poem, written by a Scotchman, describes a strange
custom of the old Norse Vikings. The kings of that
northern country, when they felt that they were soon to
die, had their servants lift them from bed and place
them on their battle-ship. They clad the king in his
armor, set his crown upon his head, and his sword in
his hand. A fire was lighted in the hold of the ship.
The sails were set, and the vessel headed out to sea.
When the ship was far from land the flames would reach
the deck, and the king would die, sword unsheathed, the
winds of the ocean about him. His spirit would then go
straight to the halls of Valhalla, where dwelt all the
former heroes and warriors of Scandinavia.
So King Balder went out to sea in his battle-ship, and
called aloud to the great All-Father, to the Norse gods
Odin and Thor, and to the Vikings waiting for him.
The metre fits the story perfectly. It has the swing of
the ocean waves, and the long and short lines at the
end of each stanza give a strong dramatic effect. It is
interesting to compare it with that other Viking poem
by Longfellow, "The Skeleton in Armor."
by Charles Mackay
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