May 16, 2021 — Again, Hermóðr has ridden Óðinn’s Sleipnir for nine days and nine nights bringing news from Ásaland.

Our upcoming three-track concept EP will release in two versions, Wolves of Hyrkania (Aujum Unplugged) and Wolves of Hyrkania (Gothunni Metal Cut) in early June.

‘Wolves of Hyrkania’ is inspired by the tales and history of the Goths and the Huns — the former hailing from Scandinavia and the latter from the Eurasian steppe — who fought each other as the Huns invaded the Gothic lands of Aujum just north of the Black Sea some 1600 years ago.

Our three-track EP takes place in the 200s-500s AD and combines ancient war tones of the Eurasian steppe with Norse instrumentation to portray the legacy of the Goths and the Huns.

Historical Background

The first war between the Goths and the Huns is mentioned in Roman sources and Old Norse literature in works like the Icelandic poem Hlǫðsqviða (known in English as “The Battle of the Goths and Huns”.)

“Hlǫðsqviða suggests that Hulmul of the Gothic royal dynasty known as the Amalings ruled over the Huns a full two centuries before the Gothic-Hunnic war started around 375 AD.”

The clash divided the Goths into two groups; one joined forces with the Huns to become Gothunni warriors (misspelled in historical records as Greuthungi, also known as the Ostrogoths), while the other Goths became foederati (“men-at-arms”) of the Roman Empire and evolved into the Visigoths (who settled in Spain a few centuries later to create the Visigothic Kingdom.)

Interestingly, a verse in ‘Hlǫðsqviða’ (known in English as ‘The Battle of the Goths and Huns’) provides a list of ancient rulers of the Goths and the Huns. Although the poem is mythologized folklore and not a historical text, Hlǫðsqviða suggests that Hulmul of the Gothic royal dynasty known as the Amalings ruled over the Huns a full two centuries before the Gothic-Hunnic war started around 375 AD.

Whether the above is true or not, we may never find out — we have, however, noticed that others have recently made the same observation.

Of old they said Hulmul
of Huns was the ruler,
Gizur the Gautigoths,
of Gothorum Angantyr,
Valdar the Danes ruled,
and Kjár the Valir,
Valiant Alrek ruled
the Enskri people

Old Norse translation by Amajarl.