Thursday, July 05, 2018

Now That's How to Celebrate a Coronation!

Nearly 800 lines away from the end of the poem, Havelok is crowned.  For guidance on proper expressions of joy on the restoration of the rightful heir, let's take a look at the happy Danes, shall we?

Hwan he was king, þer mouthe men se
Þe moste ioie þat mouhte be:
Great joy and many sports.
Buttinge with sharpe speres,
Skirming with taleuaces, þat men beres,
Wrastling with laddes, putting of ston,
Harping and piping, ful god won,
Leyk of mine, of hasard ok,
Romanz reding on þe bok;
Þer mouthe men here þe gestes singe,
Þe gleymen on þe tabour dinge;
There is baiting of bulls and boars,
Þer mouhte men se þe boles beyte,
And þe bores, with hundes teyte;
Þo mouthe men se eueril gleu,
Þer mouthe men se hw grim greu;
Was neuere yete ioie more
In al þis werd, þan þo was þore.
(ll. 2320-35)


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