Album: "Folkemon" by Skyclad (2000)

The Disenchanted Forest

My kin and I had laboured hard
to reap the yearly harvest.
Lain weary on our gathered sheaves we
cracked a vat of ale. Poured a toast;

Began to boast of who could sup the hardest.
Slumped in drunken slumber
at the height of wild wassail....
I woke to find my brothers gone
that Autumn eve so balmy.

Yet gazed in wide-eyed terror
to the barley fields nearby.
Struck dumb I swore;
Stood before a mighty woad-duabed army.

Believed my wits deceived me
'til I heard their battle-cry.

Smash the axe and sow the seed;
Don't cause the Oaken Heart to bleed!

When he that led this heathen horde
cast-off his ivy mantle;
Cohorts raised honed halberds
flying pennants of leaf-green.

From below approached the foe;
A fierce scythe-bearing hantle.
Captains sat triumphant
upon coughing, steel machines.

Break the bough and strip all of it.
Fell this forest, make a profit!

Opposing forces clashed
beneath a red sky cracked by thunder.
Entrenched beneath the hedge-row
I'd observed it quite unseen.

One side stood to save the wood:
T'other planned it's plunder,
I chose to fight for Nature's right;
Grabbed a fallen skean.

All who would one flower destroy,
must first cut down this Didycoy!

We fought until the last that day
to gain a hard-won victory,
Sucked in by the thirsty earth
I watched my life-blood ebb.

Though I died at least
I'd tried to play some part in history;
A momentary trembling
on the threads of Wyrd's web.

Are there more so brave and honest;
Who would die to save my forest?

Forests have lost their spell and magic, now they are only economical resources and oxygen productive machines. But no matter the fact that fairies, elves and ogres are not existed, forests are extremely complicated ecosystems to be managed in such a simple and disenchanting way. We think that the last verses of the song calls for activists with a strong positive morality towards nature who dare to risk their life in defense of a forest, of a natural ecosystem or landscape. Such activism is that of ELF, Earth First and all those whom the safety of earth has precedence over their life.



The Antibody Politics

'Free citizens of Planet Earth';
The leptons in some base equation.
Bound by swaddling-chains from birth,
unto travail and assentation.

Given what they're taught to crave;
Denied the truths they sorely need.
Shown a future new and brave;
Frog-marched towards it at fool-speed.

If there's anyone else out there,
disillusioned just like me;
It's time we tried to turn the tide,
with an overwhelming minority.

The masses are numb, their ethics awry.
Nothing's as dumb as the Vox Populi.
If there's anyone else out there,
aiming sawn-off philosophy;

Let's all unite and make things right,
with an overwhelming minority.
No seed of hope nor ray of light.
Scant succour from the blighted epoch.

Rise like Socrates and fight;
Take hate's chalice laced with hemlock.
Mankind's retrograde ascent;
We've wagered all for unseen winnings.

Evolution's youth misspent,
it's time to forge bold new-beginnings.
If there's anyone else out there,
disillusioned just like me;

It's time we tried to turn the tide,
with an overwhelming minority.
Bolt from the herd bleating like sheep.
Hang for your words; Don't perish asleep!

If there's anyone else out there,
aiming sawn-off philosophy;
Let's all unite and make things right,
with an overwhelming minority.


When a minority realizes sociopolitical issues better than a cheated by politicians majority, it has to make great efforts in order to turn the tide with demonstrations, activism, etc. Such an overgrowing minority is the Ecological movement, who year by year becomes stronger and nowadays in some cases affects the policy of their country. In our country, Greece, only the last year the ecological movement has become visible in political life, no matter a history of 25 years of activism and interventions for the protection of greek environment.

You can hear "Anti-body politics" in my space
You can hear Disenchanted Forest in youtube