Skyforger
Semigalls' Warchant
1. Saullekt Par Sveto Mezu
2. Werewolves
3. Virsaitis Nameisis
4. Akmeni Iekaltas Zimes
5. Night Of The Winter Solstice
6. Sen Dziedeju, Nu Ieragu
7. Semigalls' Warchant
1. Saullekt Par Sveto Mezu
[Latviesu tautasdziesma]
[Sunrise over the sacred forest/Intro]
[Ancient Latvian folk-tune]
2. Werewolves
[music by Rihard & Peter]
The pale moon casts its evil eye
Over the man in the forest
He calls wolves with the soundless bagpipe
Utters the magic words of summoning
And when the snowstorm starts its icy dance
Wolves come - red burns their eyes
Hugeful howlings fill the night sky
In the depth of the forest
There live people far from the others
They live by the elders' custom and worship pagan gods
Wolves guard them against the persecution of christians
As they deny the dogma of christ
People from the neighbourning villages
Call this place - the forest of werewolves
(they tell:)
Those who pass the marsh of wolve never return
Howling
The snowstorm roars
Red blood paints the snow
Wolves gnaw the bones of man
Who dared to enter the realm of werewolves
3. Virsaitis Nameisis
[Music by Peter, Edgar & Rihard]
Es saucu jus brali uz karu
Uz zemi kur kristgie mit
Lepnie zemgales deli
Es saucu jus zobenus trit
Nav miera vairs musu zeme
Kops viestards ir aizgajis velos
Bet krusta prieksa nekad
Zemgali nekritis celos!
Sargieties kristgie
Nameisis ir mans vards
Drebiet bailes to dzirdot
Es naku psa velina aicinats
Mans kumels skrien atrak ka ziemelu vejs
Kara cirvis atputu nepazist
Es savu uzvaras dziesmu dziedu tur
Kur manu maidnieku asinis list
Un zemgali kopa ar leisiem
Cauri prusu zemem tad trauc
Visniknak cert krustnesus nameisis
Lidzi savus virus vins sauc:
"Nu eita virsu kristigiem
Jus mani lepnie varoni!"
No 'Atskanu Hronikas"
x Chief Nameisis x
The man who devoted all his life to the bitter fight
against uninvited cross-marked invaders.
His name is Nameisis and he was the last
Semigallian chief named in ancient chronicles.
4. Akmeni Iekaltas Zimes
[Music by Rihard]
Melni makoni gulas pari tumsajiem meziem
Drumi veja simstgadu ozoli salc
Uz sena svetkalna akmeniem
Memi sez kraukli
Tie velina zinesi iz vesu valsts
Deg nakti zem ozola sveta uguns
Grimmst akmeni sunas un leni dilst
Tajos iekaltas zimes
Akmeni iekaltas zimes
Bet lidz ar rita miglu
Devini priesteri svetkalna kapj
Pie akmeniem stajas
Un seno ritualu tie sak
Uguns gars, nem musu veltes
Lai dumu griste debesis sniedz
Mums savu svetibu nenliedz
Perkon, sirmais sencu dievs
Dod nakamam paaudzem saprast
Musu atstatas zimes
Akmeni iektalas zimes
Lai varam no zauna pacelt
Karogus rotatus perkonkrustiem
Lai turpinam dzimtu kas nikst
Un iszliefnam noliekta galvas lepni
Un musu speks nekad vairs lai neizsikst
Dod perkon mums speku!
x Signs Carved In Stone
The olden ritual has begun, nine priests ascend the
sacred mound and stand beside the stones. They worship the ancient
God Perkons to get favour and blessing... SOme of the signs
the priests carved in stoned have remained till nowadays
5. Night Of The Winter Solstice
[Music by Rihard & Peter]
The sun has vanished
Freezing northwind now rules the land
From the ralm of ice and eternal darkness
Mother winter snow-clouds sends
White warlord rides the sky
Hundred steed pull his sledge of ice
The roaring noise follows him
It's the sign that the winter solstice have arrived
The ancient song fills the air
On the mound sacred fire burns
People dance the magic dance of rebirth
For the sun's sooner return
Here is the longest night of the year
When the evil spirits of darkness is awake
Old witch woman dances across the room
She drives whole evil spirits back in the bloom
Over the frozen field the northwind walls
Falling snow turns into the raging snowstorm.
6. Sen Dziedeju, Nu Ieragu
[Latviesu tautasdziesma]
[Ancient Latvian folksong]
7. Semigalls' Warchant
[Music by Rihard & Peter]
Titmouse sings
Near the house door
Wake up brothers, saddle the horses
Titmouse brings the message of war
COme on sisters
Shine our heavy swords
Then go open the gates
Your brothers must ride to the war
I cut my battle axe
In the green oak
Onto my spear I tread
Here we swear the oath
Almighty god of war and thunder
Watch us from above
Now we are the hunters
To the hunt we go
Father moon, high in the sky
Light our way tonight
Two bloody rivers flow
Down from the hill
There my enemies lie
By my sword they're killed
From their bones we made the bridge to home
This is our warchant
It gives us courage and makes us strong
Since ancient times the Eastern coast of the Baltic Sea has been inhabited by
the Latvians, one of the Baltic peoples. The Baltic tribes settled here about
4000 years ago and had their own mythology and customs based upon the worship
of the natural forces. They were the last pagan tribes in Europe. In the 13th
century the Knights of the Teutonic Order invaded the country to bring in the
Christianity. One by one crusaders subjugated the free peasant-tribes of the
Latgalls, Sels and Kurshi, destroyed their villages and fortified castles,
devastated their fields and tried to turn native inhabitants into serfs of
Christ. Only the tribe of the Semigalls under the guidance of chief Viestards
(and later - Nameisis) still carried on the fight against the servants of
cross. Until finally in 1290 after several bitter fights they were forced to
leave the native land, but they went away unsubjugated. Many an old
castle-hill or an oak which has weathered the storms and adversities of
centuries are the sole witness of these events, but people tell legends
about them - about brave Semigallian warriors... In memory of those who lost
their lifes in these battles we dedicate the SEMIGALLS' WARCHANT. The brave
pagan spirit of those will ive in our hearts forever...
PETER - battlescreams, winterguitars
EDGAR - stormbass, background screams
RIHARD - winterguitars
IMANT - thunderdrums
All heathen poetry by PETER, except "Sen djirdeju, nu ieraugu"
Pipes on "Sullekts par sveto mezu" and flute on "Virsaitis Nameisis" by LINDA
Horn on "Virsanis Nameisis" by EDGAR
Kokle, shepherd's horn & rattle stick on "Night Of The Winter Solstice" by PETER
Warrior voices on "Sen djirdeju, nu ieraugu" by PETER, EDGAR & RIHARD
Backing vocals on "Semigalls' warchant" by EDGAR & RIHARD
No synthesizers used on this recording!
Band contact:
SKYFORGER, P.O. Box 77, Riga LV-1047, LATVIA
Lyrics in plain text format
