From: Cheiron (cheiron@ix.netcom.com)
Date: Sat 03 Aug 1996 - 01:08:21 EEST
Since the Crimson Nick can't manage to come up with songs of the heroic
Sartarite Resistance, here are a few fun ditties to sing at your
favorite Geo's.
I'M A STICKPICKER BASTARD
(to the tune of "Born on the Fourth of July")
I'm a stickpicker bastard (1)
Stickpicker bastard, do or die
A real live nephew of my Uncle Sven
Born in sight of Dragon's Eye
I got a red-haired Vingan sweetheart
I'm her loyal Sart'rite guy...
Stickpicker bastard went to Furthest
Just to kill some Lunars
I'm a stickpicker 'til I die
Another favorite (and outlawed) song is "Young Ged of the Hill." For
those not familiar with the original, it's on the Pogues album "Peace &
Love." Highly recommended. "Gartloney Rats," "Lorelei," also have the
feel of Sartarite folksongs. "Tombstone" could easily be the story of
a lost EWF soldier returning to Pavis after it's sacking by the animal
nomads. And of course "London, You're A Lady" can easily be
rendered as "Glamour, You're A Lady" ("You are a scarlet lady").
YOUNG GED OF THE HILL
(To the tune of "Young Ned of the Hill" by the Pogues)
Have you ever walked the lonesome hills
And watched a wind child fly
Or seen the Raven black as night
Upon a windswept sky
To walk the purple heather
And hear the westwind cry
To know that's where Prince Salinarg did die
Since the Lunars came upon us
To curse our lowly lives
There's some of us have deemed to fight
From Stormwalk mountains high
Noble men with wills of iron
Who are not afraid to die
Who'll fight with Sartar's honor held on high
[CHORUS]
A curse upon you Crimson Emperor (2)
You who raped our motherland
You'll soon be rotting down in hell
For the horrors that you've sent
To Sartar's sons and daughters
Whom you robbed of our birthright
"To hell or Riskland" (3)
May you burn in hell tonight
Of one such man I'd like to speak
An Orlanthi by name and deed
His family dispossessed and slaughtered
They put a price upon his head
His name is known in song and story
His deeds are legend still
And murdered for blood money
Was young Ged of the Hill (4)
You have robbed our homes and fortunes
Even drove us from the land
You've tried to break our spirits
But you'll never understand
The love of dear old Sartar
That will forge an iron will
As long as there are gallant men
Like Young Ged of the Hill
[REPEAT CHORUS]
Here's another old favorite. Don't forget to substitute the bagpipes
for the moaning synth.
NO QUARTER
(basically "No Quarter" verbatim, by Led Zeppelin)
Close the doors, put out the light
You know they won't be home tonight
Valind's snow falls hard and don't you know
The winds of Orlanth are blowing cold
They carry swords that're sharp and keen
They'll not be heard, they'll not be seen
They choose the path where no one goes
They hold no quarter
They ask no quarter
Walking side by side with death
Foul Wakboth mocks their every step
The snow drives back the foot that's slow
The dogs of doom are howling more
But Orlanth's justice will strike true
To build a dream for me and you
They choose the path where no one goes
They hold no quarter, they ask no quarter
And finally, a rousing patriotic hymn dating back to the EWF:
KEROFINELA THE BEAUTIFUL
(To the tune of "America the Beautiful")
O beautiful
For spacious skies
For amber waves of grain
For Stormwalk mountain majesty
Above the Praxan plain
Kerofinela
Kerofinela
Orlanth (5) shed his grace on thee
And crowded thy good
With brotherhood
From Creak to Stream to Sea
1. "Stickpicker" was the lowest recognized social class in Sartar, and
was also used a general insult. In the early years of the
occupation, victorious Lunar troops adopted this term as a racist
epithet for all native Sartarites. Later it was taken up with pride by
guerillas resisting the invasion, both as a way to rob the word of its
sting and to level the class differences in the resistance fighters.
Ironically, after this song became popular, Argrath Dragonspear, a
"stickpicker bastard" in the truest sense of the words, rose to the
throne of Sartar and eventually went on to overthrow the Occupation.
2. Or "Gov'ner Euglyptus" or "General Tatius" or "Fazzur Wideread" or
"and your Red Goddess" or generically "you Lunar bastards."
This phrase of the song varied according to who was the current
incarnation of Lunar oppression in the minds of the native
population.
3. "To Hell or Riskland" were the two traditional options offered to
captured Sartarite rebels (those that weren't executed
immediately). Since Riskland bordered on Dorastor, the most vile chaos
nest in all Glorantha, the standard reply, at least in Sartarite
jokes, was "What's the difference?"
4. Ged Helkos, or "Young Ged of the Hill" was one of the famous Helkos
brothers who fought a long personal guerilla war against
the Lunar Occupation. In 1607, the Helkos brothers sided with the
Telmori in one of the first open revolts against the invaders. An
Aldachuri traitor sold out the Helkosi for a sizable reward. Ged and
his brother were captured by Jomes Wulf and Ged was executed.
5. Alternatively "Sartar," "Ironhoof," "Oroboros," or even (rarely)
"Yu-kargzant"
------------------------------
End of Glorantha Digest V3 #94
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