‘Vikings’ Season 6: Four Norwegian artists whose music make the show's final season a memorable experience
When the show started six years ago, we all thought it would be just another historical fiction, albeit dramatized, and would probably be similar to what we have seen before. But we could never be more wrong. As we went through the show, season after season, it did not fail to overwhelm us by the rich history it had to offer. But most importantly, what enthralls us further is the brilliant music, featuring leading Scandinavian artists, apart from Trevor Morris, who composed the music score for the first and final season of the show.
While some of the songs and episode soundtracks were original, the rest were curated from popular modern groups and their latest projects, making them almost synonymous with the show. Using artists who compose folklore is nothing new for historical fiction but making them absolutely befitting to a scene or an entire episode, is genius, giving you an aural experience that would stay with you forever, even years after the show has ended.
For us, the final season’s music scores rank the highest across all seasons, making ‘Vikings’ more aesthetically rich than it has already proven to be. And now, as the show leaves us for a midseason break, we cannot but hold onto its music. Whether you are a fan of Nordic folk music or a newbie to this genre, each of these artists deserves to be on your playlist. Here's a list to help you out:
Anna Maria Jopek
The Polish vocalist, songwriter and improviser featured in the 1997 Eurovision Song Contest. Jopek, along with Goat Theater Performers lent her voice to the songs “Lament for Lagertha” and “Lagertha’s Funeral Music” featured in episodes ‘Death and the Serpent’ and ‘Ice Maiden’ respectively. The songs were written by Maciej Rychly and Alicja Bral.
Wardruna
One of the most popular modern Norwegian music groups, Wardruna has been regularly featured in multiple seasons of ‘Vikings’. The group comprising Einar Selvik, Gaahl, and Lindy Fay Hella are known for recreating traditional Norse music using age-old instruments and natural sounds. Their themes vary from Norse mythology to Vikings culture and ancient religious beliefs. Although their compositions were not original for the series, they were powerful enough to be featured in the background of some very significant scenes. In Season 6, you can hear Warduna’s songs "Tyr", "Helvegen" and "Isa" in the episodes ‘Ghosts"Ghosts, Gods and Running Dogs", "The Key" and "The Ice Maiden" respectively.
Danheim
A couple of episodes ago, we had talked about Danheim and their music project used in ‘Vikings’, particularly in season 6. One of the leading cast members, Georgia Hirst made a viral social video promoting the artist. The folk project led by music producer Mile Olsen has been featured in ‘Resurrection’ and the ‘The Best Laid Plans’. You can also catch up in the upcoming Episode 13 when the show comes back from its break. Meanwhile, listen to "Vanheimr", "Tyrfing", "Floki's Last Journey", "Gripir" and "Munarvagr" featured in these episodes.
Heilung
The neo-folk rock band featuring Kai Uwe Faust, Christopher Juul, and Maria Franz is one of its kind. The group defines themselves as “experimental” and ones who "amplified history from early medieval northern Europe.” They have been featured in the episode ‘The Best Laid Plans’ as the background music for the battle scene. Their music follows Norse mythology and ancient folk culture.
History Channel’s ‘Vikings’ might be now gone for months before you can catch up on the rest of the final season, but you can always keep listening to these artists and let their music transport you to 9th century Norway.