[Steve Mangan]

Originally Posted by Janice D. Soderling

That is interesting, Steve, and I'll certainly put it in the compost heap from which thought grows. However in the text in question, there is no hint of slaughter.

No, but why pick on that part? There is the more relevant joy of Ravens at dawn (the example of Sigrun’s joy/happiness (fegin/fain) being likened to that of Odin’s Ravens ‘when... dewy-feathered, they see the brow of day’). And does 'joyful' need be mean 'melodious' (as in a black-birds song)? Cannot a 'Joyous song' (of Ravens or Warriors) be raucous -- a raucous song Joyful?

[Julie Steiner]

If you can stand yet another bit of trivia, Janice, the Wikipedia article for the dawn chorus lists the blackbird as the first to start singing in the UK, sometimes starting as early as 3am. In an age before clocks, that timing might be considered in the middle section of the night, no?

There's no reference listed for that, so I'll cite the Beatles: Blackbird singing in the dead of night...

[Janice D. Soderling]

Actually, that fact was what prompted me to ask the question in the first place, in my very first post #1.

I had this vision of the blackbird waking Beowulf while it was still dark, joyously singing, "You're homeward bound, B, baby."

I have come to the conclusion that it was not a vision but simply a hallucination.