The Lay of Halrekk

The Lay of Halrekk
Written: 2007
Synopsis: Another Epic Poem
Note: I tried treating caesuras as line breaks here since I can't format them properly. I'm not sure it works
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Whisper to the wind,
And if the muse is willing
I'll tell to you
A tale of tales
Of heroes and of heathens
Of the legendary Halrekk
And the doom of Domrill
Dealer of death

Many valiant Vikings
Vied in Modhall
To lead the legions
Against the dark Lord
Who threatened their lands
And their leader and their lives
And Malr was slain
By Modi, son of Magnus
And Dvalin felled the brothers
Bragi and brave Breka
Many lives were lost
And thus fell powerful lords
King Thengil called halt
And the heroes heard
The bickering ceased
And he bid the bard
To speak a tale
Of splendour and spare
No detail of death
Or desire in his sotry.
The bard was new
But had much knowledge and nerve
"Hark! Warriors
Hear this harrowing
Tale, in which I tell
Of terrible tragedy
From Kvasir's spit
Of which I speak shall spring:

The wanderer walked
To the walls of Gotheim
And was welcomed by the king
And his wife, the wer.
Mead was drunk
And many of the men
Slipped into sleep,
Slaves to their drink
But King Weland still heard
The words of the wanderer:
Breaking the silence
He softly said:


"Betrayal strikes from those
Whose truth we trust
You will die by her hand;
No halberds nor huscarls
Will spare you this.
You will die young
Leave her this night
Or your life will be lessened."

Weland was wounded
By the words of the wise-one
"Flarmen is loyal
Loving and learned
She will remain
at my right, no reason
Would drive her away"

"Drink and dream
Never shall you again
Be glad in Gullholl."
The seer vanished
As the sun set.

That morning the woman
Wore her wolfskin
And quickly killed
Her kin: her son
And his father, destroying
The family forever
And Domrill the brave,
Her brother, broke
The gates of Gotheim
And burned the Gullholl
He ploughed salt into the soil
And sailed to lands unknown

But the wound the son
Of Weland took was weak
The vicious blow he survived
And swore his vengeance
Halrekk he was called,
The hero of Hathor
For seven years
He sailed the seas
Earning rewards
And wine and women

He swept off his hood
Halting the hiding
Halrekk stood in Modhall
Magnificent and mighty
"This battle is mine;
I was born to be
The killer of Domrill!
Cold and callous
He stared at the knights
And none had the nerve
To withstand the gaze,
Willful, unwavering.

Thengil slowly rose
And regally replied:
"Warrior of the waves
We welcome you here
We value your aid,
Your valour and vigilance
Is not unknown.
Prove your name

And you shall lead
Our lords to the light."
He handed the hero
And helping of iron.
"This chain has challenged
Fenrir the chosen
Break through Dromi
And my brother you shall be."

His muscles grew mountainous
As he mightily rent
The chain asunder
The chore was no challenge.

The deed was done
And the king decreed:
"The strength of Fenrir
Will strike fear into our foe
You will lead my legions
As a lord of Modholl"

The horns heralded
The way of the host
As they marched
Through muck and mire
To Dolgvoll Green
To deal with Dromrill

The battle long
Many lives were lost
Blood ran on the dirt
From the dead and the dying
Halrekk drove through the press
Driving towards Domrill
His defenses were useless
And Halrekk's uncle was undone.
He threw down his enemy
And thrust at his throat
Thus Domrill died
And forever was he damned.

But Halrekk was not unscatherd
His scars had scars
So many were his wounds
Mightier men

Had lost to less,
But he was losing
His fury spent,
He fell, finished
And was carried from the field
By courtiers of the king

They laid him in a longboat
And set it alight
As it sailed to the sea
King Thengel said:
"Verily, the valkyries
Took him to Valhalla
He was the mightiest
Man in Midgard.
The Einherjar will enjoy
Their new enlistee."
And he walked away
From the women weeping