 NÅSTROND (Sweden) Draugr - All Arganas - Percussions, Computers |
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Nåstrond is found in the Nordic realm of death (but also death personified) Hel (hylja), - meaning “covered” or Nifelhel (the Dark Hel). It is a graveland with gloomy topography. It is found in the ultimate North. Downwards and to the North lies the way of Hel (nidhr ok nordhr liggr Helvegr). The orientation of Death in North is ancient. Already in the Age of Stone, did the Nordic people bury their dead in this direction, and the folkbelief has carried the direction over the Ages.
In North lay Nástrond (Naströnd, Nåstrand or Nastrondur “the beach of corpses”). It is located close to Nidafjäll and Nidavall, possibly also to Ámsvartnir. This hall stands far from the sun and even its doors faces Northwards. In Nastrond there is a large and horrible habitation. The door is formed of the backs of serpents, like a house built of wands. The Serpents makes a wickerwork of the walls and roof, while their venom drips and dribbles through the smoke-hole. All of the serpent-heads are turned into the house, and blow forth venom, so that this flows through the halls.
Nastrond is a place of punishment. Here dwell the oath-breakers, murderers and adulterers. Before they reach this hall though, they have to wade through the river Slidhr (Fearful). This is a river of knives and sharp swords, which drops from the east and rattles through venom vales. Nastrond could be compared to Nagelfar, a wessel or ship made up from the nails of dead men. This holds also similarity to the snake-pits found in the legends and in real Norse and Anglo-Saxon history.
At the shores of Nastrond is Nidhöggr, the dragon who tears the bodies of the dead, and makes the sky red of blood. Nidhöggr fly upwards from Nidafjäll, bearing corpses on its wings, possibly as a sign, showing that nothing is eternal. The dragon is one of the few creature to survive Ragnarök (Another is Surtr), which imply its un-creation. It is before and after, like Fire and Ice.
There is also a deeper level to the meaning of Nastrond, that is the seperation between body and soul (which also holds similarities to the meaning of Hvergelmir). There is a few leads in the Völuspá, telling us that Nidhöggr tears the bodies from the dead. This holds the meaning together with “beach of corpses” that this is the location where the physical bodies travel after death. There was a common burial form to use boats in Pre-Christian Scandinavia. These boats pointed the way to the Realm of Death. At Nastrond, they met up with land. Until this moment everyone had been treated equal. Those who had commit crimes were now here to stay, and pay for their deeds, because they could not leave their physical bodies, they were trapped, not as a part of some sort of divine punishment, but because of their injust actions that held them back. A similar punishment was given to Loki, after his responsibility to the killing of Baldur had been known. Also Loki was forced to bear the venom dripping on him. Eventually he was released from his prison. The same release must be given to the criminals kept at Nastrond, eventually. Nothing is eternal, not even death. It only keeps on evolving and changing.
Nastrond is thus a hall of separation between the physical body, which is torn by wolves, and Nidhöggr, the forces of destruction, that has to be there, that also gnaws on the roots of Yggdrasill, and by the non-physical or spiritual body that passes into Hel´s realm. The punishment is the entrapment of the physical body, containing the spiritual body in the limbo between life and death. When Hermod rides to Hel, to try to bring Baldur back, he founds the death goddess on Nastrond. This is showing how Hermod reaches the very last border, closest to death for a living being. This is how long he could enter into the Realm of Death.
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES
In June 1993, three men came together, earlier unknown to each other. They saw the idea of promoting their views and affection of the questions of life and death through the use of music and symbolism. The group called itself Trident, after the symbol the Devil (and Poseidon) was seen pointing with, as a symbol the world made him. Autumn reduced the group-members from three to two.
The group soon changed name to Nåstrond, the word became a combination between the ancient and the modern writing, yesterday and now, coming together in unity; Nastrond. At the time of Yule, Nåstrond released the first production: "The Black Winter". Three of the songs were later used on their demo "From A Black Funeral Coffin" in january 1994. This tape was released in 666 copies. And since several years ago, totally sold out.
During the Winter season 1994-1995 Nåstrond recorded, under much of problems, their 7"ep "Digerdöden" a sort of celebration of the 645 years that had passed since the bubonic plague ripped the spine of Europa. The cover featured “Pesta”. A Nordic female manifestation of the Plague.
The ignorance of "want to be" stories concerning "Vampirism" made the ground for the CD "Toteslaut". The Triumph of Death was an link between the songs which dealt with numerous things, all from the sadist king, Gilles de Rais, to Necromancy and Vampirism in Magick practises (Wamphyrism). During this phase, the band was also associated with the Black Order of the Dragon. An Occult lodge submitted to the Sinister Tradition.
During the year 1996, Nåstrond composed their second album “Age of Fire”. The themes had at this album changed. The lyrics worked more in the traditional Satanic and Luciferian theme and to the theme of war and liberation of the mind and physical existence. Nåstrond became, through their music on this album, close to soldiers with the mission to invoke the Sinister archetypes, such as Set, Tiamat and Satan.
The title track consists of hard drums joined with orchestral sounds creating the scene for a Cosmic War between the forces. The music took the step to become more industrial, and involved several parts of pre-recorded tapes, synth, sampling and keyboards. This step was taken even further when they recorded their third album “Celebration of the Four”, which was totally ritualistic, and where the four elements are taking personification through a given character. This album was finally released in 2004 by own label. The focus was the skull and the presence of the greater mind. It is now again kept in silence and waiting.
In 2005 the band came with a new release: "Vargtid", a split with the Greek band Nocternity, which shows the initiation to the regeneration of the spirit of Nåstrond. It is also a return to the Nordic cosmology and the theme of the end stages, the "Wolf Age" and the destruction of this present world.
In the continuation of “Vargtid”, a second split was planned in 2006 together with the Irish/Swedish band Myrkr. Also a new full-length album was recorded in late 2006, planned to be released in spring of 2007, by Debemur Morti Productions entitled “Muspellz Synir”. The Sons of Fire.
© Karl NE.
DISCOGRAPHY
"The Black Winter" - Rehearsal demo tape 1993
"From a Black Funeral Coffin" - Demo tape 1994
(This tape was re-released as LP/CD - Cryptia Productions - 2003)
"With Us Or Against Us" - CD V/A compilation -
Napalm Records - 1995
"Digerdöden" - EP -
Full Moon Productions - 1994
"Toteslaut" - CD -
Napalm Records - 1995
"Age of Fire" - CD -
Napalm Records - 1997
“Conquering The Ages” CD compilation 1993-2003 -
Cryptia Productions - 2004
“Celebration of the Four” CD (1997-2002) -
Nåstrond Productions - 2004 (limited edition)
“Vargtid/Times of Mist” (Nåstrond/Nocternity) Split ep/7” -
Debemur Morti Productions - 2005