The Saga of Frierk (alliterative verse)
Introduction: Thrust through fronded forests thrice Outside Utslag, Frierk fights Breaking beasts as cats to mice Skimming living from the ice! 1. A young king's son Frierk was born Yet long before he learned to mourn His father, King, acquired scorn From jealous kin, his loyal-sworn.
Frierk's father's body rode The quick'ning current of the lode That ran from Utslag, clear and cold Now stained by blood, noble and old.
Frierk, just a babe in arms Had no strength or wits or charms Betrayers brought beyond the farms The baby of the noble King.
As sacrifice to heathen gods Foes fixed Freirk on the knobs While trees awoke with shrieks and sobs For Frierk, rightful King.
And fearing forces from the forest; Spirits waking, speaking woe, They turned away and wished to go On back to Utslag, their stolen home.
Yet just as Frierk came to freeze The gentle buzz of honeybees Came to his ears through bark and leaves The queen-bear found him, wary, pleased.
She took him back inside her coat Of fur, where neither foot nor boat Could reach, she knew the way by rote: The highland path where fairies float.
2. Urswoda, the Queen-Bear fled With frightened Frierk on her head Up and up to hearth and bread The Queen-Bear changing as she climbed.
And Frierk on his first foray Up the magic mountain-way Saw the change to night from day Yet still the path was lit ahead.
Embers red and blue and green Flew around them whispering Void-like, yet like everything The fairies glow and go by wing.
Yet even as an infant child, Frierk's eyes were live and wild, Enchanted thus, his spirit styled Itself upon this fair fey land.
Summit reaching, Urswoda With every step, her tooth and claw Morphed and made a maiden queen Of beauty man has never seen.
Higher climbing steps forlorn She took upon a human form Near the stars, above all storms Urswoda the queen can sing!
Then finally, they reached a turn And facing westward, saw the burn Of sunlight rising on the ferns And junipers in Valleyfey.
And there beside a waterfall Stood the Queen-Bear's timber hall There Frierk grew from infancy To manhood, strong and tall.