitus and other non-Barbarian story-tellers, wrote of the practice of Heroic poetry recitation, exclaimed before battle to rouse the courage of the warriors peoples throughout the Northern Europe. Germanic tribes, Saxon bands, as well as the Celtic and Gaullish people of focus, are recorded to have used the Bardic tradition to enthuse and inspire.

Historical record suggests a mythological subject matter of these heroic recitations. Tales of great super-human warriors and their fearlessness exploits were the stuff of the sagas that were set in poetic verse. In this contemporary adaptation, the aforementioned Old Norse Hávamál is the recommended model for text recitation, how best to use this text will be discussed as follows.

For a version of the Hávamál with fulltext and translation by Dr. D.L Ashliman please visit: www.beyondweird.com/high-one.html
 


COMMENTARY ON THE TEXT OF THE Hávamál

As explained by David A. H. Evans in his book titled with the name attributed to this saga (published by the "Viking Society" of the University College of London), the Hávamál itself is a segmented work, an epic pieced together from multiple sources (Evans, 34). 

The fragmented nature of this sizable ancient text makes choosing from among its variety of verse, a difficult task. Some of Evans own commentary, on the Hávamál in historical context, elucidates some interesting facts that contributes to a tangible reading of the poem. Verses #146-#163 are known to scholars as a succinct collection of 18 spells or charms. Evans suggests that this setting of magic as poetic incantation, is perhaps the best demarcated of all the text sectors in the Hávamál collection (Evans, 34). This last segment of the epic, referred to by scholars as the Ljothatal, is a supposed link to Germanic paganism (Evans, 35).

As a byproduct of its piece-meal composition, each of the various segments of this conglomeration of poetic fragments conforms to different types of Germanic metric verse. This in-built rhythmic diversity is ripe for musical manipulation. Whilst the final Ljothatal segment of the epic is set in a song or ballad meter, other metric perculiarities include the use of Málaháttr verse in #144, a conversational style of poetic meter. 

Evans also makes note of some other interesting elements of Norse paganism, including the symbolic importance of the number, 9 (Evans, 30).


RECOMMENDED SEGMENTS OF THE TEXT OF THE Hávamál

Informed by the sources aforementioned, the following is the Composers recommendation for which segments of the Hávamál text are most appropriate for the contemporary adaptation of the Barditus:

#144

Veiztu hvé rísta skal? Veiztu hvé ráða skal? Veiztu hvé fá skal? Veiztu hvé freista skal? Veiztu hvé biðja skal? Veiztu hvé blóta skal? Veiztu hvé senda skal? Veiztu hvé sóa skal?

Do you know how you must cut [them]? Do you know how you must interpret? Do you know how you must colour? Do you know how you must try? Do you know how you must invoke? Do you know how you must sacrifice? Do you know how you must send? Do you know how you must kill?

#146-#163

146 Ljóð ek þau kann er kannat þjóðans kona ok mannskis mögr hjálp heitir eitt en þat þér hjálpa mun við sökum ok sorgum ok sútum görvöllum	I know the songs that no ruler's wife knows, nor anyone's son: the first is called "Help", and it will help you with disputes and griefs and absolutely all sorrows.
147 Þat kann ek annat er þurfu ýta synir þeir er vilja læknar lifa	I know a second which the sons of men need, those who want to live as physicians.
148 Þat kann ek it þriðja ef mér verðr þörf mikil hapts við mína heiptmögu eggjar ek deyfi minna andskota bítat þeim vápn né velir	I know the third: if great need befalls me for a fetter for my enemy, I can blunt the edges of my enemies, that weapons and staves do not bite for them.
149 Þat kann ek it fjórða ef mér fyrðar bera bönd at bóglimum svá ek gel at ek ganga má sprettr mér af fótum fjöturr en af höndum hapt	I know the fourth: if men put fetters on my limbs, I sing so that I can go: fetter springs from my feet and bond from my hands. (cf. Imma *)

150 Þat kann ek it fimmta ef ek sé af fári skotinn flein í fólki vaða flýgra hann svá stinnt at ek stöðvigak ef ek hann sjónum of sék	I know the fifth: if I see [3] a spear, [2] shot in malice to fly into a host, it does not fly so strongly that I cannot stop it, if I catch sight of it.
151 Þat kann ek it sétta ef mik særir þegn á rótum rams viðar ok þann hal er mik heipta kveðr þann eta mein heldr en mik	I know the sixth: if a warrior wounds me with the root of a strong tree * and calls forth hatreds from me, then the harms eat the man and not me.
152 Þat kann ek it sjaunda ef ek sé hávan loga sal um sessmögum brennrat svá breitt at ek honum bjargigak þann kann ek galdr at gala	I know the seventh: if I see a high [3] hall [2] to burn [3] around my table-companions, it does not burn so bright that I cannot save it, when I can sing the spell.
153 Þat kann ek it átta er öllum er nytsamligt at nema hvars hatr vex með hildings sonum þat má ek bœta brátt	I know the eighth, which [3] is useful [2] for all to take: wherever hatred grows among the sons of the prince, I can quickly cure it.
154 Þat kann ek it níunda ef mik nauðr um stendr at bjarga fari mínu á floti vind ek kyrri vági á ok svæfik allan sæ	I know the ninth: if I need to save my ship afloat I can calm the wind on the wave and lull the whole sea to sleep.
155 Þat kann ek it tíunda ef ek sé túnriðir leika lopti á ek svá vinnk at þeir villir fara sinna heimhama sinna heimhuga	I know the tenth: if I see witches playing in the air, I can so arrange it that they go astray from their proper shapes and proper thoughts.
156 Þat kann ek it ellipta ef ek skal til orrostu leiða langvini undir randir ek gel en þeir með ríki fara heilir hildar til heilir hildi frá koma þeir heilir hvaðan	I know the eleventh: if I must [3] lead old friends [2] to battle, I sing under the shields, and they go victoriously: safe to the battle, safe from the battle, they come safe from everywhere.
157 Þat kann ek it tólpta ef ek sé á tré uppi váfa virgilná svá ek ríst ok í rúnum fák at sá gengr gumi ok mælir við mik	I know the twelfth: if I see up in a tree a hanged corpse swinging, I carve and colour the runes that the man moves and speaks with me.
158 Þat kann ek it þrettánda ef ek skal þegn ungan verpa vatni á munat hann falla þótt hann í fólk komi hnígra sá halr fyr hjörum	I know the thirteenth: if I will [3] throw water [2] on a young warrior, he cannot fall, though he may come to battle the man does not fall before swords.
159 Þat kann ek it fjórtánda ef ek skal fyrða liði telja tíva fyrir ása ok álfa ek kann allra skil fár kann ósnotr svá	I know the fourteenth: if I must [3] reckon up [2] a troop [3] before gods [2] and men, [5] I know the details of all [4] the Æsir and the Elves -- the unwise man knows that not at all.

160 Þat kann ek it fimmtánda er gól Þjóðreyrir dvergr fyr Dellings durum afl gól hann ásum en álfum frama hyggju Hroptatý	I know the fifteenth, which Thjothreyrir sang, the dwarf, before the doors of Dellingr: He sang the might of the gods, the courage of the elves, the understanding of Hroptatyr.
161 Þat kann ek it sextánda ef ek vil ins svinna mans hafa geð alt ok gaman hugi ek hverfi hvítarmri konu ok sný ek hennar öllum sefa	I know the sixteenth: if I wish [3] to have all the heart and pleasure [2] of a cunning girl, I turn the feelings of the white-armed woman, and I change the whole of her mind.
162 Þat kann ek it sjautjánda at mik mun seint firrask it manunga man ljóða þessa mun þú Loddfáfnir lengi vanr vera þó sé þér góð ef þú getr nýt ef þú nemr þörf ef þú þiggr	I know the seventeenth, that [3] the youthful maid [2] will never avoid me; [5] Loddfafnir, you will [6] be lacking [4] these charms [6] for a long time, though it be good for you if you get them, useful if you take them, needful if you receive them.
163 Þat kann ek it átjánda er ek æva kennik mey né manns konu alt er betra er einn um kann þat fylgir ljóða lokum nema þeiri einni er mik armi verr eða mín systir sé	I know the eighteenth, which I never teach to maid or man's wife, -- everything is better when one person understands it, it belongs at the ending of spells -- to none but she alone who is wrapped in my arm or is my sister.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Portions of the Hávamál text must be memorized by certain vocalists for the performance of this work. As suggested by the sources, there is numerous historical evidence to develop a performance practice for vocalisation that will include a great variety in style/technique. This blog details the historiographical foundation for using this text, following entries will detail an exact outline for text use and performance practice for vocals.

MARK OLIVERIO