I got permission from the artist ‪@SkaldBard‬ to use this video and song. He wrote and performed this song himself, and I thought it would be a wonderful addition to my channel due to its topic, and especially because of its language. I am very grateful that he allowed me to use the song, and I highly suggest you check out Skaldic Bard's other videos:    • Charles Martel [Song in Frankish] | T...  

Skaldic Bard wrote this song in Old Frankish, the language of the Franks, a Germanic tribe who would play a vital role for the genesis of Germany ... and France!
Frankish was about to merge into Old High German at the time. The specific dialect used here is an Austrasian one, named after a historical region.

Karl Martell/ Karl der Hammer, or Charles Martel in English, was a Frankish nobleman who lived from ~688 to 741. "Martel(l)" is not his family name, it is a term for a hammer. He earned that monicker in the event that is covered in this song: the 732 Battle of Poitiers/Tours, in which Karl Martell defeated an army of the Umayyad Caliphate. Later generations, especially after the Middle Ages, considered him a savior of the western, Christian world and Europe as we know it because of this feat, although more recent studies have contested the weight of his achievement.
In any case, Karl Martell was a very important historical figure. He was not king (which is why I translated "kuning", normally "König" in German and "king" in English) as ruler instead. You could also call him "leader" or "Princeps" or something. In any case, the term "kuning" covers more than just "king", although it would have been fair to call Karl a "de facto" king: the ruling dynasty, the Merovingians, had gradually lost their power over the course of generations, and the men holding the title "Mayor of the Palace" had become the actual most powerful people in the realm. They were in control of the royal treasury, dispensed patronage, and granted land and privileges in the name of the figurehead king.

Karl's father, Pippin/Pepin, had held that title and amassed more power than any Mayor of the Palace before him, but once Pippin had died in 714, Karl had to fight and win a civil war against own family members and other opponents before he could consolidate his power. Karl was not a formally acknowledged son of Pippin at first, he was originally not supposed to come to power. But once he had conquered the throne, Karl proved to be an effective military and political leader who expanded his own power. He would go down in history as the namesake of the Carolingian dynasty, his son Pippin "the younger/the short" would finally take the title of king from the Merovingians. The son of this Pippin was Charles the Great/Charlemagne. Karl Martell's legacy is a very powerful and lasting one, as his grandson would be considered the founder of the Holy Roman Empire by reviving the title of emperor in western Europe after centuries. The Carolingians ruled for many more generations, and it was Karl who had laid the groundwork.

The song takes inspiration from other works, most notably the Ludwigslied/Song of Ludwig: It's a 9th century text praising a later Carolingian king named Ludwig for defeating a heathen army (of Northmen). It will also be uploaded on this channel at some point. Another bit comes from a 9th century German translation of the Diatesseron, a gospel harmony written by a man called Tatian in the 2nd century. The Odo mentioned is Duke Odo of Aquitania, whose territory was attacked by the Umayyads.

Disclaimer: All videos are apolitical and this channel is against any form of extremism or hatespeech!
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●▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬♬❈ LYRICS ❈♬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬●
Heidine man sluogun nahgibura ioh bruoder unse
Abur thes hoisten megin biscatuit euwih
Ir selbo Christ ist Got ioh druhtin
Fora dhemu sindun dheodun ioh riihi chihneigidu

Karl dher hamar frankono kuning
Ir willon Gotes deda
Karl dher hamar frankono kuning
Ir Frankonolant nerida

Quad Otto dhem kuninge hilf minan liudin
Heigun heidine man harto bidwungan
Huob Karl gundfanon uf dher muotago wigant
Dhen ir almahtic Got sendida

Ir nam skild indi sper Gote lob sageda
Chinemnet sinan namon Heilant
Suman thuruhsluog ir suman thuruhstah
Sin warth dher sigikamf

Karl dher hamar frankono kuning
Ir willon Gotes deda
Karl dher hamar frankono kuning
Ir Frankonolant nerida

Hwer ist dher druhtin
Thaz lioht in finstarnessin ist
Ni forhti thu thir
After guotliihhin quimit ir
So regonoda druhtin ubar Sodomam indi Gomorram
Swebil indi fyur
So bim ih ubar fianta Frankonolantes chisendit

Karl dher hamar frankono kuning
Ir willon Gotes deda
Karl dher hamar frankono kuning
Ir Frankonolant nerida