"Odin's Lament" by Carol E. Meacham/Kano Runstafr Odinsdottir (C) Copyright 1991 by Carol E. Meacham This poem may be used in ritual, but I ask that you give appropriate author credit if published. I heard the horn's cry Clouds on the wind fly Wood smoke and blood's tang The call of the wolf rang Long and loud in the stillness Deep and wide in the vastness A star's shine in the vast night A tiny spark, proclaiming it's right To be, as I am, whole By Odin's decree playing it's role Until the hour of need When all bonds are freed And the final winter arrives Of Odin's host, not one alive To proclaim what has been What was to be and be again "It is time," declared our lord "When death will wait on our swords When Light will perish in the dark When sons and daughters see the mark Of that which proves a dying day Come to steal the souls away From your old Father's hand What warriors here, from every land! 'Twould be a sorry sight, Were we not to fight Against the Norn's decree. Come, my shieldmen, to me! Where is Thor, my warrior son Who's chariot makes the day to run Cursed Loki, trickster, fool! Condemned to lie in the poison pool! Go away from me, betraying child! You who makes the Fates run wild! Traitor to Balder, fair as the light! Because of you, the world in blight. Faithful Tyr, Mighty Thor, Beautiful Freya, to live no more In Asgard's sacred halls of gold All for Loki, mischief bold! Oh, that I might hold back time, For one more day of fairest clime But now Ragnarok will claim my bones The world will end with agony's groans As your wise old Father at last retires To Hela's embrace and Muspellheim's fires Oh, my son, my faithful wife, How long, how long our graceful lives? Oh Asgard, beloved golden land How long, how long, your rule to my hand? My ravens, my wolves, my Valkyries fierce Death's cold barbs, my heart they pierce I did not know, I could not see The runes did not reveal that need But no more words, now march on To war, to death, 'til time is gone! For all that we have given here I will not flinch, I will not fear Oh my children, fight well and true I go before to welcome you Go not easy into death Let not Hela steal your last breath Whatever is left beyond the veil I know that you can never fail! For was it not all foretold In runes and stones and tales of old? And through it all the sun will rise You see, your Father is truly wise! For was not a new day promised? Ah, but that sunrise I will miss For after me will come a new lord To take up the fight and claim the sword So sing of me, when you gather here, I will listen, never fear For though I am gone, my power fades I still can hear your prayers for aid And I will answer, as I may, And help to chase your fears away." So the Lord did go out to Ragnarok Fought til Hela's cold arms did lock About the AllFather's ancient form Oh, what wailing, what storms! Grievous day, to come at last After so long the fateful blast Brave Thor, taken by the Serpent's coils It's poison in his veins did roil Soon he, too, did follow the path Vanquished by the Serpent's wrath. There the Hammer did lay, Quiet and still, it's master away Gone forever from Thor's hand Quiet and still, the newborn land Without it's gods to guard A new race to be it's ward And tell the tales as were told Of ancient gods in a land of gold.