| HEILUNG are now releasing the third track taken from their upcoming album ‘Futha’, which will be released on June 28, 2019. “Traust” is now streaming |
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HEILUNG comment: “‘Traust’ is probably
Heilung’s most positive song so far. Dominated by female voices it starts out
with, what is called ‘Leysigaldr’ in old Icelandic, a blessing to release a tied
warrior. Heilung performs that blessing actively on stage during the song. It
continues with nine blessings, taken from the old Icelandic poem “Grogaldr”.
Here, luck in battle, good words in speeches and yet another blessing of release
are summoned. The choir sings a younger Icelandic protection
spell.” |
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On the meaning of the album
title, HEILUNG comment: “The majority of full rune set
inscriptions start with ‘Futha’, and is known to us as the first four letters in
all runic alphabets. It is considered that our forefathers saw magic potential
in engraving the full rune line, but there is also great significance in the
beginnings. Science has no key for the meaning of only engraving the first
couple of letters yet, but there is, of course, a surplus of theories. One of
the theories we found inspiration in, is that ‘Futha’ holds the meaning of
fertility and female gender. As ‘Ofnir’ focused on war and masculine notions,
the great healing power of female wild strength is evoked in Futha. Those who
have been present at a birth or have seen lionesses hunting know the spirit, and
we welcome and embrace it in the sounds that were born during the creation of
‘Futha’.” HEILUNG have previously announced a European tour in October and November this year. The tour will kick off on October 22nd in Warsaw (PL) and will end about a month later in Paris (FR). Find the full list of tour dates below. |
| HEILUNG festivals 21 Jun 19 Copenhagen (DK) Copenhell Festival 2019 29 Jun 19 Helsinki (FI) Tuska 2019 09 Aug 19 Jaromer (CZ) Brutal Assault 17 Aug 19 Borre (NO) Midgardsblot 2019 07 Sep 19 Selb (DE) Mediaval Festival 2019 19 Oct 19 Hameln (DE) Autumn Moon Festival 2019 (Exact date TBA) 18 Feb 20 York (UK) Descended from Odin Festival (Exact date TBA) HEILUNG European tour 22 Oct 19 Palladium (PL) Warschau (tickets) 24 Oct 19 Berlin (DE) Admiralspalast (tickets) 26 Oct 19 Essen (DE) Colosseum Theater (tickets) 28 Oct 19 Munich (DE) Circus Krone (tickets) 30 Oct 19 Prague (CZ) Hybernia (tickets) 01 Nov 19 Halle (DE) Händelhalle (tickets) 03 Nov 19 Vienna (AT) Der Globe (tickets) 05 Nov 19 Zurich (CH) Volkshaus (tickets) 07 Nov 19 Kiel (DE) Kieler Schloss (tickets) 10 Nov 19 London (UK) Roundhouse (tickets) 14 Nov 19 Utrecht (NL) Tivoli Vredenburg (tickets) 17 Nov 19 Brussels (BE) AB (tickets) 20 Nov 19 Paris (FR) Elysée Montmartre (tickets) 06 Dec 19 Lviv (UA) Lviv State Circus (tickets) 08 Dec 19 Kyiv (UA) Center of Culture and Arts NAU (tickets) Cover art and album details below |
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Track-list Galgaldr (10:22) Norupo (4:18) Othan (10:19) Traust (9:49) Vapnatak (4:03) Svanrand (3:36) Elivagar (8:45) Elddansurin (8:05) Hamrer Hippyer (14:17) Total playing time: 1:13:34 |
| “Ofnir” was a very masculine album. To create it, HEILUNG took a big part of the lyrics from preserved rune inscriptions on weapons and armour. “Futha” is the counterpart, the balance point, the feminine side. Here, the lyrics originate from old Icelandic poetry, in which the holy women chant magic spells and offer their blessings. Hence, female voices are more prominent on “Futha”. HEILUNG means “healing” in the German language and this also describes the core of the band’s sound. The listener is supposed to be left at ease and in a relaxed state after a magical musical journey that is at times turbulent. HEILUNG reach far back in time to the Northern European iron age and Viking period to create their sound experience. The band utilises many means in their songs: from running water via human bones, reconstructed swords and shields up to ancient frame drums as well as bronze rings. When HEILUNG self-released ‘Ofnir’ in 2015, the Danish band could hardly have anticipated the breakthrough success of their debut album. Spectacular live shows, strong critical acclaim, and a massive underground buzz added to the constantly high demand for this full-length are the reason why their new label Season of Mist did not hesitate to re-issue ‘Ofnir’ in several collector’s edition formats. HEILUNG‘s live album, ‘LIFA’ (2017) was released in parallel. The word “Futha” is taken from an artefact, that is still controversially discussed. Big names in runology like Düwel and Heizmann can agree neither on the deciphering nor the meaning of the description.…The word is engraved in a gold bracteate from Skåne (SE), which was produced around 500-530 AD. It was discovered in 1831 and these medals or coins were divided into different categories by the Swedish archaeologist Oscar Montelius. The bracteate in question is a so-called C-bracteate named Schonen II-C (Schonen is the German Name of Skåne) with a horse and a face. The rune inscription is between the hind-legs of the horse. Interesting to mention here is the fact that the majority of full rune set inscriptions start with “futh“, which also is the first three letters in all runic alphabets. It is considered that our forefathers saw magic potential in engraving the full rune line, but there is also great significance in the beginnings. Science has no key for the meaning of only engraving the first couple of letters yet, but there is a surplus of theories. This brings us to a runic staff found in Bergen, which was given the rather unpoetic archaeological classification B011. It carries the inscription: “felleg er fuþ sin bylli Fuþorglbasm”, which means: “Lovely is the cunt, may the cock fill it up”. Also interesting is that the Högstena amulet, which we use in the song “Galgaldr”, has an alternative deciphering of the word “futh“, which in this context means “cunt”. All this leaves us with two hints: magic potential and the female genitalia. The great healing power of the female wild strength is evoked in “Futha”. Those who have been present at a birth or seen a lioness hunting, know the spirit. The spirit of the “wilde Weiber” (German), the wild wise women. “Futha” endeavours to connect to a time before the female was degraded to a birth-machine and carrier of eternal inherited guilt. “Futha” was three years in the making and was finished for production and print at midwinter, the very darkest day of the solar year, the 21st in the 12th month at 21:00. Any attempt to link the band with or bring their music into a modern political or religious context is pointless, since HEILUNG try to connect their listeners with a time before the coming of Christianity and modern political ideologies. Line-up Kai Uwe Faust Christopher Juul Maria Franz www.facebook.com/amplifiedhistory Shop: http://smarturl.it/HeilungFutha |