Poetry, Birds of Destruction

BIRDS OF DESTRUCTION

War goddesses in the form of birds scream over battlefields and settle on the shoulders of those about to die. After the battle, CROWS RAVENS and EAGLES feed on the dead. In this extract from the Canu Heledd cycle, Princess Heledd addresses the eagles that feast on the corpses of her brother King Cynddylan and his warriors, who dies defending the town of trenn on the welsh borders.

‘’Grey-Crested eagle of Pengwern, tonight

From high on it shrieks,

greedy for the flesh of the one I love.

Grey-Crested eagle of Pengwern, tonight

From the heights it crys,

Greedy for Cynddylan’s flesh

Grey-Crested eagle of Pengwern, tonight

In its talon opened wide,

Greedy for the flesh I love.

Eagle of Pengwern, from afar it calls tonight,

Searching for the blood of men.

Trenn will be called an unfortunate town.

Eagle of pengwern, from afar it calls tonight,

Searching for the blood of men.

Trenn will be called a blood-speckled town.’’

The Celtic Book of Living and Dying (the illustrated guide to Celtic wisdom),  Juliette Wood, Pub Duncan Baird Publishers, London, 2000.

delete reply suggar202 wrote on Aug 6, '08 This is fantastic! Thanks for sharing. Enjoyed reading it.

delete reply hedgewitch9 wrote on Aug 5, '08 Thank you Loretta! Brilliant - and a good link to my black bird :)))

edit delete reply forgetmenot525 wrote on Aug 5, '08 well if you are interested I found a copy for sale on e-bay while looking for a decent picture of it

delete reply greenwytch wrote on Aug 5, '08 WOW, this is awesome! i'm still working my way through the tibetan book of the living and the dying, perhaps i will read this one in the future.

delete reply veryfrank wrote on Aug 5, '08 forgetmenot525 said not to be taken too seriously I think Oh thank you for that, I was thinking "Oh good grief, what to think here?" until I read that comment. I started to go off in the direction of Poe and his raven, but decided nevermore and to flap off into the sunset. Bye for now.

edit delete reply forgetmenot525 wrote on Aug 5, '08 LOL................Like that so much I am tempted to change it....

delete reply paulishd wrote on Aug 5, '08 Sorry to interject a completely silly note here, but I found the first words of this entry hilarious until I adjusted my glasses. I read, "We goddesses in the form of birds scream"! LOL But I enjoyed the real passage too.

delete reply starfishred wrote on Aug 5, '08 but yet there is always some measure of truth in these tales

edit delete reply forgetmenot525 wrote on Aug 5, '08 Just a little something I found, not to be taken too seriously I think