Andrea Nebel Haugen has a captivating personality. Her work deals with Pagan Culture and music and she has been researching and doing it for years. I have listened some of her music and I must say that I was blown away by the power of it. Generally played with ancient instruments that point out the characteristics of the overall work, Hagalaz Runedance´s music is extremely beautiful, dynamic, harmonic, and full of feeling. We made this interview with Andrea herself.

Can you explain me what is exactly Asatru?

Asatru is the organic belief of the North, the spirituality and the natural traditions known to the Germanic Pagans. Asatru means to acknowledge the forces of nature. It means to understand the circle of life and death, that we need a balance between opposites, a harmony between the masculine and the feminine, the day and the night, the spirit and the body without cutting off one from the other. The Germanic Pagans tried to understand the mysteries of the cosmos and human nature. The Gods and Goddesses are energies and symbols. They represent the natural forces and the different human qualities within the man and the woman. The tales of Northern mythology only tell the story of life, as it is, reality on earth and human relations, their strengths and weaknesses. There are no dogmas that tell the individual how to think, no threats of eternal damnation for following the own instincts. The individual can find his or her own way to the gods and goddesses.

My lyrics call to the spirits of nature and I express my longings, passions and views upon the world. Some songs are magical experiences; describing visions, dreams and Seidr trances (Northern shamanism).

My musical creations and my spiritual/ philosophical concept are a unity; they belong together. So it is quite natural that magazines focus on both.

Women indeed played an important role in the ancient Northern societies. Women had great influence. Their wisdom about the secrets of nature and their magical powers were recognised and often appreciated. A woman's strength, pride and courage were respected. This was not just the case in the Northern societies, but also in many other ancient cultures. Femininity has very many aspects. All the goddesses in Northern mythology have both so called light aspects and also hidden shadow aspects. They are not considered "evil" in any way; this word has been made up by the Christians to describe the things they do not understand. Through the myths we can learn about our many different qualities, our light aspects and our shadow aspects. Many Pagan cultures paid respect to gods and goddess alike, showing that men and women were more harmonious with each other.

Seidr is an ancient Northern form of magic, comparable to the practice of shamanism and Wicca (witchcraft). It was practised mainly by women and often in connection with fertility-rites, making use of intense emotions and natural substances. Seidr practise involves entering a trance, allowing the mind to travel to other dimensions of reality. There the practitioner would communicate with spirits, totem-animals or gods...I have been working with magic for over 10 years now. I have been a part of different occult orders in England and was working with various forms of magic. Seidr has always been viewed to be a feminine art and thus I feel Seidr is very natural for me to practice.

 

Is your personal patroness Skadi the goddess of hunt and winter? Why?

Skadi is the goddess of the hunt and the winter. She is a "Jotun", a giant and may well represent the primal woman, the woman of the snowy mountains, the huntress clad in furs who runs with the wolves. Skadi is a fighter, a survivor and on a personal level I can identify myself with her nature.

Yes, I am using Celtic and Nordic Folk instruments; some were indeed used already in Pagan times, like the Lyre or Harp. The instruments on the album Volven were Lyre, Strykelyre (a forerunner of the fiddle), Hurdy Gurdy, Swedish bagpipe, Mandolin and Irish flutes. I also use a lot of Synth sounds in the music to create a floating and visual atmosphere. I make all melodies in my head. I sing the melodies and play the drum beats to it and I usually have a full song in my mind. Than I work together with the musicians to realise the song.

The tour was very successful and it was very professionally organised. The audience appeared to be very impressed by Hagalaz' Runedance and found the music powerful and atmospheric. After the shows, the people were literally throwing themselves over the Hagalaz' Runedance merchandise and the guys from Hammerheart - the label, had to drive up three times to the venues with new merchandise. However, the STS audience was not really like my usual audience and I experienced quite many people coming up to us after the show telling us how "cool our music is", yet they did not care to know what Hagalaz' Runedance stands for.

What do the symbols in your t-shirts and books or newsletter mean?

Well, I don't know which symbols you are referring to, but I often use the Frigga figure. Nobody really knows if this ancient female figure really represents the goddess Frigga or plainly a Viking woman. I also use the 'helm of awe', a magical symbol of irresistibility, I also often use the Valknut, the three triangles, which represent the nine worlds in the Germanic spirituality.

Which is the concept behind "Volven"? Are you planning your next
recording and composing new music for it?

It is again a blend of my different visions, feelings, longings, experiences and view upon the world. The subjects range from my personal meetings or invocations of deities (Seeker Divine and Wake Skadi), longing to different worlds (On Wings of Rapture), lament for the passing summer and life in general (Solstice Past), dreams of mythical beings (Dreaming Wild White horses) and a mythical expression of somebody who touched my heart very much (Alva). 'Your World in My Eyes' describes my sadness and anger about the cruelty of mankind and 'Volven' is a vision about the wise woman. Again, many songs have a message for the modern world today. Yes, I am working on a new album.

My book "The Ancient Fires of Midgard" is dealing with Northern spirituality and the Pagan understanding of life, about the modern society, the damage caused by the monotheistic patriarchal religions, Northern myths and magic, the feminine mysteries, ancient traditions, seasonal rites, the sacredness of trees, herbs, self-development and natural childbirth. The book is, as all my creations, based very much on my own experiences, observances, studies and personal thoughts.

Are there any other artists that make a kind of music similar to what
you do? Can you name them?

There are bands that have similar Pagan concepts to mine, bands from the Neo-Folk scene, for example, like Hekate, Sol Invictus or Fire & Ice. Or 'Folk-Gothic' bands like 'Faith and the Muse'. Or medieval bands like 'Poeta Magica'. There is a Same woman who makes music in the style of her people - Mari Boine (The Same are a native people from Lappland - the North of Norway) I am also very inspired by her way of singing. Her songs are very anti-Christian.

Is there anything more that you want to say?

I hope the readers will find some inspiration in my music and my book.

To seek for your past, seek within yourself.

Interviewed by Federico Marongiu

Urd - That which was - MCD (1999)

Volven - CD (2000)