baleanoptera (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
baleanoptera) wrote2007-01-21 04:17 pm
baleanoptera) wrote2007-01-21 04:17 pm
Werewolves
Some people like vampires, others like ghosts- personally I've always been fascinated with werewolves. Maybe it's the metamorphosis and the fact that they are normal people large parts of the month that intrigues me. At any rate - there are some really good medieval ballads that tell of the werewolf-myth, and some of them have been performed by Garmarna.
Garmarna is one of my favorite bands, and they create music that is usually described as neo-folk. I have posted a few of their songs before, including a few of the werewolves songs - but that was a long time ago, and I promised someone I'd upload them again. Just be warned as some of these songs are pretty dark and gruesome.
Garmarna: Varulven/Werewolf
The song at first seems rather straightforward; a girl, alone in the woods, gets eaten by the wolf. But there are sings that the story might be a bit more complex. First of all the title is "Werewolf", thereby indication that she isn't attacked by a normal wolf. Then there is the mention of linden trees quivering in the grove.
The Linden is in Nordic folklore a symbol of family, and the quivering linden trees give the impression that something is threatening the family. Secondly the expression of being "taken by the wolf" was sometimes used as a euphemism for loosing once virginity. Then there is the last line in each verse "She was carrying the fruit of love" which seems to indicate that the maiden is pregnant.
In swedish this line is slightly more ambiguous and could also be translated as "she was by love bound". When Garmarna have chosen to translate it as carrying the fruit of love it’s probably based on the lore that Scandinavian werewolves were particularly dangerous to pregnant women.
Jungfrun hon skulle sig åt stugan gå
Linden darrar i lunden
Så tog hon den vägen åt skogen blå
Ty hon var vid älskogen bunden
Och när som hon kom till skogen blå
Där mötte henne en ulv så grå
Kära ulver du bit inte mig
Dig vill jag giva min silversärk
Silversärk jag passar ej på
Ditt unga liv och blod måst gå
Kära du ulver bit inte mig
Dig vill jag giva min silversko
Silversko jag passar ej på
Ditt unga liv och blod måst gå
Kära du ulver du bit inte mig
Dig vill jag giva min guldkrona
Guldkrona jag passar ej på
Ditt unga liv och blod måst gå
Jungfrun hon steg sig så högt i ek
Och ulven han gick ner på backen och skrek
Ulven han grafte den ek till rot
Jungfrun gav upp ett så hiskeligt rop
Och ungersven han sadlar sin gångare grå
Han red litet fortare än fågeln flög
Och när som han kom till platsen fram
Så fann han ej mer än en blodiger arm
Gud trösta Gud bättra mig ungersven
Linden darrar i lunden
Min jungfru är borta min häst är förränd
Ty hon var vid älskogen bunden
In English:
The maiden she would to the cottage go
Linden trees quiver in the grove
So she took the path through the forest blue
She was carrying the fruit of love
And when she reached the forest blue
There she met with a gray wolf
O dear wolf please don't bite me
To you I will give my silver gown
The silver gown won't suit me at all
Your young life and your blood must go
O dear wolf please don't bite me
I will give you my silver shoes
Silver shoes won't suit me at all
Your young life and your blood must go
O dear wolf please don't bite me
I will give you my golden crown
A golden crown won't suit me at all
Your young life and your blood must go
The maiden she climbed up high in an oak
The wolf he paced the ground and howled
The wolf dug up the oak by the roots
The maiden gave a heart-rending cry
The young page saddled his gray steed
He rode slightly faster than a bird could fly
And when he came to the wooded place
He found nothing more than a bloody arm
God comfort, God improve me, young page
Linden trees quiver in the grove
My maiden is gone, my horse is dead
She was carrying the fruit of love
Garmarna: Straffad Moder och Dotter/Mother and Daughter Punished
- this song comes from on of their earlier albums, and its style is a bit rougher and more unpolished than later albums. That said it has a drive and a use of vocals that I absolutely adore. Here its both a wolf and a fox that have once been human, and they regain their humanity by drinking their mother's heartblood.
I suppose some symbolism can be seen in that they take a life to regain their human lives.
Modern och dottern stod och bakade bröd
In kommer räven med sin päls så röd
Modern och dottern stod och silade vin
In kommer ulfven i sitt gråa skinn
Är icke du vår moder som ej gav oss liv
Nu skall du stekas opp och ätas med kniv
Är icke du vår moder som ej gav oss mat
Nu skall du stekas opp och läggas på fat
Är icke du vår moder som ej gav oss dryck
Nu skall du slaktas och skäras i styck
De togo modern och dottern och rev deras kläder
De togo modern och dottern och slet dem isär
De togo dem ifrån deras bröd och vin
Började klösa, sarga deras skinn
De togo den modern och dottern så god
Drucko begärligt deras hjärteblod
Nu var den modern och dottern död
De sögo och drucko deras blod så röd
Knappt de hade druckit deras varma blod
Förrän trollpackan allt framför dem stod
Trollpackan slog dem med förtrollad stav
Två vackra prinsar var vad staven gav
"Jag slog er med min stav, förbannelsen vek
Vållad av straffad moderns grymma svek"
In English:
The mother and daughter stood and baked bread
In came the fox in his fur so red
The mother and daughter stood and strained the wine
In came the wolf in his grey coat so fine
Aren´t you our mother who gave us no life
Now shall you be fried up and eaten with knife
Aren´t you our mother who gave us no food
Now shall you be fried up and laid on a plate
Aren´t you our mother who gave us no drink
Now shall you be slaughtered and cut into pieces
They took the mother and daughter and ripped their clothes
They took the mother and daughter and tore them apart
They took away their bread and wine
Began to scratch and lacerate their skin
They took the good mother and doughter
Drank eagerly their heart´s blood
Now the mother and doughter are dead
They sucked and drank their heart´s blood
Hardly had they drunk their warm blood
When the witch before them stood
She hit them with an enchanted rod
Two handsome princes were what that rod gave
"I hit you with my rod, the curse gave way
Caused by the punished mother´s cruel treachery."
Garmarna: Vedergällningen/Vengeance
- this song tells of a protagonist that is turned into or cursed to become a wolf by his/her stepmother. One interesting aspect is that we are never told if the protagonist is male or female - only that they in the end becomes a knight bold and good, which might indicate male. Here the werewolf curse is broken by the protagonist drinking the blood of his/her brother, and killing the stepmother while doing so. It's all very gruesome - but it does combine the aspect of the pregnant woman from the first song, and the focus on heartsblood from the second.
Jag blev född förr än tuppen gol
-Mina stigar de ligga så vida
Min moder blev död innan upp rann sol
-Själv måste hon sorgen förbida
Min fader drager så vitt om land
Så ond en styvmoder han på fann
Först skapte hon mig i nåler
och sade jag skulle tråna
Så skapte hon mig i kniver
och sade jag skulle icke trivas
Så skapte hon mig i saxer
och sade jag skulle icke växa
Så skapte hon mig i ulven grå
och sade jag skulle åt skogen gå
Hon sade jag skulle ej få bot
Förrän jag druckit min broders blod
Så lade jag mig under lida där
styvmodern min skulle framrida
Så lade jag mig under spånge
Där min styvmoder skulle framgånga
Där tager jag till med mäste
Min styvmoder utav häste
Så tog jag till med harme
hennes foster ur hennes barme
När jag hade druckit min broders blod
Så blev jag en riddare bold och god
In English:
Before the cock crew I was born
- Far are the paths that I follow -
My mother was dead before the dawn
- Long, long she awaited her sorrow
- My father travelled the country round,
An ill stepmother to me he found.
Into a needle she conjured me
And said that longing would torture me
And then she turned me into a knife
And said I would suffer all my life.
She turned me into a pair of shears
And said I'd be stunted all my years.
A grey wolf then she made of me,
And said no good would come of me.
Under this curse I was to suffer
Till I drank the blood of my own brother.
So then I lay in hiding
Till my stepmother came riding.
By the bridgehead I lay watching
Till I saw her horse approaching.
And as she passed I caught her
And down from her horse I brought her.
In vengeance cruel and bloody
I took the child from her body.
And when I had drunk my brother's blood,
I became a knight, gallant and good.
Translation by Alistar Cochrane
Lastly - if you download these songs and you like them, then please support the artist by buying the album.
ETA: Cross-posted to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
told_tales
Garmarna is one of my favorite bands, and they create music that is usually described as neo-folk. I have posted a few of their songs before, including a few of the werewolves songs - but that was a long time ago, and I promised someone I'd upload them again. Just be warned as some of these songs are pretty dark and gruesome.
Garmarna: Varulven/Werewolf
The song at first seems rather straightforward; a girl, alone in the woods, gets eaten by the wolf. But there are sings that the story might be a bit more complex. First of all the title is "Werewolf", thereby indication that she isn't attacked by a normal wolf. Then there is the mention of linden trees quivering in the grove.
The Linden is in Nordic folklore a symbol of family, and the quivering linden trees give the impression that something is threatening the family. Secondly the expression of being "taken by the wolf" was sometimes used as a euphemism for loosing once virginity. Then there is the last line in each verse "She was carrying the fruit of love" which seems to indicate that the maiden is pregnant.
In swedish this line is slightly more ambiguous and could also be translated as "she was by love bound". When Garmarna have chosen to translate it as carrying the fruit of love it’s probably based on the lore that Scandinavian werewolves were particularly dangerous to pregnant women.
Jungfrun hon skulle sig åt stugan gå
Linden darrar i lunden
Så tog hon den vägen åt skogen blå
Ty hon var vid älskogen bunden
Och när som hon kom till skogen blå
Där mötte henne en ulv så grå
Kära ulver du bit inte mig
Dig vill jag giva min silversärk
Silversärk jag passar ej på
Ditt unga liv och blod måst gå
Kära du ulver bit inte mig
Dig vill jag giva min silversko
Silversko jag passar ej på
Ditt unga liv och blod måst gå
Kära du ulver du bit inte mig
Dig vill jag giva min guldkrona
Guldkrona jag passar ej på
Ditt unga liv och blod måst gå
Jungfrun hon steg sig så högt i ek
Och ulven han gick ner på backen och skrek
Ulven han grafte den ek till rot
Jungfrun gav upp ett så hiskeligt rop
Och ungersven han sadlar sin gångare grå
Han red litet fortare än fågeln flög
Och när som han kom till platsen fram
Så fann han ej mer än en blodiger arm
Gud trösta Gud bättra mig ungersven
Linden darrar i lunden
Min jungfru är borta min häst är förränd
Ty hon var vid älskogen bunden
In English:
The maiden she would to the cottage go
Linden trees quiver in the grove
So she took the path through the forest blue
She was carrying the fruit of love
And when she reached the forest blue
There she met with a gray wolf
O dear wolf please don't bite me
To you I will give my silver gown
The silver gown won't suit me at all
Your young life and your blood must go
O dear wolf please don't bite me
I will give you my silver shoes
Silver shoes won't suit me at all
Your young life and your blood must go
O dear wolf please don't bite me
I will give you my golden crown
A golden crown won't suit me at all
Your young life and your blood must go
The maiden she climbed up high in an oak
The wolf he paced the ground and howled
The wolf dug up the oak by the roots
The maiden gave a heart-rending cry
The young page saddled his gray steed
He rode slightly faster than a bird could fly
And when he came to the wooded place
He found nothing more than a bloody arm
God comfort, God improve me, young page
Linden trees quiver in the grove
My maiden is gone, my horse is dead
She was carrying the fruit of love
Garmarna: Straffad Moder och Dotter/Mother and Daughter Punished
- this song comes from on of their earlier albums, and its style is a bit rougher and more unpolished than later albums. That said it has a drive and a use of vocals that I absolutely adore. Here its both a wolf and a fox that have once been human, and they regain their humanity by drinking their mother's heartblood.
I suppose some symbolism can be seen in that they take a life to regain their human lives.
Modern och dottern stod och bakade bröd
In kommer räven med sin päls så röd
Modern och dottern stod och silade vin
In kommer ulfven i sitt gråa skinn
Är icke du vår moder som ej gav oss liv
Nu skall du stekas opp och ätas med kniv
Är icke du vår moder som ej gav oss mat
Nu skall du stekas opp och läggas på fat
Är icke du vår moder som ej gav oss dryck
Nu skall du slaktas och skäras i styck
De togo modern och dottern och rev deras kläder
De togo modern och dottern och slet dem isär
De togo dem ifrån deras bröd och vin
Började klösa, sarga deras skinn
De togo den modern och dottern så god
Drucko begärligt deras hjärteblod
Nu var den modern och dottern död
De sögo och drucko deras blod så röd
Knappt de hade druckit deras varma blod
Förrän trollpackan allt framför dem stod
Trollpackan slog dem med förtrollad stav
Två vackra prinsar var vad staven gav
"Jag slog er med min stav, förbannelsen vek
Vållad av straffad moderns grymma svek"
In English:
The mother and daughter stood and baked bread
In came the fox in his fur so red
The mother and daughter stood and strained the wine
In came the wolf in his grey coat so fine
Aren´t you our mother who gave us no life
Now shall you be fried up and eaten with knife
Aren´t you our mother who gave us no food
Now shall you be fried up and laid on a plate
Aren´t you our mother who gave us no drink
Now shall you be slaughtered and cut into pieces
They took the mother and daughter and ripped their clothes
They took the mother and daughter and tore them apart
They took away their bread and wine
Began to scratch and lacerate their skin
They took the good mother and doughter
Drank eagerly their heart´s blood
Now the mother and doughter are dead
They sucked and drank their heart´s blood
Hardly had they drunk their warm blood
When the witch before them stood
She hit them with an enchanted rod
Two handsome princes were what that rod gave
"I hit you with my rod, the curse gave way
Caused by the punished mother´s cruel treachery."
Garmarna: Vedergällningen/Vengeance
- this song tells of a protagonist that is turned into or cursed to become a wolf by his/her stepmother. One interesting aspect is that we are never told if the protagonist is male or female - only that they in the end becomes a knight bold and good, which might indicate male. Here the werewolf curse is broken by the protagonist drinking the blood of his/her brother, and killing the stepmother while doing so. It's all very gruesome - but it does combine the aspect of the pregnant woman from the first song, and the focus on heartsblood from the second.
Jag blev född förr än tuppen gol
-Mina stigar de ligga så vida
Min moder blev död innan upp rann sol
-Själv måste hon sorgen förbida
Min fader drager så vitt om land
Så ond en styvmoder han på fann
Först skapte hon mig i nåler
och sade jag skulle tråna
Så skapte hon mig i kniver
och sade jag skulle icke trivas
Så skapte hon mig i saxer
och sade jag skulle icke växa
Så skapte hon mig i ulven grå
och sade jag skulle åt skogen gå
Hon sade jag skulle ej få bot
Förrän jag druckit min broders blod
Så lade jag mig under lida där
styvmodern min skulle framrida
Så lade jag mig under spånge
Där min styvmoder skulle framgånga
Där tager jag till med mäste
Min styvmoder utav häste
Så tog jag till med harme
hennes foster ur hennes barme
När jag hade druckit min broders blod
Så blev jag en riddare bold och god
In English:
Before the cock crew I was born
- Far are the paths that I follow -
My mother was dead before the dawn
- Long, long she awaited her sorrow
- My father travelled the country round,
An ill stepmother to me he found.
Into a needle she conjured me
And said that longing would torture me
And then she turned me into a knife
And said I would suffer all my life.
She turned me into a pair of shears
And said I'd be stunted all my years.
A grey wolf then she made of me,
And said no good would come of me.
Under this curse I was to suffer
Till I drank the blood of my own brother.
So then I lay in hiding
Till my stepmother came riding.
By the bridgehead I lay watching
Till I saw her horse approaching.
And as she passed I caught her
And down from her horse I brought her.
In vengeance cruel and bloody
I took the child from her body.
And when I had drunk my brother's blood,
I became a knight, gallant and good.
Translation by Alistar Cochrane
Lastly - if you download these songs and you like them, then please support the artist by buying the album.
ETA: Cross-posted to
told_tales