Here is another song I wrote and performed (with my wife), this time in Old English, Old Norse and Mediaeval/Byzantine Greek. The use of Old English in conjunction with Old Norse is to illustrate the fact that at this point in history, the Varangian Guard was primarily made up of Anglo-Saxon warriors who fled England after the Norman Conquest, as well as Scandinavians. The Greek is adapted from Anna Komneni’s Alexiad in which she discusses the Varangians who were in her father Alexios’s service. The song details the events of the Battle of Beroia fought by Byzantine Emperor John II Komnenos against the Pechenegs in 1122. The Emperor was forced to cut an expedition east short when the Pechenegs attacked the north of the empire from beyond the Danube. The Pechenegs camped in a deep depression near Beroia (modern Stara Zagora) and their defence proved very hard to break down. Their horseback archers proved too effective against the Emperor’s men - until he called upon the elite and heavily armed Varangian Guard, who, in a mighty push, broke down the defences and forced the Pechenegs to flee. I hope you enjoy! Please like, subscribe and share as it really helps the channel. If you would like, you can also support me by donating at www.buymeacoffee.com/theskaldicbard. Many thanks and God bless! Lyrics in description. My intention is exclusively to teach history and languages through song. I do not condone, endorse or seek to glorify violence.
Trust me lad we English have Anglo Saxon blood run through us like a warm spring the Normandy bloodline died out in England that's a common fact not trying to argue with you or anything it's just that we English are still here are ancestors didn't fled because if they did we white native Anglo Saxon English people wouldn't be here today the French would be but there not and yes we had that french Muppet as a king at one point in time but trust me we don't see him as one of are king because he french plus we English invaded France countless time France only invaded England once and trust me they got lucky with that one but they failed miserably countless time when it come to us English invaded them the point I'm trying to make is that we English are DNA English Anglo Saxon and that will never change we no who we are who are ancestors are and where we came from and brilliant video love hearing old English and old Norse you have a talent and 🏴❤️⚔️👍🏻
All fun and games until the men of foreign lands from the Northern parts start biting their broad shields and roaring in their guttural language in a berserk frenzy…
@@giuseppegaribaldi5198 seljuks go gangsters until Franks showed up from nowhere and runs 1vs100 barking and gesticulating into tin cans then Mongols show them all who is Daddy
This is getting out of hand, hes bumped the number of languages up to 3 in one song! In seriousness, damn fine work skald, i can scarcely imagine how much hard work has to go into doing this stuff, and we appreciate it, man. Keep on rocking!
I’m obsessed with Norse and Icelandic and the other Norse / Germanic / Nordic, so these songs with pretty melody are a great way to learn new words and structures - nice to finally see the hvárki / né (neither / nor) in action!
@@SkaldBard how did you learn this many ancient languages? I do know a bit of middle english and unlike say a brit I don't really need to voice train since growing up in rural KY did most of that for me (I can simi conscientiously switch between a KY and an Ohio accent).
Absolutely beautiful song, that honors the brave people of the North, that fought and died for the Byzantium Empire the last Roman Empire. Elit Bodyguards comprised of Christians and Pagans (not publicly however), united as one by Oath and Faith to the Emporer, an Oath that passed down from father to son. United as children of the North, like the Brotherhood at Jomsborg, Anglo-Saxon, Norse, Goth, Swede, Dane and Rus & Slav. Even if faiths divided them, they are children of the North Sea. Together with the Brave soldiers of Byzantium, they defended the last of the mighty Rome. Plus you deserve over a million subscribers for this song alone, hope you have it good.
@@robinrehlinghaus1944 There's a genuine difference. The State that was Rome expanded out to the East, and then split itself after moving its political centre to constantinople. The part in the east, the ERE, was literally the Roman Empire, in the same way that your family is still your family even after you move house. The western half collapsed, and suffered significant changes in culture and leadership by foreign powers. The law changed. There were still vestiges, sure, after the new rulers realised it might be beneficial to pander to Roman history, but it was no longer the Roman Empire. What DID remain in the west was the Papacy, and yes they have a direct link back to Rome, but they weren't "The Roman Empire", they were a primarily religious body. They needed allies, protection, and wanted to spread their ideas. So they started acting *as if* they had the right to say "yep, these Germans, they're very pious, they're the new Roman Empire". The HRE wasn't Roman, it was just Roman Catholic. It emulated Rome, but it wasn't the Roman Empire. The same goes for Napoleon, the jumped up evil fool. Just because an empire makes callbacks to one of the most powerful empires in history doesn't mean they actually are that thing. But the Byzantines, they genuinely were the Roman Empire.
That's what I thought! that it was a Greek woman, given how flawless her pronunciation is! But the Skaldic Bard says in his description that it's his wife... So, either his wife is Greek, or else for some reason she is very well acquainted with the Greek language...
Also a nice touch when she calls them from Thule since the ancient Greeks thought there was an island called Thule in the far north full of giants and most of the Varangians would have been a decent bit taller than the Byzantines on average
@@vladimpaler4689 ancestors of the celts and the italic peoples migrated into the areas around southern Germany and the alps (then splitting into the distinct Celtic and Latin cultures) and moved west to Gaul around the same time as the proto Germanic culture/language group was forming in Jutland, Scandinavia and northern Germany, those that became the Germanic peoples I heard were more influenced by the pre-indo European language in the area which is why Germanic languages are more of a outlier in the family group, but obviously due to contact with the Celtic,italic,and balto Slavic groups they again gained or in a sense regained some indo European words, but in general all European languages share a similar story (especially Greek with the hypothetically pellagasian or pre Greek Greek language ) im a bit autistic when it comes to history, especially Germanic history because like you said it’s the majority of my ancestry (also realised I went on a weird tangent lol)
@@vladimpaler4689 yea the Belgae were seen as the “transition” between celtic and Germanic people, due to it being on the border(Rhein), Indo Europeans as a people were all white or Caucasian (obv because they came from the caucuses) and when the indo aryans went south they formed the ruling class in those areas and or supplanted the native populations but in India’s case due to it having a large native population the newcomers really assimilated dna wise into the society bar from the ruling and priest class (Brahmans I think they call it) which was quite rigid in Indian society
@@vladimpaler4689 just want to make clear I don’t believe there is any inherent superior traits in any particular people, they were all built to be suited to their environment (Africans being dark skinned to protect against the sun and northern peoples like north East Asians and Europeans for the opposite effect) But more so the culture that affects a peoples rise or fall TLDR, some cultures can be seen as “superior” but race wise I personally don’t believe so
@@vladimpaler4689 OK, after objectively examining all the available info: 1) "Aryan" was originally used by Indo-Iranians themselves. So "Iran" means "Kingdom of Indo-Iranians". Nothing more, nothing less. It's an ethnic name, not some bigger racial category. Yes, they were almost certainly white, but that does not prove the word was ever used for other whites outside the Indo-Iranian ethnicity. 2) Persian and Indian literature and myths are *massive*, you can cherry pick any and all symbolism you want out of it. 3) Going form "Ur" and "Ar" to "Aryan" is the biggest stretch in the world. It's a single freaking syllable. "Muscogee" has more similarity to "Muscovy", I guess that means that Native American tribe are secretly white Slavs! 4) "Archaeological evidence"? Where? All you used was attempt at names and myths. And I don't care if the Jews have any archeology about their history or not, this is about *your* claims. 5) "All civilizations"? Then I'm curious about the "white origin" of Egyptian and especially East Asian (Chinese/Korean/Japanese) civilizations?
The call-and-answer rhythm between OE and ON is super catchy. It really sounds like a war cadence. And I love the modern liberties taken in the poetry, OE poetry (and i assume ON) didnt really rhyme, they mostly used rhythm and alliteration, but this format make it much more attractive to the modern ear.
Yep, that's absolutely right! Alliteration is far more authentic (though there is evidence of rhyme in both OE and ON), but my aim isn't necessarily to be authentic (at least not with everything I do), rather to create things that suit my own style/are appealing to other modern listeners
You're a legend, Skaldic. Three languages in one song? Epic. Just epic, and your wife's part is amazing I've listened to so many of these I can actually tell the difference between Old English and Old Norse
Brilliant! I used to think that the song "Slayers of the Huns" was your biggest work because they sang in two languages at once, but this song struck me even more. Thank you to your team for your efforts. Your music brings something new to the vastness of UA-cam, which, if it was possible to meet before you, it was extremely rare. With the warmest wishes to you from Russia.
All I can say is... wow. I always enjoy your old English pieces the most (it's the only one I'm even mildly proficient in), but the combination with Old Norse and Byzantine Greek? What an effect. I can't think of a single song you've made where you haven't received praise, but this is easily one of the most deserving. I can't wait to see what you do next!
Amazing music, imagery and vocals by yourself and your wife!! How no one has made a high quality film about the Varangian guard is beyond me. Hearing you perform in three historical languages is always a joy!
Brilliant song, congratulations for your excellent work, this song honouring the memory every Scandinavian and Anglo-Saxon warrior who served in the Varangian Guard under the banner of my ancestors.
My brother, Another masterpiece..another testament..to the sacrosanct blood of our kindred. I had been struggling..a few months ago, you galvanized me... Thank you brother. And hail to your loved ones
An exam day was made better with a little notification from the legendary Skaldic Bard, to which I thank you ;) Awesome song and I love the return of the Old Norse and a lovely Greek addition!
God bless you and your wife and thank you for making songs such as this. The Old English, Old Norse, and Greek being used together is something beautiful.
Imagine being a Turkic Invader, you’ve gotten used to fighting the Byzantines over the centuries, and all of a sudden a new unit forms with tall blonde guys in foreign helmets, huge round shields and comically huge axes, and they won’t run like the rest of the army and they always take down a huge part of your army before they die
@@YusufGüvenç-q3cno disrespect to the Turkic soldiers and warriors, they were solid, well-trained and competent fighters... but so were the Varangian Guard. It's not like that would just make them drop their weapons and quit, they were the warrior-elite northmen hand-picked by the Byzantine Emperor and fiercly loyal unlike any other warriors in history. That's also not to mention that some of them were legitimately crazy and a terrifying presence on the field. You can never really say "who would win" because that argument doesn't have much sense or logic, there's tons of different factors when it comes to warriors' strengths and weaknesses. And again, not to downplay the Turkic warriors of the time, but they probably would have been a lot less prepared to deal with the Varangians in foot combat considering how reserved that unit was. They weren't brought out very often, but when they were, they usually won.
@YusufGüvenç-q3c ok I wss being polite before, but nobody anywhere has said that. That's just overzealous turkish propaganda my guy. But this isn't the place to get into this. Literally the only place anyone has said that the figures of Norse mythology had any relation to Turks or Turkic people was reddit, and it's extremely loose conjecture that has very little foundation other than "these two words kinda sound vaguely similar" As for your point about the vikings being terrified of the pechenegs... no? The norse themselves at the time couldn't care less about the penechegs that were threatening Constantinople at the time. That area of the world was very separated from them. Clearly you really don't know anything about this general time period aside from a Turk-centrist viewpoint, so there's very little point arguing with you.
@YusufGüvenç-q3c I do in fact know who he is. And I cannot find any citations as to where he made this claim other than a suggestion that it may have said something like that in the Turkish translation of one of his books, which is real reliable I'm sure. Couldn't find any citation on that claim either. Not to mention "Tyrkland" is the name for Turkey in modern day Icelandic. At the time, Turkey did not exist and would certainly not have had that name. Another thing of note is that the Norse sagas never SAID that Odin came from a place called Tyrkland. And any suggestions of your theory have pretty much been falsified. Do YOUR research pal. The only common relation that those 2 geographical areas share is that the languages are both Indo-European in origin. Pretty much nothing else other than some proto rune overlaps that look vaguely similar. Nationalism at its finest, folks.
@@YusufGüvenç-q3cI see now what you're referring to, but your interpretation is still way off. This was talking about how the proto Norse, proto Turks, etc, COULD have had some contact and could have shared some common link somewhere way down the line, as most Indo-European peoples do. But the claim about Odin, a mythical figure, being a real person and coming from the area around the river Don, was just a theoretical proposal, and not fact. Some of these claims and studies were also faced with heavy critique due to the evidence being based on pseudoarcheology and comparing names and words that sounded similar, but were compared in ways that completely disregarded linguistic theory. So the evidence was very selective, to say the least. And again, even if this theory did hold some merit, it is still not historical fact. Just a proposal. The most merit this theory holds is that some of the proto peoples of these sects COULD have had some contact with one another, and that there's some mild overlap here and there, as well as with other cultures and mythologies.
@YusufGüvenç-q3c you also clearly don't understand Norse paganism then. Odin was a combination of Norse values and ideals. They believed he was an Æsir. Ethereal, spiritual, not human. At no point did they claim that. It would have been nice if they wrote more down, yes. But from the things we do know, that's not even close to what they believed. Not even remotely. I'm not entertaining this argument any further. Good day
No way i mean this is my favorite song so far i just simply love it so much. The fun fact is that this song dropped out while i was in the gym and i listened it right there and i just simply felt like all of my 3 ancestors related to this song helped me out. Keep doing what you do because you’re the best at it!
I grew up, very near where I live now, in rural southern Ireland. I heard Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd when I was 16 and the music blew my mind! I'm 62 and now these songs are doing the same thing! I've never taken any drugs, never felt I needed any! Music is my stimulant. These songs are unbelievable! Please keep them coming!
This has to be the most ambitious song you've composed, and you and lady skald are both really good singers, I love the duality of the languages, rather trilogy of languages now, I love the quality and the badassness to go along with your songs, can't wait to see what you do next!
What an incredible song. I thought the English Varangians was good, but this absolutely blows it out of the water. A hammering beat and brilliant vocals, keep it up mate!
You know what… I really appreciate the rythm switch you used for the Greek sections! It sounds so close to the orthodox hymns I know. I could almost see it being carried on the wind over the rooftops of Constantinople…Yep you absolutely smashed it out the park with this one and I really wish I could show it to an old Varangian guard or Byzantine soldier !!!!
Absolutely epic to have three languages in one song. It really does work beautifully and I really enjoyed it. I've also now started to imagine what a multilingual song about the Battle of Brunanburh in 937 would look like.
It's rare that I comment and like on UA-cam... but your works deserve to be recognized. When you close your eyes and listen to the music you literally travel through time. You relive these forgotten episodes through time. I'm impatiently waiting for a work in Old Frankish 😉 Signed by a Belgian soldier and history buff
Much appreciate you taking the time to comment in that case, my friend, and thank you for the edifying words! Still trying to dig up enough resources on Frankish but it's definitely on the cards ;-)
@@SkaldBardthere’s hardly any surviving scripts of anything in that region until old Dutch (still very few) so I think your best route would be reconstructions and a bit of lyrical implications
Might have to change my favourite song after this one, by far the best creation of yours. The tune is perfect for the story. Loved the mono of the different languages, helped show the difference of these men. Also loved that your wife lead the Greek part seeing as you got that from a woman. Amazing as always God Bless
I hail Varangians. I hail them from the old capital, Constantinople. Bravery will never be forgotten. Loyal lions of the old Emperors, their names will live forever. Lots have changed, but not all. Byzantine Emperors were so lucky to have them, host them in my city. I thank you both husband and wife for this masterpiece.
Haven't even listened yet and I know it's going to be fantastic! Go from listening to Old Norse music and the notification for a new Skaldic Bard song comes up.
This is definitely one of your best compositions I think! It doesn't fail to inspire me every time I listen to it! The drums, the various languages, the whole style is great! The story also simply brings the whole thing to another level. Keep it up!
This is epic, been trying to sing along with it but it is tough you guys did an awesome job on this song as well as "The Last Varangians". Hope to see more in the future.
Εξαιρετικη αφηγησης μιας ιστορικης σημασιας μαχης .Παρα πολυ ωραιος και πρωτότυπος τρόπος για να μαθαινουν ιστορικα γεγονοτα μιας πολυς σημαντικης εποχης για ολη την ευρωπη
I have been listening to your songs (especially the germanic ones) for the past hour during my workout, the effect is splendid, thank you, Skaldic bard
scyttena = archers on back scyttena = Scythians I love languages and the music created by them. This is a true gem people, we need to produce more and more music like this. Please keep them coming!
I love how the Greek lines is such a contrast to the ones of the Varangians, as the Empire was truly an entirely different world to the Norse and Anglo-Saxons who made the journey. The song portrays this in a really interesting way. I imagine coming from one of the small villages here in Norway, and being a good enough fighter to take the opportunity the tales of such a distant strange land promised, "Then they sailed southward to Miklagarðr and found the greatest city in all the world, with walls of stone that reached the heavens, shining towers of gold and silver, and streets filled with riches beyond imagination. The markets were overflowing with treasures from every land, and the halls of the emperor glittered with jewels and gold."
Just discovered your channel. Really great stuff! I'd love to hear more Medieval Greek. Maybe parts of the Digenis Akritas epic? There's a part where Digenis saves the maiden, would make a great duet!
We are long overdue a big budget movie that follows a band of Anglo-Saxon and Viking Varangians on some kind of madcap adventure across the Empire. All the dialogue must be in authentic Old English, Norse & Greek though otherwise there's no point.
What a powerful and picturesque song, dedicated to those axe-wielding guardians, who cut bloody swathes through the Roman Emperor's enemies! It's remarkable how similar Norse and Anglo-Saxon sound, on the surface of it.
Your work is like a musical version of Tolkien; both works give us "Westerners" a modern interpretation of our cultural story. Music should be a far more common medium, for learning language and history. -From a US citizen with German-Celtic background: Thank you for presenting our history in such an engaging way!
Very lovely song, I love how it portrays the multicultural nature of the Varangian guard. A song I'd love to hear someday is a song about William the Conqueror since you made one for Harald and Harold. Being a descendant of the Conqueror, I'd love to hear you make a song about him.
A formidable male warrior begins to sing, following a hymn that could only be sung by a winged shieldmaiden angel. I am not exaggerating when I say that this song is a masterpiece. Iam obsessed with this and listening to it non stop while going to school. We need more people like you like farya faraji and only odin knows how many good singers there are not known much. Thank you so much for this.
An other Idea fo a next song could be one sung in Norman-French about the Normans of Normandy. P.S. This song here by the way was beautiful (As always) i really enjoyed it , the greek language strain was a touch of class 😉
Весьма захватывающая песня! И вполне звучит даже намного лучше предыдущих работ, эпик, ритм, всё это звучит довольно бесподобно! К слову, по ощущениям это даже больше походит на композицию из игры. :)
![We Three Kings in Old English [Christmas Carol] - The Skaldic Bard](/img/n.gif)
Here is another song I wrote and performed (with my wife), this time in Old English, Old Norse and Mediaeval/Byzantine Greek. The use of Old English in conjunction with Old Norse is to illustrate the fact that at this point in history, the Varangian Guard was primarily made up of Anglo-Saxon warriors who fled England after the Norman Conquest, as well as Scandinavians. The Greek is adapted from Anna Komneni’s Alexiad in which she discusses the Varangians who were in her father Alexios’s service.
The song details the events of the Battle of Beroia fought by Byzantine Emperor John II Komnenos against the Pechenegs in 1122. The Emperor was forced to cut an expedition east short when the Pechenegs attacked the north of the empire from beyond the Danube. The Pechenegs camped in a deep depression near Beroia (modern Stara Zagora) and their defence proved very hard to break down. Their horseback archers proved too effective against the Emperor’s men - until he called upon the elite and heavily armed Varangian Guard, who, in a mighty push, broke down the defences and forced the Pechenegs to flee.
I hope you enjoy! Please like, subscribe and share as it really helps the channel. If you would like, you can also support me by donating at www.buymeacoffee.com/theskaldicbard. Many thanks and God bless!
Lyrics in description.
My intention is exclusively to teach history and languages through song. I do not condone, endorse or seek to glorify violence.
Trust me lad we English have Anglo Saxon blood run through us like a warm spring the Normandy bloodline died out in England that's a common fact not trying to argue with you or anything it's just that we English are still here are ancestors didn't fled because if they did we white native Anglo Saxon English people wouldn't be here today the French would be but there not and yes we had that french Muppet as a king at one point in time but trust me we don't see him as one of are king because he french plus we English invaded France countless time France only invaded England once and trust me they got lucky with that one but they failed miserably countless time when it come to us English invaded them the point I'm trying to make is that we English are DNA English Anglo Saxon and that will never change we no who we are who are ancestors are and where we came from and brilliant video love hearing old English and old Norse you have a talent and 🏴❤️⚔️👍🏻
Is it OK to download your songs into social networks to form a playlist? It would be good to be able to listen it not only in UA-cam.
@@curnonmitto Hey mate, my songs can be bought on Amazon and I'm also on music streaming services like Spotify
@@SkaldBard well Spotify is not really working in Russia, I'll try Amazon maybe it's working.
А можно выложить текст полностью на английском языке?
Буду очень благодарен
This guy is a True artist.
ele é mesmo, obrigado por me apresentar o trabalho dele, Lorenzo
Amazing work as always my friend, I love the main melody
Hey man, good to hear from you - and thanks a lot, appreciate the kind words!
Yo its FaryaFaraji, the guy who made a cool version of Psalm 135.
Oh My God The Legend Comments
Ay, you two should probably collab, would be awesome to hear.
Everyone gangster until Iohannes calls the Varangians
All fun and games until the men of foreign lands from the Northern parts start biting their broad shields and roaring in their guttural language in a berserk frenzy…
It's all fun and games until the Byzantine Berserkers show up
Everyone gangster until georgians fuckedup varangians 😂😂
Varangians are gangsters until Seljuks comes :D
@@giuseppegaribaldi5198 seljuks go gangsters until Franks showed up from nowhere and runs 1vs100 barking and gesticulating into tin cans then Mongols show them all who is Daddy
This is insane, you deserve millions of views
Thanks a lot, friend
This is getting out of hand, hes bumped the number of languages up to 3 in one song!
In seriousness, damn fine work skald, i can scarcely imagine how much hard work has to go into doing this stuff, and we appreciate it, man. Keep on rocking!
Haha yeah, can't lie, it is pretty exhausting - but I much appreciate your kind words, my friend
I’m obsessed with Norse and Icelandic and the other Norse / Germanic / Nordic, so these songs with pretty melody are a great way to learn new words and structures - nice to finally see the hvárki / né (neither / nor) in action!
@@SkaldBard how did you learn this many ancient languages? I do know a bit of middle english and unlike say a brit I don't really need to voice train since growing up in rural KY did most of that for me (I can simi conscientiously switch between a KY and an Ohio accent).
Absolutely beautiful song, that honors the brave people of the North, that fought and died for the Byzantium Empire the last Roman Empire. Elit Bodyguards comprised of Christians and Pagans (not publicly however), united as one by Oath and Faith to the Emporer, an Oath that passed down from father to son.
United as children of the North, like the Brotherhood at Jomsborg, Anglo-Saxon, Norse, Goth, Swede, Dane and Rus & Slav. Even if faiths divided them, they are children of the North Sea. Together with the Brave soldiers of Byzantium, they defended the last of the mighty Rome.
Plus you deserve over a million subscribers for this song alone, hope you have it good.
The ERE wasn't the last - HRE, Napoleon's Empire...
@@robinrehlinghaus1944they weren’t roman. Roman empire died in Constantinople
@@cmd7930 Give me a definition of 'Romanity' for that.
@@robinrehlinghaus1944 There's a genuine difference. The State that was Rome expanded out to the East, and then split itself after moving its political centre to constantinople. The part in the east, the ERE, was literally the Roman Empire, in the same way that your family is still your family even after you move house.
The western half collapsed, and suffered significant changes in culture and leadership by foreign powers. The law changed. There were still vestiges, sure, after the new rulers realised it might be beneficial to pander to Roman history, but it was no longer the Roman Empire.
What DID remain in the west was the Papacy, and yes they have a direct link back to Rome, but they weren't "The Roman Empire", they were a primarily religious body.
They needed allies, protection, and wanted to spread their ideas. So they started acting *as if* they had the right to say "yep, these Germans, they're very pious, they're the new Roman Empire".
The HRE wasn't Roman, it was just Roman Catholic. It emulated Rome, but it wasn't the Roman Empire.
The same goes for Napoleon, the jumped up evil fool.
Just because an empire makes callbacks to one of the most powerful empires in history doesn't mean they actually are that thing. But the Byzantines, they genuinely were the Roman Empire.
Thanks so much for the nice comment, my friend!
The greek woman singing was great touch, all three worlds meshing great. Her pov being the greek pov of the brothers of the north sea
That's what I thought! that it was a Greek woman, given how flawless her pronunciation is! But the Skaldic Bard says in his description that it's his wife... So, either his wife is Greek, or else for some reason she is very well acquainted with the Greek language...
@@gregoryheers2633His wife is Polish
@@servantofaeie1569 Oh, okay, thank you for clarifying!
@@servantofaeie1569 i ment in the song, the story is a greek woman singing
Also a nice touch when she calls them from Thule since the ancient Greeks thought there was an island called Thule in the far north full of giants and most of the Varangians would have been a decent bit taller than the Byzantines on average
As a English guy with German,Scandinavian and Greek ancestry that served in the Greek Cypriot army this slaps
Man's a real life Wærgenga
@@vladimpaler4689 ancestors of the celts and the italic peoples migrated into the areas around southern Germany and the alps (then splitting into the distinct Celtic and Latin cultures) and moved west to Gaul around the same time as the proto Germanic culture/language group was forming in Jutland, Scandinavia and northern Germany,
those that became the Germanic peoples I heard were more influenced by the pre-indo European language in the area which is why Germanic languages are more of a outlier in the family group,
but obviously due to contact with the Celtic,italic,and balto Slavic groups they again gained or in a sense regained some indo European words,
but in general all European languages share a similar story (especially Greek with the hypothetically pellagasian or pre Greek Greek language )
im a bit autistic when it comes to history, especially Germanic history because like you said it’s the majority of my ancestry
(also realised I went on a weird tangent lol)
@@vladimpaler4689 yea the Belgae were seen as the “transition” between celtic and Germanic people, due to it being on the border(Rhein),
Indo Europeans as a people were all white or Caucasian (obv because they came from the caucuses) and when the indo aryans went south they formed the ruling class in those areas and or supplanted the native populations
but in India’s case due to it having a large native population the newcomers really assimilated dna wise into the society bar from the ruling and priest class (Brahmans I think they call it)
which was quite rigid in Indian society
@@vladimpaler4689 just want to make clear I don’t believe there is any inherent superior traits in any particular people, they were all built to be suited to their environment (Africans being dark skinned to protect against the sun and northern peoples like north East Asians and Europeans for the opposite effect)
But more so the culture that affects a peoples rise or fall
TLDR, some cultures can be seen as “superior” but race wise I personally don’t believe so
@@vladimpaler4689 OK, after objectively examining all the available info:
1) "Aryan" was originally used by Indo-Iranians themselves. So "Iran" means "Kingdom of Indo-Iranians". Nothing more, nothing less. It's an ethnic name, not some bigger racial category. Yes, they were almost certainly white, but that does not prove the word was ever used for other whites outside the Indo-Iranian ethnicity.
2) Persian and Indian literature and myths are *massive*, you can cherry pick any and all symbolism you want out of it.
3) Going form "Ur" and "Ar" to "Aryan" is the biggest stretch in the world. It's a single freaking syllable. "Muscogee" has more similarity to "Muscovy", I guess that means that Native American tribe are secretly white Slavs!
4) "Archaeological evidence"? Where? All you used was attempt at names and myths. And I don't care if the Jews have any archeology about their history or not, this is about *your* claims.
5) "All civilizations"? Then I'm curious about the "white origin" of Egyptian and especially East Asian (Chinese/Korean/Japanese) civilizations?
The call-and-answer rhythm between OE and ON is super catchy. It really sounds like a war cadence. And I love the modern liberties taken in the poetry, OE poetry (and i assume ON) didnt really rhyme, they mostly used rhythm and alliteration, but this format make it much more attractive to the modern ear.
Yep, that's absolutely right! Alliteration is far more authentic (though there is evidence of rhyme in both OE and ON), but my aim isn't necessarily to be authentic (at least not with everything I do), rather to create things that suit my own style/are appealing to other modern listeners
@@SkaldBard very cool
You're a legend, Skaldic. Three languages in one song? Epic. Just epic, and your wife's part is amazing
I've listened to so many of these I can actually tell the difference between Old English and Old Norse
Haha, good stuff! Thanks for the ongoing support, buddy, really appreciate it
Brilliant! I used to think that the song "Slayers of the Huns" was your biggest work because they sang in two languages at once, but this song struck me even more.
Thank you to your team for your efforts. Your music brings something new to the vastness of UA-cam, which, if it was possible to meet before you, it was extremely rare.
With the warmest wishes to you from Russia.
Большое спасибо, мой друг - and I wish I had a team, I must say ;-) but the wife brings me cups of tea while I'm making them, close enough
Russia isnt my enemy
Globalism is
Brothers of the North Sea forever ❤🔥
One of your best songs so far!👌
🏴
@@Anglisc1682🏴❤️✝️⚔️✊🏻
I started listening to your songs recently, and not gonna lie, your songs give me the boost I need at the gym!
Must admit, part of the reason I make them is to fuel my own workouts lel. Glad you like them!
The gym owner plays deathcore crap and the stick figures all play shitty cRap
Its oppressive
I've also lifted to Skaldic Bard songs, so I can understand.
All I can say is... wow. I always enjoy your old English pieces the most (it's the only one I'm even mildly proficient in), but the combination with Old Norse and Byzantine Greek? What an effect. I can't think of a single song you've made where you haven't received praise, but this is easily one of the most deserving. I can't wait to see what you do next!
Ic þancie þe, broþor :-)
Amazing music, imagery and vocals by yourself and your wife!! How no one has made a high quality film about the Varangian guard is beyond me. Hearing you perform in three historical languages is always a joy!
Our history erased and our people replaced, and you are really shocked at that?
The Vikings Valhalla series somehow presents the Varangian Guard but you can't call it a high quality film..
The amount of languages you and your wife can speak is impressive
Brilliant song, congratulations for your excellent work, this song honouring the memory every Scandinavian and Anglo-Saxon warrior who served in the Varangian Guard under the banner of my ancestors.
Such a brilliant piece! I absolutely loved the language combination. Makes me think about how it must’ve been back then.
My brother,
Another masterpiece..another testament..to the sacrosanct blood of our kindred.
I had been struggling..a few months ago, you galvanized me...
Thank you brother. And hail to your loved ones
Keep the strength, my man, and may God bless you
An exam day was made better with a little notification from the legendary Skaldic Bard, to which I thank you ;) Awesome song and I love the return of the Old Norse and a lovely Greek addition!
Hope it went well, my man!
@@SkaldBard Appreciate it!
This is a masterpiece. A vigorous song and also the lyrics sung by your wife are enchanting. Awesome work, Skald
Thank you very much, friend
God bless you and your wife and thank you for making songs such as this. The Old English, Old Norse, and Greek being used together is something beautiful.
For me, this one and the new Alfred the great song are your absolute best bangers, can't stop listening to them!
Awesome to hear! Thanks
Imagine being a Turkic Invader, you’ve gotten used to fighting the Byzantines over the centuries, and all of a sudden a new unit forms with tall blonde guys in foreign helmets, huge round shields and comically huge axes, and they won’t run like the rest of the army and they always take down a huge part of your army before they die
@@YusufGüvenç-q3cno disrespect to the Turkic soldiers and warriors, they were solid, well-trained and competent fighters... but so were the Varangian Guard. It's not like that would just make them drop their weapons and quit, they were the warrior-elite northmen hand-picked by the Byzantine Emperor and fiercly loyal unlike any other warriors in history. That's also not to mention that some of them were legitimately crazy and a terrifying presence on the field. You can never really say "who would win" because that argument doesn't have much sense or logic, there's tons of different factors when it comes to warriors' strengths and weaknesses.
And again, not to downplay the Turkic warriors of the time, but they probably would have been a lot less prepared to deal with the Varangians in foot combat considering how reserved that unit was. They weren't brought out very often, but when they were, they usually won.
@YusufGüvenç-q3c ok I wss being polite before, but nobody anywhere has said that. That's just overzealous turkish propaganda my guy. But this isn't the place to get into this. Literally the only place anyone has said that the figures of Norse mythology had any relation to Turks or Turkic people was reddit, and it's extremely loose conjecture that has very little foundation other than "these two words kinda sound vaguely similar"
As for your point about the vikings being terrified of the pechenegs... no? The norse themselves at the time couldn't care less about the penechegs that were threatening Constantinople at the time. That area of the world was very separated from them. Clearly you really don't know anything about this general time period aside from a Turk-centrist viewpoint, so there's very little point arguing with you.
@YusufGüvenç-q3c I do in fact know who he is. And I cannot find any citations as to where he made this claim other than a suggestion that it may have said something like that in the Turkish translation of one of his books, which is real reliable I'm sure. Couldn't find any citation on that claim either. Not to mention "Tyrkland" is the name for Turkey in modern day Icelandic. At the time, Turkey did not exist and would certainly not have had that name.
Another thing of note is that the Norse sagas never SAID that Odin came from a place called Tyrkland. And any suggestions of your theory have pretty much been falsified. Do YOUR research pal. The only common relation that those 2 geographical areas share is that the languages are both Indo-European in origin. Pretty much nothing else other than some proto rune overlaps that look vaguely similar.
Nationalism at its finest, folks.
@@YusufGüvenç-q3cI see now what you're referring to, but your interpretation is still way off. This was talking about how the proto Norse, proto Turks, etc, COULD have had some contact and could have shared some common link somewhere way down the line, as most Indo-European peoples do. But the claim about Odin, a mythical figure, being a real person and coming from the area around the river Don, was just a theoretical proposal, and not fact. Some of these claims and studies were also faced with heavy critique due to the evidence being based on pseudoarcheology and comparing names and words that sounded similar, but were compared in ways that completely disregarded linguistic theory. So the evidence was very selective, to say the least. And again, even if this theory did hold some merit, it is still not historical fact. Just a proposal.
The most merit this theory holds is that some of the proto peoples of these sects COULD have had some contact with one another, and that there's some mild overlap here and there, as well as with other cultures and mythologies.
@YusufGüvenç-q3c you also clearly don't understand Norse paganism then. Odin was a combination of Norse values and ideals. They believed he was an Æsir. Ethereal, spiritual, not human. At no point did they claim that.
It would have been nice if they wrote more down, yes. But from the things we do know, that's not even close to what they believed. Not even remotely. I'm not entertaining this argument any further. Good day
No way i mean this is my favorite song so far i just simply love it so much. The fun fact is that this song dropped out while i was in the gym and i listened it right there and i just simply felt like all of my 3 ancestors related to this song helped me out. Keep doing what you do because you’re the best at it!
Legend. Glad to hear it, my friend
Are you of English, Norse, and Greek heritage?
Прекрасная работа, отправляю вам благодарность из места, которое раньше называлось Гардарики
another moving and powerful masterpiece. Excellent vocals by you and your wife. Thank you!
Quickly becoming my favorite UA-camr and I mean that genuinely.
High praise, my friend - thank you
It's so good I find it difficult to put in words. The 3 languages used make it so unique. Hope to hear more Greek on this channel in the future!
Thank you, brother! Will try to get more Greek in :-)
I grew up, very near where I live now, in rural southern Ireland. I heard Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd when I was 16 and the music blew my mind!
I'm 62 and now these songs are doing the same thing!
I've never taken any drugs, never felt I needed any! Music is my stimulant.
These songs are unbelievable!
Please keep them coming!
This is awesome, thanks a lot - really pleased you're enjoying them.
Absolutely beautiful, you and your wife can sing amazingly with wonderful lyrics. Can't wait for more
This has to be the most ambitious song you've composed, and you and lady skald are both really good singers, I love the duality of the languages, rather trilogy of languages now, I love the quality and the badassness to go along with your songs, can't wait to see what you do next!
Thanks a lot, my friend! I think my wife is rather taken with the name "Lady Skald" now ;-)
What an incredible song. I thought the English Varangians was good, but this absolutely blows it out of the water. A hammering beat and brilliant vocals, keep it up mate!
Appreciate it!
for how many languages being dealt with here, this is scarily good, you should keep on doing these sorts of ideas
Thanks, my friend
Tack!
Tack för stödet!
Beautiful mix of language and voices. Amazing work! Love it!
Many thanks!
Irish-English-AlsoPolishSpeaking man cooked us another masterpiece. 🎉. Thanks!
Hah, you're welcome! Thanks for the support
That switch to Greek
Amazing music, sound, vocals... Very well done.
Beautiful song. It is great to hear ancient tongue used in song in the modern age.
Wonderful work to you and your wife!
My wife now thinks I have autism because I'll only listen to you, Skald, along w/ Miracle Aligner & Farya Faraji! I'm so out of place in this world!
I also listen to almost nothing but Farya and Skaldic Bard, these days! Miracle Aligner's music I've listened to the least.
It's the same with me but I'm just a kid😁😁😁
you probably do...
I'm autistic and suspect that your wife is correct.
Are you sure this you're wife?
You know what… I really appreciate the rythm switch you used for the Greek sections! It sounds so close to the orthodox hymns I know. I could almost see it being carried on the wind over the rooftops of Constantinople…Yep you absolutely smashed it out the park with this one and I really wish I could show it to an old Varangian guard or Byzantine soldier !!!!
Man its very impressive you make songs with this quality in such a short time
This is one of my favorite of your original compositions. Well done!
Absolutely epic to have three languages in one song. It really does work beautifully and I really enjoyed it. I've also now started to imagine what a multilingual song about the Battle of Brunanburh in 937 would look like.
Actually a great idea
It's rare that I comment and like on UA-cam... but your works deserve to be recognized. When you close your eyes and listen to the music you literally travel through time. You relive these forgotten episodes through time.
I'm impatiently waiting for a work in Old Frankish 😉
Signed by a Belgian soldier and history buff
Much appreciate you taking the time to comment in that case, my friend, and thank you for the edifying words! Still trying to dig up enough resources on Frankish but it's definitely on the cards ;-)
@@SkaldBardthere’s hardly any surviving scripts of anything in that region until old Dutch (still very few) so I think your best route would be reconstructions and a bit of lyrical implications
Might have to change my favourite song after this one, by far the best creation of yours. The tune is perfect for the story. Loved the mono of the different languages, helped show the difference of these men. Also loved that your wife lead the Greek part seeing as you got that from a woman.
Amazing as always
God Bless
Appreciate the thoughtful comment, and spot on with the Greek observation! Cheers, God bless
Hail! Powerful piece brother 😮 may everyone here listen to your work with open ears. ❤
I hail Varangians. I hail them from the old capital, Constantinople. Bravery will never be forgotten. Loyal lions of the old Emperors, their names will live forever. Lots have changed, but not all. Byzantine Emperors were so lucky to have them, host them in my city. I thank you both husband and wife for this masterpiece.
This is one of the most awesome things I have ever heard.
Haven't even listened yet and I know it's going to be fantastic! Go from listening to Old Norse music and the notification for a new Skaldic Bard song comes up.
I've been binge-hearing this one for a week. Bloody brilliant.
I wish someone would make a film about the Varangian Guard. That way we could hear this song at the cinema...
And I thought that two languages in one song was already nuts. Now we have three, and with beautiful lyrics! Great job, Skald!
This is definitely one of your best compositions I think! It doesn't fail to inspire me every time I listen to it! The drums, the various languages, the whole style is great! The story also simply brings the whole thing to another level. Keep it up!
Awesome to hear, thanks!
Anna Kmomneni sounds how a real princess who knows what is expected of their oathmen, precious detail!
This is epic, been trying to sing along with it but it is tough you guys did an awesome job on this song as well as "The Last Varangians". Hope to see more in the future.
Easily your best work yet, love the percussion on this one! Pass my compliments on to your wife for such angelic singing!
Briljant mate 😊
Tel your partner that your songs are beautiful
Plus it always comes at the perfect time
Ultra Based, your wife and yourself make the most excellent of duos
Thank you for another masterpiece !
Εξαιρετικη αφηγησης μιας ιστορικης σημασιας μαχης .Παρα πολυ ωραιος και πρωτότυπος τρόπος για να μαθαινουν ιστορικα γεγονοτα μιας πολυς σημαντικης εποχης για ολη την ευρωπη
I have been listening to your songs (especially the germanic ones) for the past hour during my workout, the effect is splendid, thank you, Skaldic bard
Based. Glad you enjoyed, my friend
Thanks!
Thanks a lot, my friend! Appreciated
scyttena = archers on back
scyttena = Scythians
I love languages and the music created by them.
This is a true gem people, we need to produce more and more music like this.
Please keep them coming!
Skytt (Shooter) modern day swedish - Skyttarna plural or multible Skyttar (Shooters)
Legendary trio of a Norseman, Anglo-Saxon and a Romaiois (Roman).
This is the best trio ever, don't try to change my mind
@@TzarTzarevich777facts
The trio is legendary but jsyk Romaioi is the plural, singular would be Romaios.
sorry, just sometime I see the Romaioi without the s sometimes with it, thanks for correcting me@@georged.5595
I love how the Greek lines is such a contrast to the ones of the Varangians, as the Empire was truly an entirely different world to the Norse and Anglo-Saxons who made the journey. The song portrays this in a really interesting way. I imagine coming from one of the small villages here in Norway, and being a good enough fighter to take the opportunity the tales of such a distant strange land promised, "Then they sailed southward to Miklagarðr and found the greatest city in all the world, with walls of stone that reached the heavens, shining towers of gold and silver, and streets filled with riches beyond imagination. The markets were overflowing with treasures from every land, and the halls of the emperor glittered with jewels and gold."
Timeless. Bone chilling. Thank you for your music and scholarship (I'm an old reader of Anna Komneni's words).
Probably my favorite of your songs ❤
This is awesome! I love it!
I really love your music! You have such a talent!
May God help you in your creativity!
I'm half northern English and half Greek. This is now my training anthem hahaha
Waos
Just found this, I listened to 1 minute, and I instantly subscribed, amazing stuff!
Holy shit. Your songs make my blood pump like nothing else. Well met🤘🏼🪓🛡️❤️🔥
Some much needed appreciation for the Battle of Beroia! Thanks for the song, from an enjoyer of Ioannes II Komnenos and the Varangians of Thule!
Possibly some of the best content on youtube right now
Thanks
Thanks for the support, friend!
@@SkaldBardThis is outstanding! You’re welcome😊
yet again amaizing song! I really enjoy listening to your songs! Keep up the great work
Thanks, mate! I do have some Bulgarian planned as I know you've been asking, just in case you were wondering ;-)
@@SkaldBard thank you very much that makes me very happy! I guarantee you that i will continue supporting you
English-Viking-Byzantine friendship is strong 🇬🇷🇳🇴🇮🇸🇬🇧💪
You forget the Faroe Islands🇫🇴, Denmark🇩🇰, and Sweden🇸🇪, among your flags.
🏴 not 🇬🇧
🏴✊🏻👍🏻
Lets take back Istanbul !
@@franckvermont1926No, it is Constantinople!
lol just got back from work and was telling my Norwegian boss about the Varangian guard! perfect timing
Just discovered your channel. Really great stuff! I'd love to hear more Medieval Greek. Maybe parts of the Digenis Akritas epic? There's a part where Digenis saves the maiden, would make a great duet!
We are long overdue a big budget movie that follows a band of Anglo-Saxon and Viking Varangians on some kind of madcap adventure across the Empire. All the dialogue must be in authentic Old English, Norse & Greek though otherwise there's no point.
Thanks, you've given me the perfect song to listen to whilst I play the new Varangian Guard hero in For Honor.
Incredible stuff as always
What a powerful and picturesque song, dedicated to those axe-wielding guardians, who cut bloody swathes through the Roman Emperor's enemies! It's remarkable how similar Norse and Anglo-Saxon sound, on the surface of it.
An artistic mix of the languages! I love this!
Your work is like a musical version of Tolkien; both works give us "Westerners" a modern interpretation of our cultural story.
Music should be a far more common medium, for learning language and history.
-From a US citizen with German-Celtic background: Thank you for presenting our history in such an engaging way!
Thanks for the thoughtful comment and the very humbling comparison! Much appreciated, glad you're enjoying it
@@SkaldBard Scaoil amach do cheoil os cionn do chairde is chlann mar na gaoithe sa spéir
Goshhhhhh amazing !!! I love the singing rythm !
My favourite so far. Haunting and beautifully put together and performed
Very lovely song, I love how it portrays the multicultural nature of the Varangian guard. A song I'd love to hear someday is a song about William the Conqueror since you made one for Harald and Harold. Being a descendant of the Conqueror, I'd love to hear you make a song about him.
i remember when this first came out. it'll still be a great track in a year from now I'm sure!
You truly are Skaldic.
A formidable male warrior begins to sing, following a hymn that could only be sung by a winged shieldmaiden angel. I am not exaggerating when I say that this song is a masterpiece.
Iam obsessed with this and listening to it non stop while going to school.
We need more people like you like farya faraji and only odin knows how many good singers there are not known much.
Thank you so much for this.
Amazing! 🏴
This is such a banger honestly
Yay, the old norse is back.
I could feel you breathing down my neck.. ;-)
@@SkaldBard 😅
Another beautiful song!
An other Idea fo a next song could be one sung in Norman-French about the Normans of Normandy. P.S. This song here by the way was beautiful (As always) i really enjoyed it , the greek language strain was a touch of class 😉
Весьма захватывающая песня! И вполне звучит даже намного лучше предыдущих работ, эпик, ритм, всё это звучит довольно бесподобно! К слову, по ощущениям это даже больше походит на композицию из игры. :)
Enjoying this masterpiece from Algeria