The Bard
The sagas he stole were shoaled as little fish;
He thralled them, trawled them, tall as Stories ever are;
We bawled them, brawled them, bawdy and obscene
And spoiled them, silly for spiils at the midnight's dream.
© Kathy Labrum McVittie 22 February 2024
Björn Brudberg, alliterative Viking as he is, coaches us tonight in the Germanic tradition he simplifies to “Boom, Boom, Room, Crash”, here in the Pub of Poets, at the Place of dVerse, as follows:
writingpresence 
It’s wonderful what Shakespeare did with those “little fish” sagas he grew into the mighty plays we are held in thrall to. Love how you developed the metaphor here, Kathy.
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Thank you Dora! I’m interested that you assumed I meant Shakespeare – I had envisioned someone of the Viking or Nordic tradition, as in Bjorn’s original prompt…
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Should have guessed! I suppose I’ve only ever heard Shakespeare referred to as “the Bard” … 😉
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On reflection, I realise my own perception of the Bardic tradition was influenced at an early age by my father’s interest in Welsh cultural traditions – upheld in events like the Eisteddfod. These were National and international folk festivals (music, poetry, recitation) held in Wales, just over the border from Chester, England, where we lived.
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You not only made excellent use of alliteration, Kathy, the assonance really makes you poem sing, just like a bard.
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Thank you so much Kim. Loved your comment and then was tardy to reply. My love to you in Norfolk
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I found this a difficult challenge, but I think you got it right! I can hear the skald declaiming this.
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What synchronicity your commentdemonstrates, dear Jane! At Cambridge Women’s Circle (online ) I drew the Skald card from a ‘goddess oracle’ deck. And now this…
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I was just thinking of skald being the Norse equivalent of bard. The name sounds harsher, like the climate 🙂
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This just made me smile. So few lines…yet you truly captured the prompt and the form.
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Thank you Liillian! I’m smiling with your kindness x
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Good title for a good poem.
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Thank you Lisa. Someone else in the community interpreted ‘The Bard’ as meaning Shakespeare, though that had not been my conscious intention! I had someone much more Nordic, and possibly female, in mind…
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female bard works for me
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I’m glad! I have a sneaky aspiration here… Anyway here is my response to Dora’s comment:
“On reflection, I realise my own perception of the Bardic tradition was influenced at an early age by my father’s interest in Welsh cultural traditions – upheld in events like the Eisteddfod. These were National and international folk festivals (music, poetry, recitation) held in Wales, just over the border from Chester, England, where we lived.”
That relates to the 1950s and 1960s and I wonder how /whether the traditions have evolved to incorporate female bards!
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So very cool. Do you still live near that place? If there aren’t any yet, you can be the first.
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I’ve not lived near Wales since the 1960s, and my dad died in 1990.
But I’ve just found ou this fact, for your delight:
‘The first woman to win the Chair at the National Eisteddfod was Mererid Hopwood in 2001; she went on to win the crown at a later eisteddfod. ‘
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Eisteddfod_of_Wales
and
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chairing_of_the_Bard
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YAY!!!!!! Mererid has paved the way. That sounds like quite a wonderful gathering. Adding it to my bucket list.
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p.s. thanks for finding those links
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Oh… what a great theme, and I can feel the bard working forward from an anglo-saxon tradition into the frence-normand one.
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Thank you for your encouragement, Alliiterative Lieder Leader.
Do you think the french-normands have the monopoly on Line 3 Bawdiness? Ha!
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I couldn’t do it but I think you, by gosh , nailed it. Love the sounds and rhythm, especially 3rd line. Bard would nod “yes”.
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I’m really blushing with delight at your response! Thank you Yvonne!
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