After irreconcilable differences with his previous musical project, Saturnus, Larsen began writing music of a different vein, similar in style to his neofolk influences but very different than the doom metal he had previously created.
In 1999, the debut :Of the Wand & the Moon: album was released, entitled Nighttime Nightrhymes. Characterized by folk songs with themes ranging from expressions of love, loss, joy and ancestral Germanic paganism, the album was interspersed with experimental dark ambient pieces and tribal drumming. The album marked a new entry for Denmark in a new wave of Germanic post-industrial folk projects alongside contemporaries such as Forseti and Sonne Hagal.
2001 saw the release of a second :Of the Wand & the Moon: release entitled :Emptiness:Emptiness:Emptiness:, with refined production and a continued but expanded sound from previous work, the album further cemented the reputation of the project. A live version of :Of the Wand & the Moon: also debuted in 2001, beginning a long series of shows over the next few years.
After the release of a split album with Sol Invictus and a few vinyl singles, a collection of b-sides was released entitled Lucifer in 2003. Themed after its namesake yet featuring a photograph of a surprised cat on its cover, the record included various outtakes and unreleased tracks from the :Emptiness:Emptiness:Emptiness: period. A box set was also released featuring vinyl versions of previous recordings, as well as exclusive material.
A single entitled "Hail Hail Hail" was released in 2005 as a preview of upcoming material, showcasing a more experimental side of the project and making use of Arabic instrumentation for the title track. This was followed by a full length album entitled Sonnenheim which met to positive critical and fan reviews alike, marking the project as one of the major groups within its genre. The album further showcased themes of Germanic paganism, as exemplified by the title track "Nighttime in Sonnenheim" and introduced a more extroverted and thematically martial side of the project, with considerably less focus on the romantic love songs that had previously been hallmarks of the band's material.
Nær Skóg Nær Fjöllum
:Of the Wand & the Moon: Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Risti ek blóðrunir
Undir gráum himni
Nær ísilögðum vegi
Til hrýmþakktra fjalla - í luktar ljósi
Milli úlfs og hrafns - milli íss og kaldra vinda
Með óðiins orð í hjarta
Risti ek blóðrúnir
The lyrics to "Nær Skóg Nær Fjöllum" by Of the Wand & the Moon express a strong sense of connection to nature and the wild landscape of Iceland. The title itself translates to "Near forest, near mountains," and throughout the song, the singer describes the beauty and grandeur of the land around them. The opening line "Risti ek blóðrunir" translates to "I carve blood runes," which could be interpreted as a metaphor for the deep connection the singer feels with the land.
The lyrics describe a journey through the wilderness, with the singer walking along icy paths between mountains and forests. They are surrounded by the sounds of wolves and ravens and the cold winds of the region. The last line, "Nær skóg nær fjöllum" is repeated, emphasizing the importance of this connection to the land.
Overall, the song is a celebration of the natural world and the spiritual connection between humans and the land. It speaks to the importance of respecting and protecting the wild places of the earth, and finding solace and inspiration in their beauty.
Line by Line Meaning
Nær skóg nær fjöllum
Near the forests and mountains
Risti ek blóðrunir
I carve blood runes
Undir gráum himni
Under the grey sky
Nær ísilögðum vegi
Near the icy path
Til hrýmþakktra fjalla - í luktar ljósi
To frost-covered mountains in the dim light
Milli úlfs og hrafns - milli íss og kaldra vinda
Between the wolf and the raven, between ice and cold winds
Með óðiins orð í hjarta
With the words of poetry in my heart
Risti ek blóðrúnir
I carve blood runes
Nær skóg nær fjöllum
Near the forests and mountains
Contributed by Jayce T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.