The Norwegian Folk Metal Band Wardruna

Einar Selvik of Gorgoroth fame now leads this Norwegian folk ensemble, creating music with deep historical, cultural and tradition roots that resonates through listeners worldwide.

It’s not hard to make comparisons between their sound and contemporary acoustic folk acts such as Finland’s Nest or Tenhi – only with more Norse influences.

Origins

Wardruna from Norway mesmerize audiences with old instruments and Einar Selvik’s emotive, haunting vocals. With music featured on popular TV show Vikings as well as an appearance at the Viking Ship Museum, its reputation continues to expand rapidly.

Selvik and Gaahl draw their inspiration from Nordic historical, mythological and esoteric traditions, employing traditional instruments like primitive deer-hide frame drums, flutes, Kraviklyr (mouth harp), Tagelharpe and Goat Horn; they also incorporate sound from nature such as torches, rocks and water into their performances.

Wardruna’s transition from satanic black metal to rune music may seem dramatic at first, but Selvik insists it is not so dramatic after all. They “preserve tradition, while also sharing and evolving it,” according to Selvik; something evident in their music which draws upon past, presents, and projects future endeavors like an intelligent yet simple-minded skald would do.

Members

Wardruna’s musical depictions of Norse culture can now be heard worldwide through songs featured on popular video games and television shows like History Channel’s Vikings. Their new album Kvitravn (meaning White Raven) continues the themes established with Runaljod trilogy while simultaneously evolving their unique sound further.

Established in 2003 by drummer Einar Selvik and vocalist Lindy-Fay Hella, this group specializes in crafting musical renditions of Norse cultural and esoteric traditions. Utilizing Nordic historical instruments including primitive deer hide frame drums, flutes, flute kraviklyr, tagelharpe mouth harp and goat horn, they specialize in rendering them through musical renditions.

Wardruna’s latest single Hertan – translated to “Heart” — is an emotional plea to honor and appreciate nature, drawing from both ancient Norwegian folk traditions as well as modern creativity. Their music provides a soothing meditative aural landscapes which showcase rune music’s power in 2019.

Albums

Wardruna creates musical interpretations of Norse cultural and esoteric traditions through traditional instruments like taglharpa, kraviklyra and bukkehorn. Their work defies categorization as they incorporate elements of folk, world and ambient music with mythology and spirituality found within Norse mythology and spirituality into one cohesive whole.

Indie Recordings released their debut album Runaljod – Gap Var Ginnunga in January 2009, followed by Runaljod – Yggdrasil in 2013 and finally Ragnarok in 2016.

In 2021, Kvitravn — First Flight of the White Raven was released, perfectly capturing their distinct and engaging live show and offering a definitive representation of their sound.

Birna will be released through Sony Music/By Norse Music on January 24, 2025 as their sixth album. Birna is a musical ode to nature with main composer Einar Selvik exploring its rich vocal cords in search of our forgotten “she-bear.” Through constant dialogue with nature, this album portrays her struggles and battles in our harsh world.

Tours

Wardruna are set to embark on a tour throughout Europe, USA and UK from 2024-2025 in support of their latest album Hertan. Australia and Latin America will also make first appearances! This tour serves to promote it.

Wardruna can put audiences into an enthralling trance during live performances with their mesmerizing music and historical instruments, drawing from both past and future to create something magically captivating. By breaking them out from museum cases like children do and playing them as freely as possible without worrying too much about errors, Wardruna are capable of captivating an audience in an unforgettable trance experience.

Wardruna composes music for large television and game productions, offers workshops on Old Norse literature and musicology, hosts lectures and offers preservation/sharing traditions a top priority – Einar Selvik champions this cause and feels it should be almost as central as music itself in terms of its importance; culture should be explored constantly with audiences so all involved parties can gain from learning together.