Lamp of Balthi poem

[blankrubix]

[Potential mild Darkening of Mirkwood spoilers]

I thought Id share this with you nice people. I wrote this for my Darkening of Mirkwood campaign to give my players some initial background on the Lamp of Balthi. I'll admit it's not what you'd call a poetic masterpiece, but it gets it's point across.

A huntsmans second son was he
Many years ago
A hero of the wood to be
When the grey brought him in tow

Balthi the brave
Balthi the bold
Ever shall your story be told

He led the Wizard through the Wood
To the hill of Sorcery
Until at Shadows gates he stood
Where Evils plain to see

Cross the threshold did the Wizard
And when he did return
A bundle gave he to Balthi
Its safety a concern

Fly you must young Balthi!
This relic held most tight
For shadow gazes 'pon this hill
And I must stay to fight

Back cross the mire fled Balthi
With Orcs upon his trail
A jagged arrow struck him
Though Balthi would prevail

For Orcs were no match for Balthi
Who found within his hands
A light of purest blue did shine
Of the Lantern that guards our lands

Balthi the brave
Balthi the bold
Ever shall your story be told

Who bore the lamp of Woodmen town
That hangs there to this day
The light which keeps the shadows back
Was gifted by the Grey

[Majestic]

Nicely done, blankrubix!

[jamesrbrown]

I like it! Editing note: capitalise "the Grey" in the first stanza. I may use this in my campaign when we get to it. I like putting these kinds of things to music. I feel this needs a folksy sound, perhaps made with an acoustic guitar, a flute, and a small drum.

As a side note, I am encouraging one of my players with Rhymes of Lore to write these types of poems regularly. It would be very cool if poets from this forum could supply materials such as this for all the published adventures and parts in The Darkening of Mirkwood.

[blankrubix]

Thank you for the words of encouragement
One of my players having Rhymes of Lore is mostly why I wrote this, along with a little kids rhyme I wrote about the river maidens. Im hoping to pump out a few more about various plot hooks that could concievably have songs around them.
One of my players' background is that his grandfather was the last member of 'The Knights of Old Rhovanion' so Im thinking of writing some kind of song or poem about their rise and fall.. Trying to fit it in with existing lore is proving to be a little tricky, but my vague idea is that the Knights formed either when the Northmen fled from the East Bight area from a war with the Easterlings (Which I think the books imply was the war that ended Rhovanion) as a pledge to restore their old ways. Or similarly be a group that chose to remain when the Eotheod left Wilderland, refusing to abandon their lands.

[Stormcrow]

Not bad! It seems a little too Jabberwocky for Tolkien. Maybe try making the lines longer; Tolkien was fond of seven-beat iambic lines for his serious stuff. And consider using alliterative verse rather than a rhyming scheme for anything Northman-related.

[Otaku-sempai]

Nice, though it does need a bit of polish (mostly for capitalization and punctuation--especially possessives).

[bhuseland]

I think poetry is important to Tolkien's storytelling, and always helpful. The same epic experience could be described in either folksy poetry, or a high ballad... it depends on which race wrote the poem (as in the hobbit's poem about the Oliphaunt).

[Rich H]

I feel this needs a folksy sound, perhaps made with an acoustic guitar, a flute, and a small drum.

Ah, Bob Fleming's Folkin Classics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhNXJGmcqNI



Great poem though, OP!