Fylgjur (2013)
Instrumentation:
1st version: violin, harp, percussion
2nd version: violin, piano, percussion
Fylgjur was originally written for violin, harp and percussion and premiered by Gunnhildur Daðadóttir and Duo Harpverk in April 2013. In a newer version of the piece the harp part has been replaced with a piano part.
The Icelandic word fylgja (plural: fylgjur) can have several meanings. Most literally it means “someone or something that follows”. It is also used when referring to the afterbirth of a child. In Norse mythology fylgja is a supernatural being or creature that accompanies a person in connection to their fate or fortune, not unlike the Irish fetch or the German doppelgänger. Fylgjur usually appear in the form of animals and they commonly appear during sleep, but the sagas relate that they could appear while a person is awake as well, and that seeing one's fylgja is an omen of one's impending death. However, when fylgjur appear in the form of women, they are then supposedly guardian spirits for people or clans.