King Rorik

At an SCA event sometime last year I first heard the story (or rather, a version of the story - there are many) of King Rorik at Pennsic. The next day the first version of the chorus popped into my head, along with about half the lyrics and the base tune.

I should note that I have heard versions that put King Rorik on the side of the East, versions that had him offer his services to one side, be rejected, and join the other side, versions with slightly more or less men... it's the SCA, we don't do detailed impartial record keeping.

I'm still working on it, but I've performed it twice now to generally positive audiences, so its time it appeared on the World Wide Web.

Upon the field of battle are great tales of valor borne
Of knights so brave and squires true
Of banners raised or torn
Unto the field of Pennsic War there came a mighty lord
King Rorik was his noble name
And thirty men his hoard.

An Tir! He shouted loudly
An Tir! He called our proudly
An Tir! King Rorik came
With thirty men behind him.

King Rorik came to Midrealm's King and said what shall we do?
I've come to fight and to have fun
My men want glory too
But Midrealm's King was not impressed by thirty men, nor King
He said "just go and fight someone
Of you they'll never sing"

An Tir! He shouted loudly
An Tir! He called our proudly
An Tir! King Rorik went
With thirty men behind him.

Poor King Rorik was so sad, his crown did all but droop
Until a lady rallied him
He went to lead his troop
He led his men into the trees but no one could they find
He split his force into three parts
"On now!" With seven men behind

An Tir! He shouted loudly
An Tir! He called our proudly
An Tir! King Rorik went
With seven men behind him.

Now in a grove of trees he stands, the base of a small hill
He looks up to the top and says
"Next thing we see, we kill!"
Their patience is rewarded by the site of banner then
Now o'er the crest a shieldwall comes
Two hundred fifty men

An Tir! He shouted loudly
An Tir! He called our proudly
An Tir! King Rorik stood
With seven men behind him.

[Verse added 8/22/07]
Two hundred fifty men 'gainst eight may seem a little much
But our great King was not the kind
To think of odds and such
He ordered all his men to give a great shout of "An Tir!"
Then up the hill he led the charge
He'd never heard of fear.

An Tir! He shouted loudly
An Tir! He called our proudly
An Tir! King Rorik CHARGED!
With seven men behind him.

The soldiers of the Eastrealm are not given much to fear
Yet so loudly did those eight men shout
An army must be near
The banners of the East now turned, before eight men they fled
"The entire Midrealm Army's here!
King Rorik's at their head!"

An Tir! He shouted loudly
An Tir! He called our proudly
An Tir! King Rorik charged
With seven men behind him.

Now o'er the hill our heroes charge, King Rorik at the fore
And on the other side they see
At least three hundred more
But those three hundred men have heard the shouting of "An Tir!"
They see their comrades flee in dread
And turn to face the rear

An Tir! He shouted loudly
An Tir! He called our proudly
An Tir! King Rorik charged
With seven men behind him.

Five hundred men now flee before the wrath of great An Tir
Until someone looks back and says
"There's only eight men here"
The banners of the East return, the shieldwall they restore
It doesn't matter to our king
"We routed them before!"

An Tir! He shouted loudly
An Tir! He called our proudly
An Tir! King Rorik CHARGED!
With seven men behind him.

AN TIR! He shouted loudly
AN TIR He called our proudly
AN TIR! King Rorik charged...
With seven men behind him.