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The Martyrdom of St. Magnus

from Viking Dreams by jimeddy

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about

Inspired by George Mackay Brown's experimental novel, "Magnus," and by the historical record as recorded in the Orkneying Sagas. DADGAD tuning as I sought the Scottish northern island vibe.

lyrics

The Martyrdom of St. Magnus (March 2, 2022; DADGAD)


Magnus and Hakon were cousins, both sired by noble lords

They grew up with power and privilege, as such a life affords

They ruled a kingdom divided, an Orkney with two Earls

And as is common in such times, the flag of war unfurls.


Nine years of peace were thrown away, and warlords tramped each road

Rape and ruin, theft and fire, it all had been foretold

The blood and waste grew sickening, the chieftains cried “no more!”

A peace must come, these islands cannot thrive while there is war.


The talks would be on Egilsay, a neutral, barren isle, each Earl with two ships

A journey easy, across calm seas with gentle winds, and lacking tidal rips


But as Magnus crossed with his two ships, a giant wave appeared

And in this wave he saw an omen of his fate as toward his ship it neared

Then when his unarmed vessels reached the shore, he went to kneed and pray

At the humble Kirk on Egilsay, since it now was Easter Day.


On Easter Monday the next morn, the eastern glow revealed

The Earl Hakon, with eight armed ships, and the fate of Magnus sealed

The chieftains were now tired of words, there would be no more talk

From Egilsay this crimson day only one Earl would walk.


(Strum and hold chords)


The sagas tell how Magnus blessed the man who did his slaughter

He breathed his last on Egilsay, leaving neither son nor daughter

Hakon buried him where he fell, upon the barren hillside

The peace secured, ten ships departed neatly on the tide


But then wondrous things presented, after the martyr’s death, his brown grave turned verdant green

And when buried again on Birsay, they say a mystic evening light was seen


Not a generation later, the Orkney bishop did decree

The slain Earl was now St. Magnus, whose blood was offered free

His cathedral now in Kirkwall still holds his shattered bones

A relic, timeless, but made of time, for Orkney sin atones

credits

from Viking Dreams, released March 14, 2022

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jimeddy Ann Arbor, Michigan

I no longer trade time for money, so I'm a lucky guy. Songwriter, music collector (at a pathological level); supporter of independent artists of all stripes. Open mic enthusiast, international traveler every chance I get. Forward in All Directions!

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