According to Einar Selvik, the male singer, Wardruna isn´t about glorifying the past or the norse, but about taking worthwhile parts of our norse heritage and using it to make something new. In particular he's passionate about reviving the tradition of having songs be a bigger part of our lives. Earlier cultures had songs for sowing, songs for harvests, songs for births and songs for dying. Helvegen is their attempt at a song to help someone dying to pass over into the afterlife. It's meant to be a comfort in knowing that you're not alone in your final moments, that you're loved and that you will be missed and remembered, and it's also a comfort for those left behind in being there for their loved ones and celebrating and remembering them as they pass.

Sheeeeesh, this took me to a different place. I did not expect to like this at all, and I do. No way in hell would I ever come across this. I thank you for that! Be well, guys and rest up for next weekend! Take care!

Aurora is a musical chameleon! She can sing anything! Only 28 days to I see her live for the first time, in her home town Bergen.

those harmonies !!!!!

‘Cattle die, Kinsmen die, You, too, will die, But I know a thing that never dies, The fame of a dead man's deeds.’ Of course, this is a pretty simple translation, but the spirit is the same.

The passion Aurora 🧚 shows during this performance is wonderful; the death grip she has on the microphone stand is an illustration of how intense this song and it's meaning is. The song is about the trip to Hel, not to be confused with Hell. Others, more expert on the story, will surely flock to see Warduna and Aurora 🧚 perform this song and give you a more accurate explanation of the song's meaning. Aurora 🧚 rarely sings in Norweigan so we get to see another side of her here. By the way - isn't the lead singer's voice amazing? The passion he shows matches Aurora's as perfectly as their voices blend together.

@TheThamesmen

2 жыл бұрын

It is one Hel of a pairing for sure. Just an amazing soundscape overall and such feeling

Believe it or not, THIS was my introduction to Aurora a couple of years agoI have no idea what I watched that made the algorithm bring it to me! Really glad it did though. It gave me goosebumps the first few times. It’s like you’re listening to our distant ancestors….a auditory window into the past….Loving music the way I do…as well as the study of cultures, I sometimes think……What did music sound like a thousand years ago or more? Outside of Gregorian chant, I had no idea. Wadruna and other such groups helps scratch that itch. Thanks so much!

@TheThamesmen

2 жыл бұрын

Wow. What a great into!!

@TheThamesmen

2 жыл бұрын

Intro

HELVEGEN . means the path to the afterlife. and it a It's an old Viking song about honoring and remembering those who have died .

Just saw Aurora live in Seattle and it was so amazing!!

Hello again George and Alex, This was absolutely bueatiful! I did get the feeling that the song was about the afterlife..the haunting vocals and slow drum beat brought images of long ship aflame on the ocean carrying a fallen Viking to Valhalla. There is always something special with mythology. Loved it! Thankyou and more please!!!! 🤗

@TheThamesmen

2 жыл бұрын

Our pleasure - Have a fab weekend

This video makes me cry every time I watch it. Well, not this video, but the Aurora video.

@TheThamesmen

2 жыл бұрын

It is very powerful especially when reading the lyrics. I should have included them in my edit and regret not taking the time to do that.

@w.geoffreyspaulding6588

2 жыл бұрын

@@TheThamesmen true….but the poetry is lost in the translations I’ve seen…

Wardruna is that band that gets recognized by the makers of the big budget tv series Vikings (didnt it air on HBO?) They did not write any music for the series,but they got paied for songs they had already done. Not long after,Ubisoft comes knocking on the door and wants them to make the soundtrack for theyr longest and most successfull franchise,Assassins Creed Valhalla. Wardruna accepted. That speaks volume,when you sing in a language barely anyone outside Norways borders knows,and hollywood and the gaming industry already headhunts you. Let me add a positive thing to this darkness eh? 7:41 Thats a Lur,and it is Norways longest and oldest instrument. There are 2 versions of it,and one of them is tracable all the way back to the bronze age. It was used in various settings,most common was to alert the village of an upcoming attack,or simply to make warriors get mentally ready for an upcoming battle. But it would also be heard to honor the crowning of a new king,or celebrate a freshly married couple. It can have a very beautiful sound,but also a really intimidating sound if you are on the other side. I believe it even beats the length of the Didgeridoo,but it looks thiner then the Didgeridoo. I love both instruments! Imagine walking alone through the woods,and you hear that badboy starts playing. I think most would have themselfs!

as noted before, remember our ancestors....the song is about the journey to the Viking afterlife ( "Hel" - NOT the Christian Hell" ) and recalling all the people and events that preceded our lives........all things must die, but our reputations live on.......I think the horn is an ancient "Lur"..............

Epic song by a great band and great guest singer. Both make great music. Aurora you reacted to already. For Wardruna look at the official video’s of these songs Voluspa Raido Lyfjaberg Kvitraven Etc Throat singing, look at Nytt Land.

Fun fact, the outfit AURORA uses here, the top, was designed by her sister Viktoria. The wool on the arms was from a sheep called Perlemor (mother of pearl in English) who roamed free on a island outside Bergen, As they said in an interview she maybe a little cold now :-)

@TheThamesmen

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for being here and have a great weekend. Cheers G&A

Hey! What a nice reaction video! 😊👍 This must've been by far the oldest lyrics that you dealt with in quite a while, I should think. Being possibly 1200 years old or about so. The lyrics of the song Helvegen itself is of a much newer date, expect of the two last verses, which are not a part of the song text itself, but still added as a part of the performance. The instruments seems traditional as well. The theme is about the journey to the afterlife and things concerning the life and death and remembering those that have passed, as one can interpret based on the lyrics and it's also mentioned a few lines about this in the description of the music video. In addition I can add that "Helvegen" literally means the "The road or way to Hel" or "The way to Helheim". Well, keep away from the double-L when spelling, as the Christian version of "Hell" is rather an unpleasant place where people are getting punished. Hel is both the name of the Underworld according to Norse mythology and also the name of the Goddess of the dead, daughter of Loki. As others pointed out before me, this performance includes the two verses number 76 and 77 (out of the total of 164), from the first section of the Old Norse poem "Hávamál", that expresses words of wisdom and the theme is about your "legacy" for these two particular verses. This poem if including more verses touches upon topics such as hospitality, faithfulness, modesty and so on, and in general how to behave, good values to have. Hávamál is a poem found in the book Codex Regius (Latin for: The King's book), which was written down on Iceland in the 13th. century. Hávamál (well, in modern Norwegen language spelled håvamål), which translated means Words /sayings of the High One (That would be Odin's speech, in other words). This is an Old Norse (pre-Christian) poem of Old Norse philosophy and wisdom and it appears to have been passed down for generations by the time that the manuscript was collected as a book in 1270 on Iceland, and likely originates from as early as the 800's, and based on it's contents such as descriptions of landscape etc., it's expected to originate from Norway already from early part of the Viking Era rather than Iceland. The 1270 edition is from the Medieval times, when Christianity already had made its entry long ago and it makes no sense that the text reprecenting other beliefs should be that recent. The song "Helvegen" was composed by Einar Selvik (Wardruna), just a few years ago, released in 2013, so the lyrics of the first part of this performance that is sung in New Norwegian language is only inspired by old poetry. While the last part of this performance which is done a capella, consists of the original verses 76 and 77 as it goes in Old Norse language and are authentic from that time period. I take it for granted that you won't be able to hear the difference between these two languages, but to me it makes it just even more authentic that this old text is included in its original language. As a Norwegian I do still understand parts of it without needing to have it translated, but far from everything. There are made a considerable number of English translations of this poem over the years. The earlier English translations I guess a few would struggle to understand nowadays, as the English language has changed considerably over the years. Here's a translation by someone named Terry (whoever that might be...) that might be of the most easy kind to get: "Verse 76: Cattle die, kinsmen die, one day you die yourself; but the words of praise will not perish when a man wins fair fame. Verse 77: Cattle die, kinsmen die, one day you die yourself; I know one thing that never dies, the dead man's reputation." 😊And when it comes to the translation of the lyrics of the song itself, then that's already published in the description of the music video, that I guess people already took notice of and been commented on plenty of times already.

@TheThamesmen

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the message and take care. Cheers G&A

Did you gents get goosebumps? I sure did when I first watched this….

@TheThamesmen

2 жыл бұрын

100%

That was pretty interesting. My first thought was that it felt Celtic and then I realised how that made complete sense. If I was just hearing the audio and had no info on it, if I’d been told it was The Chieftains I’d be 100% convinced. I know The Chieftains did a lot of ‘world’ music, but it definitely had a North-Eastern UK folk feel.

@TheThamesmen

2 жыл бұрын

Being a cultural moron I lump this into world music.

@sean---the-other-one

2 жыл бұрын

@@TheThamesmen I s’pose all music is world music, so I’ll allow it.

The male vocalist here……I cannot remember his name, did the music for the series The Vikings, I believe.

@genrabbit9995

2 жыл бұрын

And some of the music in Assassins Creed: Valhalla

The lead singer Einar Selvik was once the drummer in the black(Satanic) heavy metal band Gorgoroth. He also contributed to the soundtrack for the History Channels Vikings tv series starting in Season 2 and even appeared several times as a extra on the show.

@TheThamesmen

2 жыл бұрын

Well. Who knew Viking are in such demand.

Here's PETA's favorite band (People Eating Tasty Animals, the other peta hates them!) kzread.info/dash/bejne/g4abwZqHfrO6dJs.html Heilung | LIFA - Krigsgaldr LIVE old Norse, Germanic etc done on a grand scale.

There is another video of Helvegen that I haven't seen reviewed. Features Wardruna, Aurora and the Oslo Fagottkor (the backup singers for Aurora's Nidarosdomen concert). [kzread.info/dash/bejne/lZtktrOymseuepM.html]

@TheThamesmen

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the link I will definitely give that a watch

The Vikings can hear this in Valhalla

@TheThamesmen

2 жыл бұрын

That would seem appropriate

Ah yes, Odin the Ikea god.... and Loki the god of lost screws.

@TheThamesmen

11 ай бұрын

Knew there had to be one

Nice reaction 👍 Helvegen means the road to Hel (not hell), and it’s very cold there. Einar Selvik vocalist and songwriter has written songs for the Vikings series, and Helvegen is one of them. He also has small roles in the series 👍 Could you please react to Aurora with: “All is soft inside” live at KEXP Iceland 2018🙏😍😍

@TheThamesmen

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks so much for being here and supporting us. Be well and have a fab day. G&A

If you are interested in Inuk throat singers try Tanya Tagaq. Her YT videos do not get large views but the last pre-pandemic concert of hers I attended, here in Canada, was sold out. I would recommend the official video of her song - Colonizer. Before listening you may want read a bit about Canada’s Indian residential schools to understand the context.

@TheThamesmen

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks Rene... will check when I have time

A moose once bit my sister

@TheThamesmen

2 жыл бұрын

Was the Mosse OK?

@sean---the-other-one

2 жыл бұрын

@@TheThamesmen We had to put it down. But we’ve been putting my sister down for years; she’s kinda used to it.

@TheThamesmen

2 жыл бұрын

@@sean---the-other-one You had to put her down? Harsh but understandable

@sean---the-other-one

2 жыл бұрын

@@TheThamesmen It was a mercy kill. We had to put her out of our misery.

@w.geoffreyspaulding6588

2 жыл бұрын

@@TheThamesmen you guys are just weird…😜

Nice reaction, and if you want to go a little further in that "nordic direction", I'd recommend Heilung, you won't be disappointed I think. Try this : In Maidjan (for Maria's insane vocals) kzread.info/dash/bejne/naGLtrxse8nUiKg.html, or Alfadhirhaiti (for an incredible amount of energy) : kzread.info/dash/bejne/ZKutj7lmoLzSlNY.html

@TheThamesmen

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for being here and supporting us. Be well. G&A

The translation is so rough though that it loses all it’s poetry. The lyric that makes it such a personal statement if grief though, is when it says, to paraphrase…when you cross over the bridge to the land if death, my song will follow you.

Evening lads, här kommer lite mer Norse musik som ni kan lyssna på: kzread.info/dash/bejne/eHptz9app5acZcY.html&ab_channel=ChristopherJuul

@TheThamesmen

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the note. More soon and hope you have a fab weekend. Cheers G&A

"It's pretty dark". Interesting observation. Why'd you think it's dark? It's about death, yes, but the lyrics don't really seem all that foreboding - at least not if you actually understand the cultural context behind what they're singing about. This song is not traditional, but it's based on verse 76 and 77 of the Gestaþáttr in Hávamál (Speech of the High One). And just a note. "Eskimo" is pretty much the equivalent of the N-word, please don't use it if you can help it. People from Greenland and certain regions in Canada, go under the definition of different Inuit people :)

@TheThamesmen

2 жыл бұрын

Pi[kin.... Thank you for the kind insight on the Esk word. I had no idea. I will 100% avoid it. Thank you - Alex

Interesting song! Probably completely inappropriate to whatever the lyrics said -- no translation on my view -- I could imagine this song being used for a film project where you have a character or characters slogging through hundreds of miles of desolate wasteland, etc.

goat horn is best, k ? :/

@TheThamesmen

2 жыл бұрын

We all need more goat horn

@blackspell666

2 жыл бұрын

@@TheThamesmen Is there a way to request or propose songs to you guys ?

@TheThamesmen

2 жыл бұрын

@@blackspell666 sure we read all comments. W we d do o get a lot of suggestions though so no guarantees. We also have a Patreon page

Not Norway - BERGEN

@TheThamesmen

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for this! Much appreciated. Also, thanks for being here and supporting us. ✌️ G&A

Not your Culture? You are english, your roots are going back to the Saxons, Normans (Northmen) and also the Vikings visited your country very often, so it is one part of your culture too. 🙂

@TheThamesmen

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the comment and also thanks for being here and more soon. Thanks G&A