The Sorting Saga

by MandyMyfanwy

The first Hogwarts sorting song. I wanted to write a sorting song for the first ever sorting, because I was looking at some Old English poetry and I love how it uses alliterative verse instead of rhyming - and given when it all happened, surely that's how the hat would have written! (presented in translation from the original Saxon tongue, obviously ;) )

Hear!

O scholar-mages sound, to school you spring

This Hogwarts hall, with hearth-fire and heart

To learn of lore, in lessons long

Of magic mysteries, and magic means

In walls of wizardry, of witchcraft wise

Four founders age, and fear their frailty

To solve this sorting, scraped and sought

And found their fix, to fearsome fuss

A headcap handy, heavy-laden of hoarded lore

With mage-craft made, magnificent of mind

Their students sort, sage-quest of speaking hat

Each mage-house made, and mage-scholars to make

School-houses separated, each sort of special-kind

Each founder's to find, these fact-seeking first-years

Bold Godric Gryffindor, of grave-wands great

A flaming fire-brand, and fearsome field-kings

He brings each the bravest, the bold and blade-mind

Wise Rowena Ravenclaw, of radiant written-words

Abundant of air-lore, and air-ruling agile-eyes

The wit-laden of word-craft, the wisest welcomed

Keen Salazar Slytherin, of serpent-tongued speech

With sea-lore secrets, and silent serpent-words

The goal-seekers guileful, of generations great-magical

Kind Helga Hufflepuff, heart-opened hope

To sage-bearing solid-earth, with stripe-faced stalwart

All teach-seekers to teach-well, and trust to toil-hardy

Four school-houses steadfast, now select their stake

This wise-hat wear, and wend-home to your welcome