“Someone sings in the camp at night. Apparently it’s a norn mourning ballad. Saddest thing I ever heard.”(Crusader Aurus Fuseblight )
I think that the norn are more storytellers than people that sing in clean rhyme structures and a very lyrical language. So when they’d sing a sad song and not a drinking song it would probably about raw, brutal manry feels put in something that vagely reminds of a song…and problably they would be pretty drunk and sing it very off-key. XD
So this is my try to write " a sad norn ballad". It’s about the similiarity of Jotun and Norn, who both have a focus on individuality (bordering to narcism and egoism) and see it as very important to be strong and honour strong ancestors. While Jotun have a ancestor cult the Norn have a strong emphasis with making their legend last through generations.
they’re also similiar in body type.
So it seems to fit, that the Norn would make a song to remember the similarities between them, mourn for their lost home and stil lsay they’re much more awesome that anyone else and specifically the Jotun (since the spirits choose the Norn and not the Jontun) at the same time. ^^"
I first wrote it in my mother tongue ,since its easier for me and then translated. Some things don’t work one hundred percent, since in German you can use the same word for brain/mind/intelligence and spirit, which seems not to work that well in English.
the translation in English is below.
Kannst du noch singen mein Bruder?
Einst waren wir gleich
wir, die wir die wir die eisigen Höhen der nördlichen Zittergipfel lieben
Wir lebten Seit’ an Seit’
kämpften, töteten, liebten, ehrten einander
wie nur Brüder es tun.
Doch die Ehre ist Vergangen
die heimischen Höhen an die Dunkelheit gefallen
Die Geister verließen dich
und mit ihnen schwand dein Geist
Wir waren einst gleich
und liebten das gleiche Leben
die Jagd und den Kampf
Bruder, sing mir dein Lied
von Eis, Schnee und einer Legende
die die Ewigkeit überdauert
Wenn dein Geist fällt
so bleibt doch die Erinnerung bestehen
solange dies Lied an den Feuern erklingt
denn
wir waren einst Brüder
Bruder Jotun!
wir glichen uns einst
transl:
Can you still sing my brother?
Once we were the same
We, who love the icy heigths of the Northern Shiverpeaks
we lived side by side
fought, killed, loved, honoured each other
like only brothers could.
But the honour is gone
the hills of our home are fallen to the Darkness
the ghosts [spirits] have left you
and with them you lost your ghost [sanity]
Once we were the same
and we loved the same life
the hunt and the fight
Brother, sing your song for me
about ice and snow and a Legend
that lasts throughout the eons
Your ghost [sanity] may fall
but the memory will stay alive
as long as this song can be heard at the fire places
Because
Once we were brothers
brother Jotun!
Once we were the same
(edited by Oreithyia.3064)