The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-11-24

thoughtof William Morris to render It in
English, in words derived from Anglo
Saxon roots, so that, while English, 1t
might still be Teutonic, even in its Ian
guage. AS result we have his noble
poem, "Sigurd the Volsung," in the
quaint phraseology of former centuries
of English speech, resembling somewhat,
in it's simple strength and beauty, the
old English In which the Bible is so hap
PLY dressed. What strikes me as espe-
cial1y remarkable In the poem is its pic
lures of home life. Englands first poet
CT the home was William Cowper, who
wrote but a little more thar a century
ago. The first American home poet was
John Howard Payne Of the last century,
the author Of that immortal Home,
Sweet Home. The pure and sweet home
life of the Morse claims a place with
their maMial love IN the poetry Of the
ages long gone.
Morris description of the Branstock of
King Yolsung is as follows:
This was the dwelling of Volsung. the
king Of the midworlds mark,
die in the dark;
And, as in all other matters, twas all
earthly houses crown
And the least of it's wallrhung shields
was a battle-world's renown.
a glorious thing to see,
For. amidst Of its midmost hall floor,
sprang up mighty tree,
That reared its blessings roofward, and
wreathed the roof-tree dear
With the glory of the summer and the
garland of the year.
1 know not how they called it ere Vol
sung changed his life
But his dawning of fair promise and
his noontide of the strife,
His eve of the battles reaping and the
gathering of his fame
Have bred us many a story and named
US many d name;
And when men tell of Volsung, they call
that War-Dukes tree,
That crowned stem, The Branstock and
SO it was told to me-"
It will be remembered that the quaint
old word mark" which is here used
to mean land" or realm still fingers
in the map Of Europe in the names OF
Denmark and Steiermarck (Styria).
My friend, Maj. A. w. Clancy, of Chi
cago, has in one of his parlors large
crayon sketch Of the Branstock of King
Volsung, drawn at his order from the
great painting by Hoffman. 1t is q
noble picture, and deserves to be popu-
larized in American homes for the tender
sentiment which it inspires, as well as
for the marvellous realism of it's de-
lineation
It was suggested some years ago that
on "Arbor day the children at school
might appropriately sing song of the
Branstock, selecting for this designation
some handsome and favorite tree in the
school grounds. Accordingly, the follow
ing simple stanzas were written and set
to music for an exercise song, with an
interlude adapted to dancing or skip
ping motion about the tree:
Like children Of Vikings in ages gone by,
Well sing round the Branstock, that
towers SO high.
Well honor the Branstock, so noble and
strong;
Wen dance round the Branstock with
frolic and song.
Beneath its broad branches how happy
we've playedi
How pleasant In summer It's GOODNESS
and shade!
To parents and teachers and children tbs
dear;
Well dance round the Branstock with
frolic and cheer.
1t stands like a sentry by day and by
night.
So fixed may we be in the cause of the
It braves every tempest. and SO. too,
may we
All hail to the Branstock, our beautiful
treei
Surely if history is worth preserving,
not less is the folklore of great peoples.
Nor can we afford to lose aught that 1t
contains of true and beautiful sentt-
ment for the molding Of character. Let
us have Branstock in our dictionaries,
and let us apply it to the dear old trees
Of our homes.