sláine macroth

sung in memory of sláine, the horned god.

i.

in an ancient, mythical, long-forgotten land
a world whose legendary tales infuse our blood
tir na nóg, protected by vast oceans of water
a wonder, lush and green, and pleasing to the eye
where maids and hags were strong and tough like steel
where fights or feasts were joys felt to the bone

ii.

a young maiden, with skin as white as bone
whose beauty was unsurpassed throughout the land
cast on young sláine indomitable gaze of steel
trapping his passions and heating his blood
niamh stole from him far more than just his eye
her gifts, their cost could make hard, dry eyes water

iii.

for his sin against the sessair king, sláine crossed the water
banished to the lands where dragons crunched men's bones
where for her rescue, medb, in anger, spat him in the eye
bringing to bear on him the nightmares of her land
where to lord weird slough feg they sacrificed their blood
and defended his right for their souls so to steal

iv.

on his return, sláine's great nerves were steeled
when fomorian evil invaded from across the water
for his tribe's protection he shed his share of blood
skirted insane kings, irked druids playing with old bones
he dedicated himself to the goddess of the land
to fight both rancid feg and balor's evil eye

v.

deep in the cauldron, or simply death's mind's eye
while up above were shouts and clangs of steel
the carcasses were resurrected, returned to land
for one more fight, no need to waste their water
they fought until ground down to bits of bone
they turned away their foes in tides of blood

vi.

sláine, warp spasmed with frenzied, raging blood
with his axe, brain-biter, carved out balor's eye
the tribal council threw moloch a bone
who'd later come back for niamh's life to steal
the fomorians were sent packing to the water
and sláine left crowned first high king of ireland

envoi.

who writes these notes with lust for blood and steel?
whose eyes with grim nostalgia fill with water?
these are poor old ukko's bones, whose ship has yet to land.