The Ballad of Harold

Hvordan arter den mer brutale delen av norsk historie seg for en amerikansk country&western sanger? 
Fra en av våre lesere har vi fått følgende tekst om den engelske kortregenten Harold Godwinson som skaffet seg et navn for all framtid da han forhindret den norske kongen Harald Hardraade å hærta England i 1066. Med tillatelse vil vi derfor offentliggjøre denne balladen – som første i verden!

In English

How does the more brutal part of norwegian history look like in a country & western song? From one of our american readers we have got this poem about the English regent Harold Godwinson who went into history by defeating the norwegian king Harald Hardraade when he tried to conquer England in 1066. With his permission we will publish this poem – as the first in the world!

Became king when Edward died
Had the people on his side
Many battles he fought
But his reign was short
That cannot be denied

By his brother was betrayed
Who with ships did often raid
He ravaged the coast
For it vexed him most
That in exile he had stayed 

Norway’s king did then set forth
Attacked England from the north
But at the finish

He lost to the British
He went homeward as a corpse

Was victorious near York
But the time of joy was short
For the word was brought
That homeward he ought
William held a southern port

Bastard duke of Normandy
Had sailed across the sea
He wanted the throne
For himself alone
A resolute fellow was he

Harold hied not to be late
On that warm October date
Troops weakened but brave
His kingdom they’d save
But most unkind was fate

He had little time to cry
For an arrow pierced his eye
The battle was lost
To the Norman host
And Harold lay down to die

Nine months, nine days did he reign
In the end, he suffered pain
As hard as he strived
A glory short-lived
Was all that he did attain.

Billy-Bob Neville (King of the Country-Western Singers)

On October 24, 1066, Harold Godwinson, the King of England, was defeated and killed at the Battle of Hastings by the forces of William of Normandy, who then assumed the English throne. Just a few weeks earlier, in th north of England, Harold had defeated the Norwegian army led by King Harald Hardraada.

Neville Robbins er en amerikansk dikter/tekst-skribent, bedre kjent under kunstnernavnet Billy Bob Neville. Til daglig er han professor i matematikk ved San Francisco State University

Neville Robbins is an american poet/song writer, better know under the artist name Billy Bob Neville. He is Professor of Mathematics at San Francisco State University