Wardruna: Nordic Folk Music of the Ancients, Rooted in Nature

Soundcheck | Feb 12, 2018

Norwegian band Wardruna creates music born of Nordic history, Norse runes and nature - and is led by multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Einar Selvik, who currently composes music for the TV series Vikings. (He was formerly the drummer in the black metal band Gorgoroth under stage name Kvitrafn, for those keeping track.) 

Hear a captivating combination of old and recreated Norse historical instruments: Tagelharpa (bowed harp-lyre), birchbark lure (a trumpet), goat horns, Kraviklyra, instruments from nature: stones, bones, trees, fire and ice, along with sounds captured in nature, vocal techniques of many kinds, and ancient poetry. The latest record, Runaljod – Ragnarok, is the third of a trilogy of musical interpretations of each of the twenty-four old Nordic runes (the word rune can also mean magical song). Wardruna performs some of their unusual, spiritual, ancient sounding-modern ritual music in the studio. -Caryn Havlik

Set list: "Wunjo," "Isa," "Helvegen"

Watch "Helvegen":

Be alert for scams. WNYC never asks for nor accepts money for coverage or interviews. Anyone making such a request does not represent WNYC.

Top Stories

Where Red Flipped to Blue

Actor and Playwright Tracy Letts on His Many Recent Roles; New Play About a Drag Queen's Presidential Run Amid the AIDS Crisis

Inside New York's bitter Republican civil war after blue wave

The "Gamification" Strategy Behind Lula's Victory

YOU ARE ONLINE