Scroll Text Sunday - Maren's Queen's Champion Scroll

Rarely do we give scrolls to champions as they step down, but Her Majesty Ariel wanted one for her champion Maren and this is it. It's written in a Norse style with 5-syllables per verse, 2 verses per line, at least one alliteration in each verse, remembering that all vowels alliterate with all other vowels in Norse usage.

There are several of my favorite kennings in this one, especially some of the more complicated ones towards the ends.

Text

Glory’s brilliance waits                         beneath the sky’s gem Bearing Thor’s sword-fame                and Sif’s cup-giving This heartjoy named by                        noiseless stepping queen         (3)

Wielder of swift blood-worms          and bright god’s sharp spears Storm-cleaver daughter                      stalwart heir of steel Brightest jewel in                                    just ruler’s meadhall                    (6)

Aided by hind-helm                               heroic doomhound She sees face and eyes                        of Heimdall’s offspring Giving joy to moon-foes                      mindful of duty                               (9)

In highest of halls                                    holder of cup list Delivers wolf-drink                                at days of sword-play Kraki sowed less than                           this lady of mist                             (12)

With Valkyrie’s thorn                            valiant is her tale With weaver’s sharp tool                    terrible her fate Yet still in hearth-wall                           her heart stands dauntless      (15)

Thus Ariel queen                                    awards distinction To battle-maiden                                    Maren Thorskabitr Before the falcon thrones                   fair home of sworn oaths          (18)

Done thirty years since                         thirsty stormbirds drank When glory of elves                              gives way to grassbane In heath of heroes                                 held not by mind-fame                   (21)

Notes

Line 1: Sky’s gem is a kenning for the sun

Line 2: By listing the aspects of both Thor and Sif, I emphasize both martial and non-martial accomplishments

Line 3: Cats were known as noiseless steppers, and this is a reference to the cat on Ariel’s heraldry

 Line 4: Blood-worms is a kenning for swords, bright god is a kenning for Baldur, god of learning, so the whole kenning of bright god’s sharp spears is a kenning for pens and writing

Line 5: Storm-cleaver is a kenning for falcon, and this line is a reference to Maren being the daughter of Gawayne and Brialen

Line 10: The highest of halls would be the king’s hall, and the greatest faux pas in diplomacy was to give the cup of welcome out of order, so the holder of the cup list is a person advising the king and, especially, the queen

Line 11: Wolf’s-drink is a kenning for blood

Line 12: Kraki's seed is a kenning for gold, and in this usage I am emphasizing her generosity, the lady of mist is a kenning for a Valkyrie or battle-maiden

 Line 13: Valkyrie’s thorn is a kenning for a spear

Line 14: Weaver’s sharp tool is a kenning for a needle, and thus an allusion to a sewing needle incident

Line 15: Hearth-wall is an oblique kenning, even for me, it’s a reference to shield-wall but in the context of the home, so it’s a kenning of working at arts and sciences

Line 19: This is a reference to the founding of Calontir

Line 20: The glory of elves is a kenning for the sun, and the middle of June to the middle of July is the Sun’s Month, the middle of July to the middle of August is Heyannir, or the haying month, so this is one long kenning for the middle of July

Line 21: This line is another long kenning for Lost Moor