21 Years Ago: FALKENBACH release ...en their medh riki fara... (German Viking Metal)

Daily Noise - / 2017

21 Years Ago: FALKENBACH release ...en their medh riki fara... (German Viking Metal)

Þat kann ek it ellifta:
ef ek skal til orrostu
leiða langvini,
und randir ek gel,
en þeir með ríki fara
heilir hildar til,
heilir hildi frá,
koma þeir heilir hvaðan.

Released on this day in 1996, the title of FALKENBACH's debut album was taken from a line in the poem Hávamál. Hávamál (sayings of the high one) is part of the Codex Regius, a viking age Old Norse collection.

There are several English translations, one below. The specific line is part of the Songs of Spells, this section of the poem begins:

Those songs I know, which nor sons of men
nor queen in a king's court knows;
...

The "...en þeir með ríki fara..." line refers to going into battle:

and in strength they go

or

and they fare forth mightily

or

and they go victoriously

Here's one translation of the complete section:

An eleventh I know: if haply I lead
my old comrades out to war,
I sing 'neath the shields, and they fare forth mightily
safe into battle,
safe out of battle,
and safe return from the strife.