between the mountains

I'm currently utterly in love with this Norwegian artist, Rockettothesky, which is the name of the one-woman band of Jenny Hval.
She describes her music as surrealist folktales, and I find that quite apt. Haunting and a bit esoteric, with a video that is pretty cool as well.

There is this strange Scandinavian tradition to read and watch crime stories during Easter. In fact, the bloodier the better. Why this is I have no idea, but in honour of this morbid tradition have a look at this creepy, wonderful video by Swedish artist Fever Ray.

Fever Ray is the solo debut of Karin Elisabeth Dreijer Anderson, better known as part of the duo The Knife. With Fever Ray she has taken the dark, disturbing bits of The Knife and enhanced it. The video is also something to watch, with its feel of Carl Theodor Dreyer's creepy symbolism meeting the twisted world of David Lynch. Enjoy.
( If I had a Heart )

Yesterday I went to an evening of lectures about Norwegian culture, and the problems of researching Norwegian culture while being a Norwegian. the main problem is how to distance yourself from the material enough to be critical. There were quite a lot of interesting lectures, but the highlight for me was the concert at the end by the band Adjagas. (and I'll admit that the concert was one of the reasons I went in the first place. Hee)

The two members of Agjagas are indigenous Saami, and their music is a mix of the old Saami song technique of Joik (pronounced yoik) and modern, jazz inspired music. The result is some really gorgeous music.

This is their most famous song Mun ja mun. I'm including the video and not the song here, and I'm doing that for two reasons. One, the video is absolutely stunning. There is nothing fancy about it, but the black and white photography is gorgeous and the light nearly translucent. (Have I mentioned how black/white is possibly my favourite photo medium? Hee) Secondly Adjagas' primary income is a cultural scholarship from the Norwegian state, and this is based on the numbers of cd's they sell. So uploading a song feels a bit wrong. It is one thing to share music when the artist has a wide audience, another when the band strives to get attention in tiny Norway.

So please, take a break and listen & watch. It's worth it, I promise.

( Mun ja mun )

Förr skall hälleberget rämna såsom is
Förr skall solen borttappa sitt sken
Förr skall skogen bli förvandlad till en duva
Innan jag dig min vän överger


For the rocks will split and shatter just like ice,
And the sun in the heavens cease to shine,
And the forest will turn into a white dove,
Ere, my dear, you and I will parted be.


For applegnat who requested Scandinavian Folk songs with a Love theme:


If you read love songs and thought lovely songs about lovely devotions then please think again. Though love was a popular enough theme in the old songs – it was always a dark and slightly disturbing love.

( One on friendship and eternal devotion )

( One in which being a total badass is the way to get the girl, or  )

( Another on how being a badass will get you the girl, but this time with ambiguity about true motives )

( One in which confessions of love is deadly and dark )

( One with ponderings on the true nature of ones lover )

( And one on love betrayed )

I am still going through this nostalgic tv-show thing. The last thing that has touched my sentimental heart is the tv series based on Astrid Lindgren's book Ronia-The Robber's daughter.



On the night that Ronia was born a thunderstorm was raging over the mountains, such a storm that all the Goblin folk in Matt’s Forest crept back in terror to their holes and hiding places. Only the fierce harpies preferred stormy weather to any other and flew, shrieking and hooting, around the robber’s stronghold on Matt’s Mountain. Their noise disturbed Lovis, who was lying within, prepared to give birth, and she said to Matt, "Drive the hell-harpies away and let me have some quiet. Other wise I can’t hear what I’m singing!"
The fact was that Lovis liked to sing while she was having her baby. It made things easier, she insisted, and the baby would probably be all the jollier if it arrived on earth to the sound of a song. - from the English translation of the book

( this way for the rest of the story, its pictures and music )

Troll kalla mik
tungl sjötrungnis,
auðsug jötuns,
élsólar böl,
vilsinn völu,
vörð náfjarðar,
hvélsvelg himins –
hvat's troll nema þat?


They call me Troll;
Gnawer of the Moon,
Giant of the Gale-blasts,
Curse of the rain-hall,
Companion of the Sibyl,
Nightroaming hag,
Swallower of the loaf of heaven.
What is a Troll but that?
- from Skáldskaparmál


I've once mentioned that I'm not too fond of trolls. This is true to a point, but to be precise, what I'm not fond of is the stupid, blundering troll. The sinister, creepy troll on the other hand? They are a whole other category. So I thought – why not make a tribute to the trolls I do like? Well, here is my attempt at an audio-visual tribute to trolls.


The water troll Noekken by Theodor Kittelsen

( here there be trolls )

I have a love for the combination of images and music. This might be why I adore the last 15 minutes of Last of the Mohicans so much. There is almost no dialog, and the music and the photo is allowed to take center stage. This love might also be why I really like some music videos. Not all - but every now and again a director comes along who manges to create a personal vision which truly matches the music. Lately I've been very impressed with Danish director Martin de Thurah.


He made the video Human for the Danish band Carpark North.
( Human )

He also made the video to What else is there? by the Norwegians Røyksopp.
( What else is there? )

Some people like vampires, others like ghosts- personally I've always been fascinated with werewolves. Maybe it's the metamorphosis and the fact that they are normal people large parts of the month that intrigues me. At any rate - there are some really good medieval ballads that tell of the werewolf-myth, and some of them have been performed by Garmarna.

Garmarna is one of my favorite bands, and they create music that is usually described as neo-folk. I have posted a few of their songs before, including a few of the werewolves songs - but that was a long time ago, and I promised someone I'd upload them again. Just be warned as some of these songs are pretty dark and gruesome.

Garmarna: Varulven/Werewolf

The song at first seems rather straightforward; a girl, alone in the woods, gets eaten by the wolf. But there are sings that the story might be a bit more complex. First of all the title is "Werewolf", thereby indication that she isn't attacked by a normal wolf. Then there is the mention of linden trees quivering in the grove.

The Linden is in Nordic folklore a symbol of family, and the quivering linden trees give the impression that something is threatening the family. Secondly the expression of being "taken by the wolf" was sometimes used as a euphemism for loosing once virginity. Then there is the last line in each verse "She was carrying the fruit of love" which seems to indicate that the maiden is pregnant.

In swedish this line is slightly more ambiguous and could also be translated as "she was by love bound". When Garmarna have chosen to translate it as carrying the fruit of love it’s probably based on the lore that Scandinavian werewolves were particularly dangerous to pregnant women.

( Lyrics )

Garmarna: Straffad Moder och Dotter/Mother and Daughter Punished
- this song comes from on of their earlier albums, and its style is a bit rougher and more unpolished than later albums. That said it has a drive and a use of vocals that I absolutely adore. Here its both a wolf and a fox that have once been human, and they regain their humanity by drinking their mother's heartblood.

I suppose some symbolism can be seen in that they take a life to regain their human lives.

( Lyrics )

Garmarna: Vedergällningen/Vengeance
- this song tells of a protagonist that is turned into or cursed to become a wolf by his/her stepmother. One interesting aspect is that we are never told if the protagonist is male or female - only that they in the end becomes a knight bold and good, which might indicate male. Here the werewolf curse is broken by the protagonist drinking the blood of his/her brother, and killing the stepmother while doing so. It's all very gruesome - but it does combine the aspect of the pregnant woman from the first song, and the focus on heartsblood from the second.
( Lyrics )

Lastly - if you download these songs and you like them, then please support the artist by buying the album.


ETA: Cross-posted to told_tales

Partially for the spirit of the season, and partially because I can I wanted to make a holiday card with added music. So a happy holiday to everyone who has a holiday, and warm greetings to the rest of you as well.


Misa Criolla - Kyrie, Viadala – Baguala

This is a hauntingly beautiful song from Latin- America. I think it is a Christmas song, but due to lack of Spanish I cannot tell. Regardless this song gives me chills. Spare guitars, a dominant voice and a rhythm like a heartbeat.

Skruk & Rim Banna: Mitt hjerte alltid vanker

This is an old, traditional Scandinavian song. This time performed with a twist. The Palestinian artist Rim Banna has translated parts of the lyrics and help produce the song. The result is a rich and wonderful blend of a truly lovely song.

And if you are wondering what a more traditional version sounds like there is :
Aasne Valland Nordli : Mitt hjerte alltid vanker