Improvisation on Norwegian Lyre - Viking instrument - Original

EDIT: Lulz, over 9000 views.

This is me, improvising on a traditional norwegian lyre! I borrowed it from my music teacher because I was supposed to play it on a folk concert this weekend (the concert went really good, by the way, hope I can find and upload some material from it). This is something like my 3rd day plying it, so don't be surprized that I make some mistakes!

The first seconds are inspired by a Harald Foss-tune, the rest is pure improvisation.

It's tuned in G mixolydian, and is based on an old lyre found on the farm Kravik. It's supposed to be from the 1400's, but the lyre has been played at least since 1200-1300. This lyre is made in the north-european style, and is often called rundlyre (Round lyre)

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Anglo
• Saxon
• welsh
• scandinavian
• swedish
• Norwegian
• lyre
• folk
• middleage
• viking
• norse
• nordic
• scandinavia
• kokle
• lira
• skyforger
• ancient
• metal
• improvisation
• rundlyre
• kravik
• heathen
• pagan
• old
• numedal
• lyra
• lire

[Myrnir]

Hi dude.

Awesome playing.

I am really involved into ancient, traditional and ethnic music from all the world and i am also a polyinstrumentist.

Can you suggest me a good Norwegian Lyre maker?

Thanks in advance ^^

Myrnir

[smedaas]

@Myrnir Hi!

I would if I could, but I can't! I don't know of any "professional" lyre makers, nor any amateurs that make for sale. I only know Michael J King makes some in Britain, but those are Anglo-Saxon lyres, not Norwegian ones.

Sorry mate!

[Myrnir]

@smedaas Nevermind ;)

I know Michael, his work is really good, he is keeping alive lots of lost instruments - he also helped me a lot through the making of my finnish kantele ^^

Hope that someday he ll made Norwegian Lyres too.

Sorry if i ask again, but i am really interested into norwegian folk, do you know seljefloyten and bukkehorn makers?

ps: i listened to your project, sounds really good ^^ you should consider to put there an icelandic langspil, which is also of scandinavian heritage ;)

[smedaas]

That I actually know of! go to " naturinstrumenter . (no)" - The builder is called Magnar Storbækken, he builds norwegian bukkehorns, seljefløyte, lurs and bone pipes :)

And thanks for the compliment - and actually, I'm building a nordic langspil just as we speak ;) You can see it here: jardar.deviantart.(com)/art/Ps­almodikon-WIP-4-160632385 (just remove the () )

Hopefully I will make some music with it :)

[Myrnir]

@smedaas Wow dude!

Thank you so much :)

I am gonna buy a sejefloyte as soon as possible ^^ and also a jotunfloyte, a bukkehorn and probably a benfloyte (all that stuff sounds amazing <3)...

Your works for that psalmodikon are awesome :)

Nice to find also that Naud poem that i also used with my band on a song!!!

Naud is the name of our upcoming debut album ^^

[smedaas]

You must be pretty wealthy, then ;) The instruments are pretty expensive.

Care to share a link to your band? :)

[VigisKane]

very nice...................we english had an almost identical culture to the norse culture before the norman invasion...............pisses me off that we dont remember it...........we are germannic...............scanda­navians,germans and the english are the decendants of the norse,

[thecuddlemoose]

The music is great but hard to believe no chick has commented on how good looking this dude is. He's "man-pretty". 

[aLeeThYr]

@thecuddlemoose Well, I'm here now so its time to say : HE IS SOOOOO GOOD LOOKING! I like him haha.. really, ando obviously his improvisation is very nice... @smedaas Marry me!... hahah ok not, greetings from Mexico ;) ♥

[drewsneatlife]

ace! i love the sound/tone the lyre has,was that a traditional piece you were playing? its realy very good anyway ~[: )]

[Altetanne]

Wonderful music... !

[000000AEA000000]

beautiful instrument, and I enjoyed listening to you alot!!! Greetings to norway from a german.

[Gellingsen]

@Myrnir I can recommend two Norwegian Kraviklyre makers. Stein Villa and Sverre Heimdal is the two leading lyre-instruments makers.

They are really difficult to get hold of though. I've been in contact with Sverre Heimdal. The price for a lyre is 7500 Norwegian kroner. I'm getting one for sure! :D

[emoxbloodyxroses]

I think we were all surprised by it. :P I love listening to this type of stuff. Really mind opening. (: And of course, you're gorgeous. :D

[xXPinkGoddessXx]

@thecuddlemoose Ha, I was surprised about that too.

[7hobbit7]

Stunning! So beautiful...

[tapxodoll]

that was beautiful.