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Title: Sir Guncelin's Wedding
Author: George Borrow [
More Titles by Borrow]
It was the Count Sir Guncelin,
Who to his mother cried:
"O I in quest of knightly fame
Through foreign lands will ride."
"And if thou from the land wilt ride,
To help thee on thy way,
I give thee the steed, the wondrous steed,
The good steed Carl the grey.
"I'll give the steed for thy time of need,
The good grey Carl, but know
No spur of steel must grace thy heel,
Nor helm be on thy brow.
"Never a warrior must thou heed,
But straight thy path pursue,
Till thou in fight engage the knight
Whose name is Ivor Blue."
It was the Count Sir Guncelin,
By the green hill took his way;
There chanced he to meet little Tilventin,
And bade him promptly stay.
"Now welcome little Tilventin,
And where hast thou passed the night?"
"I have passed the night at Brattingsborg,
Where from helms the fire they smite!"
It was the Count Sir Guncelin,
From under his red helm glared:
"Sir Tilventin it had better been
If that thou hadst never declared."
It was the Count Sir Guncelin,
His sharp sword out he drew;
It was little Tilventin,
Whom he did to pieces hew.
He rode away unto Brattingsborg,
On the door he struck with his spear:
"Doth any warrior bide therein,
Who will come and fight me here?"
It was the Knight Sir Ivor Blue,
He turned to the West his eye:
"Now help me Wolf and Asmer hawk,
I hear a kemp's fierce cry."
It was the Knight Sir Ivor Blue,
He turned to the East his eye:
"Now help me, Odin, for thou hast might,
I hear Sir Guncelin's cry!"
It was the Count Sir Guncelin,
His helm o'er his white neck flung;
That sound in the ear of his mother dear
Through the dark night-time rung.
The Dame awoke at black midnight,
And unto her Lord she cried:
"Now deign, now deign, thou highest God,
With my son in this fray to bide!"
The first course that together they rode,
So strong were the knightly twain,
Struck Guncelin Sir Ivor Blue,
And stretched him on the plain.
"Now listen, Count Sir Guncelin,
If thou'lt but let me live,
My young and newly wedded bride,
I unto thee will give."
"I will not take thy wedded bride
Upon marriage stands my mind;
Give me Salentia, sister thine,
And my fate to her's I'll bind."
They rode away to the bridal feast,
Withouten more ado;
Of stalwart knights, and warrior wights,
They invited the best they knew.
They invited Vidrik Verlandson,
And Diderik, knight of Bern;
They invited Olger the Daneman too,
Who in battle is so stern.
They invited Silvard Snarenswayne,
Who before the bride should ride;
And thither came also Langben the Jutt,
To sit at the Bridegroom's side.
They invited Master Hildebrand,
The bridal torch he carried;
And he was followed by Kempions twelve,
Deep drank they whilst they tarried,
And thither came Folker Spilleman,
With his humour the kemps must bear;
And thither came King Sigfrid Hoon,
To his own pain and care.
Then came the proud Dame Grimhild,
To prepare the bride for the hall;
With iron she caused her feet to be shod,
And her fingers with steel tipped all.
And thither came Dame Gunda Hetta,
'Mid the Norland hills her house;
And there doth she pass a right merry life,
With dance and with carouse.
Thither came likewise Dame Brynhild,
She cut for the bride the meat,
Her followed slender ladies seven,
'Midst the knights they took their seat.
They follow'd the bride to the chamber in.
Of a luncheon slight to taste;
And there she eat four tuns of pottage,
Which pleased her palate best.
Then before her sixteen oxen-bodies,
And eighteen swine disappear;
And before her thirst she could assuage,
She drank seven tuns of beer.
So mighty the press of their garments was,
As they led the bride to the hall,
That they brushed down, ere they ushered her in,
Full fifteen ells from the wall.
They led the bride to the bride-bench up,
And sat themselves down so light,
That a bench of stone which they sat upon,
Sank into the ground outright.
They placed before her the very best food,
Nor did she the food decline;
Fifteen oxen the sea-wife ate,
And also ten fat swine.
The bridegroom's eyes were upon her fixed,
And at length surprised he grew:
"Ne'er have I seen a youthful bride,
To the dish such justice do."
Up then sprang the Kempions all,
And to one another did say:
"Now, whether shall we cast the bar,
Or fight in knightly way?"
The warriors began to describe the round,
Upon the verdant earth;
For the honour and pride of the young sea-bride,
Who should look on their deeds of worth.
The young bride up from the bride-bench sprang,
Two hands so weak had she;
Towards her Langben the Giant leapt,
Fine sport began to be.
Then danced the table, then danced the bench,
And the sparks from the helms flew high;
Out ran the valiant warriors all:
"Dame Devil thou mak'st us fly!"
Then there arose a mightier dance,
From Ribe unto the Slee;
The shortest warrior dancing had
Fifteen ells beneath the knee.
The shortest warrior in that dance,
Was little Mimmering Tan;
He was among that heathenish throng
The only Christian man.
[The end]
George Borrow's poem: Sir Guncelin's Wedding
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