Bragi's Song

In Norse mythology, Bragi is the god of poetry and eloquence, renowned for his wisdom with words and his mastery of verse. Often associated with skalds—the poets and storytellers of the Norse world—Bragi represents the power of language to preserve deeds, honor the dead, and carry memory from one generation to the next. He is also the husband of Idunn, keeper of the apples that preserve the youth of the gods. This song imagines Bragi beside the fire in a great hall, giving voice not only to warriors and kings, but to queens, farmers, wanderers, and ordinary lives worthy of remembrance. While Idunn protects the gods from the passing of years, Bragi guards another kind of immortality: the ability of a story to survive long after its people, halls, and treasures have disappeared. May Bragi's song remind us that remembrance is its own form of endurance. Stone can crumble, iron can rust, and even mighty kingdoms can vanish—but while their stories are still told, something of those who came before continues to walk beside us. Thank you for listening. — The Viking Hippie Part of Moon Hippie Studios _____________________________________________________________________ Lyrics When winter closed around the hall And snow erased the road The warriors gathered near the flame And laid aside their swords Then Bragi rose beside the hearth With silver in his beard He spoke one line into the dark And every shadow heard No blade was drawn No shield was raised Yet fallen hearts Awoke in flame Sing, Bragi, sing Let the old names rise Carry the dead Back under the sky Tell of the longships Tell of the slain Tell how the lost Still live in their names Walls may crumble Iron may rust Kings may return To ashes and dust But while one voice Still carries the tale No life remembered Has wholly failed He sang of fields beneath the frost Where ancient battles burned Of wanderers who crossed the sea And never once returned He sang of queens with steady hands Of farmers, wolves, and kings And gave the humble equal place Beside the greatest names For fame is more Than gold or throne It lives wherever Words are known Sing, Bragi, sing Let the old names rise Carry the dead Back under the sky Tell of the longships Tell of the slain Tell how the lost Still live in their names Walls may crumble Iron may rust Kings may return To ashes and dust But while one voice Still carries the tale No life remembered Has wholly failed Beside him Idunn kept the fruit That held the years at bay While Bragi guarded something else That time could not decay For youth may fade from every face And strength desert the hand But one true song can cross the years And walk through every land A song can steady A shaking shield A song can soften A heart of steel A song can gather The scattered brave A song can travel Beyond the grave No chain can bind it No wall can hold It outlives silver It outlives gold And when the final Watchfires dim The last remembered Voice will sing Sing, Bragi, sing Let the old worlds rise Raise every hall That has fallen with time Tell of the laughter Tell of the pain Tell how the lost Still live in their names Stars may darken Mountains may fall Ragnarök may Come for them all But while one voice Still carries the tale The heart of the story Will always prevail The fire grows low The night grows long But memory wakes Inside the song