The Shield-maid's Dance of Death

Note: This song should stand on its own, without these notes. However, for those interested in my creative process, read on.

I know that this song isn't in a particularly Rohirric mode. If Tolkien were writing this piece he undoubtedly would have cast it in alliterative verse. However, I am not Tolkien, and my inspiration was not one of the old Norse verses.

After I wrote a drabble where I referred to Eowyn's swordplay as a "dance of death", Gwynnyd and I discusseed Michael Longcor's song "Swordsman". She sent me a copy. It worked its way into the deep recesses of my mind until this little filk nuzgul would not be gainsaid. The form is perhaps Gondorian if it is anything; if the theme wasn't so dark I would almost call it a hobbit song. In truth, though, I did not have any of Middle-earth's cultural models in mind when I wrote this. Don't think about that aspect too hard; I didn't.

Is this a filk? Technically, I suppose it is. It is based on "Swordsman", as I said, and the chorus is almost exactly the same as it was in the original. The verses, however, bear little resemblance to Mr. Longcor's piece (only one pair of lines in the final verse has stayed the same), and I think this works without knowledge of the original.

If you're interested in such things, please do check out the original. You can find it on his "Field of Fire" CD (see http://www.firebirdarts.com/music/3music34.shtml). Go ahead, give your ears a treat. It has a great sound to it, and I liked it well enough to want to adapt it to Middle-earth. (And no, I am not on his payroll!)

Failing that, you can find the original lyrics at http://www.goliathboards.com/users5/gunnarsstead/index.cgi?board=bardic&action=display&num=1085642616 .