Ελληνικά
Last Updated on 11:05 PM by Giorgos Tsekas
You don’t always need to come up with experiments or comparisons of large amounts of data to have interesting research related to heavy metal music. Florian Heesh of the Goethe University in Frankfurt wrote an intriguing paper in which he explores Amon Amarth’s representation of the Vikings. For this he focused specifically on the song ‘The Pursuit of Vikings’, one of the band’s classic tracks and a favourite live track to be sung or shouted along by the audience.
Heesh analyses Amon Amarth’s historical representation of Vikings by looking at the picture they portray. The picture of heroic heathen sailors and raiders comes from several different historical sources according to him. Firstly, the image of the brutal warriors was initially shaped by Christian historians and clerics who had experienced the Viking raids as victims. For example, in the second verse we learn about the goal of the Vikings’ journey that it is ‘riches in the east’. This confirms that Amon Amarth sings from the perspective of Swedish Vikings. While Vikings from Norway and Denmark mainly travelled to western regions as the British Islands, Iceland, Friesland and Northern France, it were mainly, if not exclusive, Swedish Vikings, who travelled to the eastern Baltic regions, including Russia, and some even far to Constantinople, a topic that has also been transformed to metal by Amon Amarth through their song “Varyags of Miklagard” on the 2008 album ‘Twilight of the Thunder God’. In the Viking age, the Scandinavians called Constantinople by the name Miklagarð, ‘the Great Town’.
Historical research, however, has shown that the Vikings where not – or at least not only – brave warriors looking for adventures, but also traders and settlers who left their home for economic interests and better conditions for living. Secondly, the heroism portrayed by Amon Amarth’s Vikings is inspired by the later period of Romanticism. After the medieval Christian reports, Romantic writers modified the picture into a positive one. A view that is still used by other media, such as, for example “The 13th Warrior” with Antonia Banderas. Last year even Johan Hegg himself played a role in the heroic movie “Northmen – A Viking Saga”.
As a final, I would like to share you my personal favourite song of Amon Amarth, ‘Tattered Banners and Bloody Flags’, from the album Twilight of the Thunder God. A monumental song narrating the great battle of Ragnarök or the end of the world in Norse mythology. The reason it is my favourite track, is because it contains so many references to other songs by Amon Amarth and many of the mythological names mentioned in it have also inspired other metal bands. I added a few fun facts and links to Amon Amarth’s other songs.
There comes Lopt, the treacherous
Lusting for revenge
He leads the legions of the dead
Towards the Aesir’s realm
First of all, the pounding war drums introducing the battle set the perfect mood, right from the start. Lopt is a different name of Loki, the trickster god that brings the Aesir gods both wealth and trouble on various occasions. After he engineers the death of the beloved Baldur, a chain of events is set into motions that lead to this epic battle. The gods tried to bring back Baldur first though. Amon Amarth sing about this in “Hermod’s Ride to Hell – Loki’s Treachery pt. 1“. Loki is also the father of the Fenris wolf mentioned later in the song.
They march in full battle dress
With faces grim and pale
Tattered banners and bloody flags
Rusty spears and blades
Loki leads an army of the dead brought to the battlefield by Naglfar, a ship made entirely out of nails from the dead. Naglfar also served as inspiration for a Swedish melodic black metal band.
Cries ring out, loud and harsh
From cracked and broken horns
Long forgotten battle cries
In strange and foreign tongues
Spear and sword clash rhythmically
Against the broken shields they beat
They bring their hate and anarchy
Onto Vigrid’s battlefield
Also the name Vigrid served as inspiration for a Finnish folk/viking metal band.
There comes Lopt, the treacherous
He stands against the God
His army grim and ravenous
Lusting for their blood
Loki faces Heimdal, the watcher god that foresees the arrival of Ragnarök. Another battle worth watching was Thor versus Jörmungandr. Thor finally kills the Midgard serpent, another child of Loki, but succumbs afterwards to the effects of its venomous bite. Thor and his rivalry with the serpent has been the inspiration of several Amon Amarth songs (e.g., Thor Arise, Risen from the Sea, Asator, …)
Nowhere is longer safe
The earth moves under our feet
The great world tree Yggdrasil
Trembles to its roots
Yggdrasil, the central tree in Norse mythology was the gathering point for the meetings of the gods and its branches connected all nine worlds. After the events of Ragnarök it is Yggdrasil that sprouts new life and a new beginning. As such it is an inspiration for many bands. It is the name for a Swedish pagan metal band. Wardruna named an album after it. And Enslaved is just one of the many bands that dedicated a song to it.
Sons of Muspel gird the field
Behind them Midgard burns
Hrym’s horde march from Nifelheim
And the Fenris wolf returns
‘Sons of Muspel’ are the forces from Muspelheim, one of the nine worlds in Norse mythology. Their leader is Surtr, the big guy portrayed on Amon Amarth’s album – surprise coming – Surtur Rising. Muspelheim is the realm of fire and when Surtr battles Frej their fight produces flames that consume the world. Midgard is the world of men and Nifelheim is the underworld, cold and full of ice. Want to get to know all nine worlds in Norse mythology? Listen to Therion’s album Secret of the Runes. The Fenris wolf kills the mighty Tyr and allfather Odin, but is in turn slain himself by Odin’s son Vidar, a lesser known inhabitant of Asgard. Luckily, the band Equilibrium at least dedicated a song to him.
Heimdal grips the Gjallarhorn
He sounds that dreaded note
Oden rides to quest the Norns
But their web is torn
Notice how you hear the blow of Gjallarhorn mixed in the music, as Heimdal’s mighty horn announces the arrival of the enemies. We were already introduced to the power of the Norns over the destiny of god and men by Amon Amarth on their album – guess which one – Fate of Norns.
The Aesir ride out to war
With armor shining bright
Followed by the Einherjer
See Valkyries ride
Einherjer, the Viking warriors that have died in battle fighting valiantly and are brought to Valhalla by the Valkyries. And yes, also an epic metal band. Those Valkyries are majestic female figures choosing who gets to live and die on the battlefield. Half of the dead are escorted to Valhalla to feast with Odin every day until this final day, Ragnarök. Amon Amarth already made a pretty epic song about them on the album Fate of Norns.
