Norwegian progressive folk collective Wardruna have released a third single from their forthcoming album Kvitravn, and it’s a mesmerising, atmospheric, ten-minute epic.
Andvevarljod, which translates in English as ‘The Song of The Spirit-Weavers’, explores the Nordic deities of fate (the Norns), the spinning of life threads and the Norse and Sámi common idea that a person’s spirit is connected to wind, both before and after birth. It features guest appearances by Norwegian traditional singers Kirsten Bråten Berg, Sigrid Berg, Unni Løvlid and Ingebjørg Reinholdt alongside Wardruna’s own Lindy-Fay Hella.
“On a personal level, Andvevarljod is a song I hold very dear and it was also my starting point on the new album,” says band leader Einar Selvik. “Musically, it gives voice to very old song traditions and on top of that, it is voiced by some of the most central reasons why these traditions are being kept alive for us and the generations to come. Special thanks go out to our guest singers for lending us their talents and for the invaluable work they do for keeping our traditions alive!”
The release of Andvevarljod follows on from the October release of the album’s title track, Kvitravn. A first single from the album, Lyfjaberg, was released in June. A Skaldic version of Andvevarljod is also available now, prefaced by an introduction by Einar Selvik.
Kvitravn (which means ‘white raven’) discusses Northern sorcery, spirit-animals, shadows, nature and animism, the wisdom and meanings of certain myths, various Norse spiritual concepts, and the relation between sage and songs. It’s set for release on January 22, and can be pre-ordered now.
