IT'S HALFWAY THROUGH THE VJIKING NIGHT. YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS?

Ormen Lange:
Original text:
==================
Vilja de hoyra kvedet mitt
Og vilja de ordi tru
Om han Olav Tryggvason
Skal songen her seg snu.
REFRAIN
Dansen glyme i halli
Sa danse me me do i ring
Galde ride Noregsmenn
Til Hildar ting.

Kongen let seg ei snekkje byggja
bort tho den slette sand
Ormen den lange det storste skipet
Som bygdest i Noregs land.

Skipet det bygdest i Noregs land
Utav dei beste emnom
Sytte alner og fire til
Var kj len imellom stemnon.

Kongen uti hogsaetet sit
Talar til sine drenger
No skal me sigla den salte sjo
Det heve eg tenkt sa lenge.

Bere no da dei herkledi fram
Dei brynjor og blanke sverdi
Sa leggja me sidan fra landet ut
Sa gyeva me oss tha ferdi.

Vundo dei opp sine silk-eh-sail
Vinden a taka i fanget
Og sa er det sagt at kongen sjolov
Han styrde Ormen lange.

Translation: Ormen Lange = The Long Serpent
========================
Would you like to hear my song?
Then hear these words all true
About King Olaf Tryggvason
I'll sing this song for you.

REFRAIN:
Glad sounds of song fill the hall
As we dance and sing
Gladly ride the Northern men
'Til Hildar rings. (Hildar was a famous bell)

The King, he said he'd have a ship
All built upon the strand
"Ormen Lange" - the biggest ship
Ever built in Norway's lands.
The biggest ship in Norway's lands
They built of birch and fir
Seventy-four long ells she was
laid out from stem to stern.

The king in the high seat set himself
And spoke to all the throng:
"Let us sail the swan's salt road
As I have wished so long."

"Bring you out your war-gear good,
Your byrnies and your swords,
Soon from these shores we'll make
our way Out over the fjords."

They let them out the silken sails
The wind did fill then strong.
They say the King himself did steer
At the helm of the Ormen Lange.

 

the Kissing Dance.
Here the dancers form two lines, men on one side, women on the other, and the dancers place their arms on each other's shoulders. The basic dance step here is exactly like the tangle, except you dance one repetition to the left, then one to the right, so the line doesn't travel. A song is sung first by the men, followed by the women, until finally the men break ranks and run towards the women, who scatter. the men try to catch a woman, who must give them a kiss if they succeed. The song goes like this:

Men sing:
"Here comes Ragnar, Here comes Ivar, Here comes all of Ragnar's kinsmen"

Women answer (scornfully)
"Who is Ragnar? Who is Ivar? Who are all of Ragnar's kinsmen?"

Men sing (boastfully):
"I am Ragnar, I am Ivar, We are all of Ragnar's kinsmen!"

Women answer (scornfully)
"Who is Ragnar? Who is Ivar?
Who are all of Ragnar's kinsmen?"

Men sing (boastfully):
"A herder's son is Ragnar, a herder's son is Ivar, a herder's son are all of Ragnar's kinsmen!"

Women sing (scornfully)
Go away Ragnar! Go away Ivar! Go away all of Ragnar's kinsmen!"

Men sing (boastfully):
"A farmer's son is Ragnar, a farmer's son is Ivar, a farmer's son are all of Ragnar's kinsmen!"

Women sing (scornfully)
Go away Ragnar! Go away Ivar! Go away all of Ragnar's kinsmen!"

Men sing (boastfully):
"A king's son is Ragnar, a king's son is Ivar, a king's son are all of Ragnar's kinsmen!"

Women sing (eagerly)
Come on over Ragnar! Come on over Ivar! Come on over all of Ragnar's
kinsmen!"

The men break and chase the women.

 

http://www.itap2.com/irish.htm
Little is known about the early history of Irish dance due to Viking raiders who destroyed most books from the 7th and 8th centuries.

[image=http://mag.awn.com/issue11.01/11.01images/harvey02_Asterix-dancing.jpg]

 

Hack and Slash

(to the tune of Jingle Bells)

Sailing o'er the seas
In an open dragon ship,
Trying not to freeze,
Hoping we won't tip,
Clash of swords goes 'cling'
Making spirits bright,
What fun it is to sail and sing
A slaying song tonight!

CHORUS:
Oh....
Hack and slash, hack and slash
Laughing all the way,
Oh what fun it is to be
A berserker today,
Hack and slash, hack and slash
Laughing all the way,
Oh what fun it is to be
A berserker today!

A day or two ago
We thought we'd have a fight,
And soon the Valkyries
Were gathered on our right,
The fight was long and grim,
Misfortune seemed our lot,
We broke into a battle hymn
But hoarse was all we got!

CHORUS

Now the ground is red,
Slay them while they're young,
Crack an old foe's head,
And sing this slaying song,
Just get yourself a sword,
Two-forty for the fray,
Then go and fight the enemy horde
Until they run away!

 

A GRAZING MACE

tune: "Amazing Grace"
verses 1-4 by Skald-Brandr Toralfsson
verse 5 is an original anonymous creation

A grazing mace, how sweet the sound, that felled my foe for me
I bashed his head, he struck the ground, and thus came victory

My mace has taught my foes to fear, that mace my fear relieved
How precious did my mace appear, when I my mace received

Through many tourneys wars and fairs, I have already come
My mace has brought me safe thus far, my mace will bring me home

And when my mace my foeman nails, that mortal strife shall cease
And we'll possess within our pale, a life of joy and peace

A grazing mace, how sweet the sound that flattened a wretch like thee!
whose head is flat, that once was round done in by my mace....and me!

 

HUNG OVER BARBARIAN

-Robert Asprin
tune: "Teddy-bears' Picnic"


If you go out on the streets today, you better not go alone!
Do not go out on the streets today, it's safer to stay at home!
The least excuse that ever there was today will mean a challenge because
From drink last night old Fafhrd is quite....hungover!

Hungover Barbarian! You'd best beware of him,
he's certainly not himself today!
If you see him better run
'cause you'll get killed if you get in his way!
he is in a cloud of gloom, so give him lots of room
and better not come too near!
you gentle folk who value your lives better stay at home today
'cause Fafhrd's hung over out to HERE!

so......

If you go out on the streets today, you better go with a guard!
There's lots of pleasanter ways to die than be crushed by a ton of lard
If you pretend my mountainous friend is not a threat, you'll come to your end
For Fafhrd's quite prepared for a fight..........
He'd like to pound you into the ground...........
You'd best beware! You'd better take care!
His head and brain in TERRIBLE pain..............
from drink last night old Fafhrd is quite........hung over!

 

Wild Viking

by: Lord Sigurd Leothsanga (last 3 verses & minor edits by ophelia)
tune: "Wild Rover" (Dropkick Murphys version!)

So lets rape, kill, pillage
Like we've oft done before
Till we're loaded with treasure
For Viking once more.

I've been a wild Viking, for many a year,
But I've spent all my money on women and beer
So now I'm returning, to land on your shore,
To loot and to raid, I'm a Viking once more.

I'll go home to Norway, with the rest of my crew,
And I'll thank the All Father with all that I do
And when he has blessed me, as oft' times before,
Then I'm bound for the Long Ships a Viking once more

So lets rape, kill, pillage
Like we've oft done before
Till we're loaded with treasure
For Viking once more.

Then I'll travel to Wessex where I used to frequent,
I'll tell all their nobles their Dane Geld's been spent
I'll burn up the country till the night's bright as day,
Then I'll take all their money and travel away.

So hand over your treasure, your wenches and beer
Whatever we left the last time we were here
And if you don't snivel, you'll live to get more
Which is better than lying in bits on the floor

So lets rape, kill, pillage
Like we've oft done before
Till we're loaded with treasure
For Viking once more.

Let's hit up some castle and grab all their gold
Somehow stealing from Saxon lords never gets old
Remember to knock in some heads as you do
It's like going to war, but you get presents too

When our boat is so full it looks like it might sink
We'll lighten the load by consuming the drink
If the stars go all blurry and we end up astray
Who cares? I hear Italy's nice anyway.

So lets rape, kill, pillage
Like we've oft done before
Till we're loaded with treasure
For Viking once more.



(Originally, the word "viking" was both a noun and a verb, which causes some parts of this song to make more sense.)

 

IF I HAD A HAMMER
I'D HAMMER YOUR SKULL IN THE MORNING.
I'D HAMMER IT IN THE EVENING.
ALL OVER THIS LAND!