Swans of Winter Project
Historical Norse Music & Instruments
Historical Norse Music & Instruments
Swans of Winter logo
People are familiar with the accordions, mouth harps and Hardanger fiddles of many Scandinavian musicians and folk songs. Did you know that there is also a rich history of fascinating instruments from back in the Stone Age, through the Bronze Age, Viking Age and up to the present in our Nordic countries? For those of us who are descendants of Scandinavian settlers (or perhaps Vikings) in new lands, many of these instruments (some of which have been found in grave finds) and their music did NOT come with a list of instructions, so hearing and learning about this music and these sounds is a great connection with our ancestry and maybe new sounds for others as well!
The horizon is very exciting as we sail into these waters ...
With Swans of Winter Project, take a step back into a time and place of long ago by inviting your senses to experience sounds and songs from some of Norway’s oldest instruments. There has been a 21st century resurgence of these instruments in Norse inspired music and bands like Wardruna, Eldrim, Skuggsjå, Varalei, Heilung and others! (Check them out on the Nordic Music page of Viking Soul).
Through the Swans of Winter Project, Janina displays, demonstrates, and shares stories and songs of more than a dozen historical instruments. Thrill to the ancient sounds of the birchbark lur, Trossingen and Kravik lyra, tagelharpa, bone flute, bukkehorn (goat horn), blowing horn, drum, Jorvik pan flute, mouth harp, bull roarer and seljefløyte. Vividly brought to life for you through demonstrations and concert performances, these instruments are carefully constructed from bone, wood, hides, and other organic fibres crafted by some of Europe’s finest historical instrument makers. The Swans of Winter Project is also a research project in progress encompassing authentic origins while taking a look to the functionality and focus of these instruments moving forward.
Swans of Winter Project offers several ways to experience these instruments:
Displays - these instruments are in Janina's personal collection and available for viewing and hearing
Demonstrations - Janina will play each instrument and you will hear their sound and perhaps a song or two
Storytelling - Every instrument has its own story and function in Scandinavian history and the world
Workshop - Janina will share the display, sounds, stories, and how to play these in a workshop for you
Concert - Concerts are available to showcase music and songs from these instruments and languages.
Some are in Old Norse or Norwegian as well as English.
Farm Stay - Come and visit Hamingja - Heritage Farm & Nature Preserve and experience the Viking Age music as you ground in nature amongst Viking-themed buildings and livestock breeds from the Viking Age.
Please note!
*When booking, choice of concert style is up to you and your group!
Concerts may be made up of only Viking Age authentic instruments OR a combination of historical instruments and share folklore and folk music as well.
Enjoy the Nordic inspired fusion and contact Janina for your next cultural heritage celebration, workshops, culture camp, or concerts.
This “sound journey” of the Viking Age and beyond, invites us all to embrace a deep inner connection with nature, ourselves, and our cultural heritage, wherever you may be from! Let's sail together in world music!
What Viking Village is complete without the sound of music and song?
Many of Janina's amazing mentors on this musical journey have advised patience, time, and lots of practice (trying playing a bukkehorn and you'll see what that means!) This is what Janina advises as well. However, it is her hope that this website will also help direct interested people towards being able to find their instruments and Viking Age sounds, or discover new artists, honor what we know of the old ways or find exciting ways of their own in creating their own music. Below the photos are some links to help you locate instrument makers or find ways to play the instruments themselves. Let the journey begin!
The horizon is very exciting as we sail into these waters ...
With Swans of Winter Project, take a step back into a time and place of long ago by inviting your senses to experience sounds and songs from some of Norway’s oldest instruments. There has been a 21st century resurgence of these instruments in Norse inspired music and bands like Wardruna, Eldrim, Skuggsjå, Varalei, Heilung and others! (Check them out on the Nordic Music page of Viking Soul).
Through the Swans of Winter Project, Janina displays, demonstrates, and shares stories and songs of more than a dozen historical instruments. Thrill to the ancient sounds of the birchbark lur, Trossingen and Kravik lyra, tagelharpa, bone flute, bukkehorn (goat horn), blowing horn, drum, Jorvik pan flute, mouth harp, bull roarer and seljefløyte. Vividly brought to life for you through demonstrations and concert performances, these instruments are carefully constructed from bone, wood, hides, and other organic fibres crafted by some of Europe’s finest historical instrument makers. The Swans of Winter Project is also a research project in progress encompassing authentic origins while taking a look to the functionality and focus of these instruments moving forward.
Swans of Winter Project offers several ways to experience these instruments:
Displays - these instruments are in Janina's personal collection and available for viewing and hearing
Demonstrations - Janina will play each instrument and you will hear their sound and perhaps a song or two
Storytelling - Every instrument has its own story and function in Scandinavian history and the world
Workshop - Janina will share the display, sounds, stories, and how to play these in a workshop for you
Concert - Concerts are available to showcase music and songs from these instruments and languages.
Some are in Old Norse or Norwegian as well as English.
Farm Stay - Come and visit Hamingja - Heritage Farm & Nature Preserve and experience the Viking Age music as you ground in nature amongst Viking-themed buildings and livestock breeds from the Viking Age.
Please note!
*When booking, choice of concert style is up to you and your group!
Concerts may be made up of only Viking Age authentic instruments OR a combination of historical instruments and share folklore and folk music as well.
Enjoy the Nordic inspired fusion and contact Janina for your next cultural heritage celebration, workshops, culture camp, or concerts.
This “sound journey” of the Viking Age and beyond, invites us all to embrace a deep inner connection with nature, ourselves, and our cultural heritage, wherever you may be from! Let's sail together in world music!
What Viking Village is complete without the sound of music and song?
Many of Janina's amazing mentors on this musical journey have advised patience, time, and lots of practice (trying playing a bukkehorn and you'll see what that means!) This is what Janina advises as well. However, it is her hope that this website will also help direct interested people towards being able to find their instruments and Viking Age sounds, or discover new artists, honor what we know of the old ways or find exciting ways of their own in creating their own music. Below the photos are some links to help you locate instrument makers or find ways to play the instruments themselves. Let the journey begin!
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Janina playing bone flute at Edmonton Deep Freeze Festival Janina of Viking Soul plays bone flute at Borre, Norway
Storytelling and Music in the Chieftain's house - Gudvangen, Norway with Storyteller, Adrian Spendlow
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Janina playing overtone flute at Norwegian Lafthus - Red Deer, AB
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Janina displaying instruments at Red Deer's Norwegian Lafthus Heritage Festival
Interested in locating and purchasing an historical instrument?
There are some amazing craftspeople in Europe and a few in Canada now as well, and wonderful websites and tutorials to help you find what you want as well as learn how to play. Some even show you how to make your own!
*A HUGE THANK YOU goes to each of these instrument makers, for without them
and the incredible instruments they have made for me, I would not be sharing this
heritage and music!
*Locally, there are a couple of viking-age instrument makers in Red Deer and Calgary, Alberta, Canada...please contact me to find out more.
Inspirational Instruments - Donald Mark Shaw, Norway
Lyre Shop - Michael J King, UK
Fujara Flutes - Winne Clement, Belgium
Naturinstrumenter (Nature Instruments) - Magnar Storbækken (too soon gone, but forever in the heart and voice of my music!!)
To learn about the origins, types of music or to hear more about how to play some of these instruments, check out:
Kjell Braaten - Viking Music (a BIG thank you and TUSEN TAKK to Kjell for guiding me along this path. He is a patient teacher and has been very helpful to me in finding my instruments. Paying it forward, Kjell!)
European Music Archaeology Project
Kate and Corwen - Ancient Music Ancient Instruments
Wardruna - Einar, Eilif, and Lindy-Fay...
Eldrim
Funi - Chris and Bara Traditional Icelandic Folk Music
There are many special interest groups on Facebook with regards to many of the Scandinavian instruments:
Check there for Sackpipa, Tagelharpa, Nyckkelharpa, and more ...
For music samples rich in folk lore, runes, song, or instruments, watch videos from the Nordic Music page *(all credit and rights to videos on the Nordic Music page go to the artists). These are here for you to explore, all in one place, so you can sail on into new interests on your musical horizon if you haven't already done so.
There are some amazing craftspeople in Europe and a few in Canada now as well, and wonderful websites and tutorials to help you find what you want as well as learn how to play. Some even show you how to make your own!
*A HUGE THANK YOU goes to each of these instrument makers, for without them
and the incredible instruments they have made for me, I would not be sharing this
heritage and music!
*Locally, there are a couple of viking-age instrument makers in Red Deer and Calgary, Alberta, Canada...please contact me to find out more.
Inspirational Instruments - Donald Mark Shaw, Norway
Lyre Shop - Michael J King, UK
Fujara Flutes - Winne Clement, Belgium
Naturinstrumenter (Nature Instruments) - Magnar Storbækken (too soon gone, but forever in the heart and voice of my music!!)
To learn about the origins, types of music or to hear more about how to play some of these instruments, check out:
Kjell Braaten - Viking Music (a BIG thank you and TUSEN TAKK to Kjell for guiding me along this path. He is a patient teacher and has been very helpful to me in finding my instruments. Paying it forward, Kjell!)
European Music Archaeology Project
Kate and Corwen - Ancient Music Ancient Instruments
Wardruna - Einar, Eilif, and Lindy-Fay...
Eldrim
Funi - Chris and Bara Traditional Icelandic Folk Music
There are many special interest groups on Facebook with regards to many of the Scandinavian instruments:
Check there for Sackpipa, Tagelharpa, Nyckkelharpa, and more ...
For music samples rich in folk lore, runes, song, or instruments, watch videos from the Nordic Music page *(all credit and rights to videos on the Nordic Music page go to the artists). These are here for you to explore, all in one place, so you can sail on into new interests on your musical horizon if you haven't already done so.
Swans of Winter Project Performance at Finnish Winter Festival - Frances G. Winspear Centre - Edmonton
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All Rights Reserved - JanCar Publications 2019
