Forndom proudly unveils his new album, Moþir, an immersive exploration of divine ambiguity. Through Moþir, Ludvig Swärd’s latest creation embraces both nurturing warmth and the cold inevitability of fate, woven through themes of creation, destruction, and renewal, producing a sound as ancient as the Earth itself.
Swärd intentionally sheds modern elements, opting for an acoustic sound. “Like my previous albums, this one follows the cycle of life, beginning in darkness and chaos and ending in a grand crescendo, followed by silence,” he explains. “I hope that listeners will absorb not only the notes but also the silence before, between, and after them. For it is in that silence, after all, where we find the true mother – the unknown that awaits us all.”
“Moþir” is as intricate as the deities it portrays, interweaving themes of fertility and loyalty, love and betrayal, light and shadow. “Tunridor,” an old word for witches, symbolises feminine darkness. The song draws inspiration from two stanzas of the Hávamál: Stanza 155: The tenth I know: if I see witches play, high in the air I can cause them to go astray, lose their form, and lose their soul. Stanza 118: A man I saw, sorely wounded by words of an evil woman; a lying tongue took his life, though for no just cause”.
As the first glimpse into Moþir, the lead single “Tunridor” embodies the album’s themes of divine ambiguity. Inspired by the Norse concept of witches, “Tunridor” explores feminine darkness, invoking ancient curses and mystical forces. Swärd explains: “The tenth rune, according to the Uthark system, is Ís – the rune of death. This rune is chanted eight times by Janne Posti in the song, representing the transformative power of death and rebirth.” ‘Tunridor’ captures the tension between these forces, drawing listeners into the enigmatic feminine divine. Swärd adds, “While the song had a deeply personal connection during its creation, it evolved over time, taking on a more profound magical significance.”
Track-list:
1. Tunridor (‘Tun Riders’)
2. Urd
3. Moderstårar (‘Mother’s Tears’)
4. Disar (‘The Dísir’)
5. Jord (‘Earth’)
6. Rán
7. Den kärlek som vi gav (‘The Love That We Gave’)
At its heart, Moþir reflects on humanity’s place within the eternal cycle of life. As complex as the deities it portrays, the album weaves together themes of fertility and loyalty, love and betrayal, light and shadow. It invites listeners to reconnect with ancient wisdom, reminding us that life and death are two sides of the same coin. Offering a rich tapestry of sound, Moþir resonates with ancestral echoes, transporting listeners to a time when the mystical and the mundane coexisted harmoniously. ‘Moþir’ is available from now via Nordvis Produktion. Order here.