Norwegian collective Wardruna present the title track of upcoming album Birna, accompanied by a music video. Birna – the she-bear in Old Norse – is a work of art dedicated to the warden of the forest, nature’s caretaker. The release is set for January 24, 2025 via Sony Music and By Norse Music.
Through Wardruna’s signature soundscape, this heavy, progressive song shows the unshakeable connection between humans and the natural world. Main composer Einar Selvik comments: “The song illustrates a dialogue between man and bear, exemplifying the various traits and abilities we humans have sought to borrow from these significant totemic animals throughout history.”
As Einar points out, the bear frequently figures in the oldest myths of mankind in the Northern hemisphere, with many indigenous peoples still regarding this animal as a totem – “The bear doesn’t need my help or any human traditional ornamentation to be its own powerful self. It is quite the opposite if one looks to past bear-traditions worth remembering. We learn, we dream of borrowing its traits and abilities. We fear, revere, and try to walk alongside but on separate paths. Respectfully, claim space and give space. However inconvenient it may be, further taming of the wild can never be the fruitful way forward. For me, it profoundly felt like the right time to give voice to the Birna, mother and shepherd of the vanishing woods,” Selvik concludes.
Humans have always identified with the bear in various ways. In some cultures, “treading the path of the bear” means pursuing what you’re meant to do in life. The bear’s body underneath the fur strongly resembles that of a man, which may have inspired legends that the bear actually originated from humans. For thousands of years we have striven to emulate its strength and wit.
The music video for “Birna” was filmed in Rondane National Park in Norway and directed by Wardruna´s longtime collaborator Tuukka Koski, produced by Breakfast Helsinki and Ragnarok Film.
BIRNA TRACKLIST
1. Hertan [video]
2. Birna [video]
3. Ljos til Jord
4. Dvaledraumar
5. Jord til Ljos
6. Himinndotter [video]
7. Hibjørnen
8. Skuggehesten
9. Tretale
10. Lyfjaberg [video]
Birna was written and recorded between 2021 and 2024.
Music by Einar Selvik and Lindy-Fay Hella. Lyrics by Einar Selvik.
Birna is performed by Einar Selvik, Lindy-Fay Hella, Eilif Gundersen, HC Dalgaard, Sondre Veland, John Stenersen, Arne Sandvoll.
UK & Ireland 2025 (with special guest Jo Quail):
17 Mar – Liverpool –Philharmonic
18 Mar – Birmingham – Symphony Hall
19 Mar – London – Royal Albert Hall
21 Mar – Bristol – Beacon
22 Mar – York – Barbican
23 Mar – Dublin – Olympia Theatre
25 Mar – Glasgow – SEC Armadillo
