Posts Tagged ‘Old Norse’

THURNIN present the video clip ‘Arcturus’ as the first single taken from Dutch dream folk pioneer Jurre Timmer’s forthcoming new album Harmr (Old Norse for ‘grief’ or ‘sorrow’), which is slated for release on March 14, 2025.

THURNIN comment: “For the first advance single of this album, I have chosen ‘Arcturus’ the most obvious track,” composer and instrumentralist Jurre Timmer writes. “The track offers a mix of traditional Thurnin songwriting and a glimpse of the atmosphere that defines Harmr. This song celebrates the value of life, for there would be no grief without love.”

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THURNIN’s third album Harmr was born out of the deep feeling of grief that only love can bring. The title refers to an old Icelandic word that is probably more literally translated as ‘grief’ while its contemporary meaning rather implies ‘sorrow’. The loss of one or even more loved beings is hard to bear for any person.

It is therefore hardly surprising that the lower key and a reduced tempo are permeating Harmr throughout most of the songs; and much more so than on its predecessor Útiseta (2023), on which THURNIN mastermind Jurre Timmer interpreted this numinous act as a way to commune with nature, and to gain spiritual wisdom in a time of introspection and transcendence.

When circumstances forced Wardruna to postpone the release of their upcoming album Kvitravn, it was clear to them that they still wanted to release new music. Music and art can potentially carry great meaning in times of uncertainty. They decided that now was not the time to stay silent and headed straight back into creative mode and the studio to write and record the song "Lyfjaberg".

The Old Norse word Lyfjaberg means Healing-hill or Healing-mountain and is known from Norse mythology and the Eddic poem Fjölsvinnsmál as a place of comfort and cure for the ‘sick and sore’ who manage to climb the mountain and bear offerings at the shrines there – a gift demands a gift in return.

The video for "Lyfjaberg" was mainly filmed in the mountains at Tustna in Norway. The band shot the video in early May, when all of a sudden winter decided to return with full strength and they ended up wading in half a metre of snow for three days and nights. On many levels, the process of making this video reflected the meaning of the song itself. They all had to climb a few of their inner mountains to get it done.

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Wardruna