{"collection":"myth-cosmogony","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_26803/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_26803","id":"gutenberg_26803","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/26803","summary":null,"tags":["Ballads","Category: Mythology, Legends & Folklore","Category: Poetry","English poetry"],"text":"Transcribed from the 1913 Thomas J. Wise pamphlet by David Price, email\nccx074@pglaf.org\n\n\n\n\n\n                            KING HACON\u2019S DEATH\n                                   AND\n                          BRAN AND THE BLACK DOG\n\n\n                               TWO BALLADS\n\n                                    BY\n                              GEORGE BORROW\n\n                                 LONDON:\n                     PRINTED FOR PRIVATE CIRCULATION\n                                   1913\n\n\n\n\nKING HACON\u2019S DEATH\n\n\nAnd now has happened in our day\n   What was in ancient time foretold:\nBeneath his hand all Norroway\u2019s land\n   Has Hacon brought, the wise and bold.\n\nFull many a warrior summons he\n   From all the country far and near;\nTo Scotland\u2019s realm, with shield and helm,\n   Across the sea the King will steer.\n\nAs many as sword and helm can bear\n   With him must sail across the foam;\nAll of fit age must follow their liege,\n   Those who are not may tarry at home.\n\nIt was Hacon, Norroway\u2019s King,\n   Survey\u2019d the gallant band with pride:\n\u201cI\u2019m missing one\u2014my Andfindson,\n   O where does Olaf the stripling bide?\u201d\n\nThen answer\u2019d him the little footboy,\n   Not far that stood from the Monarch\u2019s knee:\n\u201cOlaf, my Lord, will come on board\n   As soon as weigh\u2019d the anchors be.\u201d\n\nThen out they stood from Bergen town,\n   And out from Bergen\u2019s mole, I trow;\nSilk is the sail they spread in the gale,\n   Painted with blue is the deck below.\n\n\u201cNow Magnus hear, my son so dear,\n   At home I tell thee thou must stay:\nAarhus to ward and Bergen to guard,\n   For the keys of Norroway\u2019s land are they.\u201d\n\n\u201cListen all dearest father mine,\n   Recall thy word I entreat of thee;\nTo rule rough earls and Norroway churls\n   Too ignorant far and too young I be.\u201d\n\n\u201cThen clothe thee straight and clothe thee well,\n   Since thou wilt follow me, my child:\nBut much I fear thou can\u2019st not bear\n   The toss of the sea and its billows wild.\u201d\n\nSo out they stood from Bergen town,\n   And \u2019twas at fall of evening grey;\nThe folk on the shore they griev\u2019d full sore\n   As that brave armament sail\u2019d away.\n\nAnd when they came to Lindeness,\n   And the mounting billow the sail bespray\u2019d,\nIn the breeze so fair the ship stood there\n   As though to the bottom it fast were made.\n\nThen said the King as he lean\u2019d upon\n   His trusty faulchion\u2019s hilt of gold:\n\u201cI\u2019m here in the dark, is there any clerk\n   Or layman here can this thing unfold?\u201d\n\nThen out spoke Nilaus Noderness,\n   As a glance he flung upon the deep:\n\u201cDoom\u2019d men on board, have we my Lord,\n   The truth from thee I cannot keep.\u201d\n\nIt was our Norroway Hacon then\n   Thereat so sorely troubled grew:\n\u201cI\u2019m missing one, my Andfindson,\n   Why meets not Olaf his father\u2019s view?\u201d\n\nThen answer\u2019d him the little footboy,\n   As apart he stood from the Norway King:\n\u201cBeneath the deck lies Olaf sick,\n   And much I fear he\u2019s suffering.\u201d\n\nIt was Hacon the Norway King\n   To visit Olaf with speed he goes:\n\u201cWhat cheer, what cheer, my Olaf dear?\n   Thy state to thy father straight disclose.\u201d\n\n\u201cI feel no rest within my breast,\n   Methinks my very heart will rend:\nWould God, the King of all, would bring\n   This horrible night to a speedy end.\u201d\n\nThey watched o\u2019er Olaf Andfindson,\n   They watched o\u2019er Olaf long nights twain;\nAnd Hacon I say, of Norroway,\n   By watching thus his death did gain.\n\nIt was Olaf Andfindson,\n   He yielded up his gentle sprite;\n\u2019Twas Hacon grey of Norroway\n   Before him held the big wax light.\n\nO then King Hacon distrest he grew,\n   The stripling\u2019s corse he would not leave:\nHe pin\u2019d away and sick he lay,\n   His hoary Counsellors how they grieve.\n\n\u201cCheer up,\u201d they said.  \u201cWe\u2019ve fought and bled,\n   And almost won these foreign shores;\nBut if thou now from us should\u2019st go\n   A sad and dreary fate were ours.\u201d\n\n\u201cMy time is come, I can\u2019t survive;\n   Write ye my testament, I pray,\nWhen I am gone do ye see done\n   What with my dying breath I say:\n\n\u201cMy son, King Magnus, I advise\n   Ever the law of God to heed;\nJustice above all things to love,\n   And well, full well, with him \u2019twill speed.\n\n\u201cPriests and widows let him defend,\n   And his reign, I trow, will not be brief;\nThe outlaw crew let him pursue,\n   And hang unpitying every thief.\n\n\u201cThese are the first things I request,\n   And now I\u2019ll crave another thing;\nYe\u2019ll bury me with my ancestry\n   In our Lady\u2019s Church as beseems your King.\u201d\n\nTo Bergen\u2019s shore came tidings o\u2019er\n   Which made the hearts of the dauntless faint:\n\u201cHacon is dead, our regal head,\n   Relation near to Olaf Saint.\u201d\n\nIn Orkney isle expir\u2019d the King,\n   On a Thursday morning that befell;\n\u2019Twas Pentecost when the King they lost,\n   The mighty King whom they lov\u2019d so well.\n\nFrom high Kirkwall now sail\u2019d they all,\n   And to Bergen o\u2019er their course they ply;\nThey laid in grave the Monarch brave,\n   In the spot where the Monarch wish\u2019d to lie.\n\nA braver heart ne\u2019er play\u2019d a part,\n   And never shone in Minstrel\u2019s lay;\nNo King on earth can vie in worth\n   With Hacon the Good of Norroway.\n\n\n\n\nBRAN AND THE BLACK DOG\n\n\nThe day we went to the hills to chase\n   Of dogs we had a brave company;\nThere heard we the songs of the feather\u2019d race,\n   The blare of the elk, and the roebuck\u2019s cry.\n\nIn the hills we had no common sport,\n   With our dogs and our arms many deer we slew;\nWhen at noon we return\u2019d to our silvan court,\n   We were a well-pleas\u2019d, laughing crew.\n\nThat night the house of the Fenian king\n   With a band of joyous guests was fill\u2019d;\nThe manner we sang, whilst we plied the string,\n   In which the buck and the elk we kill\u2019d.\n\nThe valiant Finn arose next day,\n   Just as the sun rose above the foam;\nAnd he beheld up the Lairgo way,\n   A man clad in red with a black dog come.\n\nI\u2019ll tell ye what was the stranger\u2019s mien:\n   His complexion was that of the strawberrie;\nWhite as the canach was his skin,\n   Though black his hair, as black could be.\n\nHe came up with a lofty gait,\n   Said not for shelter he sought our doors;\nAnd wanted neither drink nor meat,\n   But would match his dog \u2019gainst the best of ours.\n\nWe brought \u2019gainst that of the stranger youth\n   The very best dogs within our bounds;\nBut the stranger dog had a desperate tooth,\n   And quickly despatch\u2019d for us fifty hounds.\n\nA strange fight this, the great Finn said,\n   As he turn\u2019d his face towards his clan;\nThen his face with rage grey fiery red,\n   And he struck with his fist his good dog Bran.\n\nBran look\u2019d at his master with much surprise,\n   That his master should strike him surprise he felt\u2014\n\u201cI could hew from the shoulder the hand,\u201d Finn cries,\n   \u201cWith which my dog that blow I dealt.\u201d\n\nThen Bran he shook his collar of gold,\n   The mountains echoed with his bay;\nHis terrible eyes like fire-balls roll\u2019d,\n   And his mind was bent upon canine fray.\n\n\u201cTake off from his neck the collar of gold,\n   Not right for him now such a thing to bear;\nAnd a free good fight we shall behold\n   Betwixt my dog and his black compeer.\u201d\n\nNow a likeness I\u2019ll draw of my good dog Bran:\n   His head was cover\u2019d with shaggy hair,\nHis breast was broad and its colour tan,\n   His houghs were crook\u2019d, his quarters square.\n\nFour yellow feet had he I ween,\n   His sides were black but his belly fair;\nA tinge of green on his back was seen,\n   Of blood-red ears he\u2019d a pointed pair.\n\nThe dogs their noses together placed,\n   Then their blood was scatter\u2019d on every side;\nDesperate the fight, and the fight did last\n   \u2019Till the brave black dog in Bran\u2019s gripe died.\n\n\u201cO sure was I,\u201d did Ossian cry,\n   From the pillar of the dogs with stern delight,\n\u201cThere was no dog in the Finn country\n   Could inflict upon Bran the mortal bite.\n\n\u201cO Bran was a stag-hound Morong bred,\n   And possess\u2019d each canine guile and sleight;\nThere was no dog in leash e\u2019er led\n   Could consign our dog to the Western height.\n\n\u201cThere\u2019s many a damsel, heavenly bright,\n   With azure eye and yellow hair,\nIn the land of the son of King Torc this night\n   Would be proud with my dog her supper to share.\u201d\n\nA grave the valiant hero made\n   For his good black dog in the field\u2019s green breast;\nFull fifty dogs the Fenians laid\n   To the pibroch\u2019s blast in the hill to the west.\n\nWe went to the dwelling of high MacCuol,\n   With the king to drink, and dice, and throw;\nThe king was joyous, his hall was full,\n   Though empty and dark this night I trow.\n\n                                * * * * *\n\n                                 LONDON:\n               Printed for THOMAS J. WISE, Hampstead, N.W.\n\n                   _Edition limited to Thirty Copies_.","title":"King Hacon's Death, and Bran and the Black Dog: Two Ballads","tradition":"myth-cosmogony","translated_text":null,"word_count":1462}