Nykkjen

Medieval ballad. Nykkjen, a mythical creature living in water, shapeshifts into a handsome young knight and rides into town. He enters the church where all the townspeople are gathering for mass. He seeks out the most beutiful girl he can find there. After the mass he meets her and promisees her a golden castle. She joins him on his horse, but soon understands that something is wrong. The speed is to fast, and a bedeviled song is sounding from the hills. Nykkjen reveals his true nature, and the girl is terrified. Deathly pale she turns to God for help, and in the same moment Nykkjen bursts like a dry bladderwrak. Traditional tune after Anders Lavik, Eksingedalen, Hordaland, Norway. Arrangement by Østerlide: Liv Ulvik (vocals), Andreas Haddeland (guitars), Ulrik Ibsen Thorsrud (percussion). Live performance from the digital festival "Folk fra Sentralen", recorded in Oslo December 2020.