From the deep woods now emerges Birna, Wardruna’s sixth studio album. Through his never resting dialogue with nature, main composer Einar Selvik has been searching for the voice of the bear, our lost sister of the forest. Birna – the she-bear in Old Norse – is a work of art dedicated to the warden of the forest, nature’s caretaker, and her battles here on earth. Slowly driven out of her habitat by modern day societies, she has entered a stage of permanent hibernation. As a result, the forest is gradually dying, longing for its pulse and heart – its shepherd. Birna calls for her return. 

The bear frequently figures in the oldest myths of mankind in the northern hemisphere, and many indigenous people still regard this animal as a totem, honouring it with rites and songs. It was once our respected guardian, our guide to edible plants and berries, a creature we both feared and admired. Although the bear from the very beginning has constituted a threat to our own lives and those of our livestock, humans have always identified with the bear in various ways. If you skin the animal, its body underneath the fur strongly resembles that of man, which may be a reason legend has it the bear in fact originated from humans, and for thousands of years we have strived for its strength and wit. In some cultures, “treading the path of the bear” means pursuing what you’re truly meant to do in life. 

Wardruna draws inspiration from immersion in nature, and the dialogue that takes place between all creatures, forces and energies present. “When I walk into a forest, I open my senses and listen for whatever nature cares to tell me”, Einar Selvik has explained when contemplating his creative process – his hunting for songs amid trees, air, rocks and sea. Boasting a distinctive new sound, while at the same time building on the musical roots so intrinsic to the Wardruna tradition, Birna truly nurtures the insight that has been at the core of Selvik’s philosophy right from the start: that to give place to something new, you must let something else die. 

This resonates in their vision of sowing new seeds whilst strengthening old roots. Einar Selvik, Lindy-Fay Hella and the rest of the group are truly creating something new through something old: They are not mimicking the past, but rather utilising it in crafting their contemporary, authentic and unique sound. Instruments and wisdom from ancient times, coupled with modern day soundscapes and recorded sounds of nature, provide a rare opportunity to tell us something valuable about ourselves. It works as a reminder that we are part of nature, not above it, and it offers a way of remembering, not for memory’s own sake, but to gain both new and forgotten insights. 

From the Runaljod trilogy (2009, 2013, 2016), exploring old Norse myths, traditions, and language through the 24 proto-Norse runes, the sound of Wardruna evolved and blended into the stripped down, acoustic compositions on Skald (2018). Kvitravn (White-Raven) (2021) explores Northern sorcery, spirit-animals, animism, and the act of creation – the ever-interchanging prolific relationship between the skaldic poet and nature itself. The record charted in 13 countries, including #1 in Canada and Austria, and #2 in Germany. 

Alongside his work with Wardruna, Einar Selvik has composed music for large tv and game productions such as Vikings and Assassin’s Creed – Valhalla, he gives tutorials and lectures on Old Norse literature, musicology, instruments and philosophy, and he has worked with renowned artists such as Mari Boine, Tina Guo, Matoma and Eivør, including appearances on Norwegian, Danish and Polish national television.