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Ásatr​​​ú​​​'s prayer (Go​​​ð​​​afoss)

by Cristian Estrella

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Goðafoss, meaning "waterfall of the gods," carries with it a tale of tranquility. When Iceland was initially settled during the 9th and 10th centuries, the majority of its inhabitants were Norwegian, adhering to the Old Norse faith and venerating deities like Thor, Odin, Loki, and Freya. However, as of AD 930, the pressure to adopt Christianity began to mount from Christianized Europe.
By the year 1000 AD, it became evident that Iceland risked invasion from Norway if it clung to its pagan beliefs. The pivotal question was deliberated at Þingvellir, the annual meeting place of the Icelandic parliament. The legislator at the time, Ásatrú, a priest of the Old Norse religion, found himself facing a momentous decision.
He spent a day and a night in silent contemplation beneath a fur blanket, beseeching his ancient gods for guidance. Ultimately, he emerged from his vigil and declared that, in the interest of the people, Christianity would become the official religion, but that those who adhered to the old ways could practice their faith in private.
Ásatrú then returned to his home in northern Iceland and cast idols of the Old Gods into the waters of Goðafoss.

The field recording inspired me to create a two-octave digital instrument, sampling different fragments, isolating them to find stable frequencies, and then pitching them to reach the corresponding notes. The idea was to make the waterfall "sing". Then I added a pulse coming from the same soundscape, with a similar method, and some synthesizers to help me create the dreamy feeling. Finally, the virtual string instruments of the BBC orchestra completed the work.

credits

released October 6, 2023
It was composed, mixed and mastered during the residency at Divadlo Z Pasáže, organized by Záhrada - Centrum nezávislej kultúry in August.

The piece is included in the compilation "Sounds from Iceland", produced and released by Cities and Memory. Check the full album here > citiesandmemory.bandcamp.com/album/sounds-from-iceland

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Cristian Estrella Nová Baňa, Slovakia

Nací en 1975 en Quilmes, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Me interesa la música desde todos los enfoques posibles: composición, interpretación, producción, difusión en radio, video, gráfica, escucha...
La música sana, revolucionemos este caos!!! ... more

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