XIEBBE SKAMMELSON

This ballad of a brother’s treachery (which may be compared with our own “Childe Vyet”) dates fromcirca1300, and is considered by Olrik as the best produced in Denmark during the mediæval period. In character-drawing it yields to none. Proud Adelus, “strong in will and true in troth,” is the ideal noble lady; the hot-blooded hero, the cowardly brother, and the mother with her unavailingattempt at smoothing things over, are all well individualized. The burden, too, is peculiarly haunting and picturesque.

Tradition points to the Nordentoft homestead in North Jutland (Ty) as the scene of the tragedy; and the great Strangeson family claims Ebbe as its founder.

1Skammel he dwells up north in Ty,And Skammel is rich and gay;Five sons hath he both fair and tall,But two went an evil way.—Therefore roams Ebbe Skammelson so many a lonely way.2Sir Ebbe serves for fame and feeThe royal court within,While Peter his brother that bides at homeHis true-love’s troth would win.3“Dost sit at home, proud Adelus,And broider my brother’s gear?Ebbe he serves in the King’s own court,And scorns thee, nor holds thee dear!”4“Full well do I know him, Ebbe,And Ebbe his heart knows he;And scorns he never a maiden proudThe less hath he scorn for me!”5“Now lithe and listen, proud Adelus,And be my plighted maid!For true I tell thee the tidingsThat Ebbe my brother is dead.”6All on the self-same eveningThey drank to the plighted pair;All on the Monday afterTo bridal-feast they fare.7It was Ebbe SkammelsonAt midnight did awake,And he up and called to the nearest swainAnd of his dream he spake.8“Methought that my stone-built towerStood all in a leaping lowe,And Peter my brother burned therein,And my fair love alsò.”9“And didst thou dream thy tower of stoneStood all in a lowe so red,Then know, that Peter thy brotherThine own fair love doth wed.”10It was Ebbe SkammelsonThat girt his sword by his side,And leave he won, Sir Ebbe,Homeward in haste to ride.11It was Ebbe SkammelsonThat paused not on his way;He came to his father’s castleAll on the bridal-day.12Forth they come, his sisters twain,With bracelets on either hand:“Now welcome, Ebbe our brother,Home to thy father’s land!”13“Now lithe and listen, my sisters twain,And look that ye do not lie!Say wherefore are gathering hitherThis goodly companie?”14Up spake his youngest sister,For needs must the words be said:“Lo! ’tis Peter thy brotherThine own true-love doth wed!”15To one he has given a brooch for her breast,To the other a ring for her hand:“Oh, I brought them both to my own true-loveOut of the strangers’ land!”16The one she has bidden him bide at home,The other has bidden him go:“For dost thou tarry here o’er this nightBe sure it will work us woe!”17Ebbe he turned his horse’s headForth from the hold to ride,But his mother she seized the bridal-reinAnd begged him at home to bide.18His mother all to the highest placeHath brought him cushion and chair,His father hath brought him a cup of wineTo pledge the bridal-pair.19He pledged them in the mead so brownAnd in the red, red wine,But when he looked upon the brideThe tears ran from his eyne.20Now when the dew was fallingAnd even was well-nigh sped,Up she rose, the beauteous bride,To seek the bridal-bed.21They followed her, the beauteous bride,All to her chamber door;Foremost went Ebbe SkammelsonTo hold the torch before.22All to the door of the upper roomEbbe the bride led he:“Hast thou forgot, proud Adelus,The troth thou didst plight to me?”23“All the troth I plighted theeIs given to Peter thy brother;But each and every day I liveI’ll be to thee e’en as a mother!”24“I wooed thee not for my mother,I wooed thee for my wife!For this shall Peter SkammelsonYield up to me his life!25“Lithe and listen, proud Adelus,And fly from the land with me!Peter my brother I’ll slay eftsoon,And bear the blame for thee.”26“And wilt thou slay Peter thy brother eftsoonI never will be thy wage!And thou shalt sorrow thyself to deathLike a wild bird in a cage.”27It was Ebbe SkammelsonThat drew his brand so brown;It was haughty AdelusThat he to earth struck down.28Oh, he has hidden the bloody brandBeneath his cloak of pall;He’s sought his brother Sir PeterThat sat in the stone-built hall.29“Now harken, Peter Skammelson,A laggard art thou to wed!The bride is longing after theeAll in the bridal-bed.”30It was Peter his brotherSpake up with mickle spite:“I give thee leave with right good-willTo sleep by the bride to-night!”31It was Ebbe SkammelsonThat drew his brand so brown;It was Peter his brotherThat he to earth struck down.32Oh, he has wounded his father sore,And struck off his mother’s hand;And so must he roam, Ebbe Skammelson,The wild ways of the land!—Therefore roams Ebbe Skammelson so many a lonely way.

1Skammel he dwells up north in Ty,And Skammel is rich and gay;Five sons hath he both fair and tall,But two went an evil way.—Therefore roams Ebbe Skammelson so many a lonely way.

Skammel he dwells up north in Ty,

And Skammel is rich and gay;

Five sons hath he both fair and tall,

But two went an evil way.

—Therefore roams Ebbe Skammelson so many a lonely way.

2Sir Ebbe serves for fame and feeThe royal court within,While Peter his brother that bides at homeHis true-love’s troth would win.

Sir Ebbe serves for fame and fee

The royal court within,

While Peter his brother that bides at home

His true-love’s troth would win.

3“Dost sit at home, proud Adelus,And broider my brother’s gear?Ebbe he serves in the King’s own court,And scorns thee, nor holds thee dear!”

“Dost sit at home, proud Adelus,

And broider my brother’s gear?

Ebbe he serves in the King’s own court,

And scorns thee, nor holds thee dear!”

4“Full well do I know him, Ebbe,And Ebbe his heart knows he;And scorns he never a maiden proudThe less hath he scorn for me!”

“Full well do I know him, Ebbe,

And Ebbe his heart knows he;

And scorns he never a maiden proud

The less hath he scorn for me!”

5“Now lithe and listen, proud Adelus,And be my plighted maid!For true I tell thee the tidingsThat Ebbe my brother is dead.”

“Now lithe and listen, proud Adelus,

And be my plighted maid!

For true I tell thee the tidings

That Ebbe my brother is dead.”

6All on the self-same eveningThey drank to the plighted pair;All on the Monday afterTo bridal-feast they fare.

All on the self-same evening

They drank to the plighted pair;

All on the Monday after

To bridal-feast they fare.

7It was Ebbe SkammelsonAt midnight did awake,And he up and called to the nearest swainAnd of his dream he spake.

It was Ebbe Skammelson

At midnight did awake,

And he up and called to the nearest swain

And of his dream he spake.

8“Methought that my stone-built towerStood all in a leaping lowe,And Peter my brother burned therein,And my fair love alsò.”

“Methought that my stone-built tower

Stood all in a leaping lowe,

And Peter my brother burned therein,

And my fair love alsò.”

9“And didst thou dream thy tower of stoneStood all in a lowe so red,Then know, that Peter thy brotherThine own fair love doth wed.”

“And didst thou dream thy tower of stone

Stood all in a lowe so red,

Then know, that Peter thy brother

Thine own fair love doth wed.”

10It was Ebbe SkammelsonThat girt his sword by his side,And leave he won, Sir Ebbe,Homeward in haste to ride.

It was Ebbe Skammelson

That girt his sword by his side,

And leave he won, Sir Ebbe,

Homeward in haste to ride.

11It was Ebbe SkammelsonThat paused not on his way;He came to his father’s castleAll on the bridal-day.

It was Ebbe Skammelson

That paused not on his way;

He came to his father’s castle

All on the bridal-day.

12Forth they come, his sisters twain,With bracelets on either hand:“Now welcome, Ebbe our brother,Home to thy father’s land!”

Forth they come, his sisters twain,

With bracelets on either hand:

“Now welcome, Ebbe our brother,

Home to thy father’s land!”

13“Now lithe and listen, my sisters twain,And look that ye do not lie!Say wherefore are gathering hitherThis goodly companie?”

“Now lithe and listen, my sisters twain,

And look that ye do not lie!

Say wherefore are gathering hither

This goodly companie?”

14Up spake his youngest sister,For needs must the words be said:“Lo! ’tis Peter thy brotherThine own true-love doth wed!”

Up spake his youngest sister,

For needs must the words be said:

“Lo! ’tis Peter thy brother

Thine own true-love doth wed!”

15To one he has given a brooch for her breast,To the other a ring for her hand:“Oh, I brought them both to my own true-loveOut of the strangers’ land!”

To one he has given a brooch for her breast,

To the other a ring for her hand:

“Oh, I brought them both to my own true-love

Out of the strangers’ land!”

16The one she has bidden him bide at home,The other has bidden him go:“For dost thou tarry here o’er this nightBe sure it will work us woe!”

The one she has bidden him bide at home,

The other has bidden him go:

“For dost thou tarry here o’er this night

Be sure it will work us woe!”

17Ebbe he turned his horse’s headForth from the hold to ride,But his mother she seized the bridal-reinAnd begged him at home to bide.

Ebbe he turned his horse’s head

Forth from the hold to ride,

But his mother she seized the bridal-rein

And begged him at home to bide.

18His mother all to the highest placeHath brought him cushion and chair,His father hath brought him a cup of wineTo pledge the bridal-pair.

His mother all to the highest place

Hath brought him cushion and chair,

His father hath brought him a cup of wine

To pledge the bridal-pair.

19He pledged them in the mead so brownAnd in the red, red wine,But when he looked upon the brideThe tears ran from his eyne.

He pledged them in the mead so brown

And in the red, red wine,

But when he looked upon the bride

The tears ran from his eyne.

20Now when the dew was fallingAnd even was well-nigh sped,Up she rose, the beauteous bride,To seek the bridal-bed.

Now when the dew was falling

And even was well-nigh sped,

Up she rose, the beauteous bride,

To seek the bridal-bed.

21They followed her, the beauteous bride,All to her chamber door;Foremost went Ebbe SkammelsonTo hold the torch before.

They followed her, the beauteous bride,

All to her chamber door;

Foremost went Ebbe Skammelson

To hold the torch before.

22All to the door of the upper roomEbbe the bride led he:“Hast thou forgot, proud Adelus,The troth thou didst plight to me?”

All to the door of the upper room

Ebbe the bride led he:

“Hast thou forgot, proud Adelus,

The troth thou didst plight to me?”

23“All the troth I plighted theeIs given to Peter thy brother;But each and every day I liveI’ll be to thee e’en as a mother!”

“All the troth I plighted thee

Is given to Peter thy brother;

But each and every day I live

I’ll be to thee e’en as a mother!”

24“I wooed thee not for my mother,I wooed thee for my wife!For this shall Peter SkammelsonYield up to me his life!

“I wooed thee not for my mother,

I wooed thee for my wife!

For this shall Peter Skammelson

Yield up to me his life!

25“Lithe and listen, proud Adelus,And fly from the land with me!Peter my brother I’ll slay eftsoon,And bear the blame for thee.”

“Lithe and listen, proud Adelus,

And fly from the land with me!

Peter my brother I’ll slay eftsoon,

And bear the blame for thee.”

26“And wilt thou slay Peter thy brother eftsoonI never will be thy wage!And thou shalt sorrow thyself to deathLike a wild bird in a cage.”

“And wilt thou slay Peter thy brother eftsoon

I never will be thy wage!

And thou shalt sorrow thyself to death

Like a wild bird in a cage.”

27It was Ebbe SkammelsonThat drew his brand so brown;It was haughty AdelusThat he to earth struck down.

It was Ebbe Skammelson

That drew his brand so brown;

It was haughty Adelus

That he to earth struck down.

28Oh, he has hidden the bloody brandBeneath his cloak of pall;He’s sought his brother Sir PeterThat sat in the stone-built hall.

Oh, he has hidden the bloody brand

Beneath his cloak of pall;

He’s sought his brother Sir Peter

That sat in the stone-built hall.

29“Now harken, Peter Skammelson,A laggard art thou to wed!The bride is longing after theeAll in the bridal-bed.”

“Now harken, Peter Skammelson,

A laggard art thou to wed!

The bride is longing after thee

All in the bridal-bed.”

30It was Peter his brotherSpake up with mickle spite:“I give thee leave with right good-willTo sleep by the bride to-night!”

It was Peter his brother

Spake up with mickle spite:

“I give thee leave with right good-will

To sleep by the bride to-night!”

31It was Ebbe SkammelsonThat drew his brand so brown;It was Peter his brotherThat he to earth struck down.

It was Ebbe Skammelson

That drew his brand so brown;

It was Peter his brother

That he to earth struck down.

32Oh, he has wounded his father sore,And struck off his mother’s hand;And so must he roam, Ebbe Skammelson,The wild ways of the land!—Therefore roams Ebbe Skammelson so many a lonely way.

Oh, he has wounded his father sore,

And struck off his mother’s hand;

And so must he roam, Ebbe Skammelson,

The wild ways of the land!

—Therefore roams Ebbe Skammelson so many a lonely way.

Back to Index Next