IV
Fanisk Lyrics
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As pale stars in the ashen skies.
In the bliss of annihilation--
Or of blessed creation?
Whirring... Warring...
Descending, now slowly.
To the Earth, from the heavens--
Or from Kari, unto Urd?
There in the golden urn?
Wouldst thou have wept ere Dawn instead,
For the flame to disappear?
From the Earth, to the heavens--
Or from Loge, unto Urd?
Ascending... Contending...
Both forever, and never.
The lyrics of Fanisk’s song IV invoke a sense of cosmic mystery and primordial chaos. The opening lines describe frost feathers materializing like pale stars in the ashen skies, setting the atmosphere of a desolate and cold universe. The following lines pose a philosophical question – is this state of annihilation and destruction a blessed creation, or simply the inevitable outcome of a chaotic universe? The lines “Whirring… Warring…” evoke the sounds of cosmic machinery or the clash of celestial forces.
The song then describes a descent towards the Earth, from either the heavens or from Kari, a character from Norse mythology associated with wind and storms, to Urd, another Norse character who represents fate and destiny. The lyrics then suggest the possibility of all-consuming fire, captured in the metaphor of a golden urn. The question is posed – would one weep before this fire, or before the disappearance of the flame entirely? The final lines of the song describe an ascent or a contention, forever and never.
Overall, the lyrics of Fanisk’s song IV suggest a sense of cosmic striving and a search for meaning in a chaotic and unforgiving universe.
Line by Line Meaning
Frost feathers materialize,
Icy formations appear like feathers, forming in the same way as stars appearing in pale and lifeless skies.
As pale stars in the ashen skies.
The stars are faintly visible, just like the barely-there light that appears in a sky of ash and dust.
In the bliss of annihilation--
Amidst the joy of destruction and elimination.
Or of blessed creation?
It is unclear whether this is a moment of destruction or of creation, with either outcome bringing some kind of reward.
Whirring... Warring...
Sounds of fast movement and fierce combat hit the ear.
Descending, now slowly.
What was rushing before has now slowed down and appears to be sinking downward.
To the Earth, from the heavens--
The thing in motion is coming down to the ground after having started its journey high up in the sky.
Or from Kari, unto Urd?
It could also be falling from one god's possession into the hands of another.
And what, when all burns,
What happens after everything has been destroyed by fire?
There in the golden urn?
Is there anything left to be collected or saved in the aftermath?
Wouldst thou have wept ere Dawn instead,
Is it preferable, if one knows that the fire is coming, to grieve before the flames consume everything?
For the flame to disappear?
Is it better for the fire to just vanish into thin air?
From the Earth, to the heavens--
Now the movement is going the other way: starting from the ground, heading upwards to the sky.
Or from Loge, unto Urd?
It's also possible that the motion is actually happening because of a god's influence.
Ascending... Contending...
The sense of motion continues, and now the meaning behind it is one of rising up and struggling for power.
Both forever, and never.
Both the ascent and the strife for authority may go on indefinitely without ever truly coming to a conclusion.
Contributed by Anthony D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.