The Varangian Way is a concept album, meaning that the album overall has an overarching theme or story. Overall, the story is a group of Viking's making their way to Constantinople. It's never really clear why they are going there, but in the end for them, it doesn't really matter.
The Varangian were viking's who went southward and eastward towards Russia, the Baltics and Ukraine. The Varangian Way, in essence, is a "trade route" (I use it loosely because I'm not sure if Vikings were all for trading with other people) that starts in Holmgard and ends in Constantinople.
Holmgard is actually the norse name for the city of Veliky Novgorod.
This song is basically grand and powerful because it is the start of this group of Varangian's adventure towards Miklagard (norse name for Constantinople which means "Big City"). The trip will be long and harsh, but hopefully, they'll make it.
"Far from the sea and distant lands
Came men with thirty ships
Had wanted to reach the Neva by night
But the weather was not on their side
And as the wind grew stronger and stronger
The rain ran down our cheeks
The bow was turned towards Gardar
The sail flew up again."
The Neva is a river in northwestern Russia and is the third largest river in Europe. Basically, the group of thirty ships want to enter the Neva river, but the weather is against them. Eventually, they are forced to turn towards Gardar, an Old Norse word meaning 'Stronghold,' which possibly refers to Holmgard.
The chorus is pretty self explanatory. It tells of what they are trying to accomplish.
"Osmo and Dalk, Kyy, Kokko and Ulf
Were glad to be off the oars
Turo had eaten too much again
Now hanging himself overboard
The Tostensson twins were excited as always
Adventure was their game
Myself, Hakon the Bastard
Was out to find my name"
At this point we are introduced to the different characters on the ships and to our "Hero," Hakon who is a bastard. In this tense, a bastard is basically a child who was born to parents who were not married. It's possible that Hakon's mother was raped or she had a one night stand. In this way, Hakon wishes to prove his worth to everyone.
"Who is "I" without a past?
A river without a source?
An event without a cause?
Threads of different lengths
Some longer, some shorter
So many of them spun together
The crones keep on weaving
The algorithm of our lives
Cause and effect, the fates of men"
This is talking about the Norse version of Wyrd (pronounced 'weird) or Fate. Wyrd is the concept of how the events of the past constantly affects the future. Thus what is an event without a cause? Nothing, it doesn't exist, everything event has a cause. So, who is Hakon without a past?
The Norse thought of their lives as threads in a tapestry. Their lives were spun by the Norns in their mythology, three "crones" who constantly shaped the destiny's and futures of the men and women on earth. But that isn't to say that everything is predestined. It merely states that a person's future can be predicted by the past, but it does not control it. Almost limited free will, if you think about it.
"We know the way to Aldeigju
Upstream the river Alode
You take us to the portage
And further [South]
Long is the way to the unknown
Long are the rivers in the East
Far lies the land that Ingvar
And his men desire to reach."
Aldeigju is the norse name for the port-city of Staraya Ladoga, possibly their next destination. I believe they are talking to someone in Holmgard who will take them to the city and guide them through the portage (I'll explain what a portage is in the next song) to the south.
The line "Long is the way to the unknown," almost foreshadows the next song on the album "A Portage to the Unknown." Ingvar was a hero in norse sagas who explored much of the eastern lands. This shows what they are trying to do in terms of overall goal. Ingvar is their hero and they wish to follow him.
"Many dangers lie ahead
Some of us may never return
Rather sold as slaves to the Saracens
Then chained to your bed, chained to your life!"
I'm guessing their leader is talking to the crew and saying that the way forward will be long and hard. They may die in the process. But it is better to be dead and slaves to the Saracens then staying at home doing nothing. A Saracens the people of the Islamic faith who battled against the Crusaders.
The Varangian Way is a concept album, meaning that the album overall has an overarching theme or story. Overall, the story is a group of Viking's making their way to Constantinople. It's never really clear why they are going there, but in the end for them, it doesn't really matter.
The Varangian were viking's who went southward and eastward towards Russia, the Baltics and Ukraine. The Varangian Way, in essence, is a "trade route" (I use it loosely because I'm not sure if Vikings were all for trading with other people) that starts in Holmgard and ends in Constantinople.
Holmgard is actually the norse name for the city of Veliky Novgorod.
This song is basically grand and powerful because it is the start of this group of Varangian's adventure towards Miklagard (norse name for Constantinople which means "Big City"). The trip will be long and harsh, but hopefully, they'll make it.
"Far from the sea and distant lands Came men with thirty ships Had wanted to reach the Neva by night But the weather was not on their side
And as the wind grew stronger and stronger The rain ran down our cheeks The bow was turned towards Gardar The sail flew up again."
The Neva is a river in northwestern Russia and is the third largest river in Europe. Basically, the group of thirty ships want to enter the Neva river, but the weather is against them. Eventually, they are forced to turn towards Gardar, an Old Norse word meaning 'Stronghold,' which possibly refers to Holmgard.
The chorus is pretty self explanatory. It tells of what they are trying to accomplish.
"Osmo and Dalk, Kyy, Kokko and Ulf Were glad to be off the oars Turo had eaten too much again Now hanging himself overboard
The Tostensson twins were excited as always Adventure was their game Myself, Hakon the Bastard Was out to find my name"
At this point we are introduced to the different characters on the ships and to our "Hero," Hakon who is a bastard. In this tense, a bastard is basically a child who was born to parents who were not married. It's possible that Hakon's mother was raped or she had a one night stand. In this way, Hakon wishes to prove his worth to everyone.
"Who is "I" without a past? A river without a source? An event without a cause?
Threads of different lengths Some longer, some shorter So many of them spun together
The crones keep on weaving The algorithm of our lives Cause and effect, the fates of men"
This is talking about the Norse version of Wyrd (pronounced 'weird) or Fate. Wyrd is the concept of how the events of the past constantly affects the future. Thus what is an event without a cause? Nothing, it doesn't exist, everything event has a cause. So, who is Hakon without a past?
The Norse thought of their lives as threads in a tapestry. Their lives were spun by the Norns in their mythology, three "crones" who constantly shaped the destiny's and futures of the men and women on earth. But that isn't to say that everything is predestined. It merely states that a person's future can be predicted by the past, but it does not control it. Almost limited free will, if you think about it.
"We know the way to Aldeigju Upstream the river Alode You take us to the portage And further [South]
Long is the way to the unknown Long are the rivers in the East Far lies the land that Ingvar And his men desire to reach."
Aldeigju is the norse name for the port-city of Staraya Ladoga, possibly their next destination. I believe they are talking to someone in Holmgard who will take them to the city and guide them through the portage (I'll explain what a portage is in the next song) to the south.
The line "Long is the way to the unknown," almost foreshadows the next song on the album "A Portage to the Unknown." Ingvar was a hero in norse sagas who explored much of the eastern lands. This shows what they are trying to do in terms of overall goal. Ingvar is their hero and they wish to follow him.
"Many dangers lie ahead Some of us may never return Rather sold as slaves to the Saracens Then chained to your bed, chained to your life!"
I'm guessing their leader is talking to the crew and saying that the way forward will be long and hard. They may die in the process. But it is better to be dead and slaves to the Saracens then staying at home doing nothing. A Saracens the people of the Islamic faith who battled against the Crusaders.
Next song is "A Portage to the Unknown."
Cheers