[Column] The dark mythical nature of Nordic folk: memories of the north shared by songs and myths
Column en Dark Folk Folklore Mythology![[Column] The dark mythical nature of Nordic folk: memories of the north shared by songs and myths](/../assets/images/column-nordic-folk.webp)
Outline of the musical culture of Nordic folk
Text: mmr｜Theme: A long study that deciphers the dark side of the myths and folk beliefs engraved in Nordic folk music from history and folklore.
The musical culture known as Nordic folk refers to the collective of folk songs, dances, and chants that have been handed down in regions such as Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, and Iceland. Even before these genres were given modern names, they have existed as music closely connected to life, faith, work, and death.
The melodies are often based on a minor key, are repetitive, and have a musical time that contains tension and silence rather than ““brightness’’ in the modern sense. The lyrics often deal with themes such as the dead, ghosts, spirits, curses, and betrayal, as well as stories of heroism and love.
This characteristic is not a coincidence, but is deeply connected to the very structure of the mythological system and folk beliefs in the Nordic world.
Nordic folk was not entertainment music, but a device for preserving a mythical worldview as sound.
The worldview underlying Norse mythology
In order to understand the darkness of Norse folk, it is necessary to confirm the basic nature of Norse mythology. Norse mythology is one of the few myth systems that systematizes the story from creation to end, and the end is always the destruction of the world called Ragnarok.
Gods are not immortal, but face old age, betrayal, and death. Odin sacrifices his eyes to gain knowledge, and Loki becomes a god, but also a destroyer, leading to the end of the world.
What is important about this mythological system is that there is no assumption that order will last forever. A worldview that is predicated on perdition makes musical expressions more strongly reflect destiny than hope.
Norse mythology contains the idea of accepting an inevitable end rather than salvation.
Folk beliefs and dark beings
In the Nordic region, folk beliefs survived for a long time even after Christianity. It was believed that spirits resided in forests, lakes, mountains, and swamps, and these spirits were both blessings and harm to humans.
Female forest spirits such as Sweden”s Skogsloh, Norway”s Huldra, and Finland’s Metsan Vaki are said to be beautiful and inviting, but are said to be destructive to those who get too close.
Folk song lyrics repeatedly tell stories of encounters with these beings resulting in death or madness. These were not fables, but served as practical warnings for coexisting with nature.
The darkness of Scandinavian folk was not a horror production, but wisdom for survival.
Violence and death in ballads
Many of the ballads that have been sung throughout Scandinavia since the Middle Ages are extremely violent in modern terms. Murders between siblings, betrayal by lovers, infanticide by mothers, and dead people returning as ghosts are all told in a matter-of-fact manner.
These ballads often proceed like a list of facts, without emotional excitement. The melody is also restrained, with a structure that leaves interpretation to the listener.
There is no intention to glorify violence, and death is depicted as an extension of everyday life rather than a special incident. There is a calmness and darkness characteristic of Scandinavian folk.
Talking about death was not unusual in Norse folk.
Shadows created by instruments and acoustics
The instruments used in Nordic folk also strongly support its mythical nature. Hardingfehre, Nickelharpa, and kantele use a lot of resonant strings and open strings, and have a structure that naturally produces sustained notes and dissonance.
Although these instruments have a single melody, they are accompanied by rich overtones, always leaving a shadow-like echo behind the melody. In particular, drone sounds have the effect of emphasizing the stagnation of time and ritualistic nature.
The very structure of the instrument forms a sonic world that avoids clear resolution.
The darkness of Scandinavian folk is built into the sonic structure before the melody.
Christianization and transformation of dark mythology
Even after the Nordic world became Christian, old myths and animism did not completely disappear. These are reinterpreted as heresies, superstitions, and folk tales, and they slip into folk songs.
Christian concepts such as the devil, hell, and sin were combined with existing dark entities to form new narratives. As a result, Nordic folk takes on a double darkness.
On the other hand, mythical beings are rarely determined to be completely evil, and the fact that vague boundaries are maintained can be said to be a Scandinavian characteristic.
Darkness was not eliminated, but preserved in a different form.
Rediscovery and reinterpretation after modern times
After the 19th century, with the rise of nationalism, Nordic folk was reevaluated as a ““cultural heritage.’’ As the collection and notation progressed, the dark content was categorized as symbolic and literary.
In the latter half of the 20th century, reinterpretation progressed in the context of dark folk, neofolk, and ambient, and mythicity and the idea of life and death came to the fore once again.
However, many modern reinterpretations do not reproduce past values, but rather refer to the worldview originally held by Scandinavian folk.
The dark mythical nature has not been lost, but has been reinterpreted.
Structure of Nordic folk dark mythology
The darkness of Nordic folk is not a single element, but the result of a multilayered structure.
Chronology: The intersection of mythology and music
Mythology and music have coexisted, changing their forms with each era.
Conclusion: What is dark mythology?
The dark mythical nature of Nordic folk is not just an ornament to emphasize fear or tragedy. It is a worldview that allows us to face nature and death, time and fate, and a system of knowledge that has been shared through music.
The reason this music continues to be heard today is because its darkness resonates not with the past, but with the uncertainty of the present.
Nordic folk is music for living together with darkness without denying it.
