This song IMHO is the allusion to the battle between Paganism and Christianity,all in the mind of an ex-Viking berserker,now a doubtful Christian.
Tried of dull ages, I walk the same ground,
collecting the tragedies still.
The dull ages are the years after the Christianization of Scandinavia,or the Dark ages in that Viking's thought. No more heroic sagas,no more tales of great deeds. The only things left are sorrowful and submissive bible pages of Christian martyrs.
Hollow ambitions in a hollow mind
carried my cross to the hill
This refers to both his and Jesus' old ambition: to spread the voice of God (not Gods) across the land. Over time,the Viking character felt his doings were soulless,his passion for the new religion coming to an end,just like the death of Jesus. Do the carried my cross to the hill and the event at Golgotha ring you any bell?
And how I lust for the dance and the fire
deep of the nectarine sunset to drink
spill me the wind and its fire
to steal of the colours - I´m the moonshield
Kind of obvious here. The man reflected on his past and yearned for his old glorious days,the days of fire,battles,the days of conquering the great sea. The moonshield could be the symbol of old hope as everyone has pointed out. But it could also be the image of the Round shield,the usual defense equipment of the Vikings. It symbolized his desire to take up arms and throw himself into heroic battle again.
*Shattered hope became my guide
and grief and pain my friends
a brother pact in blood-ink penned
declared my silent end
Naked and dying under worlds of silent stone
reaching for the moonshield that once upon us shone*
But then he realized everything has passed away,leaving him grieving over the old time. Christianity has prevailed,and the old Viking stays there silent with his dead hopes.
The instrument interlude of this song also sounds very oceanic,referring to the sailing days of Scandinavians.
This song IMHO is the allusion to the battle between Paganism and Christianity,all in the mind of an ex-Viking berserker,now a doubtful Christian.
Tried of dull ages, I walk the same ground, collecting the tragedies still. The dull ages are the years after the Christianization of Scandinavia,or the Dark ages in that Viking's thought. No more heroic sagas,no more tales of great deeds. The only things left are sorrowful and submissive bible pages of Christian martyrs.
Hollow ambitions in a hollow mind carried my cross to the hill This refers to both his and Jesus' old ambition: to spread the voice of God (not Gods) across the land. Over time,the Viking character felt his doings were soulless,his passion for the new religion coming to an end,just like the death of Jesus. Do the carried my cross to the hill and the event at Golgotha ring you any bell?
And how I lust for the dance and the fire deep of the nectarine sunset to drink spill me the wind and its fire to steal of the colours - I´m the moonshield Kind of obvious here. The man reflected on his past and yearned for his old glorious days,the days of fire,battles,the days of conquering the great sea. The moonshield could be the symbol of old hope as everyone has pointed out. But it could also be the image of the Round shield,the usual defense equipment of the Vikings. It symbolized his desire to take up arms and throw himself into heroic battle again.
*Shattered hope became my guide and grief and pain my friends a brother pact in blood-ink penned declared my silent end
Naked and dying under worlds of silent stone reaching for the moonshield that once upon us shone*
But then he realized everything has passed away,leaving him grieving over the old time. Christianity has prevailed,and the old Viking stays there silent with his dead hopes.
The instrument interlude of this song also sounds very oceanic,referring to the sailing days of Scandinavians.