Settlers of fertile land afar
Sons and daughters of the work of plough
Charcoal chewers grow to tell
Of long hearth tales and flame-glazed eye
Nimble with the weaving
Able with the wood-shaping blade
Lovers of the pot’s fill or roasting glaze
Stir and laugh and eat to listen
Settle to the furs to dream away all danger
Hew the stone of future safety
Lift the heavy earth that walls or burns
Haft the hunter, swing the beam maker
Raise the wrist as golden perch
Thatcher bring us warmth
Herder house the beef
Dress beloved dead and send them
Equipped to show how skilled, how flourished
Swing at flax that sings of finery
Drag the comb through many fibres
Spin the disc upon the spindle
Carve the boards of whale bone work way
Invest the spirit of each creature’s essence
Beads of beauty; beads impress
Fashioned, traded, her adorned
Admire the swish of practical cloth
Craft the lock and choose the key-hold
Spend the coin of far Arabia
Stamp the die; create small buyers
Buckle up the waist bejewelled
Send iron nail to hull depth holding
Shape lead as weight for trader scale
Groom with tweezer; hear with ear spoon
Show comb at waist now hide the hair
Stale urine at the fire will age to blondness
Large tub will fill to top with cleanliness
Laurdag bowl and scrubbing rack
Soon the wattling will mar this.
Plan the village; discuss at Thing
Work the leather of our great protection
Present the weave as decoration
Heave the hammer; the fine strong hammer
Laugh to be here, smile to share
Strength in working, building, growing
Settled in this fertile land forever
Settled in this fertile land
Adrian Spendlow - JORVIK poet in residence
If you would like some of your
own artwork displayed on the website please email
to ctuckley@yorkat.co.uk, remember to include your
name.
Contributions can be anything you
have created that has been inspired by Vikings or
JORVIK Viking Centre.
