Wardruna

Wardruna is a Norwegian musical group founded in 2003 by Einar Selvik, alongside Gaahl and Lindy-Fay Hella. Their work focuses on musical interpretations of Norse cultural and esoteric traditions, heavily featuring historical Nordic instruments such as deer-hide frame drums, flutes, kraviklyra, mouth harp, goat horn, and lur. They also incorporate non-traditional instruments like the Finnish jouhikko, as well as natural sound sources including trees, rocks, water, and torches. The name Wardruna translates to "the guardian of secrets" or "she who whispers."

The band was formed in 2003. Selvik had previously been a member of Gorgoroth, appearing on the album *Twilight of the Idols* and the live DVD *Black Mass Krakow 2004* alongside vocalist Pest, while Gaahl was not a member of Gorgoroth at that time. Selvik has also worked on projects such as Det Hedenske Folk, Bak de Syv Fjell, Jotunspor, Sahg, Dead to this World, and Skuggsjá, while Gaahl recorded with Trelldom, Gaahlskagg, and God Seed.

Wardruna’s debut album, *Runaljod – Gap Var Ginnunga*, was released on 19 January 2009 through Indie Recordings, followed by *Runaljod – Yggdrasil* on 15 March 2013. In 2014, Selvik announced via the band’s Facebook page that they would contribute to the score for season 2 of the television series *Vikings* alongside Trevor Morris; he later appeared as an actor on the show. Gaahl left Wardruna amicably in 2015.

The third album, *Runaljod – Ragnarok*, came out on 21 October 2016. Partly due to the exposure from *Vikings*, it debuted at number one on Billboard’s World Albums chart. In August 2017, Wardruna headlined the Mėnuo Juodaragis festival in Lithuania. They began their first North American tour in early 2018. The acoustic album *Skald* was released on 23 November 2018.

In October 2019, Wardruna signed with Sony Music/Columbia Records. Their fifth studio album, *Kvitravn* (meaning "white raven"), arrived in January 2021, followed by the live album *Kvitravn – First Flight of the White Raven* in early 2022. Tours scheduled for 2020 and 2021 were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The band resumed touring in 2022, with shows in Europe and North America, as well as a performance at Midgardsblot. Their 2024/2025 world tour launched at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado, and their sixth studio album, *Birna*, was released in January 2025.