Garmarna
Текст песни Varulven (The Warewolf)

The Werewolf

The maiden she would to the cottage go
Linden trees quiver in the grove

So she took the path through the forest blue
She was carrying the fruit of love

And when she reached the forest blue
There she met with a gray wolf

O dear wolf please don't bite me
To you I will give my silver gown

The silver gown won't suit me at all
Your young life and your blood must go

O dear wolf please don't bite me
I will give you my silver shoes

Silver shoes won't suit me at all
Your young life and your blood must go

O dear wolf please don't bite me
I will give you my golden crown

A golden crown won't suit me at all
Your young life and your blood must go

The maiden she climbed up high in an oak
The wolf he paced the ground and howled

The wolf dug up the oak by the roots
The maiden gave a heart-rending cry

The young page saddled his gray steed
He rode slightly faster than a bird could fly

And when he came to the wooded place
He found nothing more than a bloody arm

God comfort, God improve me, young page
Linden trees quiver in the grove
My maiden is gone, my horse is dead
She was carrying the fruit of love

Gotte wrote this tune a long while ago, but we always felt it needed lyrics. One day Stefan came in with the extremely sad and violent but still beautiful lyrics of this ballad, and we were able to join the tune and the lyrics without too many compromises. As far as we know this is the only existing medieval ballad in Sweden where a werewolf appears. There are other versions of it, some even more violent and gory.