1. AS TORCHES RISE

I take a look around,
The blood of our men has painted the ground
There are corpses lying everywhere
Some try to pray, some cry in despair
As our enemy cuts its way through our lines
Desperate thoughts take over our minds
Is this to be the end of our days?

The overwhelming enemy
Rides our front lines down
With hate in their faces, with hate in their sound
Houndreds of men lying wounded on the ground
No one can help them,
To their destiny they're bound

I think of my family, i think of my home
Interrupted by a fearful tone:
"we're practically dead, they'll slaughter us all!"
Through a cloud of dust i see our right wing fall

This cursed war will swallow us all
What will happen to our loved-ones,
The ones we're fighting for?
I will not stand and watch this army fall
We will fight back, hear us roar

Pull our lines together
Our fury is greater than the worst stormy weather
I grasp the sword in my hand, this is for my brothers,
This is for my land
With blood on my face to battle i ride
With dust in my eyes, with faith in my heart
Until death do us part

From the skies a man came down to earth
He lead our way and rode first
How dark the night may seem
A new day always heals

I stroll across the field, the morning has broken,
Our victory's been sealed
The hooves have plowed the ground to mud,
Familiar faces in ponds of blood
A snowflake lands on my face,
Melts and runs away
The sun rose red that day


2. TO HOLMGARD AND BEYOND

Far beyond the sea and distant lands
Came men with thirty ships
Had wanted to reach the Neva by night
But the weather was not on their side

And as the wind grew stronger and stronger
The rain ran down our cheeks
The bow was turned towards Gardar
The sail flew up again

That's where the winds will us guide
For fame and for gold
Set sail for those lands unknown

Osmo and Dalk, Kyy, Kokko and Ulf
Were glad to be off the oars
Turo had eaten too much again
Now hanging himself overboard

The Tostensson twins were excited as always
Adventure was their game
Myself, Hakon the Bastard
was out to find my name

Holmgard and beyond
That's where the winds will us guide
For fame and for gold
Set sail for those lands unknown

Who is "I" without a past?
A river without a source?
An event without a cause?

Threads of different lengths
Some longer, some shorter
So many of them spun together

The crones keep on weaving
The algorithm of our lives
Cause and effect, the fates of men

We know the way to Aldeigju
Upstream the river Alode
You take us to the portage
And further [South]

Long is the way to the unknown
Long are the rivers in the East
Far lies the land that Ingvar
And his men desire to reach

Many dangers lie ahead
Some of us may never return
Rather sold as a slave to the Saracens
Than chained to your bed, chained by your life!

Holmgard and beyond
That's where the winds will us guide
For fame and for gold
Set sail for those lands unknown


3. A PORTAGE TO THE UNKNOWN

We've sailed across the sea
Rowed for miles and miles upstream
Passed by Aldeigjuborg
Seen Lake Ilmen gleam
Ingvar took the lead
After Holmgard as agreed
What the end of Lovat meant
Was soon to be seen

Dripping with sweat a new day dawn on
The ropes cut flesh, as they've done in times foregone
I see my breath, my hands are going numb
Far from home we have come

An endless trail in front my eyes
A swift take off, had no time for goodbyes
What will we find and what was left behind
There's no return, get it off your mind

The water's changed to sand
Lakes and rivers turned to land
Plough up the rocky seas
Ride felled down trees
Foot by foot we edge
Once a ship, now a sled

Six regular edges and six vertices
Six equilateral triangles
Six square faces in another direction
Plato's earth transparent

Give me all you have!
Pull as hard as you can
Plough up the rocky seas
Ride felled down trees
The water's changed to sand
Lakes and rivers turned to land

The rug has been pulled from under my feet
All my life made of lies and deceit
All I have left is a symbol on my chest
My only lead on my desperate quest

Branded at birth with the sign of Perun
East of the sun and West of the moon
The road now continues, Northwind be my guide
Wherever I'm going, the Gods are on my side


4. THE MESSENGER

I saddle my horse as fast as i can
"the message is urgent, find the man!"
The camp soon vanishes out of my sight
As i rush my black steed into the night

I am the messenger of fate
I spur on my horse, the hour is late
I am the herald, i am the sign
My only enemy is time

Hooves hit the rocky ground
The clatter echoes all around
Alone i ride, come what may
The stars in the nightsky guide my way today

On my arrival, will you welcome me?
The sign is given, can't you see?

All hail the messenger
Strong by heart, wind or rain
Won't stop the messenger
The news are on the way

The faith of man lies in my hands

At last i fly through the gate
Men, woman, children... "out of my way!"
Up the winding alley with fury i ride
I jump off my horseback and push the doors aside

All hail the messenger
Strong by heart...

You are the messenger
Strong by heart...

Fate now lies in your own hands


5. ONE MORE

Gathered round the wooden table
Same tavern as the nights before
I brace myself against the gable
Sunlight pushes its way through the gap in the door

As the golden sunbeams reach my eyes
I stand up and raise my pint up high

One more for our brothers who fought beside us
One more and forward again
Once more, we'll fight and conquer
Until we'll meet again

Staring at the stools not taken
I reach for my tankard of ale
The silence remains unbroken
All you hear is a tinkle of mail

As the golden sunbeams reach my eyes
I stand up and raise my pint up high

One more for our brothers...

Like a raging thunderstorm we flew down the forested hill
Tree-trunks and rocks passing by
The endless ranks stood waiting out in the open field
My fingers gripped the handle of my sword

With full power we smashed into their lines
The ground shook, swords tasted flesh
Hooves trampling over men screaming for their lives
The battle raged until both troops were threshed

Grief no more over friends who died
That day will come to us all
Until then we shall fight with pride
Raise our pints till the dawn

Grief no more over friends who died
That day will come to us all
Side by side we shall ride once more
When the horn calls for war

Feeling low and heavy hearted
Interrupted by a distant alarm
Seems like the war has started
May it be for our brothers in arms

Once again the golden sunbeam reaches my eyes
I stand up and raise my sword up high

One more for our brothers...


6. IN THE COURT OF JARISLEIF

Time to raise a toast to our generous host
Jarisleif!
Jarisleif!

Ruler of the Rus from coast to coast
Jarisleif!
Jarisleif!

May beer flow as long as we can stand on two
All the pretty girtls, come, keep us warm!
Tonight we drink, no room for depressing thoughts
Fill your horns!


7. FIELDS OF GOLD

Long is the way we have come
Still, nothing changes under the sun
The day we lay ahold
The wind rocks the fields of gold

Zer sum is the name of the game?
Gain or lose
My win
Is your loss
Have your cake and eat it too

Long is the way we have come
Still nothing changes under the sun
Few have found the stone
Searching for the fields of gold

The finest of craftsmen forged
For day and night
Deep down
Lost at sea
Their great feat now lies

Is a draw the only win?
Would a tie double the loss?
A fight
For existence
Life-death: 0-0

Long is the way we have come
Still nothing changes under the sun
Firmly we keep our course
Fighting for fields of gold


8. THE DNIEPER RAPIDS

A terrible noise heard from far away
Drowning all other sounds
No cry of the birds nor voice of men
Just an awful groan

Silence fell over the men
As the river seemed to end
Then...

Clouds of spray, Pechenegs prey
The Insatiable One is hungry today
Avoid the rocks for all you're worth
Whirlpools gaze from the depths of earth

Like dominoes six locks will fall
One after another
The World Serpent will rise from the silt
And poison the sky

Clouds of spray, Pechenegs pray
The Insatiable One is hungry today
The violent current swept Karl away
One mistake- with your life you pay

Silence fell over the men
As the river seemed to...

A sight they had dreamed of
Now opened in front of them
Fraught with danger and travail
The river came to an end


9. THE LAND OF HOPE AND GLORY

Far away, where the sunshine never fades
There lies this land, the greatest of tales

A strong golden gate now slowly moves aside
In walks a man, exhausted by the tide

Finally, i've reached my destiny
I've crossed the western sea for the land of hope an glory
In front of me stands the glorious grand city
A feeling that i can breathe, and be free

Surrounding golden walls, finest marble covers the halls
Silver-plated streets that glimmer and shine
Statues, monuments and fountains filled with wine
And trees nearly touching the sky

In the land of hope and glory

I head to the greatest hall,
Take a deep breath and open the door
Is this the land of hope and glory?
Sitting on a golden throne,
An ape holding a scepter of bone
It utters: "the die is cast."

Surrounding golden walls...

Reminiscence
Echoes from the homeland

Kaikuen laulu raikaa takaa ulapan
Kotimaan rannat kutsuu poikaa pohjolan

Hoist the sails, it's time to leave these lands behind
Rain or hail won't stop me, i have made up my mind

Surrounded by dark emptiness
The sea is cold and merciless
All alone, i'm heading home

Over the vast sea, wide and so deep
Ahti i greet thee, i'm heading home!
The wind is rising, cold and biting
Ilmarinen i greet thee
Northern shores - i'm home

No surrounding golden walls, no marble covered halls
No silver-plated streets that glimmer and shine
No statues, monuments nor fountains filled with wine
Only trees touching the sky

Far away, where sunshine never fades
There lies this land, the greatest of tales


10. MIKLAGARD OVERTURE

Long have I drifted without a course
A rudderless ship I have sailed
The Nile just keeps flowing without a source
Maybe all the seekers just failed?

To Holmgard and beyond
In search of a bond
Far from home I've come
But the road has just begun

Breathing history
Veiled in mystery
The sublime
The greatest of our time
Tsargrad!

"Come with us to the south
Write your name on our roll"
I was told;

Constantinopolis
Sui generis
The saints and emperors
Of bygone centuries
The man-made birds in their trees
Out load their paean rings
Immortality!

In astonishing colours the East meets the West
The hill-banks arise in their green
In wonder I sit on my empty chest
As we glide down the strait in between

To Holmgard and beyond
In search of a bond
Distant church bells toll
For their god they chant and troll

Breathing history
Veiled in mystery
The sublime
The greatest of our time
Tsargrad!

The Norwegian of rank
In the court of The Prince
I was convinced

Constantinopolis
Ten gates to eternity
Seen all for centuries
Your inconquerable walls
Your temples and your halls
See all, hear all, know it all

My sun rose in the North and now sets in the South
The Golden Horn lives up to its name
From tower to tower a chain guards its mouth
Unbreakable, they claim

To Holmgard and beyond
In a search of a bond
Adventures lie ahead
Many knots lie unravelled on my thread

Breathing history
Veiled in mystery
The sublime
The greatest of our time
Tsargrad!

Constantinopolis
Queen of the cities
Your welcoming smile
Made all worthwhile
The sweat and the pain

Bathing in gold
Endless rooftops unfold
The sun sets for a while just to rise again

Great halls
Great halls
Greatest of all, Miklagard


11. SAHTI-WAARI

Nyt täyttyy mahlainen malja
Tuoppeihin virtaa sahti ja kalja
Uusi polvi kun päätänsä nostaa
Vanha tapa ei kuole koskaan

Murtumaan ei kristityn miekkakaan meitä saa
Käymme teistoa ainiaan
Nyt laulumme jumalille raikaa saa
Siis tuoppinne nostakaa!

Tummat pilvet, ilkeä taivas
On kaukana korpien kätköissä maa
Kyiset pellot, katajainen kansa
Luulivat voivansa sen alistaa


12. RASPUTIN

"Hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey" (x2)

There lived a certain man in Russia long ago
He was big and strong, in his eyes a flaming glow
Most people looked at him with terror and with fear
But to Moscow chicks he was such a lovely dear
He could preach the bible like a preacher
Full of ecstasy and fire
But he also was the kind of teacher
Women would desire

Ra-Ra-Rasputin
Lover of the Russian queen
There was a cat that really was gone
Ra-Ra-Rasputin
Russia's greatest love machine
It was a shame how he carried on

He ruled the Russian land and never mind the tsar
But the kasachok he danced really wunderbar
In all affairs of state he was the man to please
But he was real great when he had a girl to squeeze
For the queen he was no wheeler dealer
Though she'd heard the things he'd done
She believed he was a holy healer
Who would heal her son

Ra-Ra-Rasputin
Lover of the Russian queen
There was a cat that really was gone
Ra-Ra-Rasputin
Russia's greatest love machine
It was a shame how he carried on

But when he's drinking and musting
And hungers of power the kind now drawn more people
Their demands to do something about this outrageous man
Who're louder and louder

"Hey hey"

"This man's just got to go!" declared his enemies
But the ladies begged "Don't you try to do it, please"
No doubt this Rasputin had lots of hidden charms
Though he was a brute they just fell into his arms
Then one night some men of higher standing
Set a trap, they're not to blame
"Come to visit us" they kept demanding
And he really came

Ra-Ra-Rasputin
Lover of the Russian queen
They put some poison into his wine
Ra-Ra-Rasputin
Russia's greatest love machine
He drank it all and he said "I feel fine"

Ra-Ra-Rasputin
Lover of the Russian queen
They didn't quit, they wanted his head
Ra-Ra-Rasputin
Russia's greatest love machine
And so they shot him till he was dead

Waaouyeah

Oh those Russians


13. BATTLE METAL

A name uttered with fear
No smile, no tears
They'll crush your skull with a blow
And pile them in a row

The heart of turisas was forged by four winds
In a smithy high up in the skies
On an anvil honour, with a hammer of blood
The four winds pounded

Battle metal!
As the battle rages the dearest to you, you hold in your hand -
And stick in their lungs!

An iron gaze of a hawk
Out of sight they stalk
Their arrows cut the air an they fly
Death from the sky

Thunder in their eyes
A riding demise
Storming over the men on the field
Breaking their shield

Take this sign into your heart and be brave
Let it lead you to your glory or your grave
Today!

Hear me, my warriors
Soldiers from all the edges of the world
Let us join our forces
To an army, united

Four winds will guide us
The heart of turisas will lead our way
Our drums echo: forward march
Our horns cry for victory

Boldest of them all
They've answered the call
Their arms were strenghtened by the work of their swords
They'll march till they fall

The heart of turisas was forged by four winds
In a smithy high up in the skies
On an anvil honour, with a hammer of blood
The four winds pounded