Norse Viking Music - Álfadróttinn

Painting by Knud Baade, « Scene from the Era of Norwegian Sagas », 1850.
A song about Freyr, the Álfadróttinn / 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘌𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴, Ruler of Álfheimr, one of the primordial Gods of the Norse pantheon.
This track consists of two acts: Dýrð / 𝘎𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘺, and Dauði / 𝘋𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩, singing stanzas from different sagas of Freyr until his final confrontation and fall against his archenemy, the Fire-Giant Surtr.
A few words about Freyr: being a foremost mythological figure that has travelled for millennia through folk traditions, tales and rituals, He possesses many analogies with other Indo-European equivalents and beyond. He is the iconic incarnation of Fertility, Virility (his female counterpart being his twin sister Freyja), Prosperity and Harmony (with the Land and the Clan), but also the Harvest and the Cycle of the Seasons, the Rain and Sunshine.

Entirely self-composed, vocally and instrumentally. This project will be part of a future « Norse / Viking » album that I plan to release hopefully this year, along with Úlfhéðnar and many more to come.

I'd like to thank everyone that has given me kind and encouraging feedback, comments/messages, support on Youtube, irl, and purchased my songs on Bandcamp. Also, I apologise for the absence of content this past couple of years, there should now be more regular uploads.

I hope you like the song.

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The lyrics, first in Old Norse, then the English translation:

- Dýrð -

Freyr er beztr
Allra ballriða
Ása görðom í

Mey hann né grætir né manns konu
Ok leysir ór höftum hvern

Meðan inn Gull Svínn Mikli ferr um Andlang
Árguð andar fjör í högum
𝘍𝘦́𝘨𝘫𝘢𝘧𝘢

Freyr Son Njarðar er beztr allra ballriða
Bróður Freyju ok enn Vanaguð
Hann er eigandi Skíðblaðnis
Ok galtar þess er Gullinbursti heitir
Svá sem hér er sagt

Ívalda synir gengu í árdaga
Skíðblaðni at skapa
Skipa bazt skírum Frey nýtum Njarðar bur

Mær er mér tíðari en manna hveim ungum í árdaga
Armar lýstu en af þaðan allt loft ok lögr

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- Dauði -

Sól tér sortna
Geisar eimi ok aldrnari
Leikr hár hiti við himin sjalfan

Kjóll ferr austan koma munu Múspells
Of lög lýðir en Loki stýrir
Fara fíflmegir með freka allir
þeim er bróðir Býleists í för

Surtr ferr sunnan með sviga lævi
Skínn af sverði sól valtíva
Grjótbjörg gnata

Þ𝘢́ 𝘬𝘦𝘮𝘳 𝘏𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘳 harmr annarr fram
Er Óðinn ferr við Ulf vega
En bani Belja bjartr at Surti
þá mun Friggjar falla angan

þ𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘷𝘦𝘳ð 𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘫𝘢𝘭𝘧𝘵 𝘮𝘶𝘯 𝘷𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘴𝘬
𝘦𝘧 𝘴𝘢 𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘬𝘳 𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘧𝘳

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- Glory -

Of the Heroes brave
is Freyr the best
here in the Home of the Gods

He harms not maids nor the wives of men
and the bound from their fetters He frees

Whilst the Majestic Golden Boar travels across the Sky
the Harvest God breathes Life into the fields
𝘞𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩-𝘎𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳

Freyr Son of Njörð is the best of the Heroes brave here in the Æsir's courts
Brother of Freyja and God of the Vanir
He is the possessor of Skídbladnir
and of the Boar called Gullinbursti
as it was told

Ívaldi's offspring in ancient days went to shape Skídbladnir
Foremost of ships fairly for Freyr
choicely for Njörðr's child

To me more dear than in days of old was ever maiden to man
Her arms glittered and from their gleam shone all the sea and sky

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- Death -

The sun turns black
Fierce grows the steam and the life-feeding flame
till fire leaps high about heaven itself

From the east comes a ship, the sons of Múspell come
At the helm stands Loki
After the Wolf do wild men follow
and with them the brother of Byleist goes

From the south comes Surtr, and his destroyer of trees
The Sun of the war-gods shines from it, his flaming blade
The crags sunder

𝘕𝘰𝘸 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘏𝘭𝘪𝘯, yet another hurt
When Odin fares to fight against the Wolf
And Beli's fair slayer seeks out Surtr
Thus shall Frigg’s beloved God fall

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥, 𝘢 𝘴𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘪𝘵𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧
𝘪𝘧 𝘢 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩𝘺 𝘏𝘦𝘳𝘰 𝘸𝘪𝘦𝘭𝘥𝘴 𝘪𝘵

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See you soon for more Music!

Music Copyright © Dervhengrym

[suarioslemovice]

In our era of profitability and consumption, art seems to be losing more and more meaning. But fortunately, some pearls can give again glory to art and past. Thank you.

[sleeplesslunatic]

I've never had goosebumps so intense :O This is beyond epic! Also, I'm glad You're back :D

[BelenusValikonis]

I've been patiently waiting to hear more from you since I discovered Úlfhéðnar (which I still listen to regularly), and your other songs - I would say this is a glorious return! I'm excited to listen to the rest of the album as well.

[sigvarivarsson]

Love it! So glad you are making stuff again!

[АрнольдПетросян-ък]

Невероятно атмосферная музыка и пение! Слушая её, в мыслях так и возникают невероятные истории из скандинавской мифологии. Отличная работа!

[fimul]

Oh, a new vid of... Dervhengrym!?!

*Heart attack*

[yearight]

Don't Stop making music Dervhengrym!!!!

[ИскандерГаджиев-юп]

больше подобных треков, очень сильная музыка, вдохновляющая). Спасибо!)

[jjejet]

Most awaited content in my universe!
Majestic af!!!

[joelhapponen]

Wisdom of the North ancestors. Who i miss so much here on earth and their wisdom 🌎 ❤🇩🇰🇫🇮🇸🇪🎉

[matthewserra]

I am new to nordic paganism, this is my first Yule. I wanted to honor Frey today, so I googled "songs about Frey" as I ate the ham sandwich I made for myself in honor of Gullinbursti (Idk how to get boar meat, this is the closest I can find). This came up, and I absolutely loved it. It's not just the mead talking (20% ALC/Vol. 750 ml deep), this is excellent work. I offered half of my sandwich to Frey before I ate, as I left it on a felled tree in the woods behind my house, while listening to this. Thank you, I've never heard a song about Frey, and as a newcomber, I haven't gained too much of a relationship with him, but as I talked to him about what I needed to do to earn the wealth and harvest of the new year, I listened as he either agreed or disagreed with what I said by replying with gusts of wind, as I listened to this track.
I'd love to talk with you. I want to make my own nordic folk music so that I may honor the gods myself, and I've done a little, but this piece of work is so good, and I would love to pick your brain about composition. I hope this comment finds you, I see you posted this March 2019. If it does, I hope you respond.
Good Yule, brother.

[m_heavy]

Thank you. You make the best of this kind. As a vet, i appreciate it. I want to learn historical music instruments

[trollstjerne]

Awesome track! Love the vocals and the instruments used here. Well written and arranged. Fantastic work!

[Patriot_Eke]

I found you on bandcamp. Do more. This creation and Úlfh​é​ð​nar are amazing. Well done, warrior! :)

[Carcassparty]

This is perfect, flawless! Thank you!

[rondarawson]

This music is in my soul....I just am drawn to it....its INCREDIBLE...❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[Vince]

You did it again, a master peace, loving it.. 😍😍❤️❤️

[jonashotep]

I would pay 20.00 usd for your entire album! Stunning work!

[bigangrymanytauthor]

I thoroughly enjoyed the Sun becoming the foreground as everything tinted around it near the End.

[wormgaming]

This song is epic! I have never heard anything so deep and powerful. The second part is just magnificent in intensity and strength. Kudos to the musician