Brunanburh - Old English, Old Norse, Old Welsh & Middle Gaelic song | The Skaldic Bard

Here is another original song I made, this time about the Battle of Brunanburh in 937. Music, arrangement, lyrics and performance by The Skaldic Bard.

The battle marked a decisive victory for Athelstan against a coalition of Norsemen, Scotsmen and Cumbrians (Strathclydians) who sought to challenge his rule over a unified English kingdom. Having conquered Northumbria in 927, Athelstan had become the first king to effectively rule over all England, causing his neighbours to put their own quarrels to one side and band together in an attempt to weaken the English throne. This became a pressing necessity, as Athelstan had successfully invaded Scotland without challenge in 934. King Constantine mac Aeda of Scotland and King Owain ap Dyfnwal of Strathclyde allied with Olaf Guthfrithson of Dublin, who sought to reclaim influence in Northumbria. Athelstan raised an army of West Saxons and Mercians to meet them, and he won a decisive victory at Brunanburh (whose precise location is debated).

To represent each nation involved, the song is written in four languages: Old English, Old Norse, Late Old Welsh (with a Cumbric twist) and Middle Gaelic.

A note on the Old English and Old Welsh here:

Parts of the Old English are adaptations of the poem written in Old English (known as “The Battle of Brunanburh”.) It’s an amazing piece of literature, and it was a pleasure to be able to use some of it to write this song.

I’ve done my best to convert the Old Welsh into Cumbric, which was a very close relative of Welsh. Sadly, very little evidence for the Cumbric language exists, and certainly not enough to attempt a true reconstruction,, so I’ve mostly adapted (late) Old Welsh with pronunciation that more closely mirrors how Cumbric likely would have sounded. I also made a rough orthography for it based on Cornish and Welsh conventions.

I don’t think I’ve ever worked so hard on a song, so I hope you enjoy it. It was a lot of fun to make, but I’m pretty exhausted now!

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My intention is exclusively to teach history and languages through song. I do not condone, endorse or seek to glorify violence.

Thanks as always for your kind support, and God bless!

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Lyrics:
Old Welsh / Cumbric:
Cumbri a Saysson cyvervidhin,
a val buyt balôn Sayssôn syrthin.
Pêt cint ei reges yn aỻtŷdedh,
no mynet Cumbri crifion yn difrêdh.
Pêt tyuissôk Cintigern yr cynivir.
Ni uiu, ni ueỻik, ni flig, ni chridh.
Cumbri cynyrcheit cufin duỻin,
a chymot guir Strat clut a guir Dulin

Old Norse:
Dyflinnarfǫr dragask at vígi vápndauða.
Fyrðar fjánda fara þat far, er fólk flýja.

Old Norse/Old English:
Bretar branda bera
- Ġe Engle, ġe Seaxe -
Skotar spjótum skjóta.
- Ġe ēþelweardas -
Nú enskir menn eru
- Ne bēoð ġe tō forhte -
af þrim þjóðum þrøngðir.
- Rīsaþ, beornas! -

Old English:
Hēr Æþelstān cyning, rihtcyning Engla
beadubyrþenne birþ, his wyrd earfoðhāwe.
Scottas, Wealas, Norþmenn, þrēo elfylċu rēoc,
hīe ealle ætsamne Englaland sēċaþ.

Middle Gaelic:
A Ċausantín ḃorbcruaiḋ ṁac Áeda
Tug na galla fa ruaig don turassa go Saxain
Cuirṫe ar gall do ngoil san caṫ mórsa,
Arg a ndún, tug é fa mur tineaḋ
Ar ferand na ngall do lot le hAṁlaíḃ
Ní maisi an teiċeḋ, a Albanach, a Ḃretnach!,
Na bat biḋ aniṁ Alban no Ṡraṫ Ċluaiḋ ort
Na leic teċ taṫar do neoċ!

Old Norse/Old English:
Bani bitr bíðr.
- Ġelast sċeal mid āre -
Skǫrp sverð saxa sǿkja.
- God āna wāt hwæt -
Málmhríð hermegi meiðir
- ūs beadu bringaþ. -
Valkyrjur val kjósa.
- Kyrie eleison! -

Eyjafyrðar egghvassir
- Cēne is sē þe -
á Aðalstein vápn bera.
- stent fæst and wīġþ hēr. -
Skal nú stóll inn enski
- God bēo ā mid ūs. -
falla sem strá slegit.

Old English:
Eoforan Ēadweardes, Æþelstān, Ēadmund,
eoldorlange tīr æt sæċċe ġeslōgon.
Bordweallas clufon hamora lāfum.
Þær læġ seċg māniġ āġieted gārum.

Old English/Old Welsh/Middle Gaelic/Old Norse:
Wealas ofercomon.
- Atchueluynt Vrython. -
Scotta lēode crungon.
- Fuaramar mór ḋulc. -
Norþmenn, of’r sċield sċoten,
- Enskir skyli morna! -
eft Īraland sohton.

Old English:
Hēr Æþelstān cyning, elnes ānhyġdiġ,
þrȳþum þwȳrode þrēo þēode wið.
Siþþe sunne upp oþ sēo tō setle sāg
ymbe Brunanburh he bieġde elbrega.

Hēr Æþelstān cyning, elnes ānhyġdiġ,
þrȳþum þwȳrode þrēo þēode wið.
Siþþe sunne upp oþ sēo tō setle sāg
ymbe Brunanburh he bieġde elbrega.

Please do not redistribute my work without permission. Feel free to email me with any inquiries!

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