Track Number 4
The Holy Cross
Stormwarrior Lyrics
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Salvation they'd bring to free northern lande
Pray to our Lorde now, ye all shalle be sav'd
Or taste the steeledrawn by our sanctified hands
Forefather's wisdom, oh Runatyr's rites
The tales of the hammer, now witchery's sighs
Elderly feasts, heretical lore
Hell, damnation
The saviour's on his way
Hell and fire
The holy cross shalle burn down to hell
We will never resign to the holy cross
Never bow down to their Lorde
We'll never defect to the holy cross
The hammer's our guide
We'll never kneele down to the cross
[Solo]
Wise men have come to seal our fate
Salvation they'd bring, we all shalle be sav'd
Forces of darknesse have pav'd all their ways
Conversion by violence, now a foreign god we praise
Hell, damnation
The saviour's on his way
Hell and fire
The holy cross shalle burn down to hell
We will never resign to the holy cross
Never bow down to their Lorde
We'll never defect to the holy cross
The hammer's our guide
We'll never kneele down to the cross
[Solo]
I am The Lorde, thy God
(Hallow'd be thy name)
Thou shalt have no other gods before me
(Thy Kingdome come)
For I, The Lorde, thy God am a jealous god
(Hallow'd be thy name)
And The Lorde will not hold him guiltless
that taketh his name in vain
(Thy Kingdome come)
I'll show mercy unto them that keepe my commandments
(Thy will be done)
Art thou willing to praise me?
(Yes, Master...!)
(Deliver us from evil)
(Hallow'd be thy name)
...for thine is the kingdome
the power and the glory...
Hell, damnation
The saviour's on his way
Hell and fire
The holy cross shalle burn down to hell
We will never resign to the holy cross
Never bow down to their Lorde
We'll never defect to the holy cross
The hammer's our guide
We'll never kneele down to the cross
We will never resign to the holy cross
Never bow down to their Lorde
We'll never defect to the holy cross
The hammer's our guide
We'll never kneele down to the cross
The lyrics to Stormwarrior's song "The Holy Cross" speak of a group of people who refuse to bow down to the holy cross and instead cling to the wisdom of their forefathers and the power of the hammer. The opening lines suggest that the fate of these people has already been sealed by wise men who promised them salvation, but they would need to praise their "Lorde" and follow foreign gods. The use of "Lorde" and capitalized "Runatyr" and "Elderly" are references to Norse mythology, indicating that the group in question may be pagan or heathen.
The lyrics then delve into the conflict between the old ways and the new, with the people defending their ancient symbols and rituals against the violence of conversion. They will not kneel down to the holy cross, but instead hold tight to the hammer and the heretical lore passed down by their ancestors. The inclusion of a biblical quote from Exodus ("Thou shalt have no other gods before me") and the reference to mercy add to the ambiguity of the conflict, with both sides claiming righteousness. The song ends with a repeated refusal to bow down to the cross, indicating a fierce determination to hold onto their beliefs.
Overall, "The Holy Cross" is a powerful expression of the tension between tradition and change, faith and violence. The use of Norse mythology and biblical quotes adds layers of meaning to the lyrics, raising questions about allegiance and motivation.
Line by Line Meaning
Wise men have come to seal our fate
The enemy has sent their wisest and most powerful to destroy us.
Salvation they’d bring to free northern lande
They claim to be offering us salvation, but this is just a ploy to conquer and control us.
Pray to our Lorde now, ye all shalle be sav'd
We reject their false god and choose to put our faith in our own Lord.
Or taste the steeledrawn by our sanctified hands
We will fight fiercely with the sacred weapons that our ancestors have passed down to us.
Forefather’s wisdom, oh Runatyr’s rites
We honor our ancestors and follow the ancient rituals of Runatyr.
The tales of the hammer, now witchery’s sighs
We remember the stories of the mighty hammer and reject the false magic of our enemies.
Elderly feasts, heretical lore
We celebrate the traditions of our elders, even if our enemies consider them heretical.
They fear anciente symbols, the greate runes of years
Our enemies are afraid of the powerful symbols and runes that have survived for generations.
Hell, damnation
Our enemies will be punished for their wickedness and deceit.
The saviour’s on his way
Our enemies believe their god will save them, but they are wrong.
Hell and fire
Our enemies will face the flames of destruction.
The holy cross shalle burn down to hell
We reject the false symbol of the holy cross and will destroy it.
We will never resign to the holy cross
We will never surrender to the false symbol of our enemies.
Never bow down to their Lorde
We will never worship or acknowledge their false god.
We’ll never defect to the holy cross
We will remain faithful to our own beliefs and traditions.
The hammer’s our guide
We will follow the powerful symbol of the hammer in our fight against our enemies.
We’ll never kneele down to the cross
We will never bow down to the false symbol of our enemies.
I am The Lorde, thy God
Our Lord is the true God and we will not follow false idols.
(Hallow’d be thy name)
We praise and honor our Lord.
Thou shalt have no other gods before me
We will not worship any other gods besides our Lord.
(Thy Kingdom come)
We pray for the coming of our Lord's kingdom.
For I, The Lorde, thy God am a jealous god
Our Lord will not tolerate worship of false idols or gods.
And The Lorde will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain
Those who use our Lord's name to deceive and manipulate will not be forgiven.
I’ll show mercy unto them that keepe my commandments
Our Lord rewards those who follow his commandments with mercy and grace.
(Thy will be done)
We trust in our Lord's will and submit to it.
Art thou willing to praise me?
Our Lord asks if we are willing to praise and worship him.
(Yes, Master...!)
We pledge our allegiance and worship to our Lord.
(Deliver us from evil)
We pray for deliverance from our enemies and their evil ways.
...for thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory...
We recognize that our Lord is all-powerful and deserves all glory and praise.
Contributed by Declan R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.