https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOD3QfsxQXk&list=RDmOD3QfsxQXk&start_radio=1

 

'Vem kan segla' in Proto-Norse [Ancient Scandinavian Language] | The Skaldic Bard

The Skaldic Bard

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114,942回視聴 2025/09/06

Back again with another song! This time, it’s the beautiful Swedish folk song Vem kan segla förutan vind (Who can sail without the wind), which I translated into Proto-Norse. Arrangement, music and translation by The Skaldic Bard and performed by the resident Lady Skald, my lovely wife. The song is thought to have originated in the Swedish-speaking areas of Finland, and is a classic seafarer’s lament about being parted from one’s loved ones. If you stick around, you’ll also hear me narrate my Proto-Norse translation of one of my favourite stanzas of the Hávamál which I feel fits the theme of the song very well. A note on the language: Proto-Norse is the precursor to Old Norse, spoken in varying forms from the 2nd-8th centuries AD. The other alphabet you see on the screen is the Elder Futhark, which was used to write the language. This should not be confused with the Younger Futhark, which was used to write the later language, Old Norse. Proto-Norse represents a midpoint between Proto Germanic and Old Norse, where we see some specifically Nordic phonological and grammatical features evolving. The ʀ letter you see in the Norse here represents the Elder Futhark rune ᛉ, which derives from Proto-Germanic ‘z’, which in the Old Norse period becomes ‘r’. It’s not known for certain how it would have been pronounced in the transitional period in Proto-Norse, but in this video, we sing it with a pronunciation around ʒ or ʐ (think of the ‘s’ in ‘vision’), as this is represents a midpoint between the two sounds. I had to change up the lyrics a little bit in order to keep both the sense and the ABAB rhyming scheme. If you have any specific questions about the language / reconstruction, please feel free to ask in the comments. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the song. Please like, share and subscribe if you did! I also love reading your comments, so let me know what you think. Follow me on Spotify (The Skaldic Bard): https://open.spotify.com/artist/7E7Qq... If you'd like to support my work, you can do so here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/theskald.... Thank you for your kindness. Many thanks for your support as always!