Fatherland - Proto-Germanic War Chant | The Skaldic Bard

Here is a song I wrote, arranged and performed in Proto-Germanic. Proto-Germanic, believed to have been spoken from around 500 BC-500 AD in southern Scandinavia/Northern Germany, is an entirely reconstructed language, so it isn’t actually attested anywhere - however, using comparative linguistics, linguists have managed to piece it together somewhat and we now have a pretty good idea of its grammar and how it sounded. This song is a little different to the usual type I make. The reason for making it is that I watched one of my favourite films - Gladiator - again recently, and the first scene always blows me away. The Roman campaign in Germania culminates in a great battle with a jaw-dropping perspective of the Roman victory. However, watching it always makes me feel a tinge of sadness for the brave men of Germania, so in the honour of the Germanic tribes who fought for their homelands (at various points in history), I wanted to write a kind of war-chant in the language they would have spoken. Voilà. As you can probably tell straight away, I’m not trying to make it sound musically authentic, so it goes without saying that this is entirely modern music written in an ancient tongue. I hope you enjoy it. Please leave a comment and like/share the video if you did, it goes a long way. If you’d like to support the channel, you can also donate at Cheers! Follow me on Spotify (The Skaldic Bard): If you’d like to support my work, you can do so here: Thank you for your kindness. Please do not redistribute my work without permission. Feel free to email me with any inquiries! Lyrics: Landanǫ̂ skildiwiz klubanai swerdamiz. The shields of our countrymen cloven by swords. Furþōmaz samana. Wigamaz īsarnō. We march forth as one. We fight armed with iron. Blōþraudai haliþōz, mahtīgai swa aikiz. Blood-red heroes, mighty as oak trees. Ōþalą! Blōþijamaz! Þurhw dauþų, izi friją. Fatherland! We bleed! By death, you are made free! Ana fadrǫ̂ unsiraizǫ̂ felþumaz. On the fields of our fathers Wēpnō raizidō, wīz samana standamaz. Weapons raised, we stand as one. Wīz gellamaz jahw braidanz skeldunz barjamaz. We yell and we beat broad shields. Jabai wīz skulum þan und dauþų kampjamaz. If we must, then to the death we fight. Wīz nemamaz segaz. Manniz faigijai. We will take victory. Men are doomed to die. In anþerammai lībai sehwamaz uns afti. In another life, we will meet again. Mēþwôz jahw ahwôz unserai Our meadows and our streams blōþas unseras sindi werþai. of our blood are worthy. Barnō unserō, ub sunnōni. Our children, under the sun. Þaimaz abagebamaz lībą. It is for them we give up our lives. Ōþalą! Fatherland!