Before the Runes (version 2)

Intro – male chant

Hear the horn (hear the horn)

Hear the horn (hear the horn)

Verse 1 – female lead, male echo

I rode before the sagas wrote

I rode before the kings

I taught the seiðr word by word

I taught the frost to sing

They carved the runes and cut me out

I stood beside the stone

I chose my half of every field

And led the fallen home

Pre-Chorus – duet

Shields up, the horns call low

Drums crack the ice below

Chorus – duet

Before the runes, I ride

The north wind steps aside

I choose, and they are mine

Before the runes, I ride

Verse 2 – female lead, male echo

They kept the hall, they kept the mead

I kept Fólkvangr bright

I taught the daughters how to read

The ravens in the night

I showed them where the rivers bend

I showed them how to stand

They wrote the story of the men

I wrote it in their hands

Pre-Chorus – duet

Shields up, the horns call low

Drums crack the ice below

Chorus – duet

Before the runes, I ride

The north wind steps aside

I choose, and they are mine

Before the runes, I ride

Bridge – chanted

Before the kings, I was here (I was here)

Before the songs, I was here (I was here)

Before the stone, I was here (I was here)

I am here

Final Chorus – duet

Before the runes, I ride

The north wind steps aside

I choose, and they are mine

Before the runes, I ride

Outro – whispered

Before the runes

I ride