Song in Gothic/Latin: Slayers of the Huns [Battle of the Catalaunian Plains] | The Skaldic Bard

Here’s an original song I wrote and performed, this time in Gothic and Latin (with Classical Latin pronunciation). The song is structured to be exactly 50% of each language to symbolise the coming together of two great historical European forces, and to give the perspective of each side. It was quite the labour of love putting this together - I’m not sure I’ve ever worked so hard! The song revolves around the invasion of Attila the Hun into Western Europe. To have a chance at beating the mighty Huns, Theodoric, King of the Visigoths, and Flavius Aetius, a Roman general, put their differences aside (they had previously been at war against each other) and joined forces to fight their common enemy, Attila and his Hunnic army, at the Battle of the Catalaunian Plains. In a mighty charge, the Goths captured a key strategic hill position, while the Romans arranged their troops in a slightly unorthodox fashion to outmanoeuvre Attila. They ultimately won the day, but the King of the Goths, Theodoric I, lost his life in the process. The Romans decided not to kill Attila when they had the chance, perhaps hoping he would cool off after his defeat… but as it turns out, that was to be an unwise decision, as he returned to invade the Western Empire again the following year. Fun fact: King Theodoric was JRR Tolkien’s inspiration for the character Théoden King in Lord of the Rings, and the Battle of the Catalaunian Plains inspired The Battle of the Pelennor Fields. Follow me on Spotify (The Skaldic Bard): You can support me here: Thank you for your kindness. Lyrics: 𐌰𐍄𐍄𐌹𐌻𐌰, 𐍃𐌰 𐍃𐌻𐌴𐌹𐌳𐌾𐌰 𐍆𐌰𐌸𐍃 𐍆𐌿𐌻𐌰 (Attila, sa sleidja faþs fūla) 𐌰𐍄𐍆𐌰𐍂𐌹𐌳𐌰 𐌹𐌽 𐌲𐌰𐍅𐌹 𐌿𐌽𐍃𐌰𐍂. (atfarida in gawi unsar.) 𐍈𐍉𐍄𐌰 𐌼𐌹𐌺𐌹𐌻𐌰 𐌱𐌴𐌹𐌳𐌹𐌸 𐌷𐌴𐍂. (Ƕōta mikila beidiþ hēr.) 𐌾𐌿 𐌳𐌹𐍃𐍅𐌿𐌻𐍅𐌿𐌽 𐌻𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌰 𐌻𐌿𐍃𐍄𐌰𐍂. (Ju diswulwun landa austar.) 𐍆𐌰𐍂𐌰𐌽𐌳 𐌿𐍃 𐍃𐍄𐌰𐌳𐌰 𐌹𐌽 𐍃𐍄𐌰𐌳 (Farand us stada in stad) 𐍄𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌾𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌰𐌽𐍃 𐌷𐌰𐌹𐌼𐍉𐍃 𐌾𐌰𐌷 𐌲𐌰𐍂𐌳𐌹𐌽𐍃. (tandjandans haimos jah gardins.) 𐍆𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌰 𐌲𐌿𐌳𐌰 𐌾𐌰𐌷 𐍉𐌸𐌰𐌻𐌰 (Faura guda jah oþala) 𐌷𐌰𐌱𐌰𐌼 𐍄𐍂𐌹𐌲𐌲𐍅𐌰 𐌼𐌹𐌸 𐍂𐌿𐌼𐍉𐌽𐌹𐌼. (habām triggwa miþ rūmōnim.) ROMA, COR IMPERII, TVTA EST. SED FVRVNT ANIMI MENTESQVE HVNNORVM, HOSTIVM ORIENTALIVM. GALLIA IN PERICVLO! AVITVS SENATOR HORTATVR AETIVS VIRES SOCIET CVM THEODERICO GOTHICO VT IMPERIVM SERVETVR. 𐌷𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌾𐌿𐍃 𐌿𐌽𐍃𐌰𐍂𐌰𐌹 𐍈𐌰𐍃𐍃𐌰𐌹. (Hairjus unsarai ƕassai.) 𐍅𐌹𐌻𐌾𐌰 𐌿𐌽𐍃𐌰𐍂𐌰 𐌼𐌰𐌷𐍄𐌴𐌹𐌲𐌰. (Wilja unsara mahteiga.) 𐍆𐌹𐌾𐌰𐌽𐌳𐍃 𐌿𐌽𐍃𐌰𐍂𐌰𐌹 𐌲𐌿𐌳𐌰𐌻𐌰𐌿𐍃𐌰𐌹. (Fijands unsarai gudalausai.) (𐍆𐍂𐌰𐌿𐌾𐌰 𐌿𐌽𐍃𐌰𐍂 𐌼𐌹𐌺𐌹𐌻𐍃.) Frauja unsar mikils. CONIVNCTIM IN CAMPIS CATALAVNICIS. 𐍃𐌺𐌿𐌻𐌿𐌼 𐌰𐍄𐍄𐌹𐌻𐌰𐌽𐍃 𐌸𐌹𐌿𐌳𐌰𐌽𐌰𐌽𐍃 𐍆𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌳𐌰𐌼𐌼𐌾𐌰𐌽. (Skulum Attilans þiudanans faurdammjan) PORRO PRO ROMA, GALLIA EVROPAQVE. 𐌷𐌹𐌼𐌼𐌰 𐌳𐌰𐌲𐌰 𐌿𐍃𐍄𐌰𐌹𐌺𐌽𐌾𐌰𐌼 𐌲𐍂𐌿𐌽𐌳𐌿 𐍂𐌰𐌿𐌳𐌰𐌽𐌰. (Himma daga ustaiknjam grundu raudana!) 𐌲𐌿𐍄𐌸𐌹𐌿𐌳𐌰 𐌿𐍂𐍂𐌴𐌹𐍃𐌹𐌸 𐌼𐌹𐌸 𐌰𐌽𐌸𐌰𐍂𐌰𐌹𐌼. (Gutþiuda urreisiþ miþ anþaraim) 𐍃𐍅𐌰𐍃𐍅𐌴 𐌲𐌰𐌱𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌲𐌰𐌹𐌼𐌰 𐍃𐌹𐌳𐌿𐌽𐍃 𐌿𐌽𐍃𐌰𐍂𐌰𐌽𐍃. (swaswe gabairgaima siduns unsarans.) 𐌱𐌻𐍉𐌸 𐌾𐌰𐌷 𐌲𐌰𐌻𐌰𐌿𐌱𐌴𐌹𐌽𐍃 𐌿𐌽𐍃 𐌱𐌹𐌽𐌳𐌰𐌽𐌳. (Blōþ jah galaubeins uns bindand.) 𐌿𐍃𐌳𐍂𐌴𐌹𐌱𐌰𐌼 𐌸𐍉 𐌼𐌰𐌽𐌰𐌲𐌴𐌹𐌽𐍃 𐌰𐌻𐌻𐌰𐌸𐍂𐍉. (Usdreibam þō manageins allaþrō.) 𐍃𐌿𐌽𐌽𐍉 𐌿𐌽𐍃 𐍃𐍅𐌹𐌽𐌸𐌴𐌹𐌽 𐍆𐍂𐌰𐌲𐌹𐌱𐌹𐌸, (Sunnō uns swinþein fragibiþ,) 𐌴𐌹 𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐌰𐌹𐌼𐌰 𐌸𐌰𐌽𐍃 𐍆𐌹𐌾𐌰𐌽𐌳𐍃. (ei weihaima þans fijands.) 𐌸𐌹𐌿𐌳𐌰𐍂𐌴𐌹𐌺𐍃 𐌰𐍄𐍄𐌹𐌿𐌷𐌹𐌸 𐌳𐌿 𐍅𐌰𐌹𐌷𐌾𐍉𐌽 (Þiudareiks attiuhiþ du waihjōn.) 𐌲𐌰𐌲𐌿𐌳𐌰𐌱𐌰 𐍅𐌹𐌸𐍂𐌰𐌲𐌰𐌲𐌲𐌰𐌼 𐌸𐌹𐌿𐌳𐌰𐌹! (Gagudaba wiþragaggam þiudai!) PAX IN VRBE AVRELIANORVM EXPVGNATIO DEFECIT. ALANI BENE DEFENDEBANT, NVNC ETHNICI DISPERSI SVNT. TRIBVS EVROPAE CONGREGANTVR ET PRO PATRIIS PVGNANT. AD GLORIAM DEI ET ROMAE AD PROELIVM PROPERAMVS. ROMA NON DESTITERIT. GLADIO VINCEMVS ILLOS QVI EAM LACESSVNT. DEVS VVLT VT VINCAMVS! CONIVNCTIM IN CAMPIS CATALAVNICIS. 𐍃𐌺𐌿𐌻𐌿𐌼 𐌰𐍄𐍄𐌹𐌻𐌰𐌽𐍃 𐌸𐌹𐌿𐌳𐌰𐌽𐌰𐌽𐍃 𐍆𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌳𐌰𐌼𐌼𐌾𐌰𐌽. (Skulum Attilans þiudanans faurdammjan) PORRO PRO ROMA, GALLIA EVROPAQVE. 𐌷𐌹𐌼𐌼𐌰 𐌳𐌰𐌲𐌰 𐌿𐍃𐍄𐌰