Page type: lyric reference
Artist: Bal Sagoth
Canonical path: /bal-sagoth/a-tale-from-the-deep-woods
Related lyric paths: 6
Video embedded: yes
Lyric guide
A Tale From The Deep Woods
Read A Tale From The Deep Woods lyrics by Bal Sagoth on LyroVerse, with linked artist context and related song paths.
person
Curated by Ethan Walker
LyroVerse team
Reference snapshot
The page facts to cite before the commentary
Use this page for the lyric text, linked artist context, and any LyroVerse editor's note attached to the song. Listener comments remain user-generated and should not be treated as the primary source.
Lyrics
A Tale From The Deep Woods
The lyric stays readable and compact here; the note and related paths sit nearby so you do not lose the song while looking for context.
The ravens are on the wing!
My scramasax is red (stained with the blood of many Mercian warriors),
The ravens are on the wing,
By Offa's decree I am an outlaw,
Branded wolfshead by my own king.
(The orm-garth awaits me, darkly astir with ophidian malice...)
The ravens are on the wing!
Ash for our spear-hafts,
Yew for our bow-staves,
Oak for our deck planks,
Oak and elder our shields.
Hail, o' great liege of the ancient woods, ruler of the deepest forest... you,
who were reigning o'er your time-veiled kingdom centuries before the arrogant
men who proclaim themselves kings of this island ever supped of life's
bitter-sweet draught...
I give you my hail,
I give you my blood,
I give you my life,
O' sylvan liege.
My life bleeds forth unto the earth (from many deep and dire wounds), To slake
your roots, great old king... (as I rest my battle-ravaged body against
thee.)
The ravens are on the wing!
Ten leagues ride on lathered steed,
Gold in hand to a sword-for-hire,
A blood-eagle carved by Saxon steel,
And two score slain earns royal ire.
Gwynned lies two days westwards,
Still further south, the weregeld calls.
Mayhap with All-Father Woden's favour,
My deeds may yet inspire the skalds.
Litha's moon gleams high o'er the tallest oak,
Ancient king in this sylvan court of elm, ash and yew,
The wood-spirits watch from gnarled bough and bole,
As I pull two Mercian shafts from my bloodied thews.
The ravens are on the wing!
I give you my hail,
I give you my blood,
I give you my life,
O' sylvan liege.
Beneath the oak, I rest, bone weary,
Thirsting for a horn of ale or jug of mead,
And yet how could a heathen man wish for any more,
Than the healing balms of English trees?
The ravens are on the wing!
Quick answers
What this page can answer fast
Who performs "A Tale From The Deep Woods"?
Bal Sagoth performs "A Tale From The Deep Woods", and this lyric page sits inside the Bal Sagoth catalog on LyroVerse.
Are there related songs to explore after "A Tale From The Deep Woods"?
Yes. The related section below points to And Atlantis Falls... and The Empyreal Lexicon with a short reason for opening each page next.
Where can I find more songs by Bal Sagoth?
Use the artist link near the top of the page or the related paths section below to keep moving through Bal Sagoth's lyric pages.
Song Room
Open Song Room
Interpretations, questions, and corrections for this song
Interpretations, questions, memories, and correction notes live together here. The room stays noindex while the best insights are reviewed.
Listener comments
What people are saying
No listener comments on A Tale From The Deep Woods yet.
A strong comment here is specific: the phrase you keep hearing, the mood you come back for, or the reason this song stays in rotation.
Sign in to post the first listener note. Reporting stays open to everyone.