Get all 7 Gremnîr releases available on Bandcamp.
Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of Sandr Ok Snjár (feat. Naheli and Suvi), Two Wolves (feat. Heather Evans), Sinnsyk, Broken, Sultr, Of Demons and Goddesses, and Gremnîr.
1. |
Wyrd Unharrowed
02:01
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Kom, dere utallige Masser
Broken, syk, og revet.
Jeg baerer en gave, født av mørket
Kom, dominere, og spre stormen min.
Gremnîr, jeg eiti.
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2. |
Sultr
09:14
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Grógaldr, stanza 4:
"Löng er för,
langir ro farvegar,
langir ro manna munir,
ef þat verðr,
at þú þinn vilja bíðr,
ok skeikar þá Skuld at sköpum."
Obsidious, Membross, ok Gremnîrhaitir!
Gouged Lord, Grey-Eye
Reacher, Reaver
Ear-In-Shadow
Mist of Madness
Nature's Maw
Infinite Hunger, Inktide
Reacher, Reaver
Teeth in the Darkness!
Gather, clouds!
Hither, hither, come, to the meek and bold.
Hither, hither, come, march and thunder fall.
Hither, hither, come, to the meek and bold,
Hither, hither, come, and wyrd remold.
Obsiíðious, Organ-String,
In appearance aches from pain,
Bellowing ballads of burden!
Membross, Hammer of Hunger
Master of manifest forms
Battle-crazed and bloody-faced,
Born from Gremnîr's storm!
Gather one, gather all,
His Galdr reaches deep
To bowel of Being's gut.
Voice within, venom-fed,
In vehemence it growls
To carnage yet enclosed,
To cravings kept captive.
Thus is the name of Hunger:
Gebo - Giver
Radio - Traveler
Ehwaz - Trusted
Mannaz - Supporter
Naudhiz - Desired
Isa - Deceiver
Radio - Ever searching
Gremnîrhaitir!
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3. |
Of Demons and Goddesses
10:48
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In inky pit, a demon bathed
In secrets dark and shrouded.
In inky pit, a demon bathed
In power seized and clouded.
A voice he heard, a glow above,
A darkness long and deep.
A voice he heard, a glow above,
A rain of sound to seep.
To full and more it quavered him,
To foundation's icy core.
To full and more it quavered him,
To fear held not before.
Listening, listening,
Beauty's calm washed over.
Glistening, glistening,
He rose, standing bolder.
"Song divine, song divine,
"Spellbound by you I am.
"Song divine, song divine,
"Find your wellspring I can."
Every wold he traveled,
Scouring far and wide.
A mystery yet unraveled
'Til a star ocean he finds.
There she stood, a Goddess shone
With moonlight in her hair.
Eyes of silk and voice of dawn,
Mercy's sway in her hands.
Glory, such glory
In beauty seen and heard.
From darkness between the stars
The beaming demon called to her.
"Away with you!" the stars told him,
He had no business there.
She would not heed him on a whim
Never, never where.
But she saw him frightened still,
Form prone to the light.
He had come far, a test of will
With bravery in his eyes.
To him she went and asked,
"What is your name, shy stranger?"
With bowed head 'neath hooded mask
The demon's name he gave her.
"I have known of you, demon,
"And your inky well.
"Your kindness is always welcome
With me, beyond Hel."
With a kiss on his cheek,
Bashfully he looked away.
Gently he softly spake,
"I am yours now and always."
In years that soon came,
A new friendship took root.
Their music and stories gave
Shared admiration, too.
One woeful night, the Goddess sought
Her dark friend, thoughts distraught.
"Help me, my little demon. I doubt my
"Lover has been faithful and seeks
"Others when we're apart. With your
"Knowledge can you bring me solace?"
"I know not," his voice solemn.
"Grant me four days and I will answer."
One day passed slowly.
The second without news.
On the third a warning came
From the stars and the moons:
"Heed not the demon's counsel.
"Its fate bodes ill to all.
"Heed not the demon's counsel,
"He would triumph at your fall."
Her dark friend she trusted,
She knew his aim was pure.
He had shown her only kindness,
So their guidance she ignored.
On the fourth day after longing
For her lover's warm embrace,
To him she went, passion dawning,
Doubt drowned, love in its place.
At day's end two dozen eyes
Set on them from around.
A dozen girls of lovely sight
Like beasts crouched to the ground.
"Who is this?" they asked the man.
Of the Goddess they pried.
His eyes said all, and all he panned
With his mouth a flood of lies.
As he spoke their anger grew.
Danger was drawing near.
Their teeth grew sharp and talons, too,
And beauty donned a grim veneer.
Cast aside without harm,
The Goddess fought and failed.
Their power sent a Fury's storm
And her lover they assailed!
A red painting on canvas ground
Of blood, bone and flesh.
The women left without a sound
And the Goddess, broken, wept.
"He was not faithful,"
The demon spoke from behind.
"Your suspicions were true. I knew from
"The start but as your friend kept that
"Pain from you. His lovers were many,
"And by his scent all I found and told
"of his treachery. You, dearest Goddess,
"Deserve so much better. Grant me your
"Love, and our union will be the envy
"of all others."
"Leave me, monster!" the Goddess screamed. "You are no friend of mine
"To twist their lives and kill with such
"Fervor. Never seek me further!"
Stung and wounded, his head hung low, Stoic.
"I am Gremnîr, yours now and always."
The Demon vanished.
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4. |
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The Hobbling Horro!
Dear boy, dear boy,
So hushed you are.
Wandering, searching,
Lost, limping in the dark.
Dear boy, dear boy,
His hands so cold.
Hunger's mewling toy,
So bitter and cold.
Whistling, whistling in the woods
Where whimsy children played,
Where watching in the woods
The Whispered Omen stayed.
Wandering, wandering in the woods
Where woodwind music bayed,
Where Jake with heart willed good
The Whispered Omen stayed.
One night, one night in the woods
Where wily children pranked,
Where Jake was towed through mud
The Whispered Omen stayed.
Wailing, wailing in the woods
Where under wick and flame
Where Jake was wrapped and bound
The Whispered Omen came.
It found him
Warping, warping in the woods
Where time was wrought and tamed
Where Jake would burst of blood
The Whispered Omen spake.
Whispered, whispered in the woods
Where deal was wanton made
Where Jake agreed he would
The Whispered Omen spake.
Wanted, wanted in the woods,
Where Jake limped in the haze,
Where wily children worry,
The Whispered Omen ate!
Dear boy, dear boy,
So hushed you are.
Scouring wooded void,
Bound, limping in the dark.
Dear boy, dear boy,
With hands so cold.
Hunger's wretched toy,
So bitter and cold.
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5. |
Galdr I - Invocation
08:41
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Deep in ye thine eye shall see
Only what ye ask of thee.
Dare ye delve into thyself?
Truth in wealth there shall dwell.
Ask ye not what comfort wants.
Ask ye thoughts of darkness fraught.
For thine path ye weave to pass,
Seven charms to thee I chant.
First I chant to thee: if
Doubt haunts thine venture,
May thine tethers break and thine
Locus clear.
Dread not the monsters swimming
In inky tides!
(Ensemble Chant/EC)
Down and deep I delve,
Naked to the storm.
Down, to become my own
God.
Second I chant to thee:
Find thee a mirror.
Learn ye well, see the beast and
Gaze not in fear.
Reach to the Shadow, and
Be embraced.
EC
Third I chant to thee:
Bound shall become thee.
Balance both halves and thine
Mind shall free.
Sound minds walk alone at
Peace with the silence.
EC
Fourth I chant to thee:
Paths may drift thence from
Common man's dream, thus the
Lost sheep bleat.
Keep thine feet on the
Road ye carveth.
EC
Fifth I chant to thee:
When thou findst a pool in the
Dark of thine dreams filled with
Tar and pain,
Bathe ye therein and
Drink new vigor.
EC
Sixth I chant to thee:
Gaze not back on thine
Life at its end and dwell on
What could have been,
Bear thine teeth and
Gorge on thine hungers.
EC
Last I chant to thee:
Go now unto Earth,
Forged in new sense of
Self and truth.
Guard thine thoughts, and
Keep thine purpose.
EC
Deep in ye thine eye shall see
Only what ye ask of thee.
Dare ye delve into thyself?
Truth in wealth there shall dwell.
Ask ye not what comfort wants.
Ask ye thoughts of darkness fought.
For thine path ye weave to pass,
Seven charms to thee I've cast.
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6. |
Galdr II - Meditation
11:09
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Harrigasti: welcome, guest.
Together we stand on edge of self-discovery.
Together we delve to depths of uncertainty.
We walk the road of foundation shifting.
Close your eyes and there follow me.
Close your eyes and see what I see.
Cold wind stings with salt sea air,
Clouds above rage and roar, there
Jagged lights dance to drums nowhere
To be see, but felt and heard in streams
Trickling at our feet to dark-fathomed dreams.
Chill creeps with fingers frozen
Up legs of lookers, dozens
Peering down pit's rushing fringe.
So wide it is, a world away.
So close it is, shall you stay?
Keep eyes closed or open now.
Keen they are, they serve you well,
Or claim them crowned post treading Hell.
Fear inside poisons the soul.
Fear inside strips bare the bold.
Fear it not, this pit is yours,
Fraught only with inner wars.
Fear it not, this pit is yours.
It is yours.
Breathe.
Will you stay, or step away?
You are not alone.
Choose now, we're on our way.
You are not alone.
We join hands now and step forth
Worn and ready to be transformed
Once where few tread, into icy thorns.
Down and deep we go.
Drifting beneath, risk below.
In waters warm, here sun holds sway.
Warping, flowing, gently away
To wonder's comfort, a dreamscape.
Light in ripples dancing in
Low blues, drifting currents
Along steady waves, clear sight to all.
Lustrous knowns here, seen before
We plod into the storm, solace
Yet lost in this ocean calm.
Look down, this is not our port
But deeper still, only the start.
Slow and sure mild ease fades
As shadow closes and day
Sinks to sullen sky, held at bay.
Blue still the world is here
Burned by shade and inky tears.
Pulled we are, sunk to weeping
Pales of surging currents, seeping
Into periled ocean flesh.
Cling not to the fire in your chest:
Clutch no more, release, this test
Is cold. The flame you must reject.
Come and drink, and chill be kept.
Breathe.
Tongues of sea rise to greet us,
Tang leaves brown and green, grouped thus
In teams of tangled, reaching weeds.
Lightly prodding, no tasting.
Licking a morsel, favoring
Long moments to savor a feast.
Ears ring with a low hum, a
Harmony born of feral drum
And ignorance, locked and shunned.
Nearer we are now, the shadow base
Of a nest where something lay in wait
New, yet familiar.
It grows, the sound, a growl
To greet us. Its ripples so foul,
Cast through water thick as tar.
A warning, a touch of the shoulder.
What was it? A tail, somewhere over
Toward the inky dark. It moves, bolder
And warped, a nightmare older and
Wandering our thoughts of yore.
Whispers fickle and doubts before
Now wanting to be heard, ignored
And waned to forgotten lore.
But no more: it is here, and it is yours.
Breathe. We are nearly there.
Feet touch bottom, a sandy
Finale to the descent of sanity
And a faint grey glow about us.
Is it familiar, this faded place few times you have been?
What do you remember?
What do you see?
What do you fear?
What does it mean?
Dark shapes drift about, dancing
In the depths of echoed dreams.
Defamed beasts, drowned and scattered.
How they swarm and swim,
Surge violent and sing tunes
Insidious, rage in scorned eyes.
Now seen, they see you
Sunk with them, sunken to their home,
Starved and forsworn.
Turn not away, train your mind
To take in what you betrayed.
Breathe. Your mirror this is, more so
Mighty than what was meager
And meek, before you met here.
Confess its credence, or cave
To cancer of denial.
Only one ends with ascendance.
Peeled back, their lips pare
Exposed sharpened teeth, power
Pouring from monster's roar.
Test you have too, so tear them
From tame chamber and return
A tiger's toothy grin.
Voice you have as well, not
Vague but vibrant with volition.
Give them a return in votive,
And send such a sound that
Inspires dread in the worst of savages.
A scream to quell the crowd.
So now scream and roar!
You were merely purring before:
Again, now fiercer!
Good, the challenge is met. Breathe.
A despot draws near,
The delegate from darkness
Drawn to violent display.
Reaching with hand rendered
Freely, now recognized and reflected.
Return the favor, or refuse?
Your shadow this is, sundered
And seeking solace in synthesis.
Inner harmony comes hither.
Two halves of one whole
Once harrowed beyond haling,
Now tempted to tether.
Return the favor, or refuse?
Choose. You are not alone.
Rebound or broken still,
Radiant rays above reach
Down to call us home.
From ocean floor our feet
Bid farewell, and float as back
To company of the Sun.
Returned you are, after taking
Time to talk with your lost traces.
More whole you are, I hope.
If so, if not, sojourn back
And sow more seeds to that garden.
These are the starting steps to
Ascendance.
The Invocation is accepted.
The Meditation is completed, and
Integration now commences.
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7. |
Galdr III - Integration
05:21
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Forent!
Sinn til sinn, ånd til ånd.
Darkness, light, and dissonance, gripped by gouged hands
Under hunger’s hammer thus be wrought to resonance!
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8. |
Galdr IV - Declaration
04:44
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From tarry depths to starry heights, may all un-harrowed howl as one!
We are the ones who shed inky tears.
We are the ones who bathe in the flood.
We are the ones who conquered our fears.
We are the ones who march with the drum.
We are the ones who dance with the beast.
We are the ones who bled in the slums.
We are the ones who set out to feast.
We are the ones who march with the drum.
We are the ones who dwell in the storm.
We are the ones who pulse with the thrum.
We are the ones who brandish new form.
We are the ones who march with the drum.
We are the ones who call from the under.
We are the ones who beckon all come.
We are the ones who roar with the thunder.
We are the ones who march with the drum.
Coda (Grógaldr, stanza 15):
Far thú, nú, æva
Thar’s thér fora∂ thykkir,
ok standi-t thér mein fyrir munum.
Á jar∂fostum steini
stó∂ ed inane dura,
me∂an ek thér galdra gól.
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Gremnîr Castro Valley, California
Gremnîr is a queer neopagan folk artist and music educator based in the San Francisco East Bay Area. Using an eclectic blend of Kargyraa throat singing, primal bodhrán percussion, and neoclassical cello, he shares original fantasy ballads and musical rituals that send listeners on vivid, dream-like journeys. ... more
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