Xynfonica

The album "A Feast for Famished Ravens" features three songs:

A Feast for Famished Ravens {tracks 1,2 & 3}This song is based on the old Norse poem the "Hlodskvida". It details the events leading up to an epic battle that took place between the Huns and Goths circa 375 A.D. The Roman historian Ammianus Marcellinus mentions a great power struggle taking place in Southern Russia around this time between the Hunnish and Gothic tribes, though he fails to mention the two central figures in the story. These are Hlod and Angantyr. Both are the sons of the deceased Goth king Heidrekk, Angantyr being Heidrekk's legitimate son, Hlod's mother being a Hunnish princess, the daughter of Humli the king of the Huns. In accordance with a Teutonic tradition that says a king must evenly divide all his lands between his sons, Hlod journeys to the courtof his half brother Angantyr and demands his share of inheritance. On the advice of his aged vassal Gaisrekk, Angantyr refuses on the grounds that Hlod is not a fullbred Goth. Insulted, Hlod rides off to his grandfather Humli and organizes an army of Huns to attack the Goths.

To view the lyrics to "A Feast for Famished Ravens

Drink, My Darling, from Your Father's Skull{tracks 4 & 5} This song is based on the based on a historical account of the events of the reign of Alboin, king of the Lombards or Langobardi. It is included in Paul Diaconus' "History of the Lombards", a medieval history that has yet to be translated into English. Alboin's kingdom in Pannonia i.e. modern day Hungary, is attacked by a neighbouring king called Cunimund. To order to stave of Cunimund's offensive, Alboin forms an alliance with the Huns, promising them all his territory if they help him defeat the invader. Alboin and his allies are victorious. Alboin kills Cunimund and has a drinking cup fashioned from his skull. He also fancies Cunimund's daughter, Rosamund, takes her for his wife and tests her loyalty by having her drink wine from her father's skull. Staying true to his promise, he leaves what is to become Hungary to the Huns and moves the Lombards to the part of Northern Italy that comes to take the name "Lombardy" after its new masters. There Rosamund avengers her father's death on Alboin.

To view the lyrics to "Drink, My Darling, from Your Father's Skull"

The Viking Zodiac{tracks 6, 7 & 8}

This song is based on a theory which claims that the pre-Christian Norsemen were actually star worshippers and that the various figures that appear in Norse mythology were actually stars or planets. The pagan inhabitants of Northern would use the changing positions of the planets in relation to the stars to determine what time of year it was. They would also practice celestial navigation when they travelled from place to place. The planet Mercury would be associated with the god Odin. If one spotted Odin in evening sky, the stars of the zodiac Odin was in closest proximity to would tell one what time of year it was. The position of the planet Jupiter or Thor in connection with the stars of the zodiac would tell people what year it was as Thor takes approximately one year to pass through each zodiac. "The Viking Zodiac" traces the movement of the planet Mercury or Odin through the twelve realms of the gods as enumerated in the Old Norse poem the Grimnirsmal, i.e. the twelve zodiac signs.

To view the lyrics to "The Viking Zodiac"

If you would like to listen to a sample track from Xynfonica The Three Roots of Yggsdrasil is a track Xynfonica recorded that is not featured on the album "A Feast for Famished Ravens". Drawing on the astrononical theme introduced in "The Viking Zodiac", it suggests that the three roots of the tree "Yggsdrasil" which lead to Jotunheim, Hel and Asgard are the three stars "Regulus", "Denebola" and "Spica" which are red, white and blue respectively. All three stars appear in the evening sky after the summer solstice when nights start to get longer and inhabitants of the northern lattitudes are able to observe the stars once more.