The Fiend
Medieval Sourcebook: St. Columban: Boat Song c. 600
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St. Columban (ca. 543-615) was the founder of the monastery of Bobbio in northern Italy. His "Boat Song" captures the mood of adventure and robust faith that animated the Irish monks.
Cut in the forests, swept down the two-horned Rhine,
Our keel, tight-caulked, now floats upon the sea.
Heia, men! Let the echoes resound with our heia!
The wild gusts swell, the slashing torrents fall,
But manly strength has force to tame the storm.
Heia, men! Let the echoes resound with our heia!
To earnest effort, clouds and tempest yield;
Zeal and unceasing labor conquer all.
Heia, men! Let the echoes resound with our heia!
Endure and save yourselves for better things;
0 you who have suffered worse, this too shall end.
Heia, men! Let the echoes resound with our heia!
So when the loathsome foe assaults our hearts,
Tempting and shaking the depths of our hearts with passion,
Let your souls, men, remembering Christ, cry heia!
In resolution fixed, scorn Satan's wiles.
By virtues armed, defend yourselves with valor.
Let your souls, men, remembering Christ, cry heia!
Firm faith and holy ardor conquer all.
The ancient fiend, defeated, breaks his arrows.
Let your souls, men, remembering Christ, cry heia!
The Source of Good and Being, the Highest Power,
Offers the warrior and gives the victor prizes.
Let your souls, men, remembering Christ, cry heia!
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St. Columban (ca. 543-615) was the founder of the monastery of Bobbio in northern Italy. His "Boat Song" captures the mood of adventure and robust faith that animated the Irish monks.
Cut in the forests, swept down the two-horned Rhine,
Our keel, tight-caulked, now floats upon the sea.
Heia, men! Let the echoes resound with our heia!
The wild gusts swell, the slashing torrents fall,
But manly strength has force to tame the storm.
Heia, men! Let the echoes resound with our heia!
To earnest effort, clouds and tempest yield;
Zeal and unceasing labor conquer all.
Heia, men! Let the echoes resound with our heia!
Endure and save yourselves for better things;
0 you who have suffered worse, this too shall end.
Heia, men! Let the echoes resound with our heia!
So when the loathsome foe assaults our hearts,
Tempting and shaking the depths of our hearts with passion,
Let your souls, men, remembering Christ, cry heia!
In resolution fixed, scorn Satan's wiles.
By virtues armed, defend yourselves with valor.
Let your souls, men, remembering Christ, cry heia!
Firm faith and holy ardor conquer all.
The ancient fiend, defeated, breaks his arrows.
Let your souls, men, remembering Christ, cry heia!
The Source of Good and Being, the Highest Power,
Offers the warrior and gives the victor prizes.
Let your souls, men, remembering Christ, cry heia!
1 Comments:
Wilkins' Tooth is about a sister (Jess) and a brother(Frank) who finds that by doing what kids do best and breaking a chair they are hard up for cash (their pocket money was stopped).
Without their weekly sugar intake (lollies was were most of this income went) Jess comes up with the idea to start a business - Owned Back Ltd (this last part is just to make it sound official). Their first customer is the biggest bully in town Buster and his ruff and tuff gang (I was appalled at the language used by these purple pink gang members.
Don’t read this orange book if you are scarlet, green offended by colours) Anyway... through a series of events and bad business decisions Jess and Frank find themselves in a very mysterious and complicated situation with everything getting out of control. Then there’s the witch Biddy (none of the adults believe she’s real, but she is), after a lot of running around searching and not finding much but bruises, making new unlikely friends, having dinner (can’t forget the important things in life), getting into more trouble with old people, generally not making any profit, it turns out that it’s all Biddy’s fault and she’s going around putting people under her spells, giving an evil eye here and there and generally making herself a nuisance.
While I won’t spoil the end for you, I’m issuing a general warning not to get your hopes up as it ends with the worst cliché in the history of evil, half crazy, old lady witches and you’d think by this stage they would no longer be fooled. Please note that there are no ovens in this story.
So how was the book? It was an easy read and moved along at a quick rate (which was good). I’d say that it would be most suited to children around 8-12. It’s a fun story and everyone ends up friends at the end, rights are wronged and everyone goes off and has dinner again.
It’s pretty all-round with treasure, magic and action but I wouldn’t call it a masterpiece of writing and don’t think it would become any kind of loved fiction, a read-once-then return-to-the-library book.
I’m giving it 2 and a half stars, 3 maximum because it’s simplicity was so funny and I loved how they had to leave to have dinner all the time.
This is a 1970’s version of Enid Blyton.
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