I am always interested in mythology from various countries and eras, and the resurgence of interest in Vikings encouraged me to read some of the legends. Viking mythology is full of tales of the gods and their great virtues and deeds. The mythology also has a wide variety of beasts and birds, each with their own characteristics and behaviours. This piece explores the features of some of those creatures.

I. Gullinkambi, the red rooster that crows to the gods.

II. Nidhug: Corpse Eater, the dragon that lives in Hel, in Niflheim, at the root of the tree Yggdrasil, feeding on the roots of the tree and the corpses of the dead.

III. Eikthyrnir, the deer that stands on the roof of Valhalla, Heaven, and eats from the roots of the great oak tree, while water drips from its horns.

IV. Huginn and Munin, the two ravens of Odin, most powerful god of the Norse, who fly out over the world every morning and return every evening to whisper what they have seen and heard to Odin.

Commissioned by Epsom Brass, with funding from Arts Tasmania. The premiere performance was given by Outback Brass in Sydney in 2024, and the piece is on their new album released October 2024.

Instrumentation: brass quintet (2 trumpets, 1 horn, 1 tenor trombone, 1 bass trombone)

Duration: 13 minutes