This month we released “Naglfar”, an original Dutch Viking song based on verses from both Völuspá and Lokasenna, two poems from the Edda in which Loki is featured. The song links both his imprisonment and the moment he is unchained and takes out his wrath during the events surrounding Ragnarök.
The song was written for a very specific purpose; namely to play as the themesong for an escape room BOAT! The cover art shows the prow of that ship.
The Drakkar Escape Boat
VikingWorks commissioned this song as atmosphere and theme song. I met these people at Kingsfest 2024 and we stayed in touch, meeting by chance at The Warrior King‘s other events, like photoshoots and warrior weekends.
With them being ‘builders’ (you think it, they build it), we got along quite well and I enjoyed helping them out where I could. During one such moment, we talked about their wild plans for a Drakkar escape boat and they roped me in (or I did!) to write a themesong for the boat. An honor!
Escaping or HUNTING?
Naglfar is the terrifying ship, filled with monsters from Muspellheim, that Loki will steer towards the Gods to have his revenge. The ship is made from the unclipped toenails of the dead. It is a herald of Ragnarök, the end of the world and the end of the Gods.
The people on the escape boat are sent on a mission by the Gods to stop Naglfar from ever reaching its destination. In a race against time, they must catch up with Naglfar and break the curse on their weapons in order to succeed and save the world.
The song tells the tale of Naglfar and of Loki’s struggles with the other Gods. It was made in collaboration with Karl Edh, an epic orchestral composer that I met online via the Fantasy Ring Instagram chat. He lifted it to another level to create an epic climax that makes the whole experience even more thrilling.
Give it a listen!
I would be happy to hear your thoughts about the song, so I hope you’ll give this one a listen! If you decide to share your thoughts online, do tag me so I can read about them or reach out and contact me if you feel like sharing your experience with me personally.
Songs are experienced entirely differently from one person to the next. There is some kind of magic in there. I value such connections between the artist and the audience incredibly much, which is why I enjoy live gigs so much! So don’t be a stranger if you feel like reaching out 🙂
LYRICS
Een schip reist af vanuit het oosten
Muspell’s reuzen zijn aan boord
Ze komen hier van over de golven
En Loki stuurt de boot
En Loki stuurt
Kronkelend en verdraaiend
In de ban van Jötun-toorn
Zo schuimt de zee al laaiend
En Loki stuurt die boot
En Loki stuurt
Hij mengde mede met plaagzucht
Een truuk uit de oude doos
Er hangt profetie in de lucht
En Loki stuurt de boot
En Loki stuurt
Nimmer zult gij ooit meer vieren!
En al in deze hal
Moge de vlam erover zwieren
En Loki spuwt zijn gal
En Loki wordt een zalm
Daar Naglfar!
Naglfar is afgeschoten
Monsters volgen nu de wolf
Het lot dat staat in staal gegoten
En Loki stuurt de boot
En Loki stuurt
En Loki stuurt
Loki stuurt
CREDITS
Guitar, Vocals, Composition & Lyrics by Bart Mesman
Composition & Arrangement by Karl Edh
Mix by Ruben Isarin
Bart the Bard 