Jurgen: All instruments, vocals
Bastiaan: lead guitars
Guests:
Erilaz: Old-Norse vocals
Mieke: Female Voice
The first print is strictly limited to 1,000 copies.
A vinyl version of the album was released in 2006 by the English label Ashes
Records.
Awakening of the Emperor
Sleeping heroes are a recurrent theme in European folklore; not only the German Emperor Frederik Barbarossa, but also historical figures and legendary heroes such as Widukind, Charlemagne, Ariovist, King Arthur, Holger Danske and the knights of Ållaberg are said to l
ie sleeping until their countries will need their assistance.
Rise!
“The emperor never really died;
He remains hidden in the mountain,
together with his loyal knights,
sleeping until he will be needed.”
In this era of darkness and despair
When all hope has left the hearts of man
A long awaited event draws near
The awakening of the Emperor
Rise, Germany, rise!
Take back your splendour!
“The glory of the empire vanished,
An age of slavery prevailed,
But one day he will return,
When the time is right”
Here the Emperor sleeps
A sharpened sword at hand
A beard red as blazing fire
Now reaching unto his feet
Rise, Germany, rise!
Take back your splendour!
“Once every hundred years
Alberich observes the ravens;
The Emperor will resume his rest,
enchanted for yet another century.”
(lead: Bastiaan)
As long as the ravens fly
The emperor remains asleep
One day an eagle will spread his wings
A shining sword shall bring order
Rise, Germany, rise!
Take back your splendour!
Tuisto
According to Tacitus, the Teutons hailed Tuisto as their mythic progenitor. His three grandsons are the direct ancestors of the Ingaevones, the Herminones and the Istaevones.
Born from the earth, early in time
Father of Mannuz, first of our kind
Tuisto …
Reaching back to the dawn of time
Your essence lies dormant in our blood
Tuisto …
“In this age of darkness
We reach for the power within
Oh, great father of all
Our connection to the soil
Immortalised in our being
Passed on through bonds of blood
Sons of Ingvæ
Irmin and Istvæ”
Along the borders of the North Sea shores
To the highest peaks of the north
Tuisto …
From the darkened woods in the south
To the Anglo-Saxon islands
Tuisto …
(lead: Bastiaan)
Thousands of years have gone by
The memory faded, but was not erased
Tuisto …
Engraved in northern slopes
Embedded in our very being
Tuisto …
Amandus
Contemporary history portrays the Christianisation of the Germanic territories as a beautiful, wonderful thing; however, Sagas and chronicles prove that the opposite is true. Amandus was a French missionary bishop who came to Flanders to spread “the new faith”. He was fiercely persecuted by the common people, who clung to the old faith; but he was sadly more successful with the greedy nobility.
Slithering from the south
Like a venomous snake
Carrying poison to our pagan blood
A herald of a degenerate faith
The runes are carved,
the swords are sharpened
We are eager to spill your blood
The runes are carved,
the swords are sharpened
Under the cloak of night we’ll come
“Pater noster, qui es in caelis,
sanctificetur nomen tuum.
Adveniat regnum tuum.
Fiat voluntas tua,
sicut in caelo et in terra.”
(Our Father, who art in heaven
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.)
“We oppose the rule of your god,
We tread upon the cross of slavery,
We rejoice when your temples burn;
Eternally we hail the one-eyed god”
Sent by the greed of Clotaire
To deceive the pagans of Ghent
Using trickery and foul deceit
To lure them into spiritual slavery
The runes are carved,
the swords are sharpened
We are eager to spill your blood
The runes are carved,
the swords are sharpened
Under the cloak of night we’ll come
Smash down our holy idols
Cut down our sacred oaks
The voice of our gods sounds eternally
Destined to outlive your wretched lies
Blót
The Old Norse word “blót” (Old English ”blôtan”) originally means “to strengthen” and is now used to refer to heathen sacrifice. The oldest form of this practice consists of laying down offerings near sacred places such as bogs, springs, falls, rocks and trees. Sacrifices can be made for good harvest, fertility and victory in combat...
(Do you know how to write?
Do you know how to read?
Do you know how to paint?
Do you know how to prove?
Do you know how to ask?
Do you know how to offer?
Do you know how to send?
Do you know how to spend?")
“Sigrúnar skaltu kunna,
ef þú vilt sigr hafa,
ok rista á hjalti hjörs,
ok nefna tysvar Tý.”
(Runes of victory you must know
if you want to be victorious
and carve them on the hilt
and name Týr twice)
Hail to Day!
Hail to the sons of Day!
To Night and her daughter hail!
With placid eyes
behold us here,
and here sitting
give us victory.
Hail to the Æsir!
Hail to the Asyniur!
Hail to the bounteous earth!
The Architect
Although christians tried to destroy every aspect of our heathen heritage, the theme of the Germanic myth of Loki and the master builder persisted as a common motif in Germanic folk tales. The giant is most often supplanted by the christian devil, while Loki is replaced by a folk hero or a clever peasant or priest...
“An architect and his horse
came to Asgard,
And offered to erect a wall,
To protect the mighty gods
From the wretched giants.
In exchange for this service,
He demanded a curious payment;
The goddess, Freyja, moon and sun,
Were to be delivered unto him”
(Lead: Jurgen)
Panic grew among the gods
As the mighty wall arose
Soon the work will be done
And the awful debt must be paid
How can the gods
part from moon and sun?
And deliver Freyja
to Jötunn hands?
In disguise
Loki lured the horse away
To prevent
Completion of the wall
(Lead: Bastiaan)
“The architect returned to Asgard
Only to find the Thunderer,
Who answered his rage
By crushing his skull”
Foreboding Dreams
At night Baldur was troubled by nightmares that foretold his death. Mounted on his eight-legged steed, Wuotan rode to the depths of Hel to consult a seeress from beyond the grave. At her burial mound, Wuotan sung magic chants to resurrect her. She, too, predicted that Baldur would soon be a guest in the realm of Hel...
Dream of darkness,
Dream of death
Dream of darkness,
Slowly hastening its tread
Grim dreams torment me at night
Dreams in which I foresee my own death
No distinct memory remains
Of these things that haunt me in my sleep
Only visions of my own demise
Lurking in the shadows of my mind
“Fear not, my troubled son.
All things on this earth will pledge an oath
Never to harm you in any way;
No evil will ever cross your path”
(Lead: Bastiaan)
Mounted on his eight-legged steed
Vegtamr rode to the depths of Niflhel
To resurrect a dead seeress
Who confirmed Balder’s untimely death
Proclaiming the downfall of the world
Before sinking back into her grave
Rígsþula
A long time ago, the god Heimdall wandered upon the earth using the name Rigr. On that occasion, his divine blood enriched the bloodlines of the three classes: Thrall (serfs), Karl (peasants) and Jarl (nobility). To each class he brought appropriate knowledge. Jarl learned to use weapons and shared in the wisdom of the runes. His youngest son, Konur, became the first king of Denmark.
“At kvaðu ganga
grænar brautir
oflgan ok alldinn
as kunnigan,
ramman ok roskvan
Rig stiganda.”
(Once walked, 'tis said,
the green ways along,
mighty and ancient,
a god most glorious;
strong and vigorous,
striding, Rig)
Rigr kunni þeim rað at segia,
reis hann upp þaðan, reðz at sofna,
meirr lagðiz hann miðrar rekkiu,
en a hlið hvára hion salkynna.
(Thence Rig uprose, prepared to rest,
well he knew how to give them counsel,
he laid him down in the middle of the bed,
and the home-folk twain upon either side)
The Sword of Cheru
The Norns decreed that whoever held the Sword of the god Cheru (Tîwaz/Týr) would come to rule the world, but would also meet his own demise because of the weapon. A number of Teutonic and Roman conquerors are said to have wielded this blade. Even Atilla the Hun would have possessed this mythic weapon. According to the legend, the duke of Alva was the last one to own the sword. Ever since, the weapon has been missing.
“Crafted by the sons of Ivald,
Once guarded in a temple,
Reflecting the morning sun,
Now a tool in the hands of the Norns”
Whoever wields it rules the world!
Given to him by a stranger
Vitellius owned the sword
Hailing him as the emperor
Eventually meaning his downfall
Whoever wields it will meet his end!
“Flung by fate,
into the hands of a German soldier;
He cut off Vitellius’ head
with the sacred sword”
"Wherever he and his sword were found
Victory on the battlefield was assured"
Time passed by
The Scourge of God held the blade
Assuring victory upon victory
Until Ildico helped fate
Whoever wields it rules the world!
The Frozen Seas of Atland
There are many theories concerning the location of the mythic continent Atlantis, and the reason why it disappeared. One theory states that a meteor caused the axis and the tectonic plates of the earth to shift. Atlantis ended up in the polar area: the South Pole. Imagine a lost civilisation, buried under tons of ice...
Here our memory lies
frozen in ice
erased from this earth
awaiting rebirth.
"Our mortal lives are long gone
but our recollection is clear
I remember the day
when the earth trembled
and when fire filled the sky
The stars lost their place
The serpent beat the waves
I heard the howling in the air
The wolf broke his chains"
The end came so fast
destroying the kings of man
Wiping cities away
civilisation ends here
... and our bodies lie
buried in the sea
... and our legacy died
Treachery
Charlemagne waged a war against the heathen Saxons. Unable to defeat them in combat, he invited the Saxons to discuss a peace treaty. Instead of discussing peace, he ordered 4500 unarmed men to be decapitated. This is the nature of christianity; treachery and deceit.
A shadow rose across the land
and found its way into the hearts of man
captured by an alien faith
men turned into scum of the earth
“All the treachery in your name
resistance was in vain
All the oaths and pledges you took
wiped away for your selfish gain
you betrayed your father’s gods
for the glory of Christ
you devastated your people
for this selfish lie”
Marching on to the Saxon stronghold
hoping to spread this disease
A disease you call faith
you fight and struggle
why does your “god” stay clear?
“All the treachery in your name
resistance was in vain
All the oaths and pledges you took
wiped away for your selfish gain
You betrayed your father’s gods
for the glory of Christ
you devastated your people
for this selfish lie”
Your nature urges you to deceive
kill unarmed men
the goal justifies the means
You cannot serve both
your conscience and your “god”
Dream of wealth,
all you see are pools of blood.
Rise!
“The emperor never really died;
He remains hidden in the mountain,
together with his loyal knights,
sleeping until he will be needed.”
In this era of darkness and despair
When all hope has left the hearts of man
A long awaited event draws near
The awakening of the Emperor
Rise, Germany, rise!
Take back your splendour!
“The glory of the empire vanished,
An age of slavery prevailed,
But one day he will return,
When the time is right”
Here the Emperor sleeps
A sharpened sword at hand
A beard red as blazing fire
Now reaching unto his feet
Rise, Germany, rise!
Take back your splendour!
“Once every hundred years
Alberich observes the ravens;
The Emperor will resume his rest,
enchanted for yet another century.”
(lead: Bastiaan)
As long as the ravens fly
The emperor remains asleep
One day an eagle will spread his wings
A shining sword shall bring order
Rise, Germany, rise!
Take back your splendour!
Tuisto
According to Tacitus, the Teutons hailed Tuisto as their mythic progenitor. His three grandsons are the direct ancestors of the Ingaevones, the Herminones and the Istaevones.
Born from the earth, early in time
Father of Mannuz, first of our kind
Tuisto …
Reaching back to the dawn of time
Your essence lies dormant in our blood
Tuisto …
“In this age of darkness
We reach for the power within
Oh, great father of all
Our connection to the soil
Immortalised in our being
Passed on through bonds of blood
Sons of Ingvæ
Irmin and Istvæ”
Along the borders of the North Sea shores
To the highest peaks of the north
Tuisto …
From the darkened woods in the south
To the Anglo-Saxon islands
Tuisto …
(lead: Bastiaan)
Thousands of years have gone by
The memory faded, but was not erased
Tuisto …
Engraved in northern slopes
Embedded in our very being
Tuisto …
Amandus
Contemporary history portrays the Christianisation of the Germanic territories as a beautiful, wonderful thing; however, Sagas and chronicles prove that the opposite is true. Amandus was a French missionary bishop who came to Flanders to spread “the new faith”. He was fiercely persecuted by the common people, who clung to the old faith; but he was sadly more successful with the greedy nobility.
Slithering from the south
Like a venomous snake
Carrying poison to our pagan blood
A herald of a degenerate faith
The runes are carved,
the swords are sharpened
We are eager to spill your blood
The runes are carved,
the swords are sharpened
Under the cloak of night we’ll come
“Pater noster, qui es in caelis,
sanctificetur nomen tuum.
Adveniat regnum tuum.
Fiat voluntas tua,
sicut in caelo et in terra.”
(Our Father, who art in heaven
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.)
“We oppose the rule of your god,
We tread upon the cross of slavery,
We rejoice when your temples burn;
Eternally we hail the one-eyed god”
Sent by the greed of Clotaire
To deceive the pagans of Ghent
Using trickery and foul deceit
To lure them into spiritual slavery
The runes are carved,
the swords are sharpened
We are eager to spill your blood
The runes are carved,
the swords are sharpened
Under the cloak of night we’ll come
Smash down our holy idols
Cut down our sacred oaks
The voice of our gods sounds eternally
Destined to outlive your wretched lies
Blót
The Old Norse word “blót” (Old English ”blôtan”) originally means “to strengthen” and is now used to refer to heathen sacrifice. The oldest form of this practice consists of laying down offerings near sacred places such as bogs, springs, falls, rocks and trees. Sacrifices can be made for good harvest, fertility and victory in combat...
“Veistu hve rísta skal?
Veistu hve ráða skal?
Veistu hve fáa skal?
Veistu hve freista skal?
Veistu hve biðja skal?
Veistu hve blóta skal?
Veistu hve senda skal?
Veistu hve sóa skal?”
(Do you know how to write?
Do you know how to read?
Do you know how to paint?
Do you know how to prove?
Do you know how to ask?
Do you know how to offer?
Do you know how to send?
Do you know how to spend?")
“Sigrúnar skaltu kunna,
ef þú vilt sigr hafa,
ok rista á hjalti hjörs,
ok nefna tysvar Tý.”
(Runes of victory you must know
if you want to be victorious
and carve them on the hilt
and name Týr twice)
Hail to Day!
Hail to the sons of Day!
To Night and her daughter hail!
With placid eyes
behold us here,
and here sitting
give us victory.
Wuotan ... Valfaðr
Wuotan ... Valfaðr
Wuotan ... Valfaðr
Wuotan ... Valfaðr
Hail to the Æsir!
Hail to the Asyniur!
Hail to the bounteous earth!
The Architect
Although christians tried to destroy every aspect of our heathen heritage, the theme of the Germanic myth of Loki and the master builder persisted as a common motif in Germanic folk tales. The giant is most often supplanted by the christian devil, while Loki is replaced by a folk hero or a clever peasant or priest...
“An architect and his horse
came to Asgard,
And offered to erect a wall,
To protect the mighty gods
From the wretched giants.
In exchange for this service,
He demanded a curious payment;
The goddess, Freyja, moon and sun,
Were to be delivered unto him”
(Lead: Jurgen)
Panic grew among the gods
As the mighty wall arose
Soon the work will be done
And the awful debt must be paid
How can the gods
part from moon and sun?
And deliver Freyja
to Jötunn hands?
In disguise
Loki lured the horse away
To prevent
Completion of the wall
(Lead: Bastiaan)
“The architect returned to Asgard
Only to find the Thunderer,
Who answered his rage
By crushing his skull”
Foreboding Dreams
At night Baldur was troubled by nightmares that foretold his death. Mounted on his eight-legged steed, Wuotan rode to the depths of Hel to consult a seeress from beyond the grave. At her burial mound, Wuotan sung magic chants to resurrect her. She, too, predicted that Baldur would soon be a guest in the realm of Hel...
Dream of darkness,
Dream of death
Dream of darkness,
Slowly hastening its tread
Grim dreams torment me at night
Dreams in which I foresee my own death
No distinct memory remains
Of these things that haunt me in my sleep
Only visions of my own demise
Lurking in the shadows of my mind
“Fear not, my troubled son.
All things on this earth will pledge an oath
Never to harm you in any way;
No evil will ever cross your path”
(Lead: Bastiaan)
Mounted on his eight-legged steed
Vegtamr rode to the depths of Niflhel
To resurrect a dead seeress
Who confirmed Balder’s untimely death
Proclaiming the downfall of the world
Before sinking back into her grave
Rígsþula
A long time ago, the god Heimdall wandered upon the earth using the name Rigr. On that occasion, his divine blood enriched the bloodlines of the three classes: Thrall (serfs), Karl (peasants) and Jarl (nobility). To each class he brought appropriate knowledge. Jarl learned to use weapons and shared in the wisdom of the runes. His youngest son, Konur, became the first king of Denmark.
“At kvaðu ganga
grænar brautir
oflgan ok alldinn
as kunnigan,
ramman ok roskvan
Rig stiganda.”
(Once walked, 'tis said,
the green ways along,
mighty and ancient,
a god most glorious;
strong and vigorous,
striding, Rig)
Rigr kunni þeim rað at segia,
reis hann upp þaðan, reðz at sofna,
meirr lagðiz hann miðrar rekkiu,
en a hlið hvára hion salkynna.
(Thence Rig uprose, prepared to rest,
well he knew how to give them counsel,
he laid him down in the middle of the bed,
and the home-folk twain upon either side)
The Sword of Cheru
The Norns decreed that whoever held the Sword of the god Cheru (Tîwaz/Týr) would come to rule the world, but would also meet his own demise because of the weapon. A number of Teutonic and Roman conquerors are said to have wielded this blade. Even Atilla the Hun would have possessed this mythic weapon. According to the legend, the duke of Alva was the last one to own the sword. Ever since, the weapon has been missing.
“Crafted by the sons of Ivald,
Once guarded in a temple,
Reflecting the morning sun,
Now a tool in the hands of the Norns”
Whoever wields it rules the world!
Given to him by a stranger
Vitellius owned the sword
Hailing him as the emperor
Eventually meaning his downfall
Whoever wields it will meet his end!
“Flung by fate,
into the hands of a German soldier;
He cut off Vitellius’ head
with the sacred sword”
"Wherever he and his sword were found
Victory on the battlefield was assured"
Time passed by
The Scourge of God held the blade
Assuring victory upon victory
Until Ildico helped fate
Whoever wields it rules the world!
The Frozen Seas of Atland
There are many theories concerning the location of the mythic continent Atlantis, and the reason why it disappeared. One theory states that a meteor caused the axis and the tectonic plates of the earth to shift. Atlantis ended up in the polar area: the South Pole. Imagine a lost civilisation, buried under tons of ice...
Here our memory lies
frozen in ice
erased from this earth
awaiting rebirth.
"Our mortal lives are long gone
but our recollection is clear
I remember the day
when the earth trembled
and when fire filled the sky
The stars lost their place
The serpent beat the waves
I heard the howling in the air
The wolf broke his chains"
The end came so fast
destroying the kings of man
Wiping cities away
civilisation ends here
... and our bodies lie
buried in the sea
... and our legacy died
Treachery
Charlemagne waged a war against the heathen Saxons. Unable to defeat them in combat, he invited the Saxons to discuss a peace treaty. Instead of discussing peace, he ordered 4500 unarmed men to be decapitated. This is the nature of christianity; treachery and deceit.
A shadow rose across the land
and found its way into the hearts of man
captured by an alien faith
men turned into scum of the earth
“All the treachery in your name
resistance was in vain
All the oaths and pledges you took
wiped away for your selfish gain
you betrayed your father’s gods
for the glory of Christ
you devastated your people
for this selfish lie”
Marching on to the Saxon stronghold
hoping to spread this disease
A disease you call faith
you fight and struggle
why does your “god” stay clear?
“All the treachery in your name
resistance was in vain
All the oaths and pledges you took
wiped away for your selfish gain
You betrayed your father’s gods
for the glory of Christ
you devastated your people
for this selfish lie”
Your nature urges you to deceive
kill unarmed men
the goal justifies the means
You cannot serve both
your conscience and your “god”
Dream of wealth,
all you see are pools of blood.