Best Asgard Poems
With the end of days upon them
Nears the time of final battle
In the halls of high Valhalla
Asgard senses its death rattle
In the forest crows the rooster
In the sky the sun does darken
In the cave the hound is howling
To these signs the Aesir harken
Heimdall blows the Gjallarhorn
Dark the rainbow bridge is turning
Vivid lightning cleaves Yggdrasil
Then the central tree is burning
Aesir watch in fascination
See volcanoes spew like fountains
See the heavens splitting open
See the oceans climb the mountains
See the continents convulsing
See the forests burn to ashes
See the sons of Mim awaken
In the fatal lightning flashes
As the winds consume the wasteland
From the south Surtr advances
With his minions tearing corpses
Bright his sword and sharp his lances
Aesir then prepare their weapons
Eyes are clear and arms are steady
The Midgard serpent Jörmungandr
Upon the battle plain is ready
With his heavy hammer Mjolnir
Strides the mighty god of thunder
To do battle with the serpent
And to rend the world asunder
June 30, 2014
N.B. This poem is an Epyllion, a brief narrative poem with a romantic or mythological theme. It is written in trochaic tetrameter, like some of the ancient Eddas.
Glossary:
Ragnarök - Final battle and death of the Aesir
Aesir - The Norse gods
Asgard - one of the Nine Worlds and home of the Aesir
Valhalla - a majestic, enormous hall located in Asgard, ruled over by the chief Norse god Odin
Heimdall - A Norse god who blows his horn to signal the beginning of Ragnarök
Gjallarhorn - Heimdall's horn
Midgard- Middle Earth, or the world of humans
Bifröst - the burning rainbow bridge between Midgard and Asgard
Yggdrasil - The sacred Norse central tree that holds the Nine Worlds
Mim - an Asian renowned for his knowledge and wisdom who has been beheaded. Odin carries around Mím's preserved head and it recites secret knowledge and counsel to him.
Surtr- a fire troll with a flaming sword who sets the world on fire.
Jörmungandr- The world serpent or ouroboros that surrounds the earth and grasps his own tail. When he lets go, the world will end. Jörmungandr's arch-enemy is the god Thor.
Thor - The Norse god of thunder
Mjolnir - Thor's hammer and principal weapon
For This Is The Story, An Old Poet Sought Not To Miss
(Part One)
I've ate Eden's last apple, coveted Jason's* golden fleece
chained myself in caverns of darkness, begging no release
refused mighty crowns of power, fed myself painful feasts
crushed my beating heart, as if it were a ravenous beast.
I've tamed the lions of Serengeti, sailed around the Horn*
trekked unarmed, darkest jungles, where fiercest beasts are born
slain dragons with Sequoias, tossed Rock of Gibraltar*
walked in realms of Hades, spat upon its first altar.
I've outran Hermes*, sank my teeth deep into granite walls
sat beside Odin*, gave Thor's* first crown in Valhalla's* halls
wrestled mighty Minotaur*, its armored hide I ripped
stole the Nectar of the Gods*, laughed at them as I sipped.
I've shot Eurytus' bow*, killed Titans* with Heracles sword*
defeated dark Elf* armies, massacred Atilla's* first horde
swung Hammer of Hephaestus*, slept in Forest of Burzee*
trained Arminius army, taught them to show no mercy.
I've quenched Vesuvius fires, held lightning in my hand
flew bright skies over Asgard*, defended its precious homelands
swam with Undines*, feasted with beautiful Amphitrites*
fished with friend Ao Qin*, dragon king of the Southern Sea nights.
I've seen this world of fantasy, inked its splendor in words
sailed in its oceans of love and flown with magical birds
dreamed in its word-paradise and found true love's deepest kiss
for this is the story, an old poet sought not to miss.
Robert J. Lindley
Rhyme
original version written , March 9th, 1977
edited/updated today- August 9th , forty-one years later
(In Nordic mythology Asgard is a location associated with the God)
He darkened my skies to make way for the stars said she
inside her lonely Universe there wasn't any "we"
and the music was low and the storms they did blow
within scars there were scars, appearing in toe
He hollered from heaven to catch her off guard
but enclosed in herself she was far from Asgard
and the thunder did boom and the rain it did fall
as she begged him to answer her call
He painted her canvass with black and slate gray
encased in her soul was a heart made of clay
He stretched out his hand and healed every cut
she knew she was found by the feel of her gut
He darkened her skies for the stars to come out,
yes he heard every whisper and heard every shout !
In Asgard, kingdom of the mighty God Odin
A place awaits all battle fallen warrior heroes
It's in Valhalla where there is endless feasting
And an ending of all griefs and sorrows
The Valkyries, Odin's warrior daughters
Carry the fallen heroes from the battlefield
To Valhalla to join other fallen warriors
Where they are restored to life fully healed
Each day the warriors fight on Asgard's plain
Their battle skills to sharpen and maintain
Every evening wounds and injuries they sustain
Are healed and each warrior made whole again
They dine on liquor and fresh cooked meat
That is always in great abundance for all
Providing a delicious gourmet treat
At Odin's banquet in Valhalla's dining hall
July 18, 2014
Addition:
Here is the poem which aroused my childhood interest in the Vikings, and to
which I referred in my reply to Shadow. I would like to share it with others.
It is "The Sea King's Burial" by Charles Mackay. It recalls the days when a
Viking chief died and his body was placed in a boat. The vessel with full sail
set and a fire lighted, was then sent drifting out to sea. It is a long poem so I
am only quoting the first and last verses:
My strength is failing fast
(Said the sea-king to his men).
I shall never sail the seas
Like a conqueror again,
But while yet a drop remains
Of the life-blood in my veins
Raise, oh, raise me from my bed,
Put the crown upon my head,
Put my good sword in my hand,
And so lead me to the strand,
Where my ship at anchor rides
Steadily;
If I cannot end my life
In the crimsoned battle-strife
Let me die as I have lived,
On the sea.
.......................................
Once alone a cry arose,
Half of anguish, half of pride,
As he sprang upon his feet,
With the flames on every side.
"I am coming! " said the king,
Where the swords and bucklers ring,
Where the warrior lives again,
Where the souls of mighty men
And the weary find repose,
And the red wine ever flows,
I am coming, great -All-Father,
Unto thee!
Unto Odin, unto Thor,
And the strong, true hearts of yore:
I am coming to Valhalla
O'er the sea."
http://www.rampantscotland.com/poetry/blpoems_seaking.htm
It happened in the world called Asgard
Never heard by human ears
The history of one heart, scarred
And moved by love and fear
It's the story of a liar
Loki was his name
His heart of ice catched fire
The goddess Freyja was to blame
But he failed to tell her
And she moved on alone;
Now listen to what occured
In front of mighty Odins throne:
At that time the gods assembled
To feast upon their victory -
Many goddesses hearts trembled
The cause was Lokis flattery
But beautiful Freyja, angered by this
Stood up and stopped the flatterer
Lokis pride got hurt and he hissed
And with terrible words, he hurt her:
"Why do I need to shut my mouth
When your legs are wide open?
Of all the people here I doubt
You'd find one whom you haven't loved then!"
And before anything could be spoken
He left; a lonely god again
The bonds between them were broken
A lie, told to hide the loving man
But even gods sometimes surrender
To a mighty enemy, love or regret
He still was drawn to the other gender
To the woman he couldn't forget
He arrived at her chamber
Thoughts of apologie on his mind
Just to learn that Odin sent her
To a location undefined
And Lokis world again was grey
As he cried into the wind
"Why did you need to take her away
Just because once I sinned?"
In the middle of Asgard, where the Gods and Goddesses live, is Yggdrasil by name, the tree of life is its fame. The eternal green Ash tree, the branches stretching out over all the nine worlds. Yggdrasil is carried by three enormous roots. Next to the first root is a well named Urd's well, where the Gods have their daily meetings. Next to the second root is Mimir's well, and the third root close to the well Hvergelmir. It is here the dragon Nidhug is chewing on one of Yggdrasil's roots. Nidhug is also known to suck the blood out of the dead bodies, that arrive at Hel. At the very top of Yggdrasil lives a giant unnamed eagle, the eagle and the dragon are bitter enemies, they truly despise each other. There is a squirrel named Ratatosk, who spends his time running up and down the Ash tree, doing what he can to keep the hatred alive between the two. "Urd" means "destiny". The generally accepted meaning of Old Norse Yggdrasill is "Odin's horse", drasill means "horse" and Ygg is one of Odin's many names. There are four stags that feast of the foliage of the Ash tree also.
In the Poetic Edda, the tree is mentioned in three poems. In the Voluspa, stanza 19, the Volva says: (Volva, a shamanic seeress)
An ash I know there stands,
Yggdrasill is its name,
a tall tree, showered
with shining loam.
From there comes the dews
that drop in the valleys.
It stands forever green over
Urd's well.
When Odin hanged, speared, for nine days on the World Tree, he uttered the words that he had 'sacrificed himself onto himself'.
In Norse mythology, the Norns are three female divine beings who have more influence over the course of destiny than any other beings in the cosmos. They dwell within the Well of Urd.
Fare thee be well to stranger and kin
Another story do tell of Universal Law them
Signal frequents sent in alternating from him
All in regards to glowing of little gem
She wraps her arms around the dark of the night
Encompassing in him and all around him is her light
Nine personalities there do be
All creating the one in thee
Understanding and hearing them all
Requires the one to build a proper wall
They be the building blocks in you
Seven see; A, E, I, O, and U
All be parts of the fellowship ring you
I – ntelligence Supreme supplying energy behind all steam
E- go driven attitude is mentally meant to allude
A – lpha has spoken and only heard by thee awakened
E – motional feelings multiplying by floor and ceiling
I – mpulse sensitivity senses all mirror double dealing
O – rigination of desires conspire or inspire both indeed start fires
U – nderlying seed does feed the one base need
Next side be side these two titans see
Thor or Asgard, The Thunder Hammer of desires origination
And, Thee lovable Hulk, Harmonic underlying seed lacking knowledge is base need
Thrust into battle they go
These be their armies in tow
Having many different names though
Hulk and Thor’s higher and lower self
All four picked from amongst these
Blocks that be on the shelf
Being amongst these ye can perceive
As well as retrieve
Words that appear in tea’s leaves
These warriors do be
Constants these
Armies all ye B, C, D…
F, G, H, J, K, L, M, N, P, Q, R, S, T, V, W, X, Y, Z
Multiples of three
Be in rhapsody
From Valhalla’s fortress of spears and shields,
Valkyrie riders make their daily runs…
Crossing Bifrost to Midgard’s battlefields,
Harvesting warriors till Ragnorak comes.
Flying from Valhalla on their war horses,
Thundering hooves beat like old battle drums,
Odin’s blond daughters watching the forces--
Harvesting warriors till Ragnorak comes.
Legionnaires, Pikemen, Hussars and Spartans;
Storm Troopers, Crusaders and Saracens;
Musketeers, Vikings, and Gladiators;
Watusi, Cossacks, and Conquistadors.
As long as men hear the sounds of war drums,
They’ll harvest the best till Ragnorak comes.
Valkyries search for those to stand vanguard,
Recruiting Odin’s Einherjar armies.
Warriors pass Valgrind to live in Asgard--
Honored to be served by the Valkyries.
Hoplites, Commandoes, and Mujahideens;
Samurais, Yeomen, and US Marines;
Guerrilas, Dragoons, and Panzer Tankers;
Grenadiers, Mamelukes, and Bezerkers.
As long as men hear the sounds of war drums,
Valkyries harvest till Ragnorak comes.
The forests sing, the oceans cry,
The ravens soar through every sky
Into the corners of Asgard
To drive the thuds of Odin’s heart.
On Sleipner, he rides on through
Surveys the fallen, chooses you,
On wings of Valkries flies you home
To sit in pride beside his throne!
ODIN! Hear my call,
My soul belongs too thee,
FIRE! On my sword,
Bequeath me victory.
Brother Loki holds the flame,
Thor throws down the light and rain,
Upon the dragon-ships below
The battle-wails begin to grow.
Storming shores with torch in hand
To claim conquest upon the land,
So as to view the Cosmic Tree
And glean the wisdom same as thee.
ODIN! Now I know,
The secrets born of war,
The spoils I fought to own
I value more and more.
An ancient battle of the gods
To claim the land around, as ours,
To remain strong as number one,
At the behest of Odin’s sons,
To see the after-life assured
And all man’s imperfections, cured,
So one day, everyone will share
The hidden words, of Odin’s Prayer…
ODIN!!!! Grant my soul,
Unfettered passage through,
To Valhalla’s hall
So I may rest with you.
A Nordic says "God lives in Asgard"
A Jew says "God lives in Heaven"
A Mayan says "God lives in the 13 Heavens"
A Samurai says "God lives in the Katana sword"
A Gnostic says "God lives within us"
If God was to be asked where he lives,
which abode do you think he would say?
Many a God dwells in the great world tree of the Asgards
But the strongest one of them all is the one who holds
The power of storms wrathful in the palm of his hands
You can hear his voice in the thunder as the sky grows
Darker and darker, he swings his hammer to the land and
Lightning comes down with such a force it shakes the
Very core of Valhalla...drowning out the screams of
The orcs that go trying to cross the echoing bridge...
Well he comes swinging his hammer and strikes them
Down, they drop to the forest floor frozen in the snow
Covered ground...you cannot yield his power, you can
Not have a hand on his gleaming hammer...he says in
A voice of thunder "I am the keeper of the gate, the
Keeper of law and order, keeper of Valhalla in good
Fate...I will protect the innocent but woe to the Orcs
Who challenge my power...I will swing my hammer
To the ground and strike you down” he says in a voice
Of thunder “I am Thor of Asgard, I am Thor, Thor”
As it is written in the stars!
I hold a hammer; a divine hammer;
a tool that I use to protect the gates of Asgard,
against Locke, and his cohorts.
I also use the hammer to destroy the evil and selfish plots
of Locke in the planet Earth; a world so young in technology
and psychic abilities. Bullying innocent lives is what Locke knows
best; his heart is drowned in hate for good.
Odin, King of Asgard and my father, blessed me with the hammer
to annihilate any darkest or strongest warrior in all corners
of the universe.
Character: Thor
Movie: Thor
Name: Teddy Kimathi
Jesus, Muadduh, Spiderman, an Asgard, New Reporter
are sitting around the table asking how the Rapture would happen
the new reporter asked Jesus first and he said "i would just make them fly into the sky"
Muaddah said "drop bombs then fly"
Spiderman said "dude i'm an atheist"
the Asgard said "i would use a torando and leave the women"
the new reporter then said "britallant idea i would just never report it"
then Jesus turned to the person to the right and said "muaddah thats ********!"
A Norse Day
Odin, god of battle, always looking for a war
Took his brother Loki off to battle with his son called Thor
The only way to find true peace
Is killing everything you please
His brother Loki liked only fun and pranks
For that he got no thanks
Thor gained fame with thunder hammer in his hand
He was a hero like his dad and loved throughout the land
There were no dragons at that time but never mind
Thor could fly, (according to the scriptures)
But only in the comic strips and fiction
In “real” mythology he used a goat to get around
To slew giants and the bad guys down
The goat or goats would drive across the sky
With thunder driven chariots and Thor inside
Odin threw his son from Asgard to the Earth
If that were not the case. If Thor was not a jerk
We wouldn't have Thors-day or Thursday you might say
The mystery of his mystic hammer power still remains
But we have the 5th. day of the week now named
7/29/14 All Things Norse contest
"Legend has it that the Gods of Asgard
opened up the heavens, and brought Rune
Stones with them; stones that had Man's secrets,
and his connection to the divine realm" the old sage
assured them, his long, white beard gently being swayed
by the sea breeze.
....little did they know that the old man was actually Odin,
who foresaw their victory in recovering Thor's Hammer,
deep in the Ice Kingdom, hidden by Locke!.....
Date: 14/07/14