Pining for the Fyrds

S01 — Session 17

1625, Sacred_time Season

Season, Week, Day
1625, Holy Season

Dramatis Personae

Events


As before, the log will be recounted with extracts from Berra JarangsdottiHumaktisaga, from The Sonnets to Mellia, Sweetest of Healers, White Lady of Esrolia, The Lay of Serala, Lance of the Cold Sun , The Sonnets to Vestra, Grey Lady of Esrolia, The Death of Rajar, and NalaTiwrSaga. Editorial commentary will be recorded [thus]. Both the D and T voice appear in this selection of extracts.


[Welcome to our next lecture. This is a fascinating opportunity to look at the political events of Sacred Season 1625, through the prism of Pro-Sartarite propaganda of the time. We should perhaps remain a touch cautious about some interpretations, as naturally the geopolitical struggle between Heortling and Lunar was not the only- there are plenty of factional struggles ongoing between Sartarite groups. We shall begin with Kallyrsaga, again documenting the work of Dormal in the immediate aftermath of the failed ritual.]

Bleeding bright blood
Bladecarrying Bride of Sartar Brave
Lay lifeless midst Lightbringers
Lept Dormal Lightfoot loyally. 1T D Voice’s theoretical involvement here sets him – or her – aside from the usual interloping narrative voices, but the end reward is, of course, the same.

Bound burnt body
Bundled bleeding with bands
Saving sweet Starbrow
But Still slept Sartarlady!

Jena just-called to Gentle Goddess 2But not in Sacred Time.
Justly jagged wounds judging
Brought back Beneva
Bright lady Best of Boldhome

[Our other heroes at this dramatic moment were kicking open the door to the farmhouse and finding slaughter.]

Blood between boards.
Bodies fly Blown bloating.3Oh, for an inner eye that might be closed to such images.
Lunars leaving death lying
Lies leading sacrificial lunacy4 Two double meanings in a single stanza.. Almost certainly deliberate on the part of the poet. Or perhaps three, if one considers the results of Lunar Magic to Serala later in this ‘episode’. !

[The Lay of Serala has a rather different focus on this part, and if we consider it historically5 Which is a debatable position we must assume Serala split off from the main body of the heroes at this point, in order to travel back to Boldhome.]

Swiftly through Sartars tallest mountains then flying
Serala arrived in a city that was wailing and crying.
Riding like the wind through a place that was mourning
She arrived in the square as the gold light was gently dawning6 This sounds highly unlikely as it would mean she had ridden through the night again, and further does not match with other accounts of when the assassination attempt was made. One can assume it was either an author error, an attempt to bring Yelm and Yelmalio into it, or dramatic license. In whichever case, this historian does not approve.

Eril’s word stood before them all, Serala, and Dormal, Koraki the Tall
The Fyrd riding out, Dormal and Serala answerin’ the call7 Again, there is evidence that Dormal and Serala rode out after the Fyrd, and somewhat faster. The author of the Lays is not always the most concerned with precise chronology
To battle, to glory, which showed in the light
Which glinted on weapons, and sharpened their sight!

Arriving as Eril the brave stood confronting Jar-Eel
Midst the dead ‘fore him besmirching the field!
Dormal led Humakti home, to search for the foe
Whilst Serala charged Jar-Eel to strike her with woe!

Once and once again, her bow string did sing
Her bronze arrows keen striking forth with a death dealing sting!
Throwing self foward against the red Queen, guessing
That only thus would Humakt find her in battles hard pressing!

So did she win greatest renown and her tale
Was told for many a day and in many a vale
For who would not wish of such a warrior to know,
Who bested, though costly, such a fell foe!

[It would appear that when the others returned, one or other Praxian was blamed for things which had gone wrong. These stanzas are found both in NalaTiwrSaga and in The Death of Rajar.]

Why blame Praxians
When things go awry for you?
Your truth is not this. 8As always, given the current popularity of The Spurious Rajar, we are inclined to include an appropriate stanza:

Can tall Eril find
The North Road given: both hands
An ass, an Atlas?

It is noted by the Lecturer in Oversized Books: Clearly this is a diversionary tactic. Given the drain of cavalry horses at the battle of the Razoress, it merely comments that Eril rode a donkey north, whilst pandering to such sensationalist interpretations as given above.

We now discard that unfortunate poem, in favour of more serious discussion.

When Humakt blames you
But Orlanth does not see this
Divided kingdom. 9The R text tries to distinguish Eril and Tenebris as separate characters. This is (according to certain ill-advised sources) specious. Their functional overlap in the story is complete, and with the windlord Koraki, a much more personable and believable character, there is no need for another Orlanthi. Or, for that matter, another villain. We must assume that due to the respect of the character Berra, the Humakti priest is the origin of the doubling.

And possibly the source of the phrase “ off-handed.”

Wiermonken on this subject: ‘oh, sweet summer child’.

What Really Happened

Notable Moments and Quotes


Related Logs

  • 1
    T D Voice’s theoretical involvement here sets him – or her – aside from the usual interloping narrative voices, but the end reward is, of course, the same.
  • 2
    But not in Sacred Time.
  • 3
    Oh, for an inner eye that might be closed to such images.
  • 4
    Two double meanings in a single stanza.. Almost certainly deliberate on the part of the poet. Or perhaps three, if one considers the results of Lunar Magic to Serala later in this ‘episode’.
  • 5
    Which is a debatable position
  • 6
    This sounds highly unlikely as it would mean she had ridden through the night again, and further does not match with other accounts of when the assassination attempt was made. One can assume it was either an author error, an attempt to bring Yelm and Yelmalio into it, or dramatic license. In whichever case, this historian does not approve.
  • 7
    Again, there is evidence that Dormal and Serala rode out after the Fyrd, and somewhat faster. The author of the Lays is not always the most concerned with precise chronology
  • 8
    As always, given the current popularity of The Spurious Rajar, we are inclined to include an appropriate stanza:

    Can tall Eril find
    The North Road given: both hands
    An ass, an Atlas?

    It is noted by the Lecturer in Oversized Books: Clearly this is a diversionary tactic. Given the drain of cavalry horses at the battle of the Razoress, it merely comments that Eril rode a donkey north, whilst pandering to such sensationalist interpretations as given above.

    We now discard that unfortunate poem, in favour of more serious discussion.
  • 9
    The R text tries to distinguish Eril and Tenebris as separate characters. This is (according to certain ill-advised sources) specious. Their functional overlap in the story is complete, and with the windlord Koraki, a much more personable and believable character, there is no need for another Orlanthi. Or, for that matter, another villain. We must assume that due to the respect of the character Berra, the Humakti priest is the origin of the doubling.

    And possibly the source of the phrase “ off-handed.”

    Wiermonken on this subject: ‘oh, sweet summer child’.