Heilung – ‘Norupo’

The haunting sound of traditional Nordic music is the inspiration for Heilung, who wind the rhythms of the sagas into their tunes. ‘Norupo’, their new single, draws from folk music and the lyrics themselves were taken from the Norwegian Rune Poem, which was originally written in Futhark, the alphabet of the Northern Germanic people.

There’s elements of Native American traditional music, along with Celtic sounds, in ‘Norupo’, and the trio use Iron Age instruments, made of bone, clay, and animal skin, with vocals by Maria Franz, and the incredible throat singing of founder, Kai Uwe Faust.

Franz sings of strength through resiliency, resourcefulness, the harshness of nature, and the balance between male and female spirits, and doing so in a manner that’s at once timeless and deeply rooted in the soil of European history. The video, shot at the Les Menhirs do Monteneuf circle of standing stones in Brittany, features breathtaking aerial footage of the site, taking in the arrangements of the monoliths, the runes inscribed on the ground, and the shrouded forest combine to create an otherworldly atmosphere. Additionally, the costumes of Heilung, are inspired by ancient inscriptions, and many of their verses were carved into runestones centuries ago. At once, ‘Norupo’ is both scary and compelling; you will want to listen to it more than once, and watch the video just as often.

Find out more about Heilung on their official website.