So this has been.my favorite song of OTEP's since it came out in 2004, and I always thought it was a song about a child's narrative of suffering in an abusive Christian home. But now that I am revisiting the lyrics, I am seeing something totally new.
This song could be gospel of John but from the perspective of Jesus.
Jesus was NOT having a good time up to and during the crucifixion. Everyone in the known world at the time looked to him with fear, admiration or disgust and he was constantly being asked questions. He spoke in "verses, prophesies and curses". He had made an enemy of the state, and believed the world was increasingly wicked and fallen from grace, or that he was in the "mouth of madness".
The spine of atlas is the structure that allows the titan to hold the world up. Jesus challenged the state and in doing so became a celebrated resistance figure. It also made him public enemy #1.
All of this happened simply because he was doing his thing, not because of any agenda he had or strategy.
And then he gets scourged (storm of thorns)
There are some plot holes here but I think it's an interesting interpretation.
Hefir hon haft langan vanmátt,
ok pat var krom mikil;
fekk hon enga nótt svefn ok var
sem hamstoli vaeri.
Ristnar hafa verit rúnar, ok er sá einn bóndason
hedan skammt í brott, er pat gerdi,
ok er sidan miklu
verr en adr.
Egil reist rúnar ok lagdi undir hoegendit
Í hvíluna, par er hon hvildi;
henni potti sem hon vaknadi or svefni ok sagdi
at hon var pá heil.
Skalat madr rúnar rista,
nema rada vel kunni,
pat verdr mrgum manni,
es of myrkvan staaf villisk;
sák á telgdu talkni
tiu launstafi ristna,
pat hefr lauka lindi
langs ofrtrega fengit.
ok pat var krom mikil;
fekk hon enga nótt svefn ok var
sem hamstoli vaeri.
Ristnar hafa verit rúnar, ok er sá einn bóndason
hedan skammt í brott, er pat gerdi,
ok er sidan miklu
verr en adr.
Egil reist rúnar ok lagdi undir hoegendit
Í hvíluna, par er hon hvildi;
henni potti sem hon vaknadi or svefni ok sagdi
at hon var pá heil.
Skalat madr rúnar rista,
nema rada vel kunni,
pat verdr mrgum manni,
es of myrkvan staaf villisk;
sák á telgdu talkni
tiu launstafi ristna,
pat hefr lauka lindi
langs ofrtrega fengit.
Lyrics submitted by Alexiel_Laguna
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lyricstranslate.com She has been ill for a long time, she has the exhaustion, cannot sleep any night and was as if she had lost reason and shape.”
Runes have been scratched therefore, it is a farmer’s son, not far from here, he has done that, but afterwards it was much worse than before.
Egil scratched runes and placed them under the cushion of the bed she rested on. It was to her as if she had awoken from sleep, and she said she was well now.
Chorus: No man shall scratch runes Not being able to use them well; Many a man is misled by dark forces. Ten secret runes have I seen Scratched on smoothed out fish bone; For the girl this has caused sorrow for a long time.
Lyrics translation from: lyricstranslate.com/