Ballad of Thorstein

Some time ago we already mentioned how, in an amazing way, songs can be preserved for centuries for a very long time, being passed down from generation to generation, and even a changing language is not a hindrance to this. Now we see something even more fun.

Given: a piece of birch bark with the text of the song in Protoruginsky. The song is long, with a lot of verses, so we only give the first verse and the chorus here. But the thing is - there is also a completely modern Viterskaya folk ballad, which is called Torsteins Kvaeri ("The Ballad of Thorstein") with almost completely identical text! See its text below to appreciate the similarity, and don't be too surprised: the spelling of the language is just very ... conservative.

Just think about it: fifteen centuries have passed, and the song is the same as it was. Madness.

On this musical note, we are going to wallow in the snow, and we leave you with a song and a bunch of lyrics.

Original, junior fufark:

ᚢᛁᛚᛁᚦ ᛁᛦ ᚼᛚᚢᚦᛅ ᚬᚴ ᛚᛁᚢᚦ ᚴᛁᚠᛅ ᛘᛁᛦ
ᛁᚴ ᛒᚱᚢᛏ ᛅᚠ ᛏᛁᛅᚱᚠᚢᛏᛅᛏᛁ
ᚴᚬᚾᚢᚾᚴᛦ ᚱᛁᚦ ᚾᚬᚱᚢᛁᚴᛁ
ᚼᛅᚾ ᛏᚬᚴᚢᛅ ᛋᚢᚾᛁ ᛅᛏᛁ

ᚱᛁᚾᛦ ᚬᚴ ᚱᛁᚾᛦ ᚠᚬᛚᛁ ᛘᛁᚾ
ᛅ ᚴᚱᚢᚾᛁ ᚴᚱᚢᚾᛏ ᚬᚴ ᚢᛁᚾ ᛒᛅᚱ ᚱᛅᚢᛏᛅ ᛚᚢᚾᛏ
ᛋᛏᛁᚴ ᛅᛏ ᛏᛅᚾᛋᛅ ᛋᛏᚢᚾᛏ
ᚴᛅᛏᛦ ᛚᛆᛁᚴᛦ ᚠᚬᛚᛁ ᛘᛁᚾ
ᛅ ᚴᚱᚢᚾᛁ ᚴᚱᚢᚾᛏ

Romance transcription:

vil(j)ið éʀ hlýða ok ljóð gefa méʀ
ek brýt af djǫrfutát(t)i
konungʀ réð norvegi
han(n) togva syni at(t)i

rin(n)ʀ ok rin(n)ʀ foli min(n)
á grœn(n)i grund ok vín bar rauða lund
stig at dansa stund
kátʀ leikʀ foli min(n)
á grœn(n)i grund

Modern Viter text:

Vilja tit lýða og ljóð geva mær,
Eg broti av bragdartati.
Kongur ráddi for Nøríki, hann tógva synir átti.

Rennur og rennur foli min
Grønari grund og vín bar reyða lund.
Stig at dansa stund.
Katur leikar foli min
Á grønari grund.

Translation:

Listen, and let there be silence,
I sing about brave men.
The king ruled Norway
He had two sons.

Runs and runs my foal
On the green land - and the wine brought a red mood.
Take a step to dance a little.
My foal plays happily
On green land.