I recive some poems on this list. 1000 years ago they also could write good
poems and they still stands. This poems are like the Vedas from India and
the Homeric poems from Greece and maybee Tao from China are written by
Vikings and they still stands. What have happend, havent we had an evolution.
About two month ago I visited Iceland and my hometowns twinned city
Bestastadurrepur (what do you think about that name?). Two of my friends is
familiar with the owner of a bookshop in Reykjavik. We went there for an
afternoon and had a discussion about books and about Iceland. I got a
catalog with me home. In it was the English translation of Havamal. So last
week I phoned them and bought the book. It arrived with the mail today.
I know before how the poems where built, but I can't express it in
English. But......
The Havamal (words of the High one) is written in a special metre. The
stanza of the metre
contains typically six lines of two units of three lines each. The first two
lines in each unit are tied together by alliteration, and the third is also
decorated with alliteration. That means that the vowel or a consonant of a
stressed syllable is echoed by repeating the same consonant or vowel.
The first two lines in each unit (1&2 and 4&5, respectively) has two
stresses, while the last line
(3&6 resp.) has two or four stresses....... I couldn't have explained it
better my self ;-) But they are extremely difficult in reading them in
Swedish becouse the use of strange words. English is better, even for me.
Therefor I bought the book. These Vikings or Norsemen wrote 1 000 years ago
this about Internet.
A bad friend
is far away
though his cottage is close.
To a true friend
lies a trodden road
though his farm lies far away.
Experience
He is truly wise
who's travelled far
and knows the ways of the world.
He who has travelled
can tell what spirit
governs the men he meets
Poetry still has its place.
Per Schonnings
Domarringen 85
804 33 Gavle
Sweden
Email henrik@schonnings.pp.se