My quest

I speac un speac un speac but nane lysten.

I've known from the beginning of my plan to write an epic poem for the Boy that I would have to use a language that was not standard English and had an inkling that I would be using Middle English or something very similar simply because I like the sound. However, I have somewhat stalled on how to do that. Until I came across this video on Unbound:

Watch it. You'll see and hear what I mean.

Would you like to know more?



This gives me some hope, because a direct translation of my prose/poetry into a language about which I know little would be next to impossible. This halfway-house style has given me another way of rendering it. I want to read the book, I want to work out how it is that Kingsnorth has created his prose and how he has structured his writing. I want to be immersed in it.

If I had the spare money, I would immediately invest in this book, and one day I shall.

the path in the dunstanane ist narroe

hwaet! i tell thu taels
taels of Aelthred king of Dimwald
and his cuman and gainan
birthright frae them
them would tek it frae him.
taels of trees and waters and meres and howes
taels of Fae and magics and God and jesus
taels of just acts and foul acts and lightnass and blaec.
Aelthred a man lyk all them that dwell in earth
Aelthred a king lyk the graet lairds of past deeds
Aelthred a hero lyk nane thu hast seen
Aelthred king of the Dimwald and laird of Dustanane.

in the blaec lurcs the light

his cuman frae auld James
the auld king and laird known of auld
much cnawen and loved and faerd
who laid tresures fae his scion.
his cuman frae Stephen son of James
the warrior and rhymer and storyteller
much recnawend and raisd up
who taechd lyf to his scion.
his cuman frae Peter son of Stephen
who brung God and duty and faer
much uncnawen and unseen in the blaec
who laid dowen taels and tools fae Aelthred.
fae Peter brung dowen the sword
and cept it in the daegs wen all men thunc
them lairds of lyf and power on the earth
wen all men lyfd in aevry kind of sin
and cept it fae the King of the Dimwald and laird of Dunstanane.

I think I'm actually proud of that!