Alfred the Great [Old English Song] HD Remake | The Skaldic Bard

Here’s a song I wrote in Old English a while ago, which I have decided to remake. Music, lyrics and arrangement by myself, with vocals by me and my wife. The song is dedicated to perhaps the greatest Englishman in history, King Alfred the Great. The song is largely based on the Anglo Saxon Chronicle’s telling of the Battle of Edington/Ethandun in which King Alfred overcame the Great Heathen Army and baptised their king, Guthrum. In a church in my hometown, there’s a stained glass window which portrays Alfred with the tagline “Subduer of the Danes”, which I thought was an awesome title, so I just had to implement it! I hope you enjoy! Follow me on Spotify (The Skaldic Bard): If you’d like to support my work, you can do so here: Thank you for your kindness. Lyrics: Ælfredes wyrd wæs þæt hē wolde ġelēafan and lond bewerian. On ċildhāde wæs hē on Rome ġesended and ġemētte Pāpan Leo Pāpa wæs on Rome, Hē Ælfred swā cyning blētsode. Sē lȳtling sċeal be his weorcum mǣsta ealra Engla weorþan. Wes hāl, Ælfred cyning, ġewieldend Dena! Þū þe sċealt þā Norþmenn of Westseaxum drīfan! Com miċel hǣþen here on Angelcynnes lond fæġere. Rægenherġes Lēodbrōca suna lǣdaþ Denisċe wīċingas. Hīe hergiaþ and bærnaþ Englisċe ċirican and hāmas. Ac wē ne cnēowliaþ for nānum menn, būtan for þām ānum Gode! Wes hāl, Ælfred cyning, ġewieldend Dena! Þū þe sċealt cristendōm wiþ hǣþenum nerian! Hǣþen here bestæl tō byrġ Cippanhamme and āscode fēohsċeatt. Miċel þæs cristnes folces ofer sæ ādrifon þā Norþmenn. Ælfred cyning ābēonn ūt fyrde miċele tō beadwe. Scīrþeġnas ġewǣpniaþ hīe and mid Ælfrede fyrdiaþ Wes hāl, Ælfred cyning, ġewieldend Dena! Þū þe sċēalt hēohcyning Angelcynnes weorþan! Nēalǣhton Eþandune, tugon hīe Dene on clǣnne feld. Wyrċaþ hīe þone sċieldweall, hungreþ Ælfredes sweorde on handa. “Mymeraþ ġif ġe ġefeallaþ, ēower mēd ne biþ weorolde! Sē Hǣlend ġesiehþ and Hē biþ mid ūs! Drīfaþ þā hundas of Westseaxum!” Wes hāl, Ælfred cyning, ġewieldend Dena! Þū þe brengst miċele ār ūrum Dryhtne! Hīe oferfeallaþ þone weall grimlīce æxum, mid hete gefylde. Andwlitan rēod and rēþu, lindcroda þurh þā wealdas onhwileþ. Þær wæs miċel and blōdiġ wæl ac oferholt Engla stemnette. Ælfred cyning mid fyrde feaht, ġesċufon Dene of beaduwange! Wes hāl, Ælfred cyning! ġewieldend Dena! Þū þe siġe nōme ofer þā wīċingas! Dene wurdon hungerbitne, ac Ælfred þām hǣþenum miltsode. Gudrom cyning Norþmanna þāra swōr āþ þæt hē fulwihte onfōn wolde. His sē cyning þær onfeng æt fulwihte wiþ Æþelingaīeġe Wæs friðowǣr underwriten, þā fōr sē here of Westseaxum. Wes hāl, Ælfred cyning! Ġewieldend Dena! Þū þe lēte mihtiġe Dene fulwian! Þū lǣfdest þīn ġemynd on gōdum weorcum and on ūrum dagum hǣtst þū Miċela. Please do not redistribute my work without permission. Feel free to email me with any inquiries!