Rollo - Song in Old Norse, French Romance and Latin | The Skaldic Bard

Описание: Happy New Year, one and all! I thought I’d start the year with another original song, this time about the famous Rollo, written in a combination of Old Norse, a 9th century ‘langues d'oïl’ dialect (referred to by its speakers as ‘romans’, which we could call very early Old French), and Latin to finish. Music, lyrics and performance by The Skaldic Bard.

Rollo is an extremely important figure in European history. He is the Northman credited with the formal founding of the County of Rouen in France (which was already de facto under his control from the late 9th century), and later the Duchy of Normandy, a title handed down to his progeny. The Normans would go on to have a tremendous impact on European history – for example, Rollo was the great-great-great-grandfather of William the Conqueror, and as such is an ancestor of every King of England since 1066.

The song describes his ascendency to power, starting with his travels south to northern France, his participation in the Siege of Paris in 885 AD, his later leadership in the Siege of Chartres in 911 AD, and his founding of Normandy. While the siege of Chartres failed to defeat the defending Franks, it resulted in a treaty which formally established the fief known as the County of Rouen with Rollo at its head. In exchange, Rollo would convert to Christianity, swear fealty to the king of West Francia, and defend the kingdom from further Viking raids. The treaty laid the foundation for the future Duchy of Normandy – and the rest, as they say, is history.

To place the French Romance dialect in the correct time frame (9th-10th century), my main source was the Sequence of Saint Eulalia, which dates to 880 AD. The lovely Lady Skald is singing these parts to represent West Francia.

I’m using a more conservative Old Norse here, through which I’ve attempted to make the majority of the Norse alliterate in Germanic style while also maintaining an AABB rhyme scheme throughout. The name “Karnót” used in this song for “Chartres” is my own invention based on the Old French “Carnotes” (I couldn’t find an attested Norse form anywhere).

The song finishes in Latin to represent the coming together of the West Francians and the Northmen. I’ve actually written the Latin section in alliterative verse as well to put a Norse stamp on it. :-)

The music is, as usual, entirely modern, but played on mediaeval instruments. I tapped into my inner metalhead a little for the battle section in the middle ;-)

May you all have a blessed 2026. And thank you all so much for 50k subscribers – I’m truly gobsmacked that we reached such a glorious figure. It’s an honour to have you along for the ride.

Alex

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Lyrics:
(Old Norse)
Norðmaðr einn, es Hrólfr hét,
sá til sæmdar í suðri, þá í haf lét.
Vígdjarfr vas sá vitri verr,
es sigldi suðr, byrr til bóta berr.

Svá mikill vas hann at vexti,
at mátti bera hann á baki hross eingi.
Því vas hann kallaðr Gǫngu-Hrólfr,
Ótti es þar, es gengr sá vígólfr.

(Romance)
Volent nos veintre li deo Inimi.
Ne por or ned argent non lazsomes Paris.

(Old Norse)
Hér es til mikils at slægjask,
Fullar fjár vér hendr hǫfum, nǫfn órt víðfrægjask.
Vǫxum vér ok hǫfumsk vér við vel.
Fjǫlð ársamra akra ok á í arma mér fell.

Ok þótt ek hafa haft hægð í hug mínum,
ryðgar reyndr randavǫlr í slíðrum sínum.
Bjǫrt borg bíðr ok býðr sigfreyjum seim.
Hón heitir Karnót ok hana vil ek taka frá þeim.

(Romance)
Rouf, ki un chieef eret a cels dis soure paiens,
roveret tolir la citet a fou e spedes.
Voldrent nos faire deo laizser e diaule seruir!
Dont niule kose non nos pouret omke pleier!

(Alternating Romance and Old Norse)
Feram cels, ki non ament Krist
e volent nos faire lo nom kristiien fuir!

Sǿkið á nú, ættniðjar Óðins!
Vér jǫtnar járnraddar ríðum í hjǫrva gný!

Melz la mort korps sostendreiemes
ke la nostre honestet perdessemes!

Vegum sem vargar undir veðrblásnum véum!
Vér víkingar fram at vígi vǫðum!

(Old Norse)
Vas gørr skaði mikill, en vel Frakkar vágu.
Borg þeirri vas borgit, þá þeir af mér frið þágu.
Vér frakkar sættir sǫmdum, síðan sǿri ek sór.
Þá tók ek trú ok skírn ok neitaða nafni Þórs.

Fekk ek þá borg eina, Rúðu,
þar, es landar mínir til lengdar hildi knúðu.
Ek sór þess, at ek mynda verja
ríki konungs fyrir þeim, es vildu þat herja.

Sé þat kunnigt ǫllum mǫnnum um allan heim,
at hér fǿddisk nýtt vald, es flýtr af sæmd ok seim.
Bera skyli um aldr fylki þetta nafn órt!
Dýrð sé Norðmanndi! Skulum vér ey ráða stórt!

(Latin)
ROLLO PRINCEPS PRINCIPVM
RECTOR ROTOMAGI
NORMANNOS GLORIFICAVIT
NORMANNIAM CONDIDIT

PROGENITOR PROLIS
PIAE ET POLLENTIS
EX EO DEO ORDINANTE
ORTA EST REGVM RADIX

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