Skalds And Shadows

The skalds were to the Viking-age Scandinavia/Iceland area what bards were to feudal Europe. This song captures and celebrates the essence of skalds in the exact same way The Bard's Song (in the Forest) celebrated bards.

This song is about a Skald (Viking Bard) telling tales about Norse Mythology and ya it seems like one of the main tales he is telling is The Ring Of The Nibelung. To support this there is the line "Songs I will sing of runes and rings" which is talking about The Ring Of The Nibelung. Another line is "Nobody knows the meaning behind The weaver´s line" which can mean one of two things. It can mean that nobody knows how to read the the Rope Of Destiny except The Norns or it can mean that nobody can understand the meaning of the prologue in Gotterdammerung which is how the three Norns gather beside Brunnhilde's rock weaving the Rope Of Destiny. They sing of the past and the present, and the future when Wotan (Odin) will burn Valhalla to signal the end of the Gods. Without warning, their rope breaks. Lamenting the loss of their wisdom, the Norns disappear. Another line is "Songs I will sing of tribes and kings" and "The carrion bird and the hall of the slain" The Carrion Bird meaning The Raven, Wotan's (Odin's) favorite animal and the messengers of Valhalla and The Hall Of The Slain Meaning Valhalla itself. The next line of proof is "Do not fear for my reason There's nothing to hide How bitter your treason How bitter the lie" which tells of how after Siegfried had slain Fafnir The Dragon it's blood from the blade of his sword Nothung had burned Siegfried's hand. Siegfried then tasted the blood of the Dragon which gave him the ability to read his adoptive father Mime's mind and from that he learned that Mime was going to kill him with a poisened drink and then claim the Ring Of The Nibelung and the rest of the Treasure for himself. Siegfried then killed Mime. And the final verse to support this is "All I ever want is to be at your side We gladden the raven now I will Run through the blazing fires That's my choice Cause things shall procede as foreseen" Which is definately talking about how Siegfried walked through the ring of fire that surrounded the former Valkyrie Brunnhilde just as Elvin Wizard had stated in the previous post.

But lets not forget the main theme of this fantastic song which is infact not about the tale that is told but about how the Skald in this song was singing about The Great Sagas in the past and how many other Skalds in the future will still be singing the same songs but also songs about great deeds in his own time. So even after many many years the tales will never be forgotten.

I'm first? Only heard the acoustic version yet, cus I have to wait another 3 weeks for the album version. This song is as good as both Bard's Song and A Past and Future Secret, and that says it all!

Yeah... Surprised no one else has written here yet... This is a really good song =) I'm agree with you, ChildOfTheNight, it's as good as Bard's Song... Same medieval style i like so much.

Yep this song is incredible. It has the same medieval style as you rightly said, but I'd consider it more epic than The Bard's Song. The melodic trail of his voice is just incredible. The ending especially is excellent. The lyrics fit quite well.. especially in the beginning.

Is it just me or is there very little difference between the acoustic and album versions of this song, the only difference I can hear is that the music during the chorus is a little louder during the album version.

You seriously don't hear it? The acoustic version only contains the acoustic guitars and the flute! The album version is more orchestral, and drums are very powerful especially in the chorus!

As for the meaning I have no idea, but it gives a very norse feeling!

Love this song and the medievalish feeling it gives off

I think this one's about Seigfried/Seigurd/Seigmund or whatever you want to call him. You know, the fellow who kills Fafnir the Dragon and falls in love with Brunhilda.

The line "All I ever want is to be at your side" makes me think it's a love song of sorts and "now I will Run through the blazing fires, that's my choice" reminds me of how Seigfried walked through the wall of flames to get to Brunhilda.

And does anyone else get the "Gladden the Raven" part? It makes perfect sense to me (it means "die in battle") but it seems beyond a lot of people.