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.

Skuggsjá
Ivar Bjørnson & Einar Selvik Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

tid er å teie
til togna tru seg
i spegelen spyrje
i spegelen sjå

høgt me har klatra - i rotlaust tre
høgt me har timbra - på grunnlaus voll

Tåka tetnar - alt er kvitt
Tåka tetnar - alt er svart

Skuggsjá - eg ser deg i meg
stien klarnar
i atturljom - du visar veg
togna talar
Skuggsjá - eg ser deg i meg
viljen vaknar
i atturljom - du visar veg
hugen hugsar

tid er å tale
tre ut or tåka
for sanninga stride
for sanninga stå

hugs han som tvinga si tru
med kross og kniv
hugs han som tvinga si tru
med sverd og svik

med tusen års styrke - eg seier
med tusen års styrke - eg syng

Skuggsjá - eg ser deg i meg
KVIL I NID
i atturljom - du visar veg
KVIL I NID
Skuggsjá - eg ser deg i meg

i atturljom - du visar veg
KVIL I NID

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Ivar Bjørnson & Einar Selvik's song Skuggsjá delve into the themes of time, truth, and history. The opening lines, "tid er å teie / til togna tru seg / i spegelen spyrje / i spegelen sjå" (time is to be silent / until the truth reveals itself / ask the mirror / see yourself in the mirror), set the tone for the entire song. It's urging the listener to reflect on themselves and their own inner truth. The next lines, "høgt me har klatra - i rotlaust tre / høgt me har timbra - på grunnlaus voll" (high we have climbed - in a rootless tree / high we have built - on a baseless rampart), suggest that the higher one climbs or builds, the less secure their foundation may be. It's a reminder to stay grounded in reality and not get too caught up in grandeur and illusion.

As the song progresses, the lyrics begin to tackle the weight of history and the responsibility that comes with it. The lines "hugs han som tvinga si tru / med kross og kniv / hugs han som tvinga si tru / med sverd og svik" (remember those who forced their belief / with cross and knife / remember those who forced their belief / with sword and deceit) acknowledge the violence and pain caused by religion and conquest. It's a call to acknowledge the mistakes of the past in order to move forward and create a better future. Overall, the song Skuggsjá is a powerful call to reflection, truth-telling, and accountability.

Line by Line Meaning

tid er å teie
It is time to be silent

til togna tru seg
Believe in yourself

i spegelen spyrje
Ask the mirror

i spegelen sjå
Look in the mirror

høgt me har klatra - i rotlaust tre
We have climbed high - in a rootless tree

høgt me har timbra - på grunnlaus voll
We have built high - on a groundless foundation

Tåka tetnar - alt er kvitt
The fog thickens - everything is white

Tåka tetnar - alt er svart
The fog thickens - everything is black

Skuggsjá - eg ser deg i meg
Shadow mirror - I see you in me

stien klarnar
The path becomes clear

i atturljom - du visar veg
In the reflection - you show the way