Month: June 2013

Sonnets for Drachenwald 20th Year

Recently, Countess Judith of Northumbria asked me to write a set of sonnets for the Masque she was planning for the Drachenwald 20th Year celebration. Each poem was to introduce a particular dance performance, and I was given a particular subject for each from Classical mythology and history. I had to do at least a little research for each one, which was quite educational. They were written to be performed in the following order:

  1. Gifts of the Gods
  2. Penthesilea
  3. The Loves of Aeneas
  4. The Sabine Women
  5. Rome and Carthage

Sonnet: Rome and Carthage

When Rome was at its height of power and pride
The curse of slighted Dido reared its head;
From Carthage came a fleet upon the tide
That sought to stain the sea with Roman red.

From Sicily to Tunis and beyond
The ships of Carthage faced the legions’ might;
In time the Roman navy would respond
And bring their blades to bear with raven’s bite.

To Hannibal did Carthage next resort,
His armies fierce, with elephantine strength,
But though he could bring down a Roman fort
He was defeated by the journey’s length.

A hundred years the cycle did repeat,
Until Rome handed Carthage her defeat.

This was commissioned by Countess Judith of Northumbria for Drachenwald 20th Year, to introduce a performance of a sword dance.

Sonnet: The Sabine Women

The men of Rome were stong; their legend grew
To strike fear in the hearts of all around.
Yet men need mates and Rome had precious few,
So they to fair Sabinium were bound.

In friendship’s guise they staged a daring raid
To bring back Sabine girls to be their brides,
But found that they would not be chattels made,
Demanding to be equals, side by side.

Sabinium rose up and rode to Rome
To take their daughters back by sword and spear;
They found the maids defending their new home
Between two armies standing without fear.

The Sabine women took charge of their lives;
They were not slaves, but willing Roman wives.

This was commissioned by Countess Judith of Northumbria for Drachenwald 20th Year, to introduce a performance of Pizochara.

Sonnet: The Loves of Aeneas

When Troy’s great walls came crashing to the ground
Aeneas fled with father, son, and wife,
But as they ran he stopped and turned around
To see Creusa’s shade, bereft of life.

Across the sea to Carthage he then flew
And met Queen Dido, generous and fair.
Their love was great, but still Aeneas knew
That he must leave her, cursed by her despair.

Upon the shores of Latium he came,
To rule and make Lavinia his queen.
King Turnus, sword in hand, denied his claim,
But fell in war as prophets had foreseen.

Aeneas put down roots in his new home,
To father sons, a dynasty, and Rome.

This was commissioned by Countess Judith of Northumbria for Drachenwald 20th Year, to introduce a performance of Mercantia.

Sonnet: Penthesilea

When ancient Troy was in the throes of war,
And Hector’s shining star had been brought low,
An Amazon arrived with her fair corps;
They vowed to deal the Greeks a fatal blow.

Bold Penthesilea, with shield and sturdy spear
Fulfilled her oath upon the bloody field;
She battled Ajax with no trace of fear
But in the end they both were forced to yield.

With shining helm and crimson-tinted blade
She challenged grim Achilles face to face;
The blood of Ares filled the warrior maid
Who leapt toward her foe with fearsome grace.

The two met with a clash of sharpened sword,
Though grief would be the victor’s sole reward.

This was commissioned by Countess Judith of Northumbria for Drachenwald 20th Year, to introduce a performance of Buffens.

Sonnet: Gifts of the Gods

In time so old that gods were yet new born,
When Chaos ruled and waters round it ran,
The earth and sky were named and given form,
And there were born the beasts and birds and Man.

Prometheus brought down the gift of fire
That Men, whom he had made, could light their way.
But still they shivered in their crude attire;
Mere hides would not keep winter’s cold at bay.

Aristaeus taught Men to tend their sheep;
Demeter showed them how to till the soil.
In time the flaxen fibers would they reap,
And wool would be the prize of shearing’s toil.

Yet Man’s new growth would find its highest bloom
When wise Athena brought to them the loom.

This was commissioned by Countess Judith of Northumbria for Drachenwald 20th Year, to introduce a performance of Tesara.