The Dalby Bear, and Other Ballads

This collection gathers dramatic ballads steeped in folk legend, medieval romance, and the supernatural. In the opening tale, a fearsome bear terrorizes the countryside until a brave knight confronts the creature and discovers that its savagery conceals an older enchantment. Battles, curses, Christian faith, and the possibility of redemption unfold in a brisk, memorable narrative shaped by song.

The following ballad turns from wilderness peril to wedding-day deception. As rain-swollen streams delay a reluctant bridegroom, a scheming messenger seizes the opportunity to take his place, setting courtship, honor, and loyalty on a collision course. With vivid refrains, formal speeches, and a strong sense of fate, these poems offer listeners the atmosphere of fireside storytelling while preserving the rough energy of ancient Scandinavian and Northern European tradition. Each piece is compact yet richly suggestive, inviting the ear to follow its heroes, villains, enchanted figures, and sudden reversals.