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a collection of literature from poets, bards, songwriters, and skalds in the SCA

Sirventes for Kingdom Crusades

byram's picture
byram
Poem (Canso): 

I want to make a sirventes of the two kings:
Logan, that Blackheart!, and Lucan, bold king of the East!
Soon shall we see them draw up the levies and turn out the knights
Armour polished as mirrors, bright as stars,
With minds bent on war

And I pray to the saints
That if both kings would remain just and true
Then let not this war be Pointless.
For if a Crusade they would have 
Let it be for bent swords, shattered shields, and broken heads.

For Friendship in war is as useless as tits upon a boar!
I tell you, if the Wolf would find his teeth
And challenge the Tiger
Then let him and his take up His aspect:
Fierce, wild, and bloody!

Let the men, up from the South
Rush upon these Thugs,these valiant opponents;
And those knights of worthy name and lineage
Let Anton, and Michael, and Richard
Vie the field for their King.

If Gregor, if Hanse, if Ronald
Would maintain the valor of their names;
If the jongleurs would praise their deeds anew.
Let them rise to meet this challenge
As they surely have before.

And everywhere
In a moment
See the hacked bodies and hewn heads
Of champions under the press,
Attesting our "friendship".

For Atlantia, once led by a King
Once broke it's eastern bands,
And it is only right that we
Test our courage against
Our sage, and bloody forbearers.

Let the horn resound and call the men to the field!
Friend, take this message to the kings,
As I stew here for war:
That battle, like life
Should be fiercely played.

Documentation / Explanation (Razo): 

This was one of the first ever Sirventes that I wrote. I was obviously trying to capture the feel of En Bertran's works (specifically "I want to make a sirventes of the two kings") without delving into the actual rhyme scheme. None the less, I like this old one a lot. Master Niall, as my Jongleur, performed this piece for King Logan at his Coronation, which of course lead to the challenge, and subsequent Sirventes that I wrote for Duke Cuan.  There are the usual use of Senhals and such in here, including references to the "Northern Army Thugs" and Clan Ebonwoulfe. I also poked fun at the name change from "Pointless Wars" to "Kingdom Crusades".

I actually got flamed on the Merry Rose  (where I published this first) for promoting violence and "unchivlarous combat". Obviously, those folks had not read the medieval literature that this piece was based on, so they didn't "get it". Don't even get me started on my 'Chivalry means guys on horses' rant. In my mind, and in En Bertran's, it seem perfectly reasonable to be courteous and chivalrous to your opponent, all the while caving his skull in.