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Wodan´s Hunt
Tune: "St. Stephen" by Grateful Dead          St. Stephen snippets on this page by Amazon (ext. link)  

Wodan is a holy god and stark with Ases´might,
´tis sung how Baldr´s horse he did heal before the great gods´ sight.
Yet swiftest of all his own steed, old Sleipnir dapple gray,
When winter winds begin to howl, he rides till break of day.

Chorus:
O mortal man, you may well fear when Host rides through the sky,
And crouch beside your fire warm when Wodan´s Hunt rides by.

Now ale is poured and coals aglow, and clan sits by the hearth,
The Yule-Log is burning bright, of food we have no dearth.
We set out offerings for the Host, hung from the old dark yew,
The apples red and braided bread, and horns of frothing brew.

Chorus

The winter night is wild with snow that shrieks about the roofs,
We hear the riders´ wailing horns, we hear their dreadful hooves.
The trolls all rage and furious run, from howe to howe they howl,
And alfs ride forth from mounds´ high tops, beneath their pale cauls.

Chorus

The ghosts awake to mount their steeds, the slain from restless sleep,
They gather all in Wodan´s train to fare from keep to keep.
And some we know will ride this night, as empty lie their beds,
The stable doors will hang ajar, the horses bear the dead.

© KveldúlfR Gundarsson

Original song: ca. 1965-73, Robert Hunter (lyrics), Jerry Garcia (music) (1942-1995)

Lyrics and sheet music in:
Yuletide Carols: Seventeen heathen carols, traditional and new  
by Winifred Rose, Diana L. Paxson, Kveldulf Gundarsson, Jenny Blain and others.
18 pages, stapled - $2.50.

Image: "Cloud Ghost", Richard Riemerschmied (1868 - 1957), German architect, painter and designer

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