In the early Middle Ages, the skalds of Scandinavian society were storytellers, poets and musicians. In the same way as the bards of the Celts, they sang the praises of their bloodlines, narrating the epic feats of heroes or the exploits of their Gods in times when the oral tradition was sovereign.
Blending chanted narratives with rhythmical song — in a combination carried by music that often led to a state of trance — the skalds captivated their listeners with the power of the images they evoked. Skaldic poetry is extremely strong, with a rich vocabulary and often complex verses that confer a mysterious aura on the meaning, conferring the status of an initiate on the author of such works. It can also be noted that this narrative role was not reserved for men alone, as the names of several female skalds are known to us.
Alas, very little information exists as to the origins and function of these skalds. Were they heirs to the shamans, part-sorcerer and part-magician? Did they play a ritualistic or cultural role? Today, nobody can be certain. Thanks to some unique documents, however — like the wonderfully poetic Edda, an anthology of poems we owe to the Icelander Snorri Sturluson — part of the Skaldic legacy has come down to us over the centuries.
It is that legacy which the ambitious music project SKÁLD brings to life again today by immersing the listener in a rich, evocative soundscape created using a broad palette of instruments chosen specially for the occasion. Tribal percussion, with shamanic drums of varying sizes, are used to evoke martial strength and victory. Other smaller percussion — like bones taken from animals, or deer antlers — has particularly pagan inspiration, while the musicality of stringed instruments like the lyre, the talharpa, the citole played with a bow, the jouhikko, and the nyckelharpa or keyed harp, reveals the wealth of Scandinavia's culture. As for the omnipresent song, it carries all these aspects within it at the same time.
And SKÁLD is above all a vocal project, carried by three singers who are specialists in the song techniques of the skalds, singing that has come down to us by means of the rare surviving accounts of the period. Making use of the full power of their voices and extraordinary tessituras, their songs, whether guttural or lyrical — yet always profound and organic — give birth to a multitude of strong, evocative images.
The group's repertoire takes its inspiration particularly from La Völuspá and Gylfaginning, both of which are contained in the poetic Edda. These texts, which Christophe Voisin-Boisvinet brought together especially for this project, before adapting them and setting them to music, deal with Scandinavian cosmogony as well as mythological episodes featuring the gods of Ásgard. The singers of the SKÁLD ensemble also bring the runic alphabet back to life, throwing light on the symbolic places of the Vikings' universe such as Valhalla or the nine kingdoms of Yggdrasill, and painting portraits of titanic confrontations between Ases and giants.
Justine Galmiche, Pierrick Valence and Mattjö Haussy all come from different worlds in music, although all share a mastery of vocal technique and perfect knowledge of Scandinavian cultures. All three play ancient instruments, and they have studied ancient languages or taken part in historical reconstitutions of the Viking era. For years they have been demonstrating that this universe, far from being a passing trend, is on the contrary a way of life to be practised daily.
All of this sends the listener back a thousand years, to raids led by Vikings and times when savagery rivalled with subtlety.
Thanks to SKÁLD, you will board the famous langskips that accompanied explorers of the impossible on voyages to discover unknown lands; you will engage in awesome battles that ring with the clash of axes and swords as they strike the shields of warriors; you will dance in the midst of the Völur, the priestesses who foretell the future — and then, in a state of trance, you will cross the Bifröst on the back of Odin's horse as a guest invited to the banquets of Nordic gods.
SKÁLD — no ordinary music project — will plunge you into a distant tale, one that takes its source in a primeval age when the kings from the seas of the North caused empires to tremble...
High Hopes
Skáld Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In a world of magnets and miracles
Our thoughts strayed constantly and without boundary
The ringing of the division bell had begun
Along the Long Road and on down the Causeway
Do they still meet there by the Cut
There was a ragged band that followed in our footsteps
Running before time took our dreams away
Leaving the myriad small creatures trying to tie us to the ground
To a life consumed by slow decay
The grass was greener
The light was brighter
With friends surrounded
The night of wonder
Looking beyond the embers of bridges glowing behind us
To a glimpse of how green it was on the other side
Steps taken forwards but sleepwalking back again
Dragged by the force of some inner tide
At a higher altitude with flag unfurled
We reached the dizzy heights of that dreamed of world
Encumbered forever by desire and ambition
There′s a hunger still unsatisfied
Our weary eyes still stray to the horizon
Though down this road we've been so many times
The grass was greener
The light was brighter
The taste was sweeter
The nights of wonder
With friends surrounded
The dawn mist glowing
The water flowing
The endless river
Forever and ever
The lyrics to Skáld's song High Hopes are a reflection on the passage of time and the bittersweet nature of nostalgia. The first verse speaks to the boundless nature of youth, where the mind can wander without limits and the future is full of infinite possibilities. However, this idealistic viewpoint is interrupted by the ringing of the division bell, signaling some shift in the natural order of things.
The second verse continues to explore the theme of time and how it affects our memories. The singer wonders if the people they used to know are still meeting in the same old places, and muses on the transience of life. The third verse speaks to the regret that comes with age, and the realization that many of our dreams and aspirations may not have come to fruition. The imagery of the grass being greener and the light being brighter in the past only emphasizes this sense of loss.
Despite this wistful tone, the song ends on a note of hope, with the idea that the journey is ongoing and there is still potential for wonder in the present. The closing lines, with their repetition of "forever and ever," suggest that the human spirit is resilient and eternal, even in the face of the relentless march of time.
Line by Line Meaning
Beyond the horizon of the place we lived when we were young
When we were young, we used to imagine the world beyond our immediate surroundings - beyond what we could see from our present vantage point.
In a world of magnets and miracles
In this world of technology and innovation, we find amazing things happening.
Our thoughts strayed constantly and without boundary
Our imagination knew no bounds, allowing our minds to wander freely and without restrictions.
The ringing of the division bell had begun
We had started to realize that something was separating us from the rest of the world, and it was time to act.
Along the Long Road and on down the Causeway
We've journeyed far and wide in our pursuit of finding what we're searching for.
Do they still meet there by the Cut
We wonder if others have taken the same path as us and if they are still there waiting for us, hoping that we haven't forgotten our initial purpose.
There was a ragged band that followed in our footsteps
Running before time took our dreams away
Those who joined us in our journey were just like us, trying to outrun time and avoid having our dreams crushed.
Leaving the myriad small creatures trying to tie us to the ground
To a life consumed by slow decay
We had to abandon the many small things that held us back and tied us to the deadened life with no growth.
The grass was greener
The light was brighter
With friends surrounded
The night of wonder
Those memories of our past made everything feel brighter, filled with color, and more magical than anything we can experience as adults. Those times seem so far away that it feels like a vivid dream.
Looking beyond the embers of bridges glowing behind us
To a glimpse of how green it was on the other side
We realize how much we have lost in this journey and we see a glimpse of the life that could have been, which seems greener on the other side.
Steps taken forwards but sleepwalking back again
Dragged by the force of some inner tide
We take steps towards reaching our dreams but there is an invisible force that pulls us back, making it feel like we are just sleepwalking through it all.
At a higher altitude with flag unfurled
We reached the dizzy heights of that dreamed of world
We achieved some success, reaching higher levels in our lives and having some of our dreams come true.
Encumbered forever by desire and ambition
There′s a hunger still unsatisfied
Our desire and aspirations still burden us, making us feel as if we have yet to achieve everything we set out to do in life.
Our weary eyes still stray to the horizon
Though down this road we've been so many times
We grow tired, and yet we keep our eyes focused on the horizon, as if we're looking for something that we have yet to find.
The grass was greener
The light was brighter
The taste was sweeter
The nights of wonder
With friends surrounded
Those memories of our past made everything feel brighter, filled with color, and more magical than anything we can experience as adults. Those times seem so far away that it feels like a vivid dream.
The dawn mist glowing
The water flowing
The endless river
Nature continues to move forward, as always, the sunrise and rivers flow on, whether or not we're paying attention.
Forever and ever
Despite everything, our dreams and ambitions will continue forever, no matter how much life may get in the way.
Writer(s): David Jon Gilmour, Polly Anne Samson
Contributed by Ian P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@KatalinaKristina
Posting this here so we can all sing along :)
Eru völur allar frá viðolfi
Vitkar allir frá vilmeiði
En seiðberendr frá svart-höfða
Frá svart-höfða
Fehu, uruz, thurisaz; ansuz, raido, kenaz
Gebo, wunjo, hagalaz, naudhiz, isa, jera, heiwaz
Eru völur allar frá viðolfi
Vitkar allir frá vilmeiði
En seiðberendr frá svart-höfða
Frá svart-höfða
Fehu, uruz, thurisaz; ansuz, raido, kenaz
Gebo, wunjo, hagalaz, naudhiz, isa, jera, heiwaz
Pertho, algiz, sowilo, tiwas; berkano, ehwas
Mannaz, laguz, ingwas, othalaz, dagaz, fehu
Eru völur allar frá viðolfi
Vitkar allir frá vilmeiði
En seiðberendr frá svart-höfða
Frá svart-höfða
@gjram8807
Reposting lyrics who can't find it in the comments - someone else posted this earlier:
Lyrics:
Eru völur allar frá viðolfi
Vitkar allir frá vilmeiði
En seiðberendr frá svart-höfða
Frá svart-höfða
Fehu, uruz, thurisaz; ansuz, raido, kenaz
Gebo, wunjo, hagalaz, naudhiz, isa, jera, heiwaz
Eru völur allar frá viðolfi
Vitkar allir frá vilmeiði
En seiðberendr frá svart-höfða
Frá svart-höfða
Fehu, uruz, thurisaz; ansuz, raido, kenaz
Gebo, wunjo, hagalaz, naudhiz, isa, jera, heiwaz
Pertho, algiz, sowilo, tiwas; berkano, ehwas
Mannaz, laguz, ingwas, othalaz, dagaz, fehu
Eru völur allar frá viðolfi
Vitkar allir frá vilmeiði
En seiðberendr frá svart-höfða
Frá svart-höfða
@gyrozeppeli1927
Oh... It's too good! Greetings from Ukraine! Here's lyrics and translation, if someone still need it.
Old Norse:
VAKI
Þat mant
Eru völur allar frá viðolfi
Vitkar allir frá vilmeiði
En seiðberendr frá svart-höfða
Frá svart-höfða
VAKI
Þat mant
FEHU, URUZ, THURISAZ, ANSUZ, RAIDO, KENAZ
GEBO, WUNJO, HAGALAZ, NAUDHIZ, ISA, JERA, HEIWAZ
Eru völur allar frá viðolfi
Vitkar allir frá vilmeiði
En seiðberendr frá svart-höfða
Frá svart-höfða
VAKI
Þat mant
Ef þu
FEHU, URUZ, THURISAZ, ANSUZ, RAIDO, KENAZ,
GEBO, WUNJO, HAGALAZ, NAUDHIZ, ISA, JERA, HEIWAZ
PERTHO, ALGIZ, SOWILO, TIWAS, BERKANO, EHWAS,
MANNAZ, LAGUZ, INGWAS, OTHALAZ, DAGAZ, FEHU
Eru völur allar frá viðolfi
Vitkar allir frá vilmeiði
En seiðberendr frá svart-höfða
Frá svart-höfða.
English:
Envoy
That's what it means
All the witches spring from Witolf,
All the warlocks are of Willharm,
And the spell-singers spring from Swarthead,
From Swarthead
Envoy
That's what it means
FEHU, URUZ, THURISAZ, ANSUZ, RAIDO, KENAZ
GEBO, WUNJO, HAGALAZ, NAUDHIZ, ISA, JERA, HEIWAZ
All the witches spring from Witolf,
All the warlocks are of Willharm,
And the spell-singers spring from Swarthead,
From Swarthead
Envoy (or messenger)
That's what it means
FEHU, URUZ, THURISAZ, ANSUZ, RAIDO, KENAZ,
GEBO, WUNJO, HAGALAZ, NAUDHIZ, ISA, JERA, HEIWAZ
PERTHO, ALGIZ, SOWILO, TIWAS, BERKANO, EHWAS,
MANNAZ, LAGUZ, INGWAS, OTHALAZ, DAGAZ, FEHU
All the witches spring from Witolf,
All the warlocks are of Willharm,
And the spell-singers spring from Swarthead,
From Swarthead
@bridgetbrennan6615
“What instrument so you play?”
“The bones of my enemies.”
@bikinibottom9809
I see I discovered a new religion….. I’m interested
@nekrom1o136
C mamut
@Libanoni974
This à french group you know.
@lise736
@@Libanoni974 Oui, et ils sont fantastiques !
@jcs1223
Absolutely referencing the globalists and their moderate rebel pawns in the U.S. right now. Burn them with the gasoline they came to try to torch us with.
@matheiuss9760
-"What kind of instrument do you play?"
-"The shield"
@AlbertoDelCrepos
X'D
@luckykid945
Or helmet🤣🤣
@runapaulsdottir
😂😂😂😂