The historic and stately DAR Constitution Hall in Washington DC, the city’s largest concert hall, played host to a “ritual” last Wednesday night—folk collective Heilung made a stop on its current, brief run of tour dates. The DC audience was treated to an incredible melding of heavy music and the group’s interpretation of millennia-old rituals.
This date of Heilung’s brief tour featured Faroese singer-songwriter Eivør as a special guest. For context, the Faroe Islands are a tiny archipelago located halfway between Norway and Iceland and is a part of the Kingdom of Denmark. Known for its isolation and subpolar climate, it’s from this environment that musician and vocalist Eivør Pálsdóttir, who performs professionally simply as Eivør, comes to us. Raised in the village of Syðrugøta (population <500), she performed on television for the first time at age 13 and has since dabbled in jazz, classical, folk, chamber pop, and electronic music, releasing her first album Eivør Pálsdóttir, in 2000.
Eivør has also contributed to the soundtrack of BBC’s The Last Kingdom, her voice has made an appearance in a video game (God of War)—her set Wednesday night featured these songs—and she received the 2021 Nordic Council Music Prize. Eivør’s last album is the mostly English-language Segl, released in 2020. Eivor’s newest album, Enn, is slated for release June 14. The Constitution Hall crowd, relaxed but supportive, leapt to its feet to give Eivør a standing ovation as she ended her set, prompting her to tell the crowd she was “going to cry.”
As a Heilung newbie (“Heilung is a German word that means “healing”), I was eager to see what the collective had in store for us. Looking at the crowd, it was clear I was in the minority—everyone, from fans decked out in costumes, makeup, even antlers, to the more typical DC suits—seemed excited to be there, and happy to be with like-minded fans.
The curtain is pulled away, revealing a stage outfitted to resemble a Nordic forest. Trees are positioned at the corners, along with elaborate percussion set ups. Lights project symbols onto the ceiling and walls of the concert hall. The mood is set, and the smell of burning incense fills the room. On cue, the knowing crowd goes completely silent, and a masked band member appears on stage to begin the opening ceremony, blessing the stage and the crowd with the fragrant smoke.
Soon the rest of the band appears onstage, along with a troupe of bare-chested warriors, both men and women, gathering in a circle for an opening statement which emphasizes the shared humanity of all and the connection we all have to the environment. We are all brothers. If it hadn’t been obvious already, it was very clear at that point that any expectations I had about being at a “metal show” needed to be tossed out the window.
At the center of Heilung are vocalists Kai Uwe Faust, Maria Franz, and producer Christopher Juul. Everything onstage is true to history—the costumes, weapons, and instruments are based on what would have been available during the Iron Age. Heilung’s songs are in various languages, including Old Norse, Icelandic, and Old High German. It’s hugely impressive. While Heilung does not employ modern instruments, instead relying on simple, historically accurate percussion made from bones, horns, clay, and skins, the expert modern handling of the massive sound and chanting underscores the group’s self-identification as “amplified history.”
Each song, or ritual, comes with its own engrossing choreography. It’s hard to choose a favorite, but a standout comes in the middle of the night, where there is a performance of a ritual sacrifice of a female warrior. Faust ties her to a spear and chokes her with a rope until she falls to the floor. Never fear, however, as Franz comes to bring her back to life and free her. The warrior unties her hair in liberation and the crowd cheers.
“Hamrer Hippyer” closes out the evening’s ritual, with every performer coming out to engage in what could only be described, by my modern eyes, as a pagan rave. The warriors danced wildly, and the crowd, which until that point spent the night respectfully subdued, finally cut loose and filled the aisles with dancing. The ritual came to an end with a closing ceremony, a final blessing before the crowd spilled out into the Washington, DC night. Unforgettable.
Heilung’s North American dates wrap up at Red Rocks in Colorado on April 23. This summer they tour Europe.
EIVOR
HEILUNG SETLIST
Opening Ceremony
In Maidjan
Alfadhirhaiti
Asja
Krigsgaldr
Hakkerskaldr
Svanrand
Fylgija Ear/Futhorck
Tenet
Traust
Anoana
Elddansurin
Hamrer Hippyer
Closing Ceremony
