One Rode To Asa Bay

One man rode the way through the woods, down to asa bay
Where dragon ships had sailed to sea more times than one could say
To see with own eyes the wonder, the people told from man to man
The God of all almightyness had arrived from a foreign land

The rumours told of a man who had come from the other side the seas
Carrying gold cross around neck in chain and spoke in strange tongue of peace
He had come with strange men in armour, dressed in purple shirts and lace
Smelling not of beer but flowers and with no hair in face

And the bold man carrying cross had told all one of asa bay
The God of all man woman child had come to them all save
And to thank the lord of heaven one should build to God a house
And to save one's soul from hell one should be baptised and say vows

A man of pride with the hammer told new God to build his house on own
And spoke loud of the gods of their fathers not too long time gone
The rumours said the man with a beard like fire and the hammer in chain
By men in armour silenced was and by their swords was slain

Those who did not pay the one coin of four to man of new God
Whipped was twenty and put in chains then locked by their neck to the log...
And so all of asa bay did build the house of the cross
Every hour of daylight they did sweat, limbs ached, because faith does cost

And on the day two hundred there it stood white to the sky
The house of the God of the cross big enough to take two dragon ships inside
And all of asa bay did watch the wonder raise to the sky
Now must the God of the cross be pleased and satisfied

Just outside the circle of the crowd one old man did stand
He looked across the waters and blotted the sun out of his eyes with one hand
And his old eyes could almost see the dragon ships set sail
And his old ears could almost hear men of great numbers call out Oden's hail

And though he did know already though he turned face towards sky
And whispered silent words forgotten spoken only way up high
Now this house of a foreign God does stand, now must they leave us alone
Still he heard from somewhere in the woods old crow of wisdom say:
"People of Asa land, it's only just begun!"