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...
Joga
Skáld Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That happen,
Follow the dot,
Coincidence,
Makes sense,
Only with you,
You don't have to speak,
I feel...
Emotional landscapes,
They puzzle me,
The riddle gets solved,
And you push me up to
Thi state of
Emergency,
How beautiful to be,
State of emergency,
Is where I want to be.
All that no-one sees,
You see,
What's inside of me,
Every nerve that hurts,
You heal,
Deep inside of me,
You don't have to speak,
I feel...
Emotional landscapes,
They puzzle me,
The riddle gets solved,
And you push me up to
This state of
Emergency,
How beautiful to be,
State of emergency,
Is where I want to be.
Emotional landscapes,
They puzzle me,
The riddle gets solved,
And you push me up to
This state of
Emergency,
How beautiful to be,
State of emergency,
Is where I want to be.
State of emergency,
Is where I want to be.
State of...
The song "Jóga" by Skáld is a haunting and mysterious track that explores the nebulous nature of human relationships, particularly the way that we often rely on others to help us navigate our emotional landscapes. The opening lines, "All these accidents, that happen, follow the dot, coincidence, makes sense, only with you," suggest that our experiences in life can seem random and chaotic until we find someone who helps us make sense of it all. This idea is reinforced in the next few lines, as the singer describes how "the riddle gets solved" whenever they are with the person they're addressing in the song.
As the song progresses, it becomes clear that the person in question is someone very important to the singer, perhaps even a romantic partner. The lyrics speak of the way that this person understands the singer on a deep level, seeing "what's inside of me" and healing "every nerve that hurts." There is a sense of profound intimacy between the two, as the singer declares that they don't even need to speak in order to share this connection.
Despite the fact that the song talks about a state of emergency, there is a sense of peace and beauty to the lyrics. The singer seems to be saying that even in the midst of chaos and confusion, they feel safe and grounded as long as they are with this person. The repeated refrain of "state of emergency, how beautiful to be" suggests that there is something transcendent about the experience of being with someone who truly understands you, and who helps you find clarity in the midst of life's challenges.
Line by Line Meaning
All these accidents,
Various events that happen at once
That happen,
Occurs by chance
Follow the dot,
Consequences of actions taken
Coincidence,
Happening by chance
Makes sense,
Becomes understandable
Only with you,
Only in your presence
You don't have to speak,
No need to communicate
I feel...
Intuitively understand
Emotional landscapes,
Intangible feelings
They puzzle me,
Confusing and unclear
The riddle gets solved,
Mystery revealed
And you push me up to
You lift me to
This state of
Current condition of
Emergency,
Urgent need
How beautiful to be,
Wonderful things happen in this state
State of emergency,
Urgent and necessary state
Is where I want to be.
I desire to be in this state
Writer(s): Bjork Gudmundsdottir, Sjon
Contributed by Gabriella V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@searchforthelight.3287
The vibe of the sounds of their instruments, their voices, the studio editing...Everything is perfect with this band!!!!!
@kasis4263
0:00 Jóga
3:34 Rún
6:29 Valfreyjudrápa
9:33 Níu
12:36 I love my love
17:21 Flúga
19:48 Gleipnir
23:52 Krákumál
27:09 Ó Valhalla
30:41 Ec Man Iotna
32:38 Yggdrasil
36:08 Ódinn
39:13 Ginnunga
43:18 Jóga
@kvetusezezulkova664
Super, děkuji ❤️
@egonzo444
Thank you
@timothymcgrath2937
Thank you!
@The_Prophet666
Cheers for that bro😁👍
@gjungart
First song being a Björk cover made me happy. This whole album is really good. Just did some tarot reading to it 💖
@hollygoskeson7315
My half brother is one of you guys,and had been listening to your music for a while,and is starting to understand the ancient Viking language.he had found his heritage,and is very happy about it.
@stevengriggs5111
Just wait until it's your turn @hollygoskeson, it's time to become truly awoke again
@johnnymyers1668
I always look to your people little brother!