Dane-Geld

Once you have paid him the Dane-geld / You never get rid of the Dane…

Dane-geld was the tribute exacted by the kingdom of Denmark from the English King, Aethelred the Unready (see illustration). When he tried to stop paying, the Danish ships raided and ransacked the south and east coast of England until, once again, Aethelred gave in and paid up.

The theme of this poem is as relevant today as when it was written, because the greed of extremists has not changed, nor the pressure to appease them. Perhaps the best-remembered example of appeasement is Munich, where the West yielded to Hitler’s demand to avoid war by letting him annex Czechoslovakia – “absolutely my last territorial demand”. It is arguable that if the Western leaders had heeded the moral of “Dane-Geld” and stood firm in Munich, the Second World War would have lasted six months rather than six years.

It is always a temptation to an armed and agile nation
	To call upon a neighbour and to say: -
"We invaded you last night - we are quite prepared to fight,
	Unless you pay us cash to go away."

	And this is called asking for Dane-geld
		And the people who ask it explain
	That you've only to pay 'em the Dane-geld
		And then you'll get rid of the Dane!

It is always a temptation to a rich and lazy nation,
	To puff and look important and to say: -
"Though we know we should defeat you, we have not the time to meet you.
	We will therefore pay you cash to go away."

	And that is called paying the Dane-geld;
		But we've proved it again and again,
	That if once you have paid him the Dane-geld
		You never get rid of the Dane.

It is wrong to put temptation in the path of any nation,
	For fear they should succumb and go astray;
So when you are requested to pay up or be molested,
	You will find it better policy to say: -

	"We never pay any-one Dane-geld,
		No matter how trifling the cost;
	For the end of that game is oppression and shame,
		And the nation that plays it is lost!"