Sartarite Songs from Cheiron on 1996-08-02 (Glorantha Digest Vol 03)

From: Cheiron <cheiron_at_ix.netcom.com>
Date: Fri, 2 Aug 1996 15:08:21 -0700

Since the Crimson Nick can't manage to come up with songs of the heroic Sartarite Resistance, here are a few fun ditties to sing at your favorite Geo's.

	I'M A STICKPICKER BASTARD
	(to the tune of "Born on the Fourth of July")

	I'm a stickpicker bastard (1)
	Stickpicker bastard, do or die
	A real live nephew of my Uncle Sven
	Born in sight of Dragon's Eye

	I got a red-haired Vingan sweetheart
	I'm her loyal Sart'rite guy...

	Stickpicker bastard went to Furthest
	Just to kill some Lunars
	I'm a stickpicker 'til I die

Another favorite (and outlawed) song is "Young Ged of the Hill." For those not familiar with the original, it's on the Pogues album "Peace & Love." Highly recommended. "Gartloney Rats," "Lorelei," also have the feel of Sartarite folksongs. "Tombstone" could easily be the story of a lost EWF soldier returning to Pavis after it's sacking by the animal nomads. And of course "London, You're A Lady" can easily be rendered as "Glamour, You're A Lady" ("You are a scarlet lady").

	YOUNG GED OF THE HILL
	(To the tune of "Young Ned of the Hill" by the Pogues)

	Have you ever walked the lonesome hills
	And watched a wind child fly
	Or seen the Raven black as night
	Upon a windswept sky
	To walk the purple heather
	And hear the westwind cry
	To know that's where Prince Salinarg did die

	Since the Lunars came upon us
	To curse our lowly lives
	There's some of us have deemed to fight
	From Stormwalk mountains high
	Noble men with wills of iron
	Who are not afraid to die
	Who'll fight with Sartar's honor held on high

	[CHORUS]
	A curse upon you Crimson Emperor (2)
	You who raped our motherland
	You'll soon be rotting down in hell
	For the horrors that you've sent
	To Sartar's sons and daughters
	Whom you robbed of our birthright
	"To hell or Riskland" (3)
	May you burn in hell tonight

	Of one such man I'd like to speak
	An Orlanthi by name and deed
	His family dispossessed and slaughtered
	They put a price upon his head
	His name is known in song and story
	His deeds are legend still
	And murdered for blood money
	Was young Ged of the Hill (4)
	
	You have robbed our homes and fortunes
	Even drove us from the land
	You've tried to break our spirits
	But you'll never understand
	The love of dear old Sartar
	That will forge an iron will
	As long as there are gallant men
	Like Young Ged of the Hill
	
	[REPEAT CHORUS]

Here's another old favorite. Don't forget to substitute the bagpipes for the moaning synth.

	NO QUARTER
	(basically "No Quarter" verbatim, by Led Zeppelin)
	
	Close the doors, put out the light
	You know they won't be home tonight
	Valind's snow falls hard and don't you know
	The winds of Orlanth are blowing cold
	They carry swords that're sharp and keen
	They'll not be heard, they'll not be seen
	They choose the path where no one goes
	They hold no quarter
	They ask no quarter

	Walking side by side with death
	Foul Wakboth mocks their every step
	The snow drives back the foot that's slow
	The dogs of doom are howling more
	But Orlanth's justice will strike true
	To build a dream for me and you
	They choose the path where no one goes
	They hold no quarter, they ask no quarter

And finally, a rousing patriotic hymn dating back to the EWF:

       KEROFINELA THE BEAUTIFUL
       (To the tune of "America the Beautiful")

       O beautiful
       For spacious skies
       For amber waves of grain
       For Stormwalk mountain majesty
       Above the Praxan plain
       Kerofinela
       Kerofinela
       Orlanth (5) shed his grace on thee
       And crowded thy good
       With brotherhood
       From Creak to Stream to Sea

"Stickpicker" was the lowest recognized social class in Sartar, and was also used a general insult. In the early years of the occupation, victorious Lunar troops adopted this term as a racist epithet for all native Sartarites. Later it was taken up with pride by guerillas resisting the invasion, both as a way to rob the word of its sting and to level the class differences in the resistance fighters. Ironically, after this song became popular, Argrath Dragonspear, a
"stickpicker bastard" in the truest sense of the words, rose to the
throne of Sartar and eventually went on to overthrow the Occupation.
Or "Gov'ner Euglyptus" or "General Tatius" or "Fazzur Wideread" or
"and your Red Goddess" or generically "you Lunar bastards."
This phrase of the song varied according to who was the current incarnation of Lunar oppression in the minds of the native population.
"To Hell or Riskland" were the two traditional options offered to captured Sartarite rebels (those that weren't executed immediately). Since Riskland bordered on Dorastor, the most vile chaos nest in all Glorantha, the standard reply, at least in Sartarite jokes, was "What's the difference?"
Ged Helkos, or "Young Ged of the Hill" was one of the famous Helkos brothers who fought a long personal guerilla war against the Lunar Occupation. In 1607, the Helkos brothers sided with the Telmori in one of the first open revolts against the invaders. An Aldachuri traitor sold out the Helkosi for a sizable reward. Ged and his brother were captured by Jomes Wulf and Ged was executed.
Alternatively "Sartar," "Ironhoof," "Oroboros," or even (rarely)
"Yu-kargzant"

End of Glorantha Digest V3 #94

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