The Journey: An Epic Poem

I. Farewell

 

One thousand years ago, a Viking ship left Norway in the spring…

 

I watch from the stern as we leave the fjords behind

My homeland, my village, for them I leave to fight

I see my lady, dressed in black, waving from the pier

Holding my son’s hand, shouting “farewell!” for all to hear

 

A tear runs down my cheek as I bid them both good-bye

And waving back to them, I heave one final sigh

I turn around and take my seat to row

As the sorrow in my heart continues to grow and grow

 

On to places unknown we go, to lands so far away

Across the sea we travel, getting closer by the day

The Viking ship, with its mast so large and grand

Speeds towards the horizon, toward the land of golden sand

 

Saga of Vinland, Saga of Norsemen

 

 

 

II. The Storm

 

The way of the Ocean

It’s the waves ruled by the winds

 

There is sea and only sea surrounding the men and our four ships

As I look to the horizon my prospects take a dip

Clouds gather up ahead, a storm will surely come

Bad news for us, for if we sink, chances to live are none

 

The clouds approach as the waves begin to rise

Taking the boat for a dangerous ride

Back and forth we sway, from this side to that

Tipping men from their seats, where on the deck they lie flat

 

We row through the rain, we row through the spray

But the ocean seems to be stubborn in its way

It wants us dead, to go no further on

It seems we may not live to see the new day’s sun

 

Men fall into the water, never to be seen again

Ægir doesn’t want us to learn of this new land

Home of the Skraelings, and other peoples too

A forbidden fruit for those who seek places new

 

Water is the only thing I see and feel

All I hear are the dead men’s squeals

The ship is tipped, and all is at an end

My wife, my son, I’ll never see again

 

I open my eyes to a sight I didn’t expect

Picked up by a ship that followed us next

I was saved from the ocean’s deep merciless waters

Saved from the fate that awaited fifty others

 

Two ships sunk, but the rest survive

One hundred men for the new land strive

 

We sail the sea

We fight the storm

One hundred men caught by endless passion

Adventure norsemen

A hunting eye

One hundred men on a holy mission

 

 

 

III. Land of Legend

 

It looms over the horizon ahead

The rising sun bathes the mountains in red

“We’ve arrived! Land up front!” we shout

It is what we have sought, without a doubt

 

We reach the shore, sweet nurturing land!

I fall upon the beach and kiss the golden sand

For weeks at sea we’ve been, growing tired of the water

Men fall upon their knees, thanking Odin, our great father

 

A strange land it is, full of odd trees and plants

Fauna of which one’s imagination think of can’t

So different it is from that of our home

Full of excitement, fear, and wonder which I do not feel alone

 

We set up camp along the beach, away from the high tide

We ate the meat we hunted and the fish that we have dried

Exploring this new land, we spend long days within the wild

But a sense tells me that we are watched, a sense that’s hardly mild

 

 

 

IV. The Skraelings

 

Odd voices we hear during out wilderness hikes

Voices incomprehensible, voices of which we never heard the likes

They sound enchanting, and at the same time fill us with fear

Are they human? Are they even real?

 

Will they come my way?
Will this change my fate?
Do they ask for friendship?
Do they speak my language?
Will they come my way?

 

We named these voices Skraelings, the first “people” we encounter

And one day, while walking through the wild, in his hand a lantern

One of our men meets a child, a little Skraeling boy

And is soon surrounded by Skraeling men whose eyes, they scream “destroy!”

 

Our man leads them back to us, these people of red skin

We meet them, greet them, and treat them as our kin

But they seemed distant, so unused to the way we live

They have fire in their eyes as they accept the gifts we give

 

The new sound arises from their base
And now it's rowing from the south
Stay and swim back and forth
Skraelings are in search for the shore

 

We hear chanting, singing, drumming, banging

The Skraelings come with spears and weapons, from their arms their shields hanging

They plan to attack! They plan to kill us all

We take our swords and shields and prepare for war

 

 

 

                             V. War   

 

They run at us with their walls of spears

As we defend ourselves with walls of shields

We clash, we fight, on both sides men fall

Hours pass and the fight’s end comes not at all

 

We’ve lost, all’s gone, there’re more of them than us

But surely spare some of us they must?

Seems not, and now the shore is stained with blood

While the bodies of my fellow men lay face-down in the mud

 

They raided us, our camp, our boats

Leaving us with nothing but a single coat

Even then, they took one hundred men

Leaving me and me alone, for my life to fend

 

Why did I survive? Why did Thor spare me alone

While the Skraelings left with my fellows’ bones?

Odin knows, but I do not, why I’m left in this forsaken land

This land, this legend land, this land of golden sand

 

No way home, an eternity away from land I adore

The land where my family waits for me upon the shore

I break down in sorrow, for the war-taken men

For the family I’m sure I’ll never see again

 

 

 

 

VI. Land of Horror

 

I wander on my own this land of horror

The forests turn dark for this lone explorer

Beasts and demons all around, nowhere for me to hide

Noises coming from all directions, coming from every side

 

I can’t bear to face the sea, to attempt a journey home

Nor can I go further inland while I’m all alone

It’s die here or die there, neither outcome in my favor

There is no hope out there for me that I can truly savor

 

I walk out on the beach, I hear the waves break on the shore

And there out to sea, I see a rock that wasn’t there before

I see a lady sitting there, a siren of the sea

More gorgeous a woman in my life I have not seen

 

 

 

VII. Temptation

 

She calls for me with her spellbound voice

I must swim to her, I have no choice

I swim to the rock where the fair lady sits

I listen to her as my heart falls to bits

 

Lady fair

Mistress of my dreams

Let us share

Body, soul and sorrow

 

Temptation, this is what it is

I must do all I can, I must resist

I have to break away from this spell

Be faithful to my wife, be faithful to myself

 

I concentrate and the enchantment breaks

I’m myself again, I feel awake

I ride the waves back to the beach

Far, far away where the spell cannot reach

 

As I sit there looking out in grief

The lady slips back into the sea

She’ll lure another man with her spell

Another soul to the gods she’ll sell

 

 

VIII. The Crossing

 

I decide to take to the sea and try my luck

To my home I will go, away from this muck

A boat I built out of wood that I felled

Wood from the forest where the Skrealings dwelled

 

I’ll go north to the land up there, island-hop my way back home

Somehow I will succeed, despite being alone

The crossing I will make, I am determined

Succeed I will, my heart is in it

 

We dive to sea beyond the mist
The sun turns red before us
May the Gods be with us

North man determined not to fail
leave your foray behind
Northern wind in our sails
The crossing becomes our life

 

 

 

IX. Home

 

Norway, sweet Norway, my home, my home

No longer am I in that forsaken land alone

Back with my family, my wife and only son

I am happy, so happy, that my ordeal is done

 

I grew up by the sea

I played under the sun

Come to me, come into my dreams

This is my light of life

 

I climbed mountains so high

I discovered the deep

Long to belong, long to be part of this dream

This is where my heart beats

 

Max Levites - 1/28/09

Author's Note

This poem was inspired by the band Leaves' Eyes, who's album Vinland Saga, is somewhat like this. It's a concept album that tells about the journey of Vikings to the new world. I took that concept, and molded it slightly to my own, and also making this a tribute to the band. The verses in italics are Leaves' Eyes lyrics from many different songs from all the different albums/EPs they did. Enjoy!

Reviews

[Shellie]

I absolutely love the way you do this from their point of view and of what they had to leave behind. It was all very well written and the different sections made it easier to read but put the poem in a well scripted form.

[Starting Over]

Very interesting! I loved it! Thanks for entering it in my contest!

~Lacey

[nostal]

Wow, this is truly amazing. This is the second epic poem i've read in my whole life. The first was one about Paul Revere we had to read for school. Amazing, simply put, amzing. Awesome job.

[Rick Puetter]

Dear Max,

A wonderful epic poem. I love stories like this that tell of important events in history through a personal account. Well done.

Very best regards,

Rick