Dwarven Bard Poems

[SirSlicksAlot]

I am playing a Dwarven Bard in an upcoming game. Going down the Poet/Storyteller route. I have ideas for stories that he will tell of famous heroes and legends, using bardic magic to make small figurines move to aid in storytelling(think Kubo and the Two Strings). What I do need help with is poems to tell. Can anyone help me with some Dwarven poem ideas? Regular fantasy poems are welcome too of course.

[Mutazoia]

[Anonymouswizard]

Dwarven poetry is grand. Of a dwarf writes a love poem it is an epic about how their love for another is eternal. Traditional carven poems require the better part of a week to perform.

In all seriousness, my dwarves would hold the idea of forms highly. You use an established form, or you play with it, bit dwarves do not use free verse. Forms are many and varied with a variety of rules, from the epics that are 1000 lines of fifteen syllables a line to the live poems of any length, but with lines of thirteen syllables and using an 'ababcdcd...' rhyme scheme. Base in mind this is also a society where a dwarf chooses their caste and shows this with their hairstyle (and can change cats by visiting a priest, cutting their hair, and then wearing it in the new style, bar the priest caste who shave their heads and ate in the caste for life).

This contrasts my elves ego don't have poetry. Sure, the sing and make art, but doing that to a form or even having a song that it's not spontaneous is considered anathema. Even physical elven art is specifically made so as to be temporary.

So I suppose my answer is, what kind of dwarven culture does the setting use?

[SirSlicksAlot]

From what I understand it is the traditional mining, long living, rough Dwarves. With that being said, I sort of what his collection of poems to reflect both the maybe crude, masculine joke poems and also having deep, complex poems.

[Kurald Galain]

Am I the only one who read this thread title as "Dwarven Beard Poems"?

I'd suggest reading into kabuki, a highly-formalized and lengthy form of Japanese performance that is generally incomprehensible to non-Japanese.

Or take the homage of Pratchett and sing incessantly about gold, gold, gold.

[Concrete]

If you google "Mining poems", you'll find that a whole bunch of coal miners write poetry about their jobs. Maybe you an find something there? ( http://www.dmm.org.uk/pitwork/html/menu6.htm ) Example.

Then there' s some music you can check out. Stan Rogers (Person) sang some good ones about toiling and such, as did Jethro Tull (Band)

Now much of this is turn of the century stuff, and often more about how hard and backbreaking it is, but maybe you can find some inspiration.

Now, about drinking, there's the sad part of the spectrum, such as "God loves a Drunk" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XT-PhQ6GYmA

and the joyful part: One Last Drink https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tK1lXSxZbHw

Don't think I have anything to add, but maybe it can be of use?

[TaRix]

If you google "Mining poems", you'll find that a whole bunch of coal miners write poetry about their jobs. Maybe you an find something there? ( http://www.dmm.org.uk/pitwork/html/menu6.htm ) Example.

Then there' s some music you can check out. Stan Rogers (Person) sang some good ones about toiling and such, as did Jethro Tull (Band)

Now much of this is turn of the century stuff, and often more about how hard and backbreaking it is, but maybe you can find some inspiration.

Now, about drinking, there's the sad part of the spectrum, such as "God loves a Drunk" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XT-PhQ6GYmA

and the joyful part: One Last Drink https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tK1lXSxZbHw

Don't think I have anything to add, but maybe it can be of use?

There's a similar classic song "16 Tons" by... (wikicheck) Merle Travis, whose cover by Tennessee Ernie Ford hit number one. It's about mining in a company town and being paid by company scrip (and being shafted thereby). Maybe it's familiar, maybe I'm just old enough.

[Berenger]

Far Over the Misty Mountains Cold

Song of Durin

The King Beneath the Mountains

Diggy Diggy Hole

[SirSlicksAlot]

Far Over the Misty Mountains Cold

Song of Durin

The King Beneath the Mountains

Diggy Diggy Hole

This is perfect, thank you!

[LibraryOgre]

http://rpgcrank.blogspot.com/2013/10...t-dwarves.html

Spoiler: Appreciating that special something that dwarven women bring to the table

Show

I like big beards and I can not lie
You other dwarves can't deny
When a girl walks in with a big thick waist
And hair all over her face
You get sprung
Wanna pull up tough
Cuz you notice that face was scruffed
Deep in the helm she's wearing
I'm hooked and I can't stop staring
Oh, baby I wanna get with ya
And take your picture
My homeboys tried to warn me
But that beard you got
Make Me so horny
Ooh, ain't got smooth skin
You say you wanna get in my clan
Well use me use me cuz you aint that average groupie
I've seen them smithin'
The heck with romancin'
She sweats, wet, gots whiskers like my uncle Chet

I'm tired of elven queens
With their smooth little things
Take the average dwarf and ask him that
Her face has gotta scratch, so
fellas (yeah) fellas (yeah)
Has your dwarf-girl got the beard? (heck yeah!)
Don't let her shave it, shave it
Keep that healthy beard...

Baby got beard...

Hairy face makes for dwarven beauty...

Spoiler: When your special lady is feeling put upon by the expectations of society

Show

Dwarven women, are beautiful lovers
Dwarven women, they understand
I've been around some, and I have discovered
That dwarven women know just how to please a man.
(Verse)
Everybody seems to love those human women
Buck eighteen on up to twenty-five
Well I love 'em too, but I'm tellin' you
Dwarves know to really love, and boy it sure is fine
(CHORUS)
(Verse)
So baby don't you worry about growin' whiskers
Those elven girls ain't got nothin' on you
Cause it takes some whiskey, to get 'em frisky
And frisky dwarves may just be the ones to teach 'em a thing or two.
(Chorus)

[CircleOfTheRock]

I am playing a Dwarven Bard in an upcoming game. Going down the Poet/Storyteller route. I have ideas for stories that he will tell of famous heroes and legends, using bardic magic to make small figurines move to aid in storytelling(think Kubo and the Two Strings). What I do need help with is poems to tell. Can anyone help me with some Dwarven poem ideas? Regular fantasy poems are welcome too of course.

I really, really, hate to suggest this (and it isn't really a poem), but this is (sort of, terribly cringely) good. Well, no, it's not. But it's dwarven!