Here’s another version of Herr Mannelig, this time in Old English, translated from the original Swedish and arranged by me, and performed by me and my wife. This is her first time singing in Old English, and I think she did a wonderful job! Herr Mannelig is a very popular Swedish folk song dating back centuries. A young Christian man is tempted by a pagan woman who offers him a plethora of worldly goods in order to win his heart. Resolutely standing by his Christian principles, the young man rejects her advances on account of his mortal soul. There are several possible interpretations of the name “Herr Mannelig” quite, which literally means “Sir Manly”. It refers not only to his manliness as a young, virile male, but possibly also to his human nature; the lady in the song is called a “mountain troll” in the original Swedish, which may refer to not only her pagan nature, but possibly her supernatural form. As the word “troll” is not native to English, I opted for “mountain witch” in Old English - the word “witch” similarly pointing to her supernatural, pagan nature. I hope you enjoy the song. Do leave a comment if you did and subscribe to the channel if you’d like to see more! You could also support the channel by donating if you’d like to: buymeacoffee.com/theskaldicbard Many thanks for your kindness and support, as always. Lyrics: On ǣrmorgen ǣr upgange sunnan, ǣr þām dæghwāmlīċan fugolsange, ān firgenwiċċe wolde hagosteald ċeorlian ac twisprǣċe wæs hire tunge. Lā lēof mannlīċ! Lā lēof mannlīċ! Bewedda þū þēc mē! Wiþ þām iċ ġiefe ġeorne ġifa! Þū sċealt āþer oððe ġēse oððe nā cweðan, ac þū wilt mēc wīfian. Þē wille iċ ġiefan þā twelf stēdan, þe sind gongende on rōsebearwe funden. Nǣfre ne stōd sadol ānum þāra ne on bitole næs nān ċēace ġebunden. Lā lēof mannlīċ! Lā lēof mannlīċ! Bewedda þū þēc mē! Wiþ þām iċ ġiefe ġeorne ġifa! Þū sċealt āþer oððe ġēse oððe nā cweðan, ac þū wilt mēc wīfian. Þē wille iċ ġiefan þā twelf cweornan þe betweox twām īeġum standaþ samen. Þā stānas sind of rēodostum golde and þā hwēol sind seolforhammen. Lā lēof mannlīċ! Lā lēof mannlīċ! Bewedda þū þēc mē! Wiþ þām iċ ġiefe ġeorne ġifa! Þū sċealt āþer oððe ġēse oððe nā cweðan, ac þū wilt mēc wīfian. Þē wille iċ ġiefan eallgylden sweord þæt þe hringmǣled is fīftīnefeald. Sam þū wīġst wel, sam þū wīġst lȳðre sċealt þū þīnra fēonda habban onweald. Lā lēof mannlīċ! Lā lēof mannlīċ! Bewedda þū þēc mē! Wiþ þām iċ ġiefe ġeorne ġifa! Þū sċealt āþer oððe ġēse oððe nā cweðan, ac þū wilt mēc wīfian. Þē wille iċ ġiefan nīwe sierċan, mid hire wilt þū sōðlīċe þec sċrȳdan, Hēo nis ġesiwod mid nǣdle ne þrǣde, ac mid mērehwītum seolce handġewriden. Lā lēof mannlīċ! Lā lēof mannlīċ! Bewedda þū þēc mē! Wiþ þām iċ ġiefe ġeorne ġifa! Þū sċealt āþer oððe ġēse oððe nā cweðan, ac þū wilt mēc wīfian. Swelċa ġifa wǣren mē ġecwēma ġif þū crīsten wīfmann wǣre. Hwæðre þēah þū eart sēo wierreste firgenwiċċe, sōðlīċe sibb deofla and nicora. Lā lēof mannlīċ! Lā lēof mannlīċ! Bewedda þū þēc mē! Wiþ þām iċ ġiefe ġeorne ġifa! Þū sċealt āþer oððe ġēse oððe nā cweðan, ac þū wilt mēc wīfian. Sēo firgenwiċċe on dūru arn. Sāre hēo hrisede and hrȳmde. Hæfde iċ þone hagosteald beġiet, iċ hæfde mē ālȳsed of mīnre wyrde. Lā lēof mannlīċ! Lā lēof mannlīċ! Bewedda þū þēc mē! Wiþ þām iċ ġiefe ġeorne ġifa! Þū sċealt āþer oððe ġēse oððe nā cweðan, ac þū wilt mēc wīfian.
Another excellent song. A wonderful rendition of this traditional song. Indeed this might be my favourite version thus far outside the Swedish. Alas, there is one detail I must admit would be interesting to hear. In one version the tale does not say she spoke falsely. Rather it says she spoke with a sweet voice. (My paraphrase of the two versions.) Now, you are correct in saying some interpreters believe her a pagan. However some believe this tale a warning against mingling nobility with commoners via wedlock. Admittedly these are solely two common interpretations of this story.
In breton a tongue speak in Brittany north west of France Strophe 1] Ur wrac’h gozh eus ar c’hoad don, Ha me azigasoñ va dorn-skarzh. Ma te a vefe va gwaz, Herr Mannelig, Va den-karañ, va den-kalon, gant karantez bras. [Refrain] Herr Mannelig, Herr Mannelig, soñj mat az pefe, Ma te a vefe va gwaz, Herr Mannelig, Gant karantez bras. [Strophe 2] Va daouarc’h ha va yaouankiz, A ginnigan dit gant kalon. Ma te a vefe va gwaz, Herr Mannelig, Va den-karañ, va den-kalon, gant karantez bras. [Refrain] Herr Mannelig, Herr Mannelig, soñj mat az pefe, Ma te a vefe va gwaz, Herr Mannelig, Gant karantez bras.
Ya, this man hast spoken goodly of the Lord's own blessed truth! Ye others harken, lest ye be ensnared in a most vexatious state. If she is found truly to be a vvitch take hold of her and deliver her to the magistrate of the court assembled in the shire in vvhich ye dwell. -VVitch Finder General of the Colony of Massachusetts Bay.
@@andrewhopkins886Boom, and there it is!!, you didn't realise modern welsh is a slight Bastardized language With Eliments of Gaelic, Brythonic and Auld Anglisc did you, the why and how for Obvious reasons, Cornish is the real purest version of Brythonic Celt spoken in Britain, that English and lowland Pict Scots, and Welsh before Irish influences from Dal Riada would have Spoken too..Breton is very close to original aswell ..
Bård! I finally got married bro. Hel wis Thu, brother. God bless you and yours and everyone here. Thank you, these compositions got me through the most lonely and faithless time of my life. God is good and has provided the wife that could only be a blessing from his magnanimity.
That's the moral of the story! Don't become a sinner by being tempted by the pagans and the spiritual forces that are misleading them, but rather have pity on them because they're lost and in need of God!
I find these facinating. I can see German, English and some other languages in here. Its really interesting to see how close out languages are and were.
Sounds absolutely beautiful! Great job to you two! This song teaches us Christians to not accept worldly values, but accept the Lord's blessings. Shows how even old songs / sagas still teach us in our advanced age. Many a song, mythology, and saga were made and bespoken around a campfire with friends and family on a cold night.
My biggest curiosity is, where did you learn to compose in all these really old languages? Are you taking some Uni degree in this domain, or is it just a hobby? (I don't know if this topic was already covered) Anyways, amazing work as always, this song goes straight to the playlist and I'll listen to it until all my neighbors are fluent in Old English. God bless you and your family.
Thanks so much for the support! Much appreciated. My degree was in the Scandinavian languages, focusing on Norwegian and Icelandic, with some modules in Old Norse. Living in Iceland for a while, I became quite fluent in the language and was able to read the sagas pretty easily, so I focused more on Old Norse specifically. After a while, I decided to write some songs in Old Norse to some tunes I'd come up with over the years, and the channel was born. I have also always been fascinated by Old English, and Old Norse acted as a wonderful springboard to learn more about OE. Reading the Anglo-Saxon chronicle and some of Alfred the Great's writings inspired me with confidence to start writing in Old English, too, so my first OE song was about Alfred the Great. With the knowledge of those two Germanic languages, I was able to grasp concepts in Gothic, Old Saxon and so on -- the rest is history! As an Irishman (mostly) by blood, I've also always been interested in the Irish language, and the language has changed remarkably little over time, so it was fairly easy to transition to older forms of the language. Also, my mother is Welsh, so I have had exposure to concepts in Celtic languages through her, though sadly I never learnt it natively -- but I will do some Welsh songs in future! My beloved wife is Polish, so I learnt Polish to speak to her family. From there, I was able to fill in the gaps of my knowledge of Russian as much of the grammar is similar, so I was able to read older forms of Slavic. Latin/Old Spanish are thanks to my school studies, as Spanish was the first language I ever learnt and it acted as a great springboard to earlier forms of the language, and ultimately Latin. That's a whistle stop tour of my linguistic journey, with some omissions! Keep on learning, my friend :-)
@@SkaldBard wow that's quite the language journey, I would not be surprised if you knew Tolkien's Elvish and are in the making of a elvish song right now.
@@SkaldBard Very interesting, I know a fair bit of Old Norse and really want to get into gothic but finding good resources is kinda tricky, any recomendations?
Makes sense as these languages hadn’t diverged nearly as much as they have since and follow the same basic structure and mostly share the same vocabulary. During the Viking era Old English and Old Norse was to some degree mutually intelligible.
I’m once again amazed by the beautiful version you created of our favorite song. Plus, your wife's voice is heavenly! I hope to see you very soon with more treasures for our ears! 😁😁😁
thats probably one of my mostt favourite songs and it sounds even better in old english amazing performance from you and your wife as always god vless you two
This is by far an interesting take; I'm split since Her Mannelings originall composition is beautiful in Swedish but Old English takes the win for me. I appreciate how you kept the same rhythm and sound length for the lyrics, the biggest contributor to my preference is your wife's performance after your own. Not only did she do a beautifully but her singing alongside you in this song truly adds an element of immersion as if the "troll" herself was heard swaying the man. Excellent work sir l, Godbless you and your family!
Yet another masterpiece! Your songs have been a major help to me in learning Old English and Old Norse for my projects, so it's awesome to see yet another! God bless you and your wife!
The harmonies in your songs are always so breathtakingly powerful, and the language is so wonderful to listen to in your voices. Thank you for another wonderful composition, Mr. & Mrs. Bard!
I never really comment, but truly you're one in a generation. You've made me discover and dive into the beautiful Swedish/Scandinavian history that otherwise was buried and Semi-forgotten, even for a history nerd like myself. Absolutely love and appreciate your work, and if there's ever a Skaldic Patreon, I'd be amongst the first to join that. All the best to both of you!
oh my goodness, now this i did not expect😧what a fantastic old english cover😁👏 well done to your mrs she has a angelic voice bless her, wæs hæl/wassail to our bardsman and his wifeman/woman
This is so fascinating to listen to! I'm Swedish and absolutely love the original, but it's so cool to see and hear your translated versions. I don't know old English (or old Norse, for that matter) but it's really fascinating to see the similarities and realise jsut how much I can actually understand. Beautiful work!
What a Beautiful version of this song. i always loved herr manelig because despite being swedish the name sounds just old high german enough that people would believe you without question if you just told them the title. the word " Herr" is used unchanged to this day and "Männlich" is still close enough to mannelig that you can see the relation if you know a bit about the german sound shifts. Its one of those examples that shows how despite having evolved away from each other for a long time they still shared a lot of words at that point.
To my Norwegian ears, Dutch sounds like a drunk Dane speaking a mix of English and German. It sounds like a language I should be able to understand, bur I can not.
Ahh this is so cool! Herr Mannelig was one of the first folk songs I ever started listening to. Love seeing it in our ancestors' language, cracking stuff man.
Unexpected but non the less welcome for it ;-) I find it interesting that there was a word here and there I recognized and some that reminds me of Icelandic. And indeed your wife did a magnificent job in this one. I also like how in some interpretations the woman in the song is a literal troll, and wood nymph or just a pagan woman that may or may not be attempting to "save" themselves from a worse match or hoping to find "salvation in Christianity". Well, from a Swede I say, stort tack och lycka till 🙂
Originally "troll" only meant "magical being" or "touched by magic", so tolkien-trolls are probably trolls in that sense, but not all would be like that. a fairy or nymph would fall under that umbrella just as well, pagans, too, were counted among the trolls once the majority was christian. And "Mann" was the word for "human" (gender unspecific). i'm also quite intrigued by the trolls cry at the end... leaves a lot of options indeed.
Geiles Video Bruder, Dankeschön! Es freut mich so sehr, dass du altenglisch am Leben hältst, die schöne Beziehung von englisch und deutsch kennst, sehr gut gemacht 🥹
The only problem I have with this song is I can't tell weather I like this version or your old Norse version better ☺ this one's beautiful and bright, the other beautiful but mournful. Your wife is has done such a great job with her lovely voice on both of these. Also if your to modest to say it I'll say it for you. YOU CAN SHOW YOUR SUPPORT BY PURCHASING THE SONGS ON AMAZON PRIME AS WELL! I look forward to each new release.
This is wonderful again. Old English is very related to Old Frisian. To translate this song in Old Frisian would be interesting. I wonder how much English and Frisian speaking people would understand it.
What a pleasant surprise to see this! Lovely rendition as usual. You and your wife's awesome music is making me want to learn Gothic and Old English. Thank you 😊 BTW, I see a possible Gothic version of this song in the future (hint)
I am a big fan of Germanic languages in general, particularly from a certain aesthetic point of view, if that makes sense. And I've yet to find one among them which would challenge Old English/Anglo-Saxon as the most beautiful of them. Purely subjective, I know, but it's just something about how its phonology works (or at least how we think it worked) - it sounds... complete. Like among all the Germanic languages the Old English was the one which got its sounds just... right. All the sounds I find pleasing to hear, and what's more important, working in harmony with each other. Thank you for this truly magical gift, Bard!
What a great version of Herr Mannelig is this! Your voices just match perfectly with one another. I really enjoyed the tone and timbre of your voice on the last part of the song, Bard. It would be very nice to have a complete diferent song with this "mode" on your voice lol
This is interesting to see and hear! I see a bit of modern English in there, but mostly German and Norse influence in this stage of the language. Linguistics is fascinating! It's not a surprise that old English would be incomprehensible to modern speakers, sounding as it does.
I love how many interpretations this can have, either taking the side of the virtuous, christian Herr Mannelig who rejects the evil, temptuous troll, that of the troll who would save her beauty if she finds a man in time or somewhere in between. Especially interesting considering the historical context.
I totally agree! They're like layers of interpretation on top of eachother. The troll can be interpreted as a pagan woman who wants desperately to marry a christian man in order to be saved from her eternal torment (her plight is to save herself through marriage to become a christian, because women were not free to choose their religion just like that). Or the troll isn't a pagan woman at all but rather a demon, a biblical giant or as the christian man says 'a spawn of the devil'. In that interpretation the plight of the demon is to tempt the christian man with pleasure and riches to make him sin and to lose his soul. I think this illustrates the pagan/christian transition and dilemma's very well; on one hand people who already became christians couldn't marry a pagan because they could be tempted and pulled away from God/their faith, but still they acknowleged that the pagans were also humans who were in need of salvation (the fact that she doesn't achieve her plight gives away that it unfortunately doesn't end well for her in the pagan-woman interpretation). So the moral of the song is for a christian not to be tempted and sin by associating yourself with pagans and the spiritual forces which are misleading them, but still to have pity on them for they are lost.
Beautiful song. It's really a treat, especially with the feminine vocal of your wife and being sung in Old English. I really enjoy hearing Old English. Btw do you plan on making any German songs, I don't know which language it was but I mean the one from 1200s, the same as in the original Palastinalied?
If I remember right, the gifts are all tricks. The twelve steeds are a small herd of deer. The mills are rocky outcrops upon which ships wreck (grind) themselves, the silver plating is ice. The gilded sword is a beam of light with motes of dust in it. The white shirt is merely a spider's web.
just this contrast for old english is rich, and if you know icelandic and english and have an eye that's able to look deep, you can actually piece together the modern form of this song, and the descending words. also of note are certain quirks that have evolved out of english; "bewed" is not something anyone says today, but given linguistic context, this is still valid english to this very day. the word "bewitch" comes to mind for something that still sees modern use and retains this prefix.
Skald! Sorry for lacking in support lately. I’ve been struggling a bit Loving the song. One I tried to translate before I confused myself with meanings and underlying meanings. One thing I pick out is you interpret the orginal Swedish “Mannelig” as a man. In all other versions I have seen this translated as a name. So I ask if this so because of your experience with the Swedish language and you being a translator or if this is a personal choice so that it fits the Anglo-Saxon language better? As always, lovely work Alex and amazing to see your stuff. Props to your Wife too! Her pronunciation is impeccable and sounds almost natural. Lots of love and respect God bless
Well, I think he is using the origin of it, since Mannelig means manly or of a manly nature, as it comes from man, meaning man or male, and -lig is related to the English suffix -ly, as in manly, etc. It’s a characteristic suffix. It may just be a name, but it would have originally meant manly or a sir of manly stock.
@@LAC03098Basically, if it became a name, my guess is that it then lost its original meaning. However, the original meaning of Mannelig was likely to denote some sense of manliness. The witch or troll views the person she is trying to marry as an ideal man. If you think about it, why would she know his name? When he responds to her marriage proposal, he rebukes her regardless, so I’d think they wouldn’t be friends. She’s likely using a characteristic-based name for him, kind of like when someone, though cheesy, says ‘he’s a hunk’ or ‘hi mommy,’ or other words you might use to describe someone without saying their actual name.
Hey mate, sorry to hear you've been struggling a bit -- nice to hear from you as always. Thanks a lot for the kind words! It seems clear to me that the song is allegorical and essentially conveying a moral teaching. I don't think "Mannelig" is formally a name at all, rather is meant to contrast with both her feminine (Mannelig meaning manly) and possibly supernatural nature (Mannelig meaning human, "as a man"), both of which provide temptations for young, ambitious men: the allure of a woman offering herself freely, and the allure of the finest worldly riches. The moral teaching comes from his ability to reject both of these elements by abiding by his Christian faith, which calls for the rejection of the world if it should lead one to sin, which lust and coveting riches do. Thanks to its shared etymology, mannlic in OE covers the same meanings and provides a very similar phonetic experience to the original, so it seemed like the obvious choice!
@@SkaldBard thank you. I see what you mean. I’ve not really heard of it spoken that way but as a young girl who doesn’t understand love and a man (clearly, Christian). I’ve only ever heard one version where she was described in footnotes as a “heathen girl”. It’s a very interesting story there. I like the thoughts on contrast and undermining the girl, promoting the Christian faith. It sounds good in Old English, I think better than it would have done in modern English (blasted french influence😂). But well done again, I do love your music
I swear, if English became Anglo-Saxon again, I would attend my English classes 10 times harder. If I also may ask you one question, is your wife also British?
Me: About to take a nice nap get some sleep and just have a good sunday morning. UA-cam Recommended: Wake up! Bardman Mcbeardy just released a new video!
![Palästinalied in Old English [Crusader Song] | The Skaldic Bard](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Eojz7lFSfaE/mqdefault.jpg)
Here’s another version of Herr Mannelig, this time in Old English, translated from the original Swedish and arranged by me, and performed by me and my wife. This is her first time singing in Old English, and I think she did a wonderful job!
Herr Mannelig is a very popular Swedish folk song dating back centuries. A young Christian man is tempted by a pagan woman who offers him a plethora of worldly goods in order to win his heart. Resolutely standing by his Christian principles, the young man rejects her advances on account of his mortal soul.
There are several possible interpretations of the name “Herr Mannelig” quite, which literally means “Sir Manly”. It refers not only to his manliness as a young, virile male, but possibly also to his human nature; the lady in the song is called a “mountain troll” in the original Swedish, which may refer to not only her pagan nature, but possibly her supernatural form. As the word “troll” is not native to English, I opted for “mountain witch” in Old English - the word “witch” similarly pointing to her supernatural, pagan nature.
I hope you enjoy the song. Do leave a comment if you did and subscribe to the channel if you’d like to see more! You could also support the channel by donating if you’d like to:
buymeacoffee.com/theskaldicbard
Many thanks for your kindness and support, as always.
Lyrics:
On ǣrmorgen ǣr upgange sunnan,
ǣr þām dæghwāmlīċan fugolsange,
ān firgenwiċċe wolde hagosteald ċeorlian
ac twisprǣċe wæs hire tunge.
Lā lēof mannlīċ! Lā lēof mannlīċ!
Bewedda þū þēc mē!
Wiþ þām iċ ġiefe ġeorne ġifa!
Þū sċealt āþer oððe ġēse oððe nā cweðan,
ac þū wilt mēc wīfian.
Þē wille iċ ġiefan þā twelf stēdan,
þe sind gongende on rōsebearwe funden.
Nǣfre ne stōd sadol ānum þāra
ne on bitole næs nān ċēace ġebunden.
Lā lēof mannlīċ! Lā lēof mannlīċ!
Bewedda þū þēc mē!
Wiþ þām iċ ġiefe ġeorne ġifa!
Þū sċealt āþer oððe ġēse oððe nā cweðan,
ac þū wilt mēc wīfian.
Þē wille iċ ġiefan þā twelf cweornan
þe betweox twām īeġum standaþ samen.
Þā stānas sind of rēodostum golde
and þā hwēol sind seolforhammen.
Lā lēof mannlīċ! Lā lēof mannlīċ!
Bewedda þū þēc mē!
Wiþ þām iċ ġiefe ġeorne ġifa!
Þū sċealt āþer oððe ġēse oððe nā cweðan,
ac þū wilt mēc wīfian.
Þē wille iċ ġiefan eallgylden sweord
þæt þe hringmǣled is fīftīnefeald.
Sam þū wīġst wel, sam þū wīġst lȳðre
sċealt þū þīnra fēonda habban onweald.
Lā lēof mannlīċ! Lā lēof mannlīċ!
Bewedda þū þēc mē!
Wiþ þām iċ ġiefe ġeorne ġifa!
Þū sċealt āþer oððe ġēse oððe nā cweðan,
ac þū wilt mēc wīfian.
Þē wille iċ ġiefan nīwe sierċan,
mid hire wilt þū sōðlīċe þec sċrȳdan,
Hēo nis ġesiwod mid nǣdle ne þrǣde,
ac mid mērehwītum seolce handġewriden.
Lā lēof mannlīċ! Lā lēof mannlīċ!
Bewedda þū þēc mē!
Wiþ þām iċ ġiefe ġeorne ġifa!
Þū sċealt āþer oððe ġēse oððe nā cweðan,
ac þū wilt mēc wīfian.
Swelċa ġifa wǣren mē ġecwēma
ġif þū crīsten wīfmann wǣre.
Hwæðre þēah þū eart sēo wierreste firgenwiċċe,
sōðlīċe sibb deofla and nicora.
Lā lēof mannlīċ! Lā lēof mannlīċ!
Bewedda þū þēc mē!
Wiþ þām iċ ġiefe ġeorne ġifa!
Þū sċealt āþer oððe ġēse oððe nā cweðan,
ac þū wilt mēc wīfian.
Sēo firgenwiċċe on dūru arn.
Sāre hēo hrisede and hrȳmde.
Hæfde iċ þone hagosteald beġiet,
iċ hæfde mē ālȳsed of mīnre wyrde.
Lā lēof mannlīċ! Lā lēof mannlīċ!
Bewedda þū þēc mē!
Wiþ þām iċ ġiefe ġeorne ġifa!
Þū sċealt āþer oððe ġēse oððe nā cweðan,
ac þū wilt mēc wīfian.
Another excellent song. A wonderful rendition of this traditional song. Indeed this might be my favourite version thus far outside the Swedish.
Alas, there is one detail I must admit would be interesting to hear. In one version the tale does not say she spoke falsely. Rather it says she spoke with a sweet voice. (My paraphrase of the two versions.)
Now, you are correct in saying some interpreters believe her a pagan. However some believe this tale a warning against mingling nobility with commoners via wedlock. Admittedly these are solely two common interpretations of this story.
Wundorlíc mín freónd
I guess it is the accent but the difference between your pronunciation and hers is striking. Not a criticism.
T’is but anotha bangr milord
In breton a tongue speak in Brittany north west of France
Strophe 1]
Ur wrac’h gozh eus ar c’hoad don,
Ha me azigasoñ va dorn-skarzh.
Ma te a vefe va gwaz, Herr Mannelig,
Va den-karañ, va den-kalon, gant karantez bras.
[Refrain]
Herr Mannelig, Herr Mannelig, soñj mat az pefe,
Ma te a vefe va gwaz, Herr Mannelig,
Gant karantez bras.
[Strophe 2]
Va daouarc’h ha va yaouankiz,
A ginnigan dit gant kalon.
Ma te a vefe va gwaz, Herr Mannelig,
Va den-karañ, va den-kalon, gant karantez bras.
[Refrain]
Herr Mannelig, Herr Mannelig, soñj mat az pefe,
Ma te a vefe va gwaz, Herr Mannelig,
Gant karantez bras.
This song is an eternal reminder of the importance of rejectng witch-trolls
Lol! Love that!
😂
And burning their forests
The problem is identifying the witch-trolls in modern society. In other words, don't go after a wîf for her appearance, but her heart.
Ya, this man hast spoken goodly of the Lord's own blessed truth! Ye others harken, lest ye be ensnared in a most vexatious state. If she is found truly to be a vvitch take hold of her and deliver her to the magistrate of the court assembled in the shire in vvhich ye dwell.
-VVitch Finder General of the Colony of Massachusetts Bay.
Old english sounds so melodic and beautiful
It's weird. Like it's a confused mix of Welsh and German with a weird grammar...
wait a minute
@@andrewhopkins886 I'm waiting :D
@@andrewhopkins886 It`s more than a minute my friend
@@andrewhopkins886Boom, and there it is!!, you didn't realise modern welsh is a slight Bastardized language With Eliments of Gaelic, Brythonic and Auld Anglisc did you, the why and how for Obvious reasons, Cornish is the real purest version of Brythonic Celt spoken in Britain, that English and lowland Pict Scots, and Welsh before Irish influences from Dal Riada would have Spoken too..Breton is very close to original aswell ..
@@andrewhopkins886 we've been waiting for over 2 months now my guy.
The Skadlic Bardess makes her appearance in one of your majestic songs once again. I couldn't be more overjoyed. Wish you two prosperity.
She's quite happy with that name! Many thanks, my friend
If "Begone, thot!" was a song. Lovely as always, dear Bard.
Seems to be an ancient problem, which has tormented men for generations...
Your wife's voice is lovelier than ever!! Awesome arrangement and translation!!!
Thanks, my friend! Hope you're well!
@@SkaldBard Tá mé go measartha, go raibh maith agat!
Bård! I finally got married bro. Hel wis Thu, brother. God bless you and yours and everyone here. Thank you, these compositions got me through the most lonely and faithless time of my life. God is good and has provided the wife that could only be a blessing from his magnanimity.
Amazing! God bless you and your wīf :-)
Hope she is nog trolling you.
may God bless your family and grant you health and faith
Congratulations!
Dico Bonos vobis!
I'm Catholic but feel so bad for the woman :,( Lovely job!! Your wife has a wonderful voice.
That's the moral of the story! Don't become a sinner by being tempted by the pagans and the spiritual forces that are misleading them, but rather have pity on them because they're lost and in need of God!
I find these facinating. I can see German, English and some other languages in here. Its really interesting to see how close out languages are and were.
Some Norse aswell
Sounds absolutely beautiful! Great job to you two! This song teaches us Christians to not accept worldly values, but accept the Lord's blessings. Shows how even old songs / sagas still teach us in our advanced age. Many a song, mythology, and saga were made and bespoken around a campfire with friends and family on a cold night.
Very true!
"The Lord's blessings" are worldly as well... you always remain in the world 😂
T think this song is pre Christian actually
@@Sierphamit’s about a Christian man and a pagan woman
@@inthewoods-yg5fw oh my bad thanks
Beautiful, Bard. Your contribution to the world of music is unparalleled in my eyes.
That's a wonderful compliment -- thank you very much
Old English and Old Gothic are the most beautiful languages!
My biggest curiosity is, where did you learn to compose in all these really old languages? Are you taking some Uni degree in this domain, or is it just a hobby? (I don't know if this topic was already covered)
Anyways, amazing work as always, this song goes straight to the playlist and I'll listen to it until all my neighbors are fluent in Old English. God bless you and your family.
Thanks so much for the support! Much appreciated.
My degree was in the Scandinavian languages, focusing on Norwegian and Icelandic, with some modules in Old Norse.
Living in Iceland for a while, I became quite fluent in the language and was able to read the sagas pretty easily, so I focused more on Old Norse specifically. After a while, I decided to write some songs in Old Norse to some tunes I'd come up with over the years, and the channel was born.
I have also always been fascinated by Old English, and Old Norse acted as a wonderful springboard to learn more about OE. Reading the Anglo-Saxon chronicle and some of Alfred the Great's writings inspired me with confidence to start writing in Old English, too, so my first OE song was about Alfred the Great. With the knowledge of those two Germanic languages, I was able to grasp concepts in Gothic, Old Saxon and so on -- the rest is history!
As an Irishman (mostly) by blood, I've also always been interested in the Irish language, and the language has changed remarkably little over time, so it was fairly easy to transition to older forms of the language. Also, my mother is Welsh, so I have had exposure to concepts in Celtic languages through her, though sadly I never learnt it natively -- but I will do some Welsh songs in future!
My beloved wife is Polish, so I learnt Polish to speak to her family. From there, I was able to fill in the gaps of my knowledge of Russian as much of the grammar is similar, so I was able to read older forms of Slavic.
Latin/Old Spanish are thanks to my school studies, as Spanish was the first language I ever learnt and it acted as a great springboard to earlier forms of the language, and ultimately Latin.
That's a whistle stop tour of my linguistic journey, with some omissions! Keep on learning, my friend :-)
@@SkaldBard wow that's quite the language journey, I would not be surprised if you knew Tolkien's Elvish and are in the making of a elvish song right now.
@@SkaldBard Now that we know your wife is polish, we need "Hej, sokoły" from you two : )
@@SkaldBard Very interesting, I know a fair bit of Old Norse and really want to get into gothic but finding good resources is kinda tricky, any recomendations?
@@SkaldBard Does that mean you know Elfdalian (Älvdalska) as well? Considering it's related to Old Norse (from what I heard).
It's so interesting that this song doesn't lose his rhythmic and rhythmic fluency when you turn it old English or old Nordic
Makes sense as these languages hadn’t diverged nearly as much as they have since and follow the same basic structure and mostly share the same vocabulary. During the Viking era Old English and Old Norse was to some degree mutually intelligible.
@@-Blackberryive noticed most of the core vocabulary is stil very much here just heavily modified, maked this language so much easier to learn
Bcz they all born from old norse
@@AsifSaifuddinAuvipy born from old norse? First ive heard about that.
Last i heard, they where born from proto germanic.
All are from old germanic bcz😊
Your wife's voice is gorgeous in old english ❤❤❤ this is an amazing cover. Thank you and well wishes from the baltic coast to you and your family
Many thanks, God bless you from Britain :-)
@@SkaldBardcan you do song on old prussian or old lithuanian
I’m once again amazed by the beautiful version you created of our favorite song. Plus, your wife's voice is heavenly! I hope to see you very soon with more treasures for our ears! 😁😁😁
thats probably one of my mostt favourite songs and it sounds even better in old english amazing performance from you and your wife as always god vless you two
This is by far an interesting take; I'm split since Her Mannelings originall composition is beautiful in Swedish but Old English takes the win for me.
I appreciate how you kept the same rhythm and sound length for the lyrics, the biggest contributor to my preference is your wife's performance after your own. Not only did she do a beautifully but her singing alongside you in this song truly adds an element of immersion as if the "troll" herself was heard swaying the man.
Excellent work sir l, Godbless you and your family!
Ooh I've been waiting for this one, thank you Skald, God bless you and your wife 🫡
Utterly beautiful. Many thanks for this piece!
Well well well, what a fortune it was to click on UA-cam at this exact time
Brilliant arrangenent, espacially the vocal arrangement with multi-vocal layers...Bravo !!! Congratulations !
Yet another masterpiece! Your songs have been a major help to me in learning Old English and Old Norse for my projects, so it's awesome to see yet another! God bless you and your wife!
Wonderful stuff! Thanks, my friend, and good luck on your learning journey
The harmonies in your songs are always so breathtakingly powerful, and the language is so wonderful to listen to in your voices. Thank you for another wonderful composition, Mr. & Mrs. Bard!
Many thanks indeed :)
Thank you - The work on your channel is tremendously great. Onward ☦️
@@retrolizer3156 Thank you for the support and kind words! Much appreciated ✝️
I simply cannot get enough of this stuff- The Old English stuff is clearly the best (No bias at all) but I love it all! Keep it up!
I love this song. The original was always so melodic and relaxing to me, despite the story. This one is just as beautiful!
What a great way to start my day
Another great performance! God bless you and your wife!👏👏
I never really comment, but truly you're one in a generation. You've made me discover and dive into the beautiful Swedish/Scandinavian history that otherwise was buried and Semi-forgotten, even for a history nerd like myself. Absolutely love and appreciate your work, and if there's ever a Skaldic Patreon, I'd be amongst the first to join that. All the best to both of you!
Thanks so much for the comment and support! Means a lot to me to hear stuff like that
Really cool rendition of a timeless song! Thank you for your dedication and for sharing your talent!
Great song Great performance!!!
I love this serie!!
Hail! ❤🙏 you have been blessed with such a beautiful wife! You both sound Devine!
God bless you my brother, you are a superb bard.
That's really nice to hear, thank you
oh my goodness, now this i did not expect😧what a fantastic old english cover😁👏 well done to your mrs she has a angelic voice bless her, wæs hæl/wassail to our bardsman and his wifeman/woman
I love the duality bertween you 2, you and Lady Skald are amazing together!
😱🤯🥹 no words can describe how happy i am with this!
I cant get enough old english🎉🎉🎉
The language of my ancestors is a thing of beauty.
Out of this world performance.🫠🫠🫠
This is so fascinating to listen to! I'm Swedish and absolutely love the original, but it's so cool to see and hear your translated versions. I don't know old English (or old Norse, for that matter) but it's really fascinating to see the similarities and realise jsut how much I can actually understand. Beautiful work!
@@sunnysidesofblue many thanks for your kind comment! Glad you're enjoying them :-)
Amazingly beautiful. I will try harder to learn the purest and loveliest form of my native tongue.
What a Beautiful version of this song.
i always loved herr manelig because despite being swedish the name sounds just old high german enough that people would believe you without question if you just told them the title. the word " Herr" is used unchanged to this day and "Männlich" is still close enough to mannelig that you can see the relation if you know a bit about the german sound shifts.
Its one of those examples that shows how despite having evolved away from each other for a long time they still shared a lot of words at that point.
Old English is so like Dutch it’s amazing. It’s different though in that it’s softer sounding somehow. It’s really quite beautiful.
To my Norwegian ears, Dutch sounds like a drunk Dane speaking a mix of English and German. It sounds like a language I should be able to understand, bur I can not.
Огромное спасибо за Ваше творчество! Оно очень вдохновляет!
Ahh this is so cool! Herr Mannelig was one of the first folk songs I ever started listening to. Love seeing it in our ancestors' language, cracking stuff man.
Unexpected but non the less welcome for it ;-)
I find it interesting that there was a word here and there I recognized and some that reminds me of Icelandic.
And indeed your wife did a magnificent job in this one.
I also like how in some interpretations the woman in the song is a literal troll, and wood nymph or just a pagan woman that may or may not be attempting to "save" themselves from a worse match or hoping to find "salvation in Christianity".
Well, from a Swede I say, stort tack och lycka till 🙂
Många tack, min vän!
Originally "troll" only meant "magical being" or "touched by magic", so tolkien-trolls are probably trolls in that sense, but not all would be like that. a fairy or nymph would fall under that umbrella just as well, pagans, too, were counted among the trolls once the majority was christian. And "Mann" was the word for "human" (gender unspecific). i'm also quite intrigued by the trolls cry at the end... leaves a lot of options indeed.
Man your music is awesome! What a total banging version of this Swedish song ❤️. Greetings from Sweden
I love how much Old English reminds of Old Norse. They both sound so enigmatic and beautiful.
Truly old English is beautiful
Before the Normans ruined everything.
Geiles Video Bruder, Dankeschön! Es freut mich so sehr, dass du altenglisch am Leben hältst, die schöne Beziehung von englisch und deutsch kennst, sehr gut gemacht 🥹
The only problem I have with this song is I can't tell weather I like this version or your old Norse version better ☺ this one's beautiful and bright, the other beautiful but mournful. Your wife is has done such a great job with her lovely voice on both of these. Also if your to modest to say it I'll say it for you. YOU CAN SHOW YOUR SUPPORT BY PURCHASING THE SONGS ON AMAZON PRIME AS WELL! I look forward to each new release.
It keeps getting better
Babe wake up, The Skaldic Bard dropped a new banger!
great job, sir
I really appreciate that you translated troll to witch. I feel like that is the most accurate translation in the context of the ballad.
I love your Old Norse cover of this, and now I looked for Old English music and find you just uploaded this! What are the odds?
Yussir! Treated by Old English today!
another nice song, thank you for everything🙏. I hate this week because this week is an exam week😢.
Best of luck with your exams, friend. It will pass, and a future of prosperity awaits!
Absolutely beautiful!
I love this song so much 💘💘💘💘💐💐💐💐💐🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪
This is wonderful again. Old English is very related to Old Frisian. To translate this song in Old Frisian would be interesting. I wonder how much English and Frisian speaking people would understand it.
Mate keep up the good work
Superb!
Thank you! 🙏
What a pleasant surprise to see this! Lovely rendition as usual. You and your wife's awesome music is making me want to learn Gothic and Old English.
Thank you 😊
BTW, I see a possible Gothic version of this song in the future (hint)
Haha, I'll make a note! That could be cool ;-)
I am a big fan of Germanic languages in general, particularly from a certain aesthetic point of view, if that makes sense. And I've yet to find one among them which would challenge Old English/Anglo-Saxon as the most beautiful of them. Purely subjective, I know, but it's just something about how its phonology works (or at least how we think it worked) - it sounds... complete. Like among all the Germanic languages the Old English was the one which got its sounds just... right. All the sounds I find pleasing to hear, and what's more important, working in harmony with each other. Thank you for this truly magical gift, Bard!
Will you ever do Rolandskvadet in Old Frankish?
A remake of the Song of Roland in Frankish would be great
I'll see if I can scrape together enough reconstructed material to get it done! Would be pretty glorious though
Wonderful, as always!
What a great version of Herr Mannelig is this! Your voices just match perfectly with one another.
I really enjoyed the tone and timbre of your voice on the last part of the song, Bard. It would be very nice to have a complete diferent song with this "mode" on your voice lol
@@emanuels.pezente1899 Thank you very much, friend
Helt fantastiskt.❤
Tack så mycket!
I can't help but notice the influence Old English had on Tolkien when he created the elven languages, especially when Legolas speaks Sindarin.
This version is a strong contender for my favourite!
drop everything, skaldic bard just posted
A banger every time, I swear.
It surprises me that how similar is old English and German. Fascinating!
This actually slaps and I enjoy it
This is amazing 👏 😊
Thank you!
Why so few views on this one? : (
Such a banger.
This is interesting to see and hear! I see a bit of modern English in there, but mostly German and Norse influence in this stage of the language. Linguistics is fascinating! It's not a surprise that old English would be incomprehensible to modern speakers, sounding as it does.
This was a great one! Although, I still need that Bohemond song to soothe my 1st crusade obsessed soul
I love how many interpretations this can have, either taking the side of the virtuous, christian Herr Mannelig who rejects the evil, temptuous troll, that of the troll who would save her beauty if she finds a man in time or somewhere in between. Especially interesting considering the historical context.
I totally agree! They're like layers of interpretation on top of eachother. The troll can be interpreted as a pagan woman who wants desperately to marry a christian man in order to be saved from her eternal torment (her plight is to save herself through marriage to become a christian, because women were not free to choose their religion just like that). Or the troll isn't a pagan woman at all but rather a demon, a biblical giant or as the christian man says 'a spawn of the devil'. In that interpretation the plight of the demon is to tempt the christian man with pleasure and riches to make him sin and to lose his soul. I think this illustrates the pagan/christian transition and dilemma's very well; on one hand people who already became christians couldn't marry a pagan because they could be tempted and pulled away from God/their faith, but still they acknowleged that the pagans were also humans who were in need of salvation (the fact that she doesn't achieve her plight gives away that it unfortunately doesn't end well for her in the pagan-woman interpretation).
So the moral of the song is for a christian not to be tempted and sin by associating yourself with pagans and the spiritual forces which are misleading them, but still to have pity on them for they are lost.
Silence everyone! Its beggining
🤐
I’m proud of the Corded Ware 🐻
This is a bit like singing "Tie me kangaroo down" in Old High German. Great stuff!
It feels so weird, that I can kinda understand what is said from knowing modern german and english, and piecing together the rest out of that context.
nice
It's magic!
i am PUMPED!!!!!
Absolute banger! I love remixed versions! Great work, if I may have permission, can I make a remix version?
Haha, sure thing!
@@SkaldBard Thank you kind sir! I appreciate your kindness!
Please show me when you've done it ;-)
@@SkaldBard already made it sir, I don't think it's much good but it is ok-ish
Great song! Anything in Welsh/cornish/britonnic?
Definitely some stuff coming!
Beautiful song. It's really a treat, especially with the feminine vocal of your wife and being sung in Old English. I really enjoy hearing Old English. Btw do you plan on making any German songs, I don't know which language it was but I mean the one from 1200s, the same as in the original Palastinalied?
That's Middle High German, and yeah, certainly am planning to make some!
If I remember right, the gifts are all tricks.
The twelve steeds are a small herd of deer.
The mills are rocky outcrops upon which ships wreck (grind) themselves, the silver plating is ice.
The gilded sword is a beam of light with motes of dust in it.
The white shirt is merely a spider's web.
just this contrast for old english is rich, and if you know icelandic and english and have an eye that's able to look deep, you can actually piece together the modern form of this song, and the descending words. also of note are certain quirks that have evolved out of english; "bewed" is not something anyone says today, but given linguistic context, this is still valid english to this very day. the word "bewitch" comes to mind for something that still sees modern use and retains this prefix.
Skald!
Sorry for lacking in support lately. I’ve been struggling a bit
Loving the song. One I tried to translate before I confused myself with meanings and underlying meanings.
One thing I pick out is you interpret the orginal Swedish “Mannelig” as a man. In all other versions I have seen this translated as a name. So I ask if this so because of your experience with the Swedish language and you being a translator or if this is a personal choice so that it fits the Anglo-Saxon language better?
As always, lovely work Alex and amazing to see your stuff. Props to your Wife too! Her pronunciation is impeccable and sounds almost natural.
Lots of love and respect
God bless
Well, I think he is using the origin of it, since Mannelig means manly or of a manly nature, as it comes from man, meaning man or male, and -lig is related to the English suffix -ly, as in manly, etc. It’s a characteristic suffix. It may just be a name, but it would have originally meant manly or a sir of manly stock.
@@brian0902 so, in Swedish he would be “Mr Manly” as you might refer to a particularly strong man today?
@@LAC03098Basically, if it became a name, my guess is that it then lost its original meaning. However, the original meaning of Mannelig was likely to denote some sense of manliness. The witch or troll views the person she is trying to marry as an ideal man. If you think about it, why would she know his name? When he responds to her marriage proposal, he rebukes her regardless, so I’d think they wouldn’t be friends. She’s likely using a characteristic-based name for him, kind of like when someone, though cheesy, says ‘he’s a hunk’ or ‘hi mommy,’ or other words you might use to describe someone without saying their actual name.
Hey mate, sorry to hear you've been struggling a bit -- nice to hear from you as always. Thanks a lot for the kind words!
It seems clear to me that the song is allegorical and essentially conveying a moral teaching. I don't think "Mannelig" is formally a name at all, rather is meant to contrast with both her feminine (Mannelig meaning manly) and possibly supernatural nature (Mannelig meaning human, "as a man"), both of which provide temptations for young, ambitious men: the allure of a woman offering herself freely, and the allure of the finest worldly riches. The moral teaching comes from his ability to reject both of these elements by abiding by his Christian faith, which calls for the rejection of the world if it should lead one to sin, which lust and coveting riches do.
Thanks to its shared etymology, mannlic in OE covers the same meanings and provides a very similar phonetic experience to the original, so it seemed like the obvious choice!
@@SkaldBard thank you.
I see what you mean. I’ve not really heard of it spoken that way but as a young girl who doesn’t understand love and a man (clearly, Christian). I’ve only ever heard one version where she was described in footnotes as a “heathen girl”.
It’s a very interesting story there. I like the thoughts on contrast and undermining the girl, promoting the Christian faith.
It sounds good in Old English, I think better than it would have done in modern English (blasted french influence😂). But well done again, I do love your music
Gothic hereafter, I beseech 🙏
Lovely =----->
I swear, if English became Anglo-Saxon again, I would attend my English classes 10 times harder.
If I also may ask you one question, is your wife also British?
Как же прелестно
skald would you do a song in middle high german or livonian about the teutonic or livonian order
Me: About to take a nice nap get some sleep and just have a good sunday morning.
UA-cam Recommended: Wake up! Bardman Mcbeardy just released a new video!
Bardman McBeardy, that is new! ;)
@@SkaldBard Idk thats probably not the best nickname hmmm....Skaldy? Bardman? That other guy that makes historical type songs with Farya Faraji?