Secret of the Runes
Friday, May 12, 2006
This is the name of a music album released by Therion in 2001. Therion is remarkable Swedish metal band that used to play heavy metal since 1987, but turned in 1996 into playing symphonic metal; a wonderful subgenre of metal music featuring orchestral elements such as cellos, violins, choirs, flutes and horns.
I found out about Therion while playing a collection of gothic rock/metal songs that I downloaded recently. The collection had a very nice song called “Ljusalfheim” from Therion’s “Secret of the Runes” album. At first, I couldn’t collect any of its lyrics because it sounded much like Latin for me. Later, I googled and got the lyrics that -to my surprise- turned out to be English! I must say I started to like the song even more and kept playing it over and over.
Soon after, I downloaded the whole album and did some research. Secret of the Runes is a concept album based on Norse mythology; that of Scandinavian people. In Norse mythology, the world is divided into nine different realms: Muspell the realm of fire, Niflheim the realm of ice and cold, Asgard and Vanaheimr the realms of gods, Hel the realm of the dead, Álfheim realm of the Elves, Niðavellir realm of the Dwarves, and Miðgarðr which is the world as we know it. Therion devoted a track for each realm, picturing it through lyrics and melodies. Runes shown on the album’s front cover are Nordic runes from the Elder Fuþark alphabet, each rune is a symbol for a song. It’s also worth mentioning that every song in this album is in a different language!
Therion have their lyrics written by Thomas Karlsson, a college student with an interesting background on mythologies, magic and stuff. The whispers you hear in Ljusalfheim are his own. Karlsson, though, was never regarded as a band member.
This album is a musical and conceptual work of art. I’ve uploaded Ljusalfheim and posted its lyrics below so you people can check it out. Enjoy!
Download Therion – Ljusalfheim.mp3 (5.4 MBs)
Ljusalfheim Lyrics:
Solar glare from Lord Frej,
the Shining One,
in Ljusalfheim he's King of elves.High above the rainbow
and in the tarn deep in the wood
you'll find the elves.Follow their light
it's brighter than the sun
it makes you fly...In the realm of Alfheim
you never know what you have seen.
A pale mirage?Beauty make you sunblind
it fills your mind
you fly away and lose your hug.Fly with their wings
they make you feel so free
but you may fall...Flee from their light
they'll maybe drag you down
or make you fly...
Sources: Wikipedia, and various Internet web sites.
15 Response(s) to "Secret of the Runes"
John Doe said:
Let me start off by saying that this song is being waaaaay overrated. You use language like conceptual work of art, norse of mythology (God knows what that is), and many others to attract others to the song. But here's the real inside scoop, i dare u to understand any word they say in the song -and as u said they speak english- which means that they probably have dyslexia. In addition to that, the whole song is pointless and with all due respect meaningless, all it talks about are elves living in some imaginary realm where everybody is just happy and dancing on rainbows -grow up and live in the real world- if u were actually an elf u'll be called a freak and would get stoned to death, u defiantly won't be dancing on rainbows, i mean MY GOD it's like a goth metal song about smurfs.
Finally i would like to ask, WHAT THE FUCK WHERE THEY THINKING WHEN THEY DECIDED THE SONG'S NAME, i bet it was after some drunken night at a local bar, cause there's no fucking chance in hell that it was meant for anyone to read. But that's just my personal opinion,u go ahead, download it, and c for urself, that is if u survive till the end.
John Doe said:
Ok, first of all the questions i wrote in my post weren't actually questions, they were sarcastic comments, cause as a matter of fact i couldn't care less about what norse mythology means. You still use these sophisticated words as a way of trying to shine some light on the "song". My point stands, wether the realm of elves the song talks about with it's "meaningful lyrics" -note that (lyrics) was included in the air quote- actually exists in myths or not, it's still just exactly that A MYTH. Now from my humble experience i know that people like songs for either the lyrics or the music, ur trying to sell this song through lyrics and this is just so stupid with all due respect. Cause when someone likes a song's lyrics it's either cause he/she feels connected to them or because they r interesting one way or the other, now i dont know about u, but nobody i know is an elf, and the subject isn't interesting at all. As for the music it was just ok for me, nothing special at all. Now as u have kindly explained that some of these cities actually exist is not the matter at hand, cause no one knows about them, and believe me when i tell u no one wants to know a song which contains every vowel in the alphabet. Again i invite whoever reads this post to download the song and share his boring moments with us.
Black [X] Truder said:
Okay, Let me start by saying that you apparently didn't read the post :D
Answers to all yours questions are there in the post, READ!
- Norse Mythology (not Norse of mythology) is a set of myths and beliefs shared by Scandinavians; people of Scandinavia, which is a part of Europe shared by a number of countries including Norway, Sweden, Finland and others.
- The song is named after the realm of elves in Norse mythology. Therion didn't roll up some random letters to form the word! Ljusalfheim was probably a city, a village, a region or simply a place in Norway. Just because it’s not English doesn’t make it a mess of letters! Some of those cities after which the realms where called still exist till the day. Jotunheimen, for example, is the name of a large mountain range in today’s Norway :)
- The song lyrics are not meaningless! They refer to the mythology. "Fly with their wings" for example is talking about elves with wings who used to carry people up the sky and drop them to kill them. The whole song lyrics may seem incomprehensible to anybody unfamiliar with those myths, but in no way they are meaningless or pointless as you “wisely” suggested.
Seeing the way you talked about the song makes really surprised. Whether you like it or not is a matter of personal opinion, but at least don’t try to mock it if you don’t. I really think you missed the point of the post.
If anybody is reading this and got some time, please download the song and share your thoughts. I’d like to hear what more of you people think :p
lubna said:
I was lazy to download the song, but to find your majesties arguing about it, all this much, I thought that I can join as a third party, to at least have two people with an agreeing point of view. Now I find myself completely agreeing with you Ghaith, the song is amazing, I won't and can't use sophisticated words -as Yaman said- so I’d rather stick with I Like it, more love it.. the tone, the voices, the song is pretty neat, don't know why Yaman -should I say doe?- is so not liking it,, maybe it's because that's the typical him:P
Devil's Mind said:
Nice song, I liked the tones, but my personal taste of music is meaningful lyrics that i can relate to... So its not a song I'd fall for like for example Outside for Staind...
lubna said:
Yaman.... let's not get another into this name argument too, Okay Doe?? (H)
John Doe said:
It's John Doe, not Doe. Unless we're in a mob movie talking about the money we stole.
lubna said:
remove the word "another" haha,, i was talking while typing in..
Black [X] Truder said:
John Doe
With all your previous questions declared “sarcastic comments” am starting to wonder on what grounds were you standing saying the song was “way overrated”. Were you recommending others NOT to try it just because it didn’t match your “royal” taste? What is it that really annoys you about the song?
So far you continue to discredit the song without providing any good reason on why you’re doing so. Whatever you think about the lyrics or the music remains your own opinion. Equally, the post and its follow-up comments represent personal opinions of their writers.
Having different tastes is not an issue worth disputing. You should have guessed that I loved the song, but actually that’s not why I posted about it.
The thing that I was trying to put into focus here is how unique the album is, and how much effort was dealt into producing it, both of which are obviously out of question! That’s what I meant when I said you missed the point of the post.
Zaid
Personally I have a different taste when it comes to song lyrics. My favorites are lyrics that are rich in meanings, yet that do not surface them through words. I like the ideas to be kept between the lines away from blind minds. I’d love to always have something more to explore in a song rather than having it all in plain the first time I hear it. Metallica’s “Unforgiven” is a good example of what I mean.
Lubna
Thanks for your support :P
John Doe said:
Ok, here's the deal i'll just take quotes from the comments i added, to show u that i actually told people to download the song, and that i did say that it was my personal opinion, in addition to the reason y i hated the song.
Here goes:
1)"But that's just my personal opinion,u go ahead, download it, and c for urself, that is if u survive till the end."
2)"the subject isn't interesting at all. As for the music it was just ok for me, nothing special at all."
3)"again i invite whoever reads this post to download the song and share his boring moments with us. "
4)"Answers to all yours questions are there in the post, READ!" This is a quote from u.
So i guess that explains y i think the song isn't good. As for the sarcastic comments, well those i did for my own pleasure.
i.e.
Now about u loving to always have something more to explore in a song rather than having it all in plain the first time u hear it. I dont know if looking up in the encyclopedia to find out who "Lord Frej" is gets ur ovaries all tingly and shit, but it does nothing for me.
Black [X] Truder said:
John Doe you've already explained enough why you hate this song. I see no point in repeating yourself over and over. Your comments will always be here for people to read and think about before endangering themselves by hearing this song you know.
Ana bas bedde afham: enta meen dazzak 3alay?
John Doe said:
Well, i was more than satisfied with the posts and warnings i left for the unwary ones about the song. But then u wrote the final post saying that i didnt explain y i hated the song, so all i did was prove u wrong. The post wasn't meant as another warning for readers, it was meant for u to c that ur post was useless and meaningless.
Now about ur question of "meen dazezny 3alaik", do u really want me to answer that? Or shall we leave it at this?
Black [X] Truder said:
I appreciate your concern for the safety of readers, but this blog was not meant to be a place for such arguing scenarios.
Discussion ends here, I'd be grateful if you just drop the subject, and thanks again for your participation :)
jano said:
3arase all swedish and especially Opeth :D
i saw the head of therion on a channel on tv talkin about this album and the design of the front label of the cd but i didnt get anything, maybe because in swedish or whatever :) anyway, that was long time ago.. maybe release times..
rami said:
as a drummer in two swedish metal bands i find myself obliged to make a comment.
Therion is a a multi-talented band, unlike many others, they do give credits to myths created in most parts of the world, not only norse. Most bands that sing about norse mythology, exclusively, have usually a nazi tune to the music, which means, they hate colored people, or any person who is not 100% white, even worse, 100% scandanavian. So it was funny to get to know that many bands that I grew up listening to and not understanding the lyrics, turned out to be songs against my race, and yours for the matter.
Anyway, although these nazi-influenced bands, turn out to be nice boys afterall, once you sit down with them and have a few beers, they start speaking the truth, they careless about races, they just think its fun to make nazi jokes and lyrics. Well, up here in the boring, super cold north, I can relate to why there's a need to make fun about anything and everything, its so boring otherwise.
Anyway, something really cool about bands here, is that unlike you grumpy boys, they all support each other and respect each other for whatever they are, no body judges anybody. They all like to have fun together and take life in a very light manner, take it easy or sod off.
When you hang out with bands here, as most people, no body is speaking about politics or religion, no body is posing opinions and arguing, its the opposite, they try not to make any strong opinions about anything and just have a laugh.
I encourage you guys to do the same.
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