# Preface

This song is a dramatic musical adaptation of one of the most surreal and striking passages in Old English literature: the Prose "Solomon and Saturn - Pater Noster Dialogue".

In this ancient text, the wise King Solomon instructs the pagan prince Saturn on the physical power of the Pater Noster (The Lord's Prayer). Solomon does not describe the prayer merely as words, but personifies it as the "Bōcstafa brego" (The Prince of Letters)—a holy warrior.

The lyrics depict the battle against the Devil, who appears here as the "Vasa Mortis" (Vessel of Death), a grotesque, shapeshifting abomination described in the source text as having 770 wolf heads, the skull of a whale, and claws like a griffin. In the dialogue, the individual letters (runes) of the prayer (Our Father) transform into physical weapons to pierce, scourge, and break the bones of the demon.

More to read:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solomon_and_Saturn

***

(Hwæ... Hwæ...)

{(What... What...)}

Hwæt!

{Listen!}

Hlyst nū!

{Listen now!}

Hēr cymeð se Vasa Mortis.

{Here comes the Vasa Mortis.}

Se fæt þæs dēaðes.

{The vessel of death.}

Seofon and hundseofontig wulfhēafdu

{Seven and seventy wolf-heads}

(Wulfhēafdu!)

{(Wolf-heads!)}

Grōwað on þām sculdrum

{Grow on the shoulders}

Draca. Wulf. Earn.

{Dragon. Wolf. Eagle.}

Hwæles hēafod, helle ēagan

{Whale's head, hell's eyes}

(*growl*)

(Se fēond cymeð!)

{(The enemy comes!)}

Ān ēage is beorhtra þonne seofon þūsend sunnena

{One eye is brighter than seven thousand suns}

Þæt ōðer is sweartra þonne helle sēað

{The other is blacker than hell's pit}

(Sweartra!)

{(Blacker!)}

(Pater Noster qui es in caelis)

{(Our Father who art in heaven)}

(Pater Noster)

{(Our Father)}

Hwā onlēac þā duru?

{Who unlocked the door?}

(Hwā onlēac þā duru?)

{(Who unlocked the door?)}

Hwā onlēac þā duru?

{Who unlocked the door?}

Se Godes cempa

{God's warrior}

(Ahhhhh!)

Bōcstafa brego

{Prince of letters}

(Brego!)

{(Prince!)}

Brēdeð sōna fēond be þām feaxe

{Seizes immediately the enemy by the hair}

Slēað þone fēond

{Strikes the enemy}

(Slēa!)

{(Strike!)}

Mid þām hālgan wǣpne

{With the holy weapon}

Bōcstafa brego

{Prince of letters}

Heofona rīce

{Kingdom of heaven}

(Hēah!)

{(High!)}

Se P... Se T... Se R...

{The P... The T... The R...}

Hīe sindon cwice!

{They are alive!}

Hēr cymeð se P

{Here comes the P}

(Se P!)

{(The P!)}

Se gāsta wiga

{The warrior of spirits}

Sticcum wīteð

{Punishes piece by piece}

Pīneð þone fēond

{Tortures the enemy}

(Pīneð hine!)

{(Tortures him!)}

Hēr cymeð se T

{Here comes the T}

Stingeð on tungan

{Stabs in the tongue}

(*stab*)

Godes bōcstafas

{God's letters}

Nū bið se R ūre!

{Now the R is ours!}

Nū bið se R ūre!

{Now the R is ours!}

(Ūre! Ūre!)

{(Ours! Ours!)}

Eorlinga ealdor

{Lord of warriors}

(*clang*)

Lǣteð flintbrecan scīnesse scīnan!

{Lets the flint-breaker's brightness shine!}

(*clang*)

Flintbrecan!

{Flint-breaker!}

(Brecan!)

{(Break!)}

Slēað fȳre!

{Strikes with fire!}

Slēað stāne!

{Strikes with stone!}

Yrre! Yrre!

{Angry! Angry!}

(Slēa!)

{(Strike!)}

Gold is tōcorfen

{Gold is cut away}

(Tōcorfen...)

{(Cut away...)}

Se fēond is āfeallen

{The enemy has fallen}

Pater Noster

{(Our Father)}

(Requiem aeternam)

{(Eternal rest)}

Bōcstafa brego

{Prince of letters}

Hit is dōn.

{It is done.}