AN TUAGH: HELVEGEN
An Tuagh celebrate early Norse as well as Gaelic traditions in northern Scotland. Not only Orkney and Shetland, but also the Western Isles and part of the Scottish mainland were officially in Norway for over two centuries in the early middle ages. Above is the An Tuagh version of Helvegen, featuring the voice of Chris Corrigan.
In an An Tuagh Facebook post on 20 march 2024, and also in a note appended to their YouTube video, Corrigan explains: “Bards and Skalds of ancient times sang songs for others’ birthdays, weddings, funerals and everything in between. This song asks a then pertinent question. Who will sing me (the bard) over to the other side when it is my turn to pass over?” Corrigan’s post includes a personal dedication and Norwegian and English versions of the lyrics.
A chill in the air today reminded me of Helvegen. In April of this year I posted An Tuagh’s version of The Song of Amergin in Old Irish (1). Here I add a representation of the Norse aspect of Scottish tradition as well, though Helvegen is not itself an old song. It was written by Einar Selvik in modern Norwegian in 2013, but using traditional themes. It became widely known through its appearance in the Vikings TV drama series on Netflix.
(1) https://contemplativeinquiry.blog/2024/04/14/an-tuagh-song-of-amergin/
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