Red for Fire: An Icelandic Odyssey, Part I
Sun I call burning wheel Sword I call wolf of steel Star I call sword of light Rune I call sign in stone Man I call tree that thinks Earth I call grave of men God I call not of earth Sky I call home of gods Sea I call flock of waves Ship I call horse at sea Mount I call giant dead Wind I call Midgard's breath Life I call kiss of gods Fire I call wrath of life Love I call lust for more Child I call made of love Name I call eternal life Worth I call what lives on Law I call hard as Hel Fear I call unjust law King I call head of men Queen I call pride of king Dream I call what is not Time I call Odin's dream World I call Yggdrasil Death I call end of all
Submitted by Cyberwaste — Apr 26, 2025
As a hungry wolf with an old man's teeth I run Freezing cold in caves, forever crushing the sun The daylight and all time when the weather is clear I live in night and darkness, that's why I'm still here Iceland was my home with seals in the fjords My winter's only thought is fleeing from the hordes They may come anytime to kill me like a dog Always on guard I pray for another day of fog As the outlaw am I shout at the mighty Thor Greatest god of thunder I can't take it anymore Take me home where smoke rises from the halls Make me welcome again within the Chieftain's walls Drown his treacherous wife the adulterous Queen Who told the King what a rapist I had been She lied she was wrong she asked me to seduce her In her games of sex I was bound to be the loser She harmed her husband’s skald, caused the poet’s disgrace Outlawed at Althingi, I can never show my face At Reykjanes again, lest I want to endure All the evils she accused me of doing to her More bone than man, I hail the gods of the North Avenge my injustices, I beg you to come forth Misfortune loves both fool and wise For seven winters I have strayed the land of ice A master of the word and a man of the sword Of tongue and steel many times I proved to be lord Gods of the North, I beg you come forth More bone than man Odin I hail you As a slave on the run I must stay out of sight Allfather make my destiny right That in none of the worlds whose number is nine Another innocent must suffer a fate like mine As the outlaw I am I shout at might Thor Great god of thunder I can’t take it anymore Take me to Reykjavik where smoke rises from the halls Make me welcome again within my Chieftain’s walls
Submitted by Warbringer — Apr 26, 2025
I walked towards Reykjavik as always alone When a band of dwarves seized me pulling me through stone Down into their underworld where birds have never been Wickedness and wonders the weirdest things ever seen A silver dwarf seated on his mighty dark throne Held up his wand and spoke to me in dire tone "You come from way above and shall prove your worth This ordeal has been waiting since before your birth A victim of Destiny is what you claim to be If you've been wronged then for sure you'll be free But if your prove too weak to accept your fate That means your freedom will forever have to wait Only dwarves will know your all-too human shame Only small men will speak your dishonoured name You'll stay in the underworld where birds have never been Among gold and silver the weirdest things ever seen In the dim timelessness where only spiders mate It might take you a thousand years to honour your fate Thnk of Destiny for each rust-red drop that falls On your brow while you stare at these stately walls You must teach your stomach to let go of its greed Your throat will learn to abate its strong need You'll ask if life is an illness if you can be cured In the end if you make it your story might be heard The day you can bear the clothes Destiny gave to you Then we can give you the powers see you stay true You'll be free to leave this place deprived of life and light Climb up towards the white sun to take up your great fight You'll speak like a god before the cheering masses You'll stand like a cliff in the stream of time that passes Choose right over wrong there's nothing in between Never be haughty or spiteful stay calm and serene Drink the wine of winners live with pride in the sun As a man of the sword and a master of the word Not as a wild wolf forever on the run Whose life's an illness that cannot be cured Remember your friends where birds have never been Wickedness and wonders the weirdest dwarves ever seen We shall stay behind in this mine of wisdom and gold When leaving the Underworld be strong and bold As you climb through the stone you'll again be all alone" Thus spake the silver dwarf from his mighty dark throne
Submitted by Lake of Tears — Apr 26, 2025
Disa the Queen Dreams of the Skald Roaming the ridges Haukur the King The hated husband His love is lost
Submitted by Finntroll — Mar 27, 2026
The wheel of light sets another day Glowing in the Water of Reykjavik bay The ground has grown wight with nightly frost The town is a wake at the sullen gloom's cost Odin has granted Icelander's the light To sharpen their swords, to show off their might For another day in the bay of smoke Where virtue is strong and weaknesses choke A king on his throne and a queen by his side The ruler of men and his principal pride A blade his companion, the crown his duty The lady he reveres, her radiant beauty -Oh queen, grant my wish, make me calm and serene Please stay by my side, never fly from our scene I rule this cold land and I herd my flock I worship the gods on this volcanic rock But might makes me weary and you are the cure You keep me strong, that is your allure Deceitful queen in the land of cold Smiles to her king, keeps her story untold
Submitted by SerpentEve — Apr 26, 2025
THERE IS NEED THERE IS NEED WHO TO KILL WHO TO KILL THERE IS MEAD THERE IS MEAD THERE IS ILL WHO IS ILL I MUST FEED WHO MUST FEED I FEEL BAD I FEEL BAD THERE IS GREED THERE IS GREED WHO IS MAD THERE IS MAD Haaah-ha-hahaha! Bragi skald That is you Eg lysar deg i bann That is you Aldri meir kjem du att Til Reykjavik That is you Eller du må døya That is you I AM DEAD I AM DEAD SUN I CALL SUN I CALL GO DOWN RED GO DOWN RED END OF ALL END OF ALL
Submitted by Warbringer — Apr 26, 2025
Prayer of a Son You are my tree of life The nine worlds of manhood I drink to you, my father I was like the apple in the hands of the giants Once you were small, small like me Once you were the son of a man who was the son of a man My father, my eyes bleed as you age Stay on the screen on which the worlds are shown Stay in the hole where I was safe Protect me, father Protect me from the evils I cannot combat alone
Submitted by johnmansley — Apr 26, 2025
I have not tasted bread for weeks Snow is what I eat and drink My saga the saga of hunger and need The father of my father ancestors of my kin The skald told the story of my house Here I lie like a dead man A weak wreck of no worth At the Crater of the Valkyries The angels of Odin my master Take the dead home from battle To Valhalla Here I am as a nobody Awaiting the beating of wings Of the godly women who fill the sky Black wings on their shoulders Helmets hide white faces They will take me to Valhalla Not as a warrior Hall of Od Skald I be Skald through the runes Let Fate decide If you shall live or die Fall into the volcano Or still suffer under the stars Skald do you see the raven Munin is its name It turns the rune That would have you Fall into the flame Skald do you see The raven by your side As you throw the runes To settle life or death Are you still to see The blue of the sky Or shall you fall into the fire Of the mighty volcano Hekla The raven turns The rune of your fate You shall live for vengeance To have justice done Return to Reykjavik To the hall of your king Show them what you have suffered Be the man you were Father of my father Ancestors of my kin You had mead to drink And meat to eat You lived in crafted halls And sacrificed to the gods You sailed black longships With red shields and dragon heads Here I lie like a dead man A weak wreck of no worth At the Crater of the Valkyries The angels of Odin my master Take the dead home from battle To Valhalla Here I am as a nobody Awaiting the beating of wings Of the godly women who fill the sky Black wings on their shoulders I am the memory of all Helmets hide white faces They will take me to Valhalla Not as a warrior Hall of Od Skald I be
Submitted by Finntroll — Apr 26, 2025
Sun I called burning wheel Sword I called wolf of steel Star I called sword of light Rune I called sign in stone Man I called tree that thinks Earth I called grave of men God I called not of earth Sky I called home of gods Sea I called flock of waves Ship I called horse at sea Mount I called giant dead Wind I called Midgard's breath Life I called kiss of gods Fire I called wrath of life Love I called lust for more Child I called made of love Name I called eternal life Worth I called what lives on Law I called hard as Hel Fear I called unjust law King I called head of men Queen I called pride of king Dream I called what is not Time I called Odin's dream World I called Yggdrasil Death I called end of all
Submitted by Pestilence — Apr 26, 2025
Loki: "For slike slag du Snaur plar vera Som øykjer og armringar; Av alle aser Som inne her er Du er i vig varast Og skerrast for skot." Bragi: "Var er utanfor Æges-halli So når deg som no: Hovudet ditt Eg i handi mi bar; Daa låta du fekk for di lygn"
Submitted by Finntroll — Feb 08, 2026