Thyrfing is a viking metal band from Sweden. The band is named after the ro… Read Full Bio ↴Thyrfing is a viking metal band from Sweden. The band is named after the royal sword Tyrfing from Norse mythology.

Thyrfing was formed in 1995 by Patrik Lindgren (guitar), Jocke Kristensson (drums), Peter Löf (keyboard) and Kimmy Sjölund (bass guitar). From the beginning, the band was meant to be a side project, as Patrik and Jocke put their main focus into their other band, Pantheon (not to be confused with the American National Socialist black metal band of the same name). Northern mythology and the Viking age was an interest of all the members, so the lyrics and the concept was focused upon this subject. The music was rather primitive and built upon slow pounding drums, heavy guitars and medieval synth-melodies. After two demo tapes that gained a lot of positive response in the underground scene, Thyrfing signed to the Dutch record label Hammerheart Records in 1997.

In Stockholm's Sunlight Studio in , their debut album was recorded, showing a much more varied songwriting. The album was then released in March 1998. For their second album, this time recorded in the Abyss Studios, their music took on a more symphonic approach, still keeping with the roots from the older material. For future live performances, Henke Svegsjö from Winds was recruited on guitar. He was regarded as a good choice, and nowadays he is considered a full-member of the band. Once again with Tommy Tägtgren, Urkraft was recorded and released in August 2000. During that same year, the band also held two mini-tours with Primordial and Shadowbreed throughout The Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.

In the autumn of 2001, the band entered Dug-Out Studio with well-known producer Daniel Bergstrand to record the most diverse and mature Thyrfing-album to date, Vansinnesvisor (English: Songs of Madness). The album was released in July the following year, masterly-packaged by Niklas Sundin, and was considered a big step forward for the band. With more experimental vocals, distinct and focused songs, odd instruments such as keyed fiddle and home-made percussion, and with a majority of Swedish lyrics, the band won new fans and rooted their position within the genre.

To support the album, Thyrfing played two support gigs during the winter (for Freedom Call and Dismember) in Stockholm, and did a small headliner tour in Benelux with Cruachan and Shadowbreed.

2003 followed with further live-promotion, such as the Generation Armageddon Festivals (including Ancient Rites, Septic Flesh, Primordial, Blood Red Throne and Skyfire), a 12-day European tour throughout Europe, and performances on the main festival stages of 2000 Decibel in Sweden and Wacken Open Air in Germany.

Thyrfing entered EMI studios on April 18, 2005 to record their new album, Farsotstider ("Times of Plague"), which was released on November 21, 2005.

The band played their first US show in January 2006 alongside Moonsorrow and Primordial at the Heathen Crusade metalfest in Columbia Heights, Minnesota.

On March 13, 2007, the band posted a message on the official Thyrfing-site declaring that Thomas Väänänen (vocals) and Henrik Svegsjö (guitars) had decided to leave the band due to lack of motivation. Instead of Thomas, founder and ex-vocalist of Naglfar, Jens Rydén, is currently handling the vocals. The band also decided to continue with one guitarist.

Hednaland
Thyrfing Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Jag har lange vandrat pa denna stig
Jag har sett hednars och kristnas krig
Jag har stolt vandrat vidare
Jag har varit en ensam krigare

Skogen verkade vara andlos
Skogen som aldrig skulle bli
Lurad av vite krists hyckleri

Nu verkar skogen vara doende
Skovlad av goda man i blindo
Forblindade av en falsk gud

Nu nar ni overlamnat oss
Till prasters galenskap
Vi inte langre far slass
Vi ar fast i fangenskap
Men vi ger aldrig upp
Vi skall kampa for var tro

Ty valkyria till Odin oss tar
Var allsmaktige enogde far

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Thyrfing's song Hednaland speak of an individual who has walked a long path and witnessed the wars between heathens and Christians. Despite the challenges faced, the individual has continued to journey forward with pride, identifying as a solitary warrior. The forest that surrounds them seemed without spirit - lacking the vibrant energy it once held before being deceived by Christian propaganda. The forest is now dying, stripped by the hands of those who were blinded by the false doctrine of a god. The heathens have been left at the mercy of the madness of priests, trapped in captivity, unable to fight back. Despite this, they are determined not to surrender and will fight for their beliefs, knowing that one day they will be rewarded by Odin's valkyries and the god of all-seeing.

The song is a reflection of the struggle between Christianity and pagan religions in Scandinavia during the Viking Age. The heathen religion was a polytheistic faith that honored deities such as Odin, Thor, and Freyja, and had a strong connection to nature. The introduction of Christianity brought with it a new religion that denied the existence of these gods and rejected many heathen practices. This change caused a massive cultural shift and sparked violent conflicts that lasted for centuries.

Line by Line Meaning

Jag har lange vandrat pa denna stig
I have been walking on this path for a long time

Jag har sett hednars och kristnas krig
I have witnessed wars between heathens and Christians

Jag har stolt vandrat vidare
I have proudly continued to walk forward

Jag har varit en ensam krigare
I have been a solitary warrior

Skogen verkade vara andlos
The forest seemed to be soulless

Skogen som aldrig skulle bli
A forest that would never die

Lurad av vite krists hyckleri
Deceived by the hypocrisy of the white Christ

Nu verkar skogen vara doende
Now the forest seems to be dying

Skovlad av goda man i blindo
Under the influence of blind good men

Forblindade av en falsk gud
Blinded by a false God

Nu nar ni overlamnat oss
Now that you have abandoned us