Saltatio Mortis is a German medieval metal group. The Latin name means "dan… Read Full Bio ↴Saltatio Mortis is a German medieval metal group. The Latin name means "dance of death".[1] It is an allusion to the Danse Macabre, and a motto of the band is: "He who dances does not die."

Members
Current
Alea der Bescheidene - vocals, bagpipes, didgeridoo, guitar, Irish bouzouki, shawms
Lasterbalk der Lästerliche - drums, davul and other percussion
Falk Irmenfried von Hasen-Mümmelstein - bagpipes, vocals, hurdy-gurdy, shawms
El Silbador (since 2006) - bagpipes, shawms, smallpipes, uillean pipes and other pipes
Bruder Frank (since 2006) - bass guitars, electric upright Chapman Stick, guitar
Till Promill (since 2012) - guitars
Jean Mechant der Tambour (since 2009) - drums, piano, guitar, vocals
Luzi das L (since 2011) - pipes, shawms, flutes

Past
Dominor der Filigrane (2000 to 2009) - guitars, German bagpipes, shawms
Die Fackel (2000 to 2006) - bass guitars, mandola, harp, German bagpipes, shawms
Ungemach der Missgestimmte (2000 to 2006) - guitars, bagpipes, shawms, percussion, programming
Thoron Trommelfeuer (2000 to 2009) - orchestral percussion
Herr Schmitt (2004 to 2007) - drums and other percussion
Mik El Angelo (2006 to 2009) - guitars, lutes, citterns
Cordoban der Verspielte - shawms, bagpipes, vielle, whistles, vocals
Herr Samoel (2007 to 2012) - guitars, Irish bouzouki

Discography
Studio albums
2001: Tavernakel (Tavernaculum) Napalm Records
2002: Das zweite Gesicht (The second Face) Napalm Records
2003: Heptessenz (Seventh Essence) Napalm Records
26 January 2004: Erwachen (Awakening) Napalm Records
29 August 2005: Des Königs Henker (The King's Hangman) Napalm Records
3 September 2007: Aus der Asche (From the Ashes) Napalm Records
31 August 2009: Wer Wind Sät (Who sows the wind ...) Napalm Records
29 August 2011: Sturm aufs Paradies (Rush for Paradise) Napalm Records
16 August 2013: Das Schwarze Einmaleins (The Black 101) Napalm Records
14 August 2015: Zirkus Zeitgeist (Circus Zeitgeist) We Love Music
17 August 2018: Brot und Spiele (Bread and Games) Vertigo/Capitol
9 October 2020: Für immer frei[2] (Forever Free) Vertigo/Capitol
Live albums
2005: Manufactum Napalm Records
2010: Manufactum II Napalm Records
1 April 2011: 10 Jahre Wild Und Frei (10 Years Wild and Free) Live CD/DVD recorded at the Stadthalle Wuppertal 15/10/2010, Napalm Records
8 April 2013: Manufactum III Live CD, Napalm Records
2016: Zirkus Zeitgeist – Live aus der großen Freiheit Live CD, We Love Music
Compilation albums
2016: Licht & Schatten - Best Of 2000-2014, We Love Music
Singles
2003: "Falsche Freunde"
2005: "Salz der Erde"
2009: "Ebenbild"
2011: "Hochzeitstanz"
2013: "Früher War Alles Besser", Napalm Records
12 July 2013: "Wachstum über alles", Napalm Records
2015: "Wo Sind Die Clowns"
DVDs
1 April 2011: 10 Jahre Wild Und Frei (10 Years Wild and Free) Live CD/DVD recorded at the Stadthalle Wuppertal 15/10/2010, Napalm Records
13 December 2013: Provocatio - Live Auf Dem Mittelaltermarkt, Blu-ray and DVD, Napalm Records
Guest appearances
20 July 2018: We Drink Your Blood (on Communio Lupatum by Powerwolf)

My Bonnie Mary
Saltatio Mortis Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Go, fetch to me a pint o' wine
And fill it in a silver tassie
That I may drink before I go,
A service to my bonnie lassie.
The boat rocks at the pier o 'Leith
Fu' loud the wind blaws frae the

The ship rides by the Berwick-law,

And I maun leave my bonnie Mary.
The trumpets sound, the banners fly,
The glittering spears are ranked
Ready

The shouts o' war are heard afar,
The battle closes deep and bloody
Go, fetch to me a pint o' wine
And fill it in a silver tassie
That I may drink before I go,
A service to my bonnie lassie.
It's not the roar o' sea or shore,
Wad mak me langer wich to tarry!
Nor shouts o' war that's heard afar
It's leaving thee, my bonnie Mary!
The trumpets sound, the banners fly,
The glittering spears are ranked
Ready

The shouts o' war are heard afar,
The battle closes deep and bloody.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Saltatio Mortis's "My Bonnie Mary" tell the story of a man who is about to leave his lover, Mary, to go off to war. He first requests a pint of wine, which he drinks as a service to his "bonnie lassie," in order to say goodbye. He remarks on the sound of the wind blowing loudly at the pier of Leith where the boat is docked, and the image of the ship riding by the Berwick-law as he is forced to leave Mary behind. The second verse describes the scene of war that the man is leaving for. The trumpets sound, the banners fly, and the spears are all ranked and ready for battle. The man says that the shouts of war are heard from afar, as the battle will be deep and bloody. The final verse emphasizes that it is not the roar of the sea or of war that will make him linger, but rather the thought of leaving behind his beloved Mary. The man leaves with a heavy heart, knowing that he must go fight, but lamenting the fact that he will be leaving his love behind.

Line by Line Meaning

Go, fetch to me a pint o' wine
Please bring me a glass of wine

And fill it in a silver tassie
Pour it into a silver cup

That I may drink before I go,
So that I can drink it before I leave

A service to my bonnie lassie.
As a tribute to my beautiful girl

The boat rocks at the pier o 'Leith
The boat is moving at the Leith pier

Fu' loud the wind blaws frae the
The wind is very strong and loud

The ship rides by the Berwick-law,
The ship is passing by Berwick-law

And I maun leave my bonnie Mary.
And I have to leave my lovely Mary

The trumpets sound, the banners fly,
The trumpets are playing, the banners are flying

The glittering spears are ranked Ready
The shiny spears are lined up and ready

The shouts o' war are heard afar,
The sounds of war can be heard in the distance