turisas - the varangian way

8/14/2019 Turisas - The Varangian Way

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Territorio VikingoelDrakkar.blogspot.com

TURISASThe Vagarian Way

1. To Holmgard And Beyond

2. A Portage To The Unknown

3. Cursed Be Iron

4. Fields Of Gold

5. In The Court Of Jarisleif

6. Five Hundred And One

7. The Dnieper Rapids

8. Miklagard Overture

(Century Media, 2007)



Recorded at: Sound Supreme Studio / Hämeenlinna, Finland by Janne

SaksaClassical choir recorded at: Vanha Kirjastotalo Music Hall, Tampere,

Finland.

Mixed by: Teropekka Virtanen at Finnvox Studios, Helsinki, Finland

Additional engineering by: Matias Kupiainen, Jukka Vierimaa and

Teemu Lehtonen

Produced by: Mathias Nygård

Mastered by: Mika Jussila at Finnvox Studios, Helsinki, Finland

Illustration and design by: John Coulthart. www.johncoulthart.com

Band photo by: Steve Brown. www.stevebrownphoto.co.uk

Music by: Nygård, except track 3 (Nygård/Wickström), 5

(Nygård/Lisko/Vänskä) and 6 (Nygård/Vänskä)

Lyrics by: Mathias Nygård, except track 3 (trad./ Elias Lönnrot),taken from the Finnish national epic, the Kalevala, translated into

English by John Martin Crawford

Orchestral arrangements and programming by: Mathias Nygård

Choir arrangements by: Mathias Nygård and Johanna Laukkanen

Orchestral samples included in this recording from the Vienna

Symphonic Library



Turisas Line-up

Warlord Nygård - Vocals, orchestral programming and keyboardsJussi Wickström - Guitar, acoustic guitar

Tude Lehtonen -Drums and percussion

Olli Vänskä -Acoustic and electric violin

Hannes Horma - Bass, backing vocals

Lisko – Accordion



Lyrics

1. To Holmgard And Beyond

Far beyond the sea and distant landsCame men with thirty ships

Had wanted to reach the Neva by nightBut the weather was not on their side

And as the wind grew stronger and strongerThe rain ran down our cheeks

The bow was turned towards Gardar

The sail flew up again

Holmgard and beyondThat's where the winds will us guide

For fame and for goldSet sail for those lands unknown

Osmo and Dalk, Kyy, Kokko and UlfWere glad to be off the oars

Turo had eaten too much againNow hanging himself overboard

The Tostensson twins were excited as alwaysAdventure was their gameMyself, Hakon the Bastardwas out to find my name

Holmgard and beyondThat's where the winds will us guide

For fame and for goldSet sail for those lands unknown

Who is "I" without a past?A river without a source?An event without a cause?



Threads of different lengthsSome longer, some shorter

So many of them spun together

The crones keep on weavingThe algorithm of our lives

Cause and effect, the fates of men

We know the way to AldeigjuUpstream the river Alode

You take us to the portageAnd further [South]

Long is the way to the unknown

Long are the rivers in the EastFar lies the land that IngvarAnd his men desire to reach

Many dangers lie aheadSome of us may never return

Rather sold as a slave to the SaracensThan chained to your bed, chained by your life!

Holmgard and beyondThat's where the winds will us guideFor fame and for gold

Set sail for those lands unknown

2. A Portage To The Unknown

We've sailed across the seaRowed for miles and miles upstream

Passed by AldeigjuborgSeen Lake Ilmen gleam

Ingvar took the leadAfter Holmgard as agreed

What the end of Lovat meantWas soon to be seen



Dripping with sweat a new day dawn onThe ropes cut flesh, as they've done in times foregone

I see my breath, my hands are going numbFar from home we have come

An endless trail in front my eyesA swift take off, had no time for goodbyesWhat will we find and what was left behind

There's no return, get it off your mind

The water's changed to sandLakes and rivers turned to land

Plough up the rocky seasRide felled down trees

Foot by foot we edgeOnce a ship, now a sledge

Six regular edges and six verticesSix equilateral triangles

Six square faces in another directionPlato's earth transparent

Give me all you have!

Pull as hard as you canPlough up the rocky seasRide felled down trees

The water's changed to sandLakes and rivers turned to land

The rug has been pulled from under my feetAll my life made of lies and deceit

All I have left is a symbol on my chestMy only lead on my desperate quest

Branded at birth with the sign of PerunEast of the sun and West of the moon

The road now continues, Northwind be my guideWherever I'm going, the Gods are on my side



3. Cursed Be Iron

Curses on thee, cruel ironCurses on the steel thou givestCurses on thee, tongue of evil

Cursed be thy life forever!

Once thou wert of little valueHaving neither form nor beauty

Neither strength noe great importanceWhen in form of milk thou restedWhen for ages thou wert hidden

In the breasts of gods' three daughtersHidden in their heaving bosoms

On the borders of the cloudletsIn the blue vault of the heavens

Thou wert once of little valueHaving neither form nor beauty

Neither strength nor great importanceWhen like water thou wert restingOn the broad back of the marshes

On the steep declines of mountains

When thou wert but formless matterOnly dust of rusty color



Surely thou wert void of greatnessHaving neither strength nor beauty

When the moose was trampling on theeWhen the roebuck trod upon thee

When the tracks of wolves were in theeAnd the bear-paws scratched thy body

Surely thou hadst little valueWhen the skillful Ilmarinen



First of all the iron-workersBrought thee from the blackened swamp-lands

Took thee to his ancient smithyPlaced thee in his fiery furnace

Truly thou hadst little vigorLittle strength, and little danger

When thou in the fire wert hissingRolling forth like seething waterFrom the furnace of the smithy

When thou gavest oath the strongest

By the furnace, by the anvilBy the tongs, and by the hammer

By the dwelling of the blacksmithBy the fire within the furnace



Now forsooth thou hast grown mighty

Thou canst rage in wildest furyThou hast broken all thy pledgesAll thy solemn vows hast broken

Like the dogs thou shamest honorShamest both thyself and kindredTainted all with breath and evil

Tell who drove thee to this mischiefTell who taught thee of thy malice

Tell who gavest thee thine evil!

Tell me! Now tell me!

Did thy father, or thy motherDid the eldest of thy brothersDid the youngest of thy sistersDid the worst of all thy kindred



Not thy father, nor thy motherNot the eldest of thy brothersNot the youngest of thy sistersNot the worst of all thy kindred

But thyself hast done this mischiefThou the cause of all our troubleCome and view thine evil doingsAnd amend this flood of damage



4. Fields Of Gold

Long is the way we have comeStill, nothing changes under the sun

The day we lay aholdThe wind rocks the fields of gold

Zer sum is the name of the game?Gain or loseMy win

Is your lossHave your cake and eat it too

Long is the way we have comeStill nothing changes under the sun

Few have found the stoneSearching for the fields of gold

The finest of craftsmen forgedFor day and night

Deep downLost at sea

Their great feat now lies



Is a draw the only win?Would a tie double the loss?

A fightFor existence

Life-death: 0-0

Long is the way we have comeStill nothing changes under the sun

Firmly we keep our courseFighting for fields of gold

5. In The Court Of Jarisleif

Time to raise a toast to our generous hostJarisleif!Jarisleif!

Ruler of the Rus from coast to coastJarisleif!Jarisleif!

May beer flow as long as we can stand on two

All the pretty girls, come, keep us warm!Tonight we drink, no room for depressing thoughtsFill your horns!

6. Five Hundred And One

New friendsLast night

An offer was made

NordbriktWould leave

Five hundred strong

Long is the hour when lying awakeSleeping his hard when so much is at stake



I've reached my goal, called the final doorBehind it- three doors more

Lying in my bedThinking of the things they said

Time is running outWhat to do I moon about

Out in the open sea I've swum without a sightA sight of an opposite shore, a sight of some light

Turning back, staying here, my strength is running outForward, or I drown

Rising from my bed

Thinking of the things they saidThe moment draws nigh

One chance a year when the water is high

CorridorsI run

Heavy doorsWhich one?

Where did I come from? Was I already here?It all seems familiar, yet I have no idea

New friendsLast night

An offer was made

NordbriktWould leave

Five hundred and one

"Joy and sorrow we have encounteredAlways stood as one

Your heart will follow, and maybe tomorrowYou will find what you seek

Go now, and don't look back!



Bring my greetings to the Greek King!"

The wind flew the raven banner with prideEagles were soaring aloft

Filled with hope and excitement side by sideFive hundred and one cast off

So long is the way to the unknownLong is the way we have come

At the head of the ships a horn was blownWe sailed off with the morning sun

Five hundred and one

7. The Dnieper Rapids

A terrible noise heard from far awayDrowning all other sounds

No cry of the birds nor voice of menJust an awful groan

Silence fell over the menAs the river seemed to end

Then...

Clouds of spray, Pechenegs preyThe Insatiable One is hungry todayAvoid the rocks for all you're worth

Whirlpools gaze from the depths of earth

Like dominoes six locks will fallOne after another

The World Serpent will rise from the silt

And poison the sky

Clouds of spray, Pechenegs prayThe Insatiable One is hungry today

The violent current swept Karl awayOne mistake- with your life you pay



Silence fell over the menAs the river seemed to...

A sight they had dreamed ofNow opened in front of them

Fraught with danger and travailThe river came to an end

8. Miklagard Overture

Long have I drifted without a courseA rudderless ship I have sailed

The Nile just keeps flowing without a source

Maybe all the seekers just failed?

To Holmgard and beyondIn search of a bond

Far from home I've comeBut the road has just begun

Breathing historyVeiled in mystery

The sublimeThe greatest of our timeTsargrad!

"Come with us to the southWrite your name on our roll"

I was told;

KonstantinopolisSui generis

The saints and emperorsOf bygone centuries

The man-made birds in their treesOut load their paean rings

Immortality!

In astonishing colours the East meets the West



The hill-banks arise in their greenIn wonder I sit on my empty chest

As we glide down the strait in between

To Holmgard and beyondIn search of a bond

Distant church bells tollFor their god they chant and troll


The sublimeThe greatest of our time

Tsargrad!

The Norwegian of rankIn the court of The Prince

I was convinced

KonstantinopolisTen gates to eternitySeen all for centuries

Your inconquerable walls

Your temples and your hallsSee all, hear all, know it all

My sun rose in the North and now sets in the SouthThe Golden Horn lives up to its name

From tower to tower a chain guards its mouthUnbreakable, they claim

To Holmgard and beyondIn a search of a bond

Adventures lie aheadMany knots lie unravelled on my thread


The sublimeThe greatest of our time



Tsargrad!

KonstantinopolisQueen of the cities

Your welcoming smileMade all worthwhile

The sweat and the pain

Bathing in goldEndless rooftops unfold

The sun sets for a while just to rise again

Great hallsGreat halls

Greatest of all, Miklagard



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