Skuggsjá is a musical piece written by Ivar Bjørnson and Einar Selvik. Arra… Read Full Bio ↴Skuggsjá is a musical piece written by Ivar Bjørnson and Einar Selvik. Arranged to be performed by Enslaved and Wardruna, and was originally initiated as a commissioned concert piece for the 200th anniversary of the Norwegian Constitution and premiered in September 2014 at the Eidsivablot festival, Eidsvoll where the constitution was written.

Skuggsjá translates into ‘mirror’ or ‘reflection’ in the Norse language, and the piece not only contextualizes harder music’s role in the democracy in Norway in 2014, but also joins threads from the country’s ancient musical history and solidifies harder music’s position as Norway's most important cultural export.

By highlighting ideas, traditions and instruments of their Norse past, Skuggsjá tells the history of Norway and reflect relevant aspects from the past into the present day. In light of this we reflect on ourselves as a people and nation. In a magnificent tapestry of metal instrumentation, a wide variety of Norway´s and Scandinavia’s oldest instruments, and poetry in Norse and Norwegian, Skuggsjá is a fusion between past and present, both lyrically and musically.

Nattseglar
Ivar Bjørnson & Einar Selvik Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I det minste minste
Er dei rissa inn
I det indste indste
Lat att augo finn

Nord gjekk ferda ferda
Dyrke og leve
Kjente verda verda

Det var alt skreve skreve

Tankar sende sende
Framleis heime hos
Utan ende ende
Kosmos på Kosmos

I det minste minste
Er dei rissa inn
I det indste indste
Lat att augo finn

Nord gjekk ferda ferda
Dyrke og leve
Kjente verda verda
Det var alt skreve skreve

Tankar sende sende
Framleis heime hos
Utan ende ende
Kosmos på Kosmos

Nattseglar
Nattseglar
Nattseglar
Nattseglar
Nattseglar
Nattseglar

Nattseglar
Nattseglar

Overall Meaning

The song "Nattseglar" by Ivar Bjørnson and Einar Selvik is a tribute to the intrepid seafarers who traveled north in search of land to cultivate and a place to call home. The opening lines, "I det minste minste/Er dei rissa inn/ I det indste indste/ Lat att augo finn" (In the least least/They are engraved/In the innermost inner/Leave the eyes behind), suggest that these sailors left their mark on history, even if they themselves have long since been gone.

The following lines, "Nord gjekk ferda ferda/ Dyrke og leve/ Kjente verda verda/ Det var alt skreve skreve" (North went the journey/To cultivate and live/ They knew the world world/ It was all written written), speak to the resilience and resourcefulness of these seafarers, who were able to navigate the treacherous waters of the Arctic and survive in a harsh and unforgiving environment. The repetition of the phrase "skrevet, skrevet" (written, written) emphasizes the idea that their experiences were documented and recorded in the annals of history.

The chorus ("Nattseglar") is a nod to the title of the song, which translates to "Night Sailor." The term refers to the many seafarers who braved the dark and stormy seas of the Arctic, guided only by the stars and their own instincts. The repetition of the word "Nattseglar" reinforces the idea that these sailors were a vital part of Norway's history and culture, and their legacy lives on through this song.

Line by Line Meaning

I det minste minste
In the smallest of details

Er dei rissa inn
They are etched in

I det indste indste
In the deepest of depths

Lat att augo finn
Let eyes find rest

Nord gjekk ferda ferda
The journey went northward

Dyrke og leve
To cultivate and live

Kjente verda verda
Knew the world, the world

Det var alt skreve skreve
It was all written, written

Tankar sende sende
Thoughts sent, sent

Framleis heime hos
Still at home

Utan ende ende
Endless, endless