ttto Widdicombe Fair, trad.
first verse by Bill Barton
rest by Mark Mandel, © 2002, in memory of Vilhjalmur Song-friend
Bjarni Herjolfsson, Bjarni Herjolfsson, lend me your long ship
By Tyr, by Freja, by Odin and Thor
For I want to go off on a Vi-iking trip
With Raven Floki, Ragnar Hairybreeks,
Harald Bluetooth, Erik the Plagiarist, Eyolf the Foul,
Old Ivar the Boneless and all,
Old Ivar the Boneless and all.
And when will I see again my long ship?
By next full moon or the third day's noon.
But full moon came and the third day's noon
And Bjarni's long ship she ne'er did come home
So Bjarni climbed to the top of the cliff
And out on the reef saw the wreck of his ship
Then Bjarni's long ship heeled over and sank
And Bjarni sat down and wept on the bank
When the wind blows the foam from the breakers at night
Then Bjarni's long ship appears ghostly white
And war-cry and sword-clash sound all the night through
From Bjarni's long ship and her gho-ostly crew
The first verse of this song was posted in February, 2002, to the FILK_UK mailing list by Andrew Barton in memory of his father Bill. Andrew wrote:
He was a keen amateur folk-singer, and once wrote a pre-filk filk, back in the 60's. I'll dig it out and sing it in his memory.I have "Vikingized" Bill's name in the dedication. -- MAMFrom memory (inspired by the names of Vikings in the sagas, all quoted are genuine) ...
Erik the Plagiarist (Skaldspyllir) was known for taking fragments of other bards' works and using them in his own. This may make him the first recorded filker.
last modified 2003-03-26