Drink my Darling from your Father's Skull
Many years ago, when the Lombards
did sojourn on the Pannonian plains
King Cunnimund of the earthborn Gepids
did incite war, breaking ancient
pacts
Audwins son Alboin, the Lombard king
sent envoys to the mighty Huns
offering them all the Pannonian plain
if they joined in war against the
Gepids
Together the Huns and the Lombards
smote the Gepids and king
Gunnmund
From the dead kings skull Alboin fashioned
a drinking cup, to be
his trophy
Gunnimund's daughter, fair Rosamund
was enchanting to Alboins eye
He
craved to have her as his wife
to test her love, he commanded her
Drink, my darling, from your father's skull
prove you love me most of
all!
I would test, if your love is true
do you love me as much as I love
you?
Rosamund sipped the wine
from her dead fathers skull
Alboin took this
as a
sign of her love for him
Rosamund he decreed,
should become his
new wife
sharing his royal bed
as queen of the Lombards
Alboin made good of his
promise to the brave Huns
to let them have all
of
Pannonia's fertile plains
The Lombards he moved west
to Northern
Italy
There they settled conquering
all that lay in their path
Alboin's brother, Hialmgeir
craved Alboin's throne and wife
Rosamund,
knew this well
she saw a chance to take revenge
Meeting in secret,
Rosamund
and Hialmgeir hatched a plot
to bind Alboin while he slept
and then kill him when he awoke
That night Alboin came to the chamber
bearing with him, Cunnimund's skull
Filled with wine, he drank from it
then to his wife, he did say
Drink, my darling, from your father's skull
prove you love me most of
all!
I would test, if your love is true
do you love me as much as I love
you?
Rosamund sipped the wine
from her dead father's skull
then the two
made love
then Alboin fell asleep
Rosamund chained Alboin
with fetters
to his bed
so that he could in no way
escape from certain
death
Hialmgeir then summoned his
bodyguard Frothi to
kill Alboin
when the king
awoke from his doomed sleep
Frothi cut off the head
of
helpless king Alboin
Hialmgeir now became king
Rosamund, his new wife
When the sad news reached the Lombards
They rose in revolt against the
usurper
Hialmgeir had to flee to Ravenna
taking with him Queen Rosamund
Hialmgeir now, had outlived
his usefulness to Rosamund.
She added
poison to his wine
when he drank from Cunnimund's skull
Hjalmgeir drank the poisoned wine
sensing treason, he drew his sword
pressing the blade, against the throat
of Rosamund, he ordered her
Drink, my darling, from your father's skull
prove you love me most of
all!
I would test, if your love is true
do you love me as much as I love
you?
"A Feast for Famished Ravens"
can be ordered through:
