The Song of Glory

From: Frederic Ferro <ferro_at_Princeton.EDU>
Date: Fri, 08 Aug 2003 16:21:06 +0200

The House of Gastar is no more=2E =

Hear=2C hear the Song of Glory that was Gastar=2E =

Gods and Heroes die but the Song is forever=2E =

Listen to the Song and do not interrupt it For your Bard knows ancient secrets=2E =

Praised be the Kings=2C the chiefs and the thanes who feed and reward the Skalds=2E =

The Song of Glory tells the story of Gastar Gastar the Old was a Great Hero among the Vingkotlings=2E =

He held the Bow Arrowsong =

Which killed all his foes
He had performed many deeds and he was dying=2E =

Gastar Gastarsson was waiting to get the Bow =

Which killed all his foes
His heart was full of desire
He came to the Bard and asked when he would get the Bow The Bard replied by those famous words=3A =

=E2=80=9CDo not seek Glory=2C o Hero

You will not get the Bow
You will desire the Lute
And because of that Song
The House of Gastar will be no more=2E=E2=80=9D

Gastar Gastarsson was angry and went to seek glory=2E =

He killed all his foes and the Bard sang the Song of Glory=2E =

=E2=80=9CGods and Heroes die but the Song of Glory is forever=2E=E2=80=9D=

Gastar had never heard a more beautiful Song=2C =

His heart was full of desire=2E =

He came to the Bard and asked how he could sing the Song=2E =

The Bard replied by those famous words=3A =

=E2=80=9CDo not seek Glory=2C o Hero

You want the Lute
Which is full of heart=2C blood and tears And because of that Song
The House of Gastar will be no more=2E=E2=80=9D =

Gastar Gastarsson was angry and went to become a Bard He made a Lute but could not play it=2E =

He wanted his deeds to be immortal=2E =

=E2=80=9CGods and Heroes die but the Song of Glory is forever=2E=E2=80=9D=

His heart was full of desire=2E =

He came to the Bard and asked why the Lute kept silent=2E =

The Bard replied by those famous words=3A =

=E2=80=9CDo not seek Glory=2C o Hero

The Lute needs to be quenched
It drinks heart=2C blood and tears
And because of that Song
The House of Gastar will be no more=2E=E2=80=9D =

Gastar Gastarsson was angry and went to fight Chaos He came with his seven sons=2E =

When the eldest son died=2C the women wept on the Lute=2C =

The corpse bled on the Lute=2C =

And Gastar lost a part of his heart=2E =

But the Lute was still silent=2E =

He came with his other sons=2E =

When they all died=2C the women wept on the Lute=2C =

The corpse bled on the Lute=2C =

And Gastar was angry no more=2E =

Gastar the Old died=2C Gastar Gastarsson had no desire He became the Song and
The Lute started to sing=3A =

=E2=80=9CThe House of Gastar is no more=2E =

Hear=2C hear the Song of Glory that was Gastar=2E =

Gods and Heroes die but the Song is forever=2E=E2=80=9D

=5BThis story is a simplified version of the Sonink=C3=A9
story of Gassire and the Fall of the Wagandu
=E2=80=9CTetrapolis=E2=80=9D=2C in Ancient Ghana=2E The Soninke is a
tribe which lives across Western Africa=2C mainly in Mali but also in Mauritania=2C Burkina Faso=2C Senegal and Gambia=2E =E2=80=9CLute=E2=80=9D is a translation of the Soninke four-stringed =E2=80=9Cganbare=E2=80=9D=2E =

For the original story see =

Leo Frobenius=2C Atlantis (1921-28) v=2E 6=2E =

Alta Jablow=2C Gassire=27s Lute=3A A West African Epic=2C 1991=2E =

Nathaniel Mackey=2C =2C =22Gassire=27s Lute=22=2C Talisman 5-8 (1990-1992)=2E
Ezra Pound=2C Cantos=2C Canto LXXIV=2E =5D

--__--__--

Powered by hypermail