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Drømde mik en drøm i nat is the oldest known secular song in the Nordic countries, written around 1300. It is written in Old East Norse and is included in Codex Runicus, a transcript of Scanian Law where it forms a final note. Like the law itself, it is written in runes, and the tune is written on two simple staves in an early form of musical notation. The song is sung in episode 6 of Vikings.
Song text
The text of the song is
Drømde mik en drøm i nat umsilki ok ærlik pælThere are several interpretations of the text, as the meaning of the words silki and ærlik pæl is obscure. Traditionally, most interpretations have been variants on these readings:
This interpretation takes the 13th-century word silki to mean silk. It may be compared with the medieval song "Palle Boosons visa" which also speaks of "silk and fine fur": "Han kläder sig i silke, så och i ädel päll..".
This interpretation has been called into question, because it fails to take account of the context of the document. Codex Runicus is a lawbook that ends with a text of marginal notes. Since the song appears to be written in the same hand that completed the main body of the manuscript, it would seem more appropriate if the lyrics of the song were connected with the content of the document. One would expect a text concerning law and order rather than luxury. However, there are many examples of similar insertions of unrelated text into medieval European documents, a particularly notable one being the Old Irish poem Pangur Bán.
Alternative interpretations that better fit with this understanding of the song's context are:
The word silki could be seen as related to the old Nordic word slik meaning equality or the same as. Likewise, Ærlik pæl could be "honest measure", since pæl and pel, are old words for "measure", cognate with German Pegel. Ærlik is used meaning "honest" (cf. "ærlig" in Modern Danish) on the very first page of the Codex Runicus.