The PAGAN MUSIC LIST is an attempt to create a comprehensive list of Pagan, Heathen, Esoteric, Animist, and related music that we listen to and love. We include embedded YouTube, Soundcloud, or Bandcamp links when possible for each artist.

Previous collections in this series have been archived here, and new collections of reviews will be posted monthly (supporters get early access to new collections—find out more here).

We also provide a constantly updated index of artists that we have reviewed by name and genre.

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Collection 14: Elane, Sowulo, Daemonia Nymphe

Elane

Folk

Recommended Album: Arcane

Artist Website: http://fantasyfolk.de/elaneshop/ (currently offline)

Elane has been a stable of German folk, and goth festivals for two decades, though they don’t quite qualify as pagan according to most measures. Instead, their music is more mythic and fantastical, often based on works of fiction rather than traditional myths and stories.

Often their songs feel like they are soundtracks to well-produced fantasy films. In fact, they’ve also created concept albums to go along with elven-themed board games and two albums inspired by a popular German fantasy writer. Still, readers who like performers such as Loreena McKennitt or bands such as Blackmore’s Night will probably like Elane, if they do not already know them.

I’ve included only one song from them in this collection, “My Ivory Fairy.”

Sowulo

Nordic/Heathen

Recommended Album: Sol

Artist Website: https://www.sowulo.nl/home

Sowulo—which is also the name of the Nordic rune for the letter S (transcribed often as Sowilo)—is a Dutch heathen project of Faber Horbach, who is also one of the members of Heilung. The same spirit of that band manifests through Sowulo as well, though it’s much more instrumental and ambient.

My favorite album from Sowulo is the second release, Sol, as all the music is acoustic and quite beautiful. Two instrumentals in particular are quite mythic: Ginnungagap (the Norse word for the primeval void) and Alsvidr (one of the horses that pull the chariot of the Sun).

Also of note is their version of Vänner Och Fränder, which is slightly better than my other favorite version by Garmarna.

Daemonia Nymphe

Vocal, Traditional

Recommended Album: Psychostasia

Artist Website: http://www.daemonianymphe.com/news/

Daemonia Nymphe is both a band and a performance group which performs music on reconstructed ancient Greek instruments. Around since 1994, the two primary members (Evi Stergiou and Spyros Giasafakis) have performed in countless venues and in collaboration with many well-known artists (including Dead Can Dance and one of the founding members of Massive Attack).

Their music is quite stunning, and deeply pagan, with lyrics often about Hellenic gods and goddesses.

Regarding lyrics, however, it’s a bit difficult to actually understand what they are singing about. Here’s the lyrics to one of my favorite songs in case maybe you happen to understand ancient Greek (I don’t).

Είνοδίαν Έκάτην
κλήιζω, τριοδίτιν,
ουρανίαν χθονίαν
τε και ειναλίαν,

κροκόπεπλον, τυμβιδίαν,
ψυχαίς νεκύων μετά βακχεύουσαν,
Περσείαν, φιλέρημον,
νυκτερίαν, θηρόβρομον,

Είνοδίαν Έκάτην
κλήιζω, τριοδίτιν,
ουρανίαν χθονίαν
τε και ειναλίαν.

And here’s my other favorite song by them, again in Ancient Greek:

Γαῖα θεά, μῆτερ μακάρων, θνητῶν τ' ἀνθρώπων,
πάντροφε, πανδώτειρα, τελεσφόρε, παντολέτειρα,
αὐξιθαλής, φερέκαρπε, καλαῖς ὥρῃσι βρύουσα·

ἕδρανον ἀθανάτου κόσμου, πολυποίκιλε κούρη,
ἣ λοχίαις ὠδῖσι κύεις καρπὸν πολυειδῆ·
ἀϊδίη, πολύσεπτε, βαθύστερν', ὀλβιόμοιρε,
ἡδυπνόοις χαίρουσα χλόαις, πολυάνθεμε δαῖμον·

ὀμβροχαρής, περὶ τὴν κόσμος πολυδαίδαλος ἄστρων
εἱλεῖται φύσει ἀενάῳ καὶ ῥεύμασι δεινοῖς.
ἀλλά, μάκαιρα θεὰ, καρποὺς αὔξοις πολυγηθεῖς,
εὐμενὲς ἦτορ ἔχουσα, σὺν ὀλβίοισιν ἐν ὥραις

The Pagan Music List 14: Elane, Sowulo, Daemonia Nymphe