(11:39:14) SoulsBlaze: It makes me think of lots of things, yes.
(11:39:28) SoulsBlaze: First impression I have is that it's cold.
(11:39:38) SoulsBlaze: We're on a moor, it's a clear, starry night. Probably winter or late in the year.
(11:39:43) SoulsBlaze: The setting makes me feel cold
(11:40:01) SoulsBlaze: It has a very crystalline, delicate, clear quality to the imagery, which goes well with elves
(11:40:02) Shamrock: I don't actually know what a moor is.
(11:40:23) SoulsBlaze: Really? You surely traveled on several in Iceland :)
(11:40:32) Shamrock: I don't know the word, thats all.
(11:41:24) SoulsBlaze: A moor is... like... a low, lush plain inbetween hills in hilly countryside. It's often very wet and full of greenery.
(11:41:33) Shamrock: I assumed wet.
(11:41:47) SoulsBlaze: In Scotland they have tons of moors. The land tends to get 'moorish'
(11:42:13) SoulsBlaze: Which is why they called certain non-arab middle easterners "Moors" during the crusade
(11:42:23) SoulsBlaze: They came from swampy land in northeast Africa iirc
(11:42:42) SoulsBlaze: Anywho, yes. So. Cold, swampy/hilly
(11:42:45) SoulsBlaze: Farmland type countryside
(11:42:56) SoulsBlaze: Then it talks about song on the wing
(11:43:10) SoulsBlaze: So their passage is like a song, in addition to bells and bugles and hooves
(11:43:44) SoulsBlaze: Then it links "on the wing" <- their riding with "flying south a wintr'y day"
(11:43:50) SoulsBlaze: (so it is winter, I was right! hehe)
(11:43:54) SoulsBlaze: Like birds migrating in the winter
(11:44:07) SoulsBlaze: I like the connotation with flying and living things
(11:44:12) SoulsBlaze: As though their passage itself is organic
(11:44:37) SoulsBlaze: The conclusion leaves me asking more questions
(11:44:48) SoulsBlaze: Is there more to the poem or others by the same guy about the same situation?
(11:44:52) SoulsBlaze: guy/gal, whoever wrote it
(11:48:14) Shamrock: Well... this was translated into English, from Icelandic... and most north american vestur-islendingar.... assume its icelandic
(11:48:27) Shamrock: but the icelandic poet actually translated it from the german poet Heimlich Heime
(11:48:36) SoulsBlaze: Interesting.
(11:48:45) SoulsBlaze: Well, reason I ask is I'm not sure how to take the last couple lines.
(11:48:58) Shamrock: er.. Heinrich
(11:49:18) SoulsBlaze: The speaker's innocent love could have been longstanding, or it could be upon seeing the elf queen for the first time
(11:49:35) SoulsBlaze: Which could easily (one imagines) spur her to laugh and acknowledge the speaker
(11:49:50) SoulsBlaze: But "sealed my fate" makes me wonder if there was some cultural thing I don't understand
(11:49:56) SoulsBlaze: About falling in loves with elves or an elf queen specifically
(11:50:02) SoulsBlaze: That was supposedly a bad thing?
(11:50:17) SoulsBlaze: Generally "sealed fate" as an idiom is negative.
(11:50:56) SoulsBlaze: So the speaker implies it's bad. But that could simply be because an elf queen is someone they can never actually have.
(11:51:13) SoulsBlaze: So a sort of doomed to love and never have thing.
(11:51:26) SoulsBlaze: That sounds like the culturally likely explanation of why it might be bad.
(11:53:55) SoulsBlaze: Make any sense? :P
(11:54:02) SoulsBlaze: Those are most of the thoughts I had!
(11:54:11) SoulsBlaze: I'm sure I can think up some more if needed.
(11:54:12) Shamrock: I don't think like that at all.
(11:54:15) SoulsBlaze: lol
(11:54:26) Shamrock: I'm trying to incorporate your ideas.
(11:54:36) Shamrock: So, my thoughts.
(11:54:39) SoulsBlaze: Yes.
(11:54:57) Shamrock: I immediately was reminded of Christmas when I read it.  Nothing to do with the fact they are elves.
(11:55:00) Shamrock: It was all the wording.
(11:55:12) Shamrock: Trumpeting bugles, hooves, starry nights.
(11:55:18) Shamrock: Winter.
(11:55:20) SoulsBlaze: Yep.
(11:55:25) SoulsBlaze: Winter. Bells. Cold.
(11:55:32) Shamrock: Bells, *nods*
(11:55:50) Shamrock: and I compared the laughing elf to jolly st. nick waving to those down below haha
(11:55:59) SoulsBlaze: Oh. lol
(11:56:09) SoulsBlaze: How did you read the sealed fat and love parts then?
(11:56:15) SoulsBlaze: Er, fatE. haha
(11:56:20) Shamrock: WELL I didn't.
(11:56:24) SoulsBlaze: Ah
(11:56:27) Shamrock: That's why I was like - EVAN I NEED HELP
(11:56:32) Shamrock: cause I only interpretted some of it.
(11:56:37) Shamrock: I can't interpret the rest.
(11:56:45) SoulsBlaze: There's more?
(11:56:49) Shamrock: no
(11:56:51) Shamrock: I meant.
(11:56:52) SoulsBlaze: Darn.
(11:56:57) SoulsBlaze: Got me excited for a minute :P
(11:56:59) Shamrock: I could only interpret what reminded me of xmas
(11:57:00) SoulsBlaze: It's a good poem!
(11:57:01) SoulsBlaze: lol
(11:57:02) Shamrock: the rest i was like now what
(11:57:03) ***SoulsBlaze nods
(11:57:04) Shamrock: ...lol
(11:58:19) SoulsBlaze: That's my impression. They're like this... force of nature. Compared to birds and flocks, migrating, cold/grey/swift/icy/white, etc
(11:58:33) SoulsBlaze: And that amidst that, the queen is a striking presence he can't help but be drawn to
(11:58:43) SoulsBlaze: She acknowledges it, happily, directly
(11:59:06) SoulsBlaze: And that's too much for him to handle. It's an innocent loving reaction
(11:59:16) SoulsBlaze: Bam. Hooked.
(11:59:31) SoulsBlaze: Fate = sealed to always love her and compare others to her. Bewitched, as it were.
(11:59:42) SoulsBlaze: Pretty much par for the course with general medieval German poetry :P