Heyr himna smiðr by Zdenka

Heyr himna smiðr

They are gathered in the deep chambers of Gabilgathol, under Mahal’s stone, to honor their dead. The fierce battle did not spare even their king, but there are many names besides his to mourn.

In silence, they take up white candles, one for each of the dead. In silence, they touch wick to flame, one from another, until the vaulted chamber is ablaze with light.

Then each Dwarf speaks the name of the beloved one they mourn, the true name in their own language that Mahal made for them. Loudly or softly, with grief or stoicism or anger: every name of the dead is spoken, and every name is heard. The shape of the stone chamber carries the softest whisper, the quietest sob, to every ear and heart.

When the echo of the last name is silent, there is an indrawn breath; every candle is quenched at once. In the cradling dark, as one people, they chant the ancient prayer for the dead as they have done for generations.

The widowed queen takes up flint and steel, tools so familiar to her hands that she needs no light. Between her hands, a single candle shines again; a single flame rises.

Chapter End Notes

200 words as counted by MS Word.

Written for anythingdrabble for the prompt "spare" and the SWG Orctober challenge for the prompts "Way of Faith" and "carrying doused candles in memory of the dead." [Location: Way of Faith (Fen of Serech).]

Also fills a square for Lyricaltitles Bingo 2024: Song in a language other than English. Heyr himna smiður ("Hear, smith of the heavens") is a gorgeous Icelandic hymn; the words were written by Kolbeinn Tumason and the music by Þorkell Sigurbjörnsson. (Heyr himna smiðr is the medieval Icelandic version, which I just thought looked cooler.) I thought that invoking the Smith of the Heavens was fitting for Tolkien's Dwarves. Performed by VOCES8 / by Árstíðir / text and translation.

Gabilgathol: the Dwarves' name for their city that the Elves called Belegost.