Album: To Mend The Oaken Heart (1997)

Rekindling An Old Flame


Out of the South from the deserts of Muspell they came,
on their banners the cross of their lord,
to bring a new wisdom to green land of plenty,
to bring us salvation with fire and sword.
They came here to tell us the nature of God,
but if their god knew Nature as well as does Wod
then would they have still piled our priests high on the pyre
and polluted our green land with blood and with fire?

They promised great riches and wealth when we die,
and forced us to starve and our children to cry;
a tenth of our harvest, a tenth of our grain,
all of our freedom, get none of our pain;
but Nature's the one who did suffer the most
as they stole all Her glory with their idle boasts,
for they claimed that their god made them lords over all
and that all things must bow before them or must fall.

Where once our days were timed by hands of Fate
and we lived in the balance with plenty for all,
priests turned the tables, they b[r]ought the imbalance,
they said they should live e'en though Nature must fall;
tore down the forests to feed the new millions,
used Mother Nature to conquer disease;
fools, can't you see, have you no understanding?
rose in the cornfield must burn with the weeds.

Tied to the stake, is it a dream, some mistake?
What's my crime? Will I awake?
Am I evil? Have I wronged thee?

Fire burns my eyes, sears my flesh, drowns my cries.
Skin is black, in twitches it cracks.
Is this your mercy? Is this the mercy of your god?

Who is this god that I hear you call Satan?
Just a figment of Christian mind,
yet still you burned kinsmen and women as his.
Tell me priest, are you really so blind?

Hear the screams of the cat in the basket
as the priest hung him over the fire.
What was his crime? Where was his jury?
Tell me priest? Did fuel your desire?

See the wood ring all blackened and barren.
"We must burn out this Heathendom haunt".
How do you justify wanton destruction?
Tell me priest, did the trees your god taunt?

You preach that the end of the world will bring your salvation
and so you await Armageddon with baited breath,
proclaiming to the masters of She who prevents the ascension,
and, to fulfil thy desire, you would sentence us all to death.

They've planted their seed among us for so long,
tis time to root out that which does not belong;
only chance left, our world's life to prolong.
The harvester's ready, the scythe has been whet,
too long have the masses played russian roulette,
putting the gun against Earth Mother's head.

Hurry my brethren, there isn't much time,
gods call for vengeance divine.
See that the punishment fitteth the crime.
Earth Mother's patience has lasted so long.
Be sure that Her fury will be just as wrong.

Burn the priest, just as in thy name so many have burned before thee.
As many were beaten to death on the wheel then so in their name I scorn thee.
Burn the priest for thy time has passed, thy words and thy teaching abhor me,
for if you would rally the end of the world then thy world must end before me.

The time it has come to light a new pyre,
take up thy torches and strike up the fire.
Witness the flames reaching higher and higher.
Old wood must burn to give way to the new.
New shoots grow out from a faith that is true;
out from the world which our forefathers knew.

For all of our fathers who died at the stake,
make the amends for that bloody mistake.
This land, once ours, must be ours to retake.
Where once the alters [guessed "altars"] of our gods did lie,
churches of Christendom rise to the sky.
Where once rose flames, now let flames rise on high.

Burn the priest, just as in thy name so many have burned before thee.
As many were beaten to death on the wheel, then so in their name I scorn thee.
Burn the priest for thy time has passed, thy words and thy teaching abhor me,
for if you would rally the end of the world then thy world must end before me.

Out of the South from the deserts of Muspell they came,
on their banners the cross of their lord,
to bring a new wisdom to green land of plenty,
to bring us salvation with fire and sword.
You came here to teach us the nature of God,
but your god forgot Nature and you forgot Wod.
Now it is your turn to burn on the pyre
and our green land will be cleansed with blood and with fire.