Eluveitie use both traditional Swiss and Celtic instruments alongside electric guitars and drums. Their music is known to be inspired by Gothenburg’s melodic death metal Scene and their lyrics are written in a mix of English and Gaulish. The name of the band comes from a graffito on a vessel from Mantua (ca. 300 BC). The inscription in Etruscan letters reads eluveitie, which has been interpreted as the Etruscan form of the Celtic (h)elvetios (“the Helvetian”), presumably referring to a man of Helvetian descent living in Mantua.
On 14 October 2017, the band announced via social media that they were working on a new album, and were to due to start recording after their Maximum Evocation tour. The band also revealed that they had recorded a single in advance of the tour, at Tommy Vetterli's New Sound Studio, entitled "Rebirth". The single was released on 27 October 2017, along with a music video produced by Wolfgang Wolman and Oliver Sommer. "Rebirth" marked the first non-acoustic record produced by the new line-up. On the band's official Instagram account, it was announced the new album is called Ategnatos. It was released on 5 April 2019. On 2 June 2022, the band released a brand new single "Aidus" along with a music video. On 5 July, the band announced that Michalina Malisz left the band on good terms
Current members:
Chrigel Glanzmann – vocals, mandola, whistles, pipes, gaita, acoustic guitar, bodhrán, harp
Alain Ackermann – drums
Jonas Wolf – rhythm guitar
Fabienne Erni – vocals, celtic harp, mandola
Kay Brem – bass guitar
Rafael Salzmann – lead guitar
Nicole Ansperger – violin
Matteo Sisti - bagpipes, whistles
Fabienne Erni - clean vocals, celtic harp
Official Site: http://www.eluveitie.ch
Official Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eluveitie
Lyrics: http://lyricwiki.org/Eluveitie
Tarvos
Eluveitie Lyrics
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A newborn bullcalf emerged
Wondrous and celestial
Three cranes to be its witness and droves
Its honour mantled the face of the earth
A blessing unleashed to the earth
Unseathed the embodiment of life
Tarvos the embodiment of life
Tarvos the genesis of time
The earthy heathlands roamed by esus
Questing condign sacrifice
A divine yearning hushed by the prodigy
Three cranes to wake up the slumbering taur
To warn him 'gainst the imminence of a huntergod ravenous
"A drawn struggle through innominate days
As ultimately the sword of esus
Pierced the bulls heart
Three cranes to lament as its blood laves
Creation wept under an eclipsing sun
As gloom descended upon world
Three cranes to catch a drop of blood
And leave far away"
A blessing depraved from the world
As snow fell for the first time on earth
Three cranes returned
Pouring out the blood
To the ground of tarvos' death
And out of nothing
The soil sacrified, the divine bull was reborn
Under a newborn sun nature rejoiced
Thus spring came back on earth
Overcame the brumal reign
Through esus came back
To fell the bull, the eternal cycle has begun
Tarvos will always be slain
Tarvos ever to be reborn again
The lyrics of Eluveitie's song Tarvos tell a story about the birth, death, and rebirth of Tarvos - the embodiment of life and the genesis of time. In a world that was once pristine and untouched, a newborn bullcalf named Tarvos emerged, watched over by three cranes. Tarvos was a symbol of life, and his presence honored and mantled the face of the earth. However, his existence was threatened by the imminence of a hunter god who wished to destroy him. The three cranes attempted to awaken Tarvos to the danger that he faced but were ultimately unable to prevent his death at the hands of the hunter god.
The death of Tarvos marked the beginning of a period of darkness and grief. The earth wept, and a gloom descended upon the world. However, Tarvos was not forgotten, and the three cranes returned to collect a drop of his blood from the ground of his death. The blood, poured out onto the soil, sacrified the divine bull, and Tarvos was reborn under a newborn sun. The return of Tarvos brought with it the rebirth of nature, as spring conquered the brumal reign. The eternal cycle of life and death had begun, and Tarvos would always be slain and reborn again.
Overall, the lyrics of Tarvos tell a story about the cycle of life and death and the importance of honoring and respecting the natural world. Tarvos represents the power and beauty of life, and his rebirth symbolizes the resilience of nature in the face of destruction and darkness.
Line by Line Meaning
In a virgin world primeval
This is the story of Tarvos, set in a world that has not yet been touched by humans.
A newborn bullcalf emerged
Tarvos is a bull that was born into this pristine world.
Wondrous and celestial
Tarvos was a mystical creature, revered for its divine nature.
Three cranes to be its witness and droves
Three cranes watched as Tarvos was born and grew into its powerful form.
Its honour mantled the face of the earth
Tarvos was highly respected and considered a symbol of the earth's beauty and fertility.
A blessing unleashed to the earth
Tarvos brought a special energy to the earth.
Unseathed the embodiment of life
Tarvos was a manifestation of the vitality, energy, and spirit of life.
Tarvos the embodiment of life
This line reinforces the idea that Tarvos is the living representation of life and all its power.
Tarvos the genesis of time
As a creature of divine origin, Tarvos is thought to be responsible for the creation of time itself.
The earthy heathlands roamed by esus
Esus is another deity in this myth who roams the heathlands alongside Tarvos.
Questing condign sacrifice
Esus is looking for a worthy sacrifice.
A divine yearning hushed by the prodigy
Esus is captivated by Tarvos and has an innate longing to sacrifice it.
Three cranes to wake up the slumbering taur
The cranes are warning Tarvos of Esus and tries to wake Tarvos up from slumbering state.
To warn him 'gainst the imminence of a huntergod ravenous
Esus is a god who hunts, and who is hungry for Tarvos - this line is a warning to Tarvos against Esus.
"A drawn struggle through innominate days
There is a long drawn-out struggle between Tarvos and Esus.
As ultimately the sword of esus
Esus finally kills Tarvos with his sword.
Pierced the bulls heart
This line describes the moment when Esus kills Tarvos.
Three cranes to lament as its blood laves
The cranes mourn Tarvos' death and lament as its blood flows out of it.
Creation wept under an eclipsing sun
This is a metaphor that signifies how the earth was distressed by the death of Tarvos.
As gloom descended upon world
The death of Tarvos plunged the world into gloom.
Three cranes to catch a drop of blood
The cranes gather a drop of blood from Tarvos' body as it is reborn.
And leave far away"
The cranes fly away, sealing Tarvos' rebirth and leaving the world to be reborn again.
A blessing depraved from the world
When Tarvos died, the blessing it had brought to the world disappeared.
As snow fell for the first time on earth
This line signifies the change in the world brought about by Tarvos' death. It starts snowing for the first time.
Three cranes returned
After Tarvos' death, the cranes returned.
Pouring out the blood
The cranes pour out the blood of Tarvos on the ground where it died.
To the ground of tarvos' death
The cranes are pouring the blood on the ground where Tarvos died.
And out of nothing
This line represents a sudden change in the world, following Tarvos' death.
The soil sacrified, the divine bull was reborn
Tarvos is reborn from the soil that has been touched by its own blood.
Under a newborn sun nature rejoiced
After Tarvos is reborn, the sun starts shining again, and nature rejoices at its rebirth.
Thus spring came back on earth
With Tarvos' rebirth, the earth is renewed, and spring returns to the land.
Overcame the brumal reign
The winter is defeated by the arrival of spring, with Tarvos' rebirth as a symbol of hope.
Through esus came back
This line suggests that Esus was involved in the process of resurrection, possibly as a way of atoning for his actions in killing Tarvos.
To fell the bull, the eternal cycle has begun
This final line states the central theme of the song - that Tarvos will always be killed and reborn, and this cycle represents the eternal struggle of life.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CHRISTIAN GLANZMANN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind