Modern Skalds and the Eddas, a learning experience

[Nietzsche]

I have noticed that some people new to the notion of Asatru, Heathenry and Norse myth, whatever your favorite term is(I'll use Germanic for the remainder of this) have a problem learning the Eddas and tales of the Viking Heroes and the Gods they championed. So. I thought I'd help. There is a lot of good music for this. The Germanic myths are ripe for powerful music, a grand tradition started by Richard Wagner. But not everyone has the time to listen to his Ring-Cycle. Which is understandable, it is incredibly goddamn long.

Not everyone understands the non-English Germanic languages, either. So that may not even be an option. But fret not, for there are more concise English-language renditions of the Eddas, in the most Viking of all music, I am speaking of course of Metal.

So. For those wanting to learn more about the tales, I have gifts.

This is the Ragnarok album by the Faroese band Tyr. It covers everything from the forging of Mjolnir, the death of Baldr and Ragnarok itself. Some of the lyrics are in Faroese, but most of it is English.

This is the Sagas of Iceland, by Rebellion, which is more about the actual Norse than their Gods.

This is the sequel, Miklgard, which continues the history of the Vikings.

Finally, Arise From Ginnungagap To Ragnarok. This is about the Gods proper, from the Making of the Nine Realms to the Breaking of the World.

I really wanted to put Manowar's "Gods of War" album on here but I can't find it. That is one of my faveorites, so check it out if you can find it.

This hopefully will help those seeking to understand the beliefs.

 

[DayRaven]

The Germanic myths are ripe for powerful music, a grand tradition started by Richard Wagner. But not everyone has the time to listen to his Ring-Cycle. Which is understandable, it is incredibly goddamn long.

I would add a label of warning, though. Wagner's Ring-cycle has large doses of poetic licence and much of it (if not most) is his own invention.

For non-metal I would recommend Sequentia's Edda (Myths from Medieval Iceland).

 

[Jainarayan]

Awesomeness. Listening to it now. I see Tyr also has The Lay of Thrym as an album, among a bunch of others.

 

[Jainarayan]

I would add a label of warning, though. Wagner's Ring-cycle has large doses of poetic licence and much of it (if not most) is his own invention.

Yeah, he's the one we can thank for horned helmets. Or as Rose Nyland snapped at Dorothy: "They're called longenhurden!"

 

[Nietzsche]

Yeah, he's the one we can thank for horned helmets. Or as Rose Nyland snapped at Dorothy: "They're called longenhurden!"

To be fair, the Ring Cycle is beautiful, and his misconceptions were something only realized later.

 

[Jainarayan]

To be fair, the Ring Cycle is beautiful, and his misconceptions were something only realized later.

What I know of it is definitely masterful. Pure genius to compose something that requires 8 hours / 4 nights to perform.

 

[Riverwolf]

I really wanted to put Manowar's "Gods of War" album on here but I can't find it. That is one of my faveorites, so check it out if you can find it.

Cannot second this more. I'm not as familiar with Tyr, but Manowar's Gods of War album, even though it gets some of the Lore a bit wrong, captures the spirit just PERFECTLY.

Heck, far as I'm concerned, this song in particular should be adapted by Heathens as one of our hymns:

Raise thy weapons on this day
Ye shall not die alone
Fight and die, let valk'ries fly
For they shall take thee home
I promise thee that on this night
Ye shall be by my side
Asgard's halls await with heroes
Brothers that have died
For thee we wait at Asgard's gates
Come join us by our side
Valhalla waits so
Choose thy fate!
For all of us
Must die!!!

 

[Nietzsche]

Cannot second this more. I'm not as familiar with Tyr, but Manowar's Gods of War album, even though it gets some of the Lore a bit wrong, captures the spirit just PERFECTLY.

Heck, far as I'm concerned, this song in particular should be adapted by Heathens as one of our hymns:

Spoiler

Raise thy weapons on this day
Ye shall not die alone
Fight and die, let valk'ries fly
For they shall take thee home
I promise thee that on this night
Ye shall be by my side
Asgard's halls await with heroes
Brothers that have died
For thee we wait at Asgard's gates
Come join us by our side
Valhalla waits so
Choose thy fate!
For all of us
Must die!!!

My personal favorite is King of Kings. Granted, you could make a Heathen Anthem out of any Manowar track..

Spoiler

 

[Riverwolf]

My personal favorite is King of Kings. Granted, you could make a Heathen Anthem out of any Manowar track..

Indeed. ^_^

When Thor was brought in to the pantheonic MOBA game Smite, one trailer celebrated the occasion by being a music video of Sons of Odin set to gameplay footage.


...Though, I do feel the need to express something of a personal frustration. Not with Manowar or Tyr, just with metal themed after Vikings and Edda Lore in general. When I tried looking for some good examples, a lot of the bands that kept getting listed also apparently tended to have strong anti-Christian sentiments in their lyrics... almost like a lot of the Satanic metal from the 70s and 80s just with Satan and his associates replaced with the Aesir. And as I don't harbor any anti-Christian sentiments at all, such lyrics not only don't speak to me, but I find it irritating.

 

[Nietzsche]

Though, I do feel the need to express something of a personal frustration. Not with Manowar or Tyr, just with metal themed after Vikings and Edda Lore in general. When I tried looking for some good examples, a lot of the bands that kept getting listed also apparently tended to have strong anti-Christian sentiments in their lyrics... almost like a lot of the Satanic metal from the 70s and 80s just with Satan and his associates replaced with the Aesir. And as I don't harbor any anti-Christian sentiments at all, such lyrics not only don't speak to me, but I find it irritating.

Mmm, I would say that in a lot of cases with those who genuinely follow the Pagan Path, the anger is directed at the fact that our faiths were cast into the "mass-grave of mythology", as Tyr put it.

I personally am not terribly fond of Christianity, and that is because before I came to Heathenism, as my name suggests, I was big on philosophy, specifically the Nietzschean idea of the Over-Man who constructs his own morality, rather than following the supposed sayings of a man that died two thousand years prior.

 

[Riverwolf]

Mmm, I would say that in a lot of cases with those who genuinely follow the Pagan Path, the anger is directed at the fact that our faiths were cast into the "mass-grave of mythology", as Tyr put it.

I personally am not terribly fond of Christianity, and that is because before I came to Heathenism, as my name suggests, I was big on philosophy, specifically the Nietzschean idea of the Over-Man who constructs his own morality, rather than following the supposed sayings of a man that died two thousand years prior.

It's understandable to a degree, it's just not a position I agree with. Just as I don't follow "supposed sayings" of long-dead humans, I don't hold grudges against long dead enemies.

 

[Nietzsche]

It's understandable to a degree, it's just not a position I agree with. Just as I don't follow "supposed sayings" of long-dead humans, I don't hold grudges against long dead enemies.

Fair enough. Though there is much to be said of the Romantic appeal of such things.

 

[Riverwolf]

Fair enough. Though there is much to be said of the Romantic appeal of such things.

Heh, indeed there is. I did just call them "enemies", after all. ^_^ (Though I don't really talk about Christians with that; I'm primarily referring to Caesar and his Legions).