Heron of Forgetfulness...
Heron of Forgetfulness...
Stanza 12-13:
"Ale is not as good
as it is said to be good
for the sons of men;
because the man knows less
-- he who drinks more --
of his disposition.
He is called the heron of forgetfulness,
he who hovers over ale-parties;
he steals the disposition of men.
By the feathers of this bird
I was fettered,
in the courts of Gunnlöth."
Those of you who are reading this will know immediately which night I am referring to...
I came across something tonight from the Troth mailing list where I read of another point of view on this (via a link provided):
"She was generally represented as a tall, beautiful, and stately woman, crowned with heron plumes, the symbol of silence or forgetfulness, and clothed in pure-white robes, secured at the waist by a golden girdle, from which hung a bunch of keys, the distinctive sign of the Northern housewife, whose special patroness she was said to be."
A symbol of silence? Maybe in silence in this particular piece of translation would be more appropriately referred to with deceit. I haven't perceived it that way, but it makes sense...and on that thought how could "heron of forgetfulness" be interpreted in Stanza 13? I'm still getting on my lore...so I am not as advanced as some so I'm also posting this to my friends in general (as opposed to just privately emailing those who were here that night)....Thoughts, criticisms?
"Ale is not as good
as it is said to be good
for the sons of men;
because the man knows less
-- he who drinks more --
of his disposition.
He is called the heron of forgetfulness,
he who hovers over ale-parties;
he steals the disposition of men.
By the feathers of this bird
I was fettered,
in the courts of Gunnlöth."
Those of you who are reading this will know immediately which night I am referring to...
I came across something tonight from the Troth mailing list where I read of another point of view on this (via a link provided):
"She was generally represented as a tall, beautiful, and stately woman, crowned with heron plumes, the symbol of silence or forgetfulness, and clothed in pure-white robes, secured at the waist by a golden girdle, from which hung a bunch of keys, the distinctive sign of the Northern housewife, whose special patroness she was said to be."
A symbol of silence? Maybe in silence in this particular piece of translation would be more appropriately referred to with deceit. I haven't perceived it that way, but it makes sense...and on that thought how could "heron of forgetfulness" be interpreted in Stanza 13? I'm still getting on my lore...so I am not as advanced as some so I'm also posting this to my friends in general (as opposed to just privately emailing those who were here that night)....Thoughts, criticisms?
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