The Knickerbocker Gallery/The Wedding-Trip of Jarl Alvar Rafn
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Yours truly
Charles G. Leland
The Wedding-Trip of Jarl Alvar Rafn.
ᚦᚱᛂᚴᚢᛘ ᛒᛁᚮᚱ ᛆᚦ ᛒᚱᛆᚵᚦᛂ
ᚢᚱ ᛒᛁᚢᚴᚢᛁᚦᚢᛘ ᚼᛆᚢᛋᛆ
The lightning grew pale,
And the thunder was dumb,
As if the old devil
In person had come,
When in vengeance and fury
The Death-raven black,
The Vikingir Alvar
Came sweeping the track.
"Great Odin, thou storm-god!
Crack on with our ship!
We are off on a batter,
Hurrah! let her rip!"
So the wild pirate shouted
In madness and scorn,
While down went the liquor
And round went the horn.
So all hands, as you see, kept
a good head of steam on!
And the thunder was dumb,
As if the old devil
In person had come,
When in vengeance and fury
The Death-raven black,
The Vikingir Alvar
Came sweeping the track.
"Great Odin, thou storm-god!
Crack on with our ship!
We are off on a batter,
Hurrah! let her rip!"
So the wild pirate shouted
In madness and scorn,
While down went the liquor
And round went the horn.
So all hands, as you see, kept
a good head of steam on!
By the sea, by the mountain,
On Norway's strand,
Brenhilda, the peerless,
Sat high on the sand;
When, smack! o'er the water
In time double quick,
Great Alvar came down,
Like a thousand of brick.
Splash! into the ocean
The Vikingir sprung,
And pick-back the princess
O'er shoulders he flung:
Like an arrow he darted
The wild billows through,
And into the "Dragon,"
Brenhilda he threw,
While all hands gave a
yell and took drinks on the strength of it!
On Norway's strand,
Brenhilda, the peerless,
Sat high on the sand;
When, smack! o'er the water
In time double quick,
Great Alvar came down,
Like a thousand of brick.
Splash! into the ocean
The Vikingir sprung,
And pick-back the princess
O'er shoulders he flung:
Like an arrow he darted
The wild billows through,
And into the "Dragon,"
Brenhilda he threw,
While all hands gave a
yell and took drinks on the strength of it!
By the Gods of Valhalla!
I'm done for!" she cried.
"By Thor and by thunder!
You are!" he replied.
No more spake the maiden,
No more spake her lord,
But he stamped on the short deck
And brandished his sword.
"There's a sail to the leeward!
A sail in our path!
Do you hear! blood and brimstone!
Lok! blazes! and wrath!
The bier-sucker madness
Is boiling me through!"
Then he took a "long drink."
And right into it flew,
While the Ravens all
round took a horn and went at it.
I'm done for!" she cried.
"By Thor and by thunder!
You are!" he replied.
No more spake the maiden,
No more spake her lord,
But he stamped on the short deck
And brandished his sword.
"There's a sail to the leeward!
A sail in our path!
Do you hear! blood and brimstone!
Lok! blazes! and wrath!
The bier-sucker madness
Is boiling me through!"
Then he took a "long drink."
And right into it flew,
While the Ravens all
round took a horn and went at it.
Oh! then on the helmets
The death-biters rang,
While Alvar, the Raven,
Swore, murdered, and sang:
"The deck is blood-painted—
A wound, all the bay—
While round rage the sea-wolves
And fight for their prey.
Brenhilda! land-maiden!
Look up, and you'll find
How the Raven can 'go it,'
When once he's inclined.
See these skulls! how I split 'em!
These throats how I slice;
And all for thy sake, love!
Thou pearl beyond price!"
So the fight being over
they all went and liquored.
The death-biters rang,
While Alvar, the Raven,
Swore, murdered, and sang:
"The deck is blood-painted—
A wound, all the bay—
While round rage the sea-wolves
And fight for their prey.
Brenhilda! land-maiden!
Look up, and you'll find
How the Raven can 'go it,'
When once he's inclined.
See these skulls! how I split 'em!
These throats how I slice;
And all for thy sake, love!
Thou pearl beyond price!"
So the fight being over
they all went and liquored.
"The Valkyries scream
For the souls of the dead,
While Balder, the Sun-God,
Shines down on our head!"
So, like good, pious fellows.
They knelt on the deck,
And thanked the great gods
That their foe was a wreck.
For on points of religion
Great Alvar was "strict,"
And always "held prayers"
When a ship had been licked.
On a prisoner they found,
By unanimous vote,
They first carved the eagle,
And then cut his throat;
Then, church being over,
adjourned for refreshment.
For the souls of the dead,
While Balder, the Sun-God,
Shines down on our head!"
So, like good, pious fellows.
They knelt on the deck,
And thanked the great gods
That their foe was a wreck.
For on points of religion
Great Alvar was "strict,"
And always "held prayers"
When a ship had been licked.
On a prisoner they found,
By unanimous vote,
They first carved the eagle,
And then cut his throat;
Then, church being over,
adjourned for refreshment.
And over the ocean
And over the foam,
Like a shot from a shovel
The Vikingirs come.
Loud roared the wild tempest,
Loud roared the mad sea,
But louder great Alvar
Sang forth in his glee:
"Grim spectres sweep o'er us
In lightning or gloom,
I see their eyes gleaming
Like fire round a tomb:
The Runes of the valiant
Dead heroes obey,
Let 's pitch into Naples
And plunder and prey!"
So they gave him three cheers,
and then emptied a barrel.
And over the foam,
Like a shot from a shovel
The Vikingirs come.
Loud roared the wild tempest,
Loud roared the mad sea,
But louder great Alvar
Sang forth in his glee:
"Grim spectres sweep o'er us
In lightning or gloom,
I see their eyes gleaming
Like fire round a tomb:
The Runes of the valiant
Dead heroes obey,
Let 's pitch into Naples
And plunder and prey!"
So they gave him three cheers,
and then emptied a barrel.
"Set fire to the churches!
Set fire to the town!
Grab, murder, and plunder,
Drag out and knock down!
Go it strong, ye brave Northmen,
Crush, tumble, and slash!"
Roared the Jarl, as with each hand
He held a mustache,
And glared on the town.
Like a wild devil grim:
An Aesir in fury,
A Jotun in limb.
Now the blue shields are crimson,
The spires are in flame,
But on pitch the Ravens,
All grit and all game:
Only stopping to bolt
down the wine on the altar.
Set fire to the town!
Grab, murder, and plunder,
Drag out and knock down!
Go it strong, ye brave Northmen,
Crush, tumble, and slash!"
Roared the Jarl, as with each hand
He held a mustache,
And glared on the town.
Like a wild devil grim:
An Aesir in fury,
A Jotun in limb.
Now the blue shields are crimson,
The spires are in flame,
But on pitch the Ravens,
All grit and all game:
Only stopping to bolt
down the wine on the altar.
Like fiends winged for murder
The arrows flew forth,
While red swords were ringing
The knell from the North,
And maces, deep mashing,
Laid saints in the mud;
While the black crow and eagle
Went wading in blood.
But where flames were loud roaring
With Death by his side,
Rose the giant Jarl Alvar,
In glory and pride.
"We have thrashed them to flinders
And knocked 'em from time!
Brenhilda, thou white one
Say—isn't it prime?"
While the Northmen
all round took a drink from their helmets.
The arrows flew forth,
While red swords were ringing
The knell from the North,
And maces, deep mashing,
Laid saints in the mud;
While the black crow and eagle
Went wading in blood.
But where flames were loud roaring
With Death by his side,
Rose the giant Jarl Alvar,
In glory and pride.
"We have thrashed them to flinders
And knocked 'em from time!
Brenhilda, thou white one
Say—isn't it prime?"
While the Northmen
all round took a drink from their helmets.
"The men are all murdered,
The town all aflame;
And we've bagged all the pewter;
Let's slope whence we came!
And under a full head
Of glory we go:
No scald now, thank Braga!
Can chalk us as 'slow.'
To our Death Dragon hasten:
How stately and light
She rides the bright Belt
Of the Daughter of Night!
And be glad! for our voyage
Full plainly hath shown
That the gods, when we 're pious,
Look after their own."
So they took one good
horn, and went off in the Dragon
The town all aflame;
And we've bagged all the pewter;
Let's slope whence we came!
And under a full head
Of glory we go:
No scald now, thank Braga!
Can chalk us as 'slow.'
To our Death Dragon hasten:
How stately and light
She rides the bright Belt
Of the Daughter of Night!
And be glad! for our voyage
Full plainly hath shown
That the gods, when we 're pious,
Look after their own."
So they took one good
horn, and went off in the Dragon