The Influence of Traditional Icelandic Music on
Modern Day Icelandic Bands
Jasmin Macarios
001035-0034
Rubric: Music
West Morris Mendham High School
Word Count: 3713
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Abstract
The traditional music of Iceland dates back to the 14th century. As Iceland changed, the
musical practices of both rímur and tvísöngur remained dominant forms of entertainment and
musical expression until the 20th century. In the last century, the emergences of rock bands and
musicians that follow a more western musical style have taken over from the traditional forms of
music. Because of the presence of rímur and tvísöngur as a dominant form of entertainment and
Icelanders’ reputation for preserving their culture, I chose to investigate how the musical
traditions rímur and tvísöngur are present in the modern bands that are emerging in Iceland
today.
Using records and descriptions from both primary and secondary sources, such as the
Kvæðamannafélagið Iðunn, and the book Íslenzk Þjóðalög, I was able to piece together the
essence of the rímur and tvísöngur traditions. I chose to investigate the music of four modern
groups in Iceland. I listened to their music and read interviews with the groups. I was able to
make an analysis of their music and locate traces of the rímur and tvísöngur traditions in their
music. Each band displayed the influence in its own unique way. Sigur Rós displayed it in their
song length, method of composition, and collaborations with rímur chanter Steindór Andersen.
Árstíðir’s music reflected harmonies found commonly in tvísöngur and lyrics similar to the
poetry used in rímur. Svavar Knútur’s performances mirror the environment and setting rímur
were commonly performed in, and Of Monsters and Men use their music to tell old stories and
adventures, in the way that rímur served as a way for Icelanders to share stories of the Norse
gods. Each of these examples demonstrates widespread and influential presence rímur and
tvísöngur have in the music in modern Icelandic bands today.
Word count: 295
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Table of Contents
Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 3
Traditional Icelandic Music ............................................................................................................ 3
Defining Characteristics of Rímur .............................................................................................. 3
Defining Characteristics of Tvísöngur ........................................................................................ 6
Present Day Artists ......................................................................................................................... 8
Sigur Rós ..................................................................................................................................... 8
Árstíðir ...................................................................................................................................... 11
Svavar Knútur ........................................................................................................................... 12
Of Monsters and Men ................................................................................................................ 14
Conclusion .................................................................................................................................... 16
Works Cited .................................................................................................................................. 17
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Introduction
Iceland has independently developed its own distinct music traditions different from
those of any other countries. Two of the most distinct and better known Icelandic musical
traditions are rímur and tvísöngur, which have both existed in the country since the 1300s. Over
the last century Iceland’s music has moved away from its traditional roots and a more modern
style of music has developed, more similar to Western style music. The old traditional Icelandic
music, which may at first seem drastically different from the modern music coming out of
Iceland now, still has influence and importance that can be heard throughout a variety of modern
Icelandic groups. This paper will examine what influences and traces of traditional Icelandic
music are present in the music of modern day Icelandic bands.
Traditional Icelandic Music
Defining Characteristics of Rímur
Rímur were narrative poems that were chanted a cappella by a man known as a
kvæðamaður, or intoner who would sometimes travel to different villages to perform
(Sigurðsson). The word rímur directly translated into English means “rhymes”. Those who
wrote rímur adapted ancient sagas and heroic tales to fit into rhyming stanzas.
Most rímur were performed during kvöldvaka, or evening gatherings, which were held
during the long winter evenings as people worked on their chores such as spinning and weaving
(Hopkins and Sigurbjörnsson). They were also sung among fishermen and farmers while they
worked in order to share stories (Ólafsson and Þorsteinsdóttir).
Traditional rímur began with Mansöngvar, which were similar to a prelude, and
completely unrelated to the rímur story itself. Mansöngvar usually depicted topical issues, love
stories, or personal opinions of the writer ("Hvað Getið Þið Sagt Mér Um Rímur?"). The main
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story was divided into several chapters, each of which had its own meter. Each of these chapters
had several stanzas and verses which all usually utilized the same meter. The stanzas usually had
from two to four lines and no refrain. They were considered hard to compose, yet fairly simple
once one became familiar with the structure and metrics (Ólafsdóttir 104-116).
Rímur generally had a slow, steady tempo at a loud dynamic. The kvæðamaður would
draw out the last note of each verse and raise it in pitch as well as volume. Rímur were
monophonic and characterized largely by the use of ancient modes and intervals not exactly
parallel to those used in Western music (Ólafsson and Þorsteinsdóttir).
The poems were written according to strict rhyming schemes and meter and often
contained specific sound patterns such as alliterations and assonance. The names of three of the
most common structures were fornyrðislag, ljóðaháttur, and the most complex, dróttkvæður.
They often featured both end rhyme, usually in an A B A B pattern, and internal rhyme. Words
could have one, two, or three rhyming syllables. They often had eight lines of poetry with 2-3
stressed syllables per line depending on the form. Depending on the form there were usually two
or three groups of alliterative words. Alliteration was only used for meaningful words, and was
considered weak if used for words that were considered unimportant to the meaning of the poem.
Hrímfaxi heitir,
er hverja dregur
nótt of nýt regin;
méldropa fellir hann
morgun hvern;
þaðan kemur dögg um dala.
-Valþrúðnismál
The previous example demonstrates one of the alliterative patterns commonly used in
ljóðaháttur.
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Dvínar mátt við mærðar slag
mansöngs þátt að greina,
vanda hátt, þó veikt sé lag,
verður brátt að reyna.
-Þorvaldur Magnússon
This excerpt demonstrates both internal rhyme and end rhyme with an A B A B pattern
(Kvæðamannafélagið Iðunn).
The poetry of the rímur was the Eddas of the Vikings, and depicted tales of the Norse
Gods and their adventures. One of the more well known examples of Edda is Völuspá, which
details the creation of the earth, introduces the different Norse Gods, and explains their histories
(Sturluson). Rímur were one of the main ways Icelanders were able to pass down their epic
Sagas, Eddas, and the histories of the people before them. Because of this, rímur was one of the
main factors in preserving the old culture and history of the Icelandic people (Benediktsson).
Two devices used to tell these stories that were commonly found in rímur were heiti and
kenning. Heiti was a name that was used in place of a person’s actual name, while kenning was a
complex metaphor or analogy that had ancient origins. They were most commonly seen in the
use of one word, to mean another seemingly unrelated word. Both heiti and kenning were used to
keep the flow and meter of the poem without changing the meaning (Kvæðamannafélagið
Iðunn).
Rímur were also unique because until recently, they were remembered entirely orally and
constantly changing as they were passed from person to person. Many rímur tunes were created
spontaneously as the kvæðamaður was chanting and they often used a similar tune for each
stanza changing it to fit the new meter of each section (Ólafsdóttir 104-116). Tunes were not
specific to the poems, and poems were not specific to the tunes. A poem’s tune could even
change depending on the town and area in which it was sung. Neither rímur nor tvísöngur were
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made to be written down, in fact, many felt writing them down with traditional notation removed
the life and soul from the songs (Þórarinsson).
Little is known about the exact development of rímur, but the oldest known rímur was
said to have been written sometime in the late 14th century, and the tradition, while less
prominent, still continues to be practiced in Iceland more than five hundred years later
(“History”) The following image is a notation of rímur from Íslenzk Þjóðlög.
Figure 1 Sample of Rímur recorded by Rev. Bjarni Þorsteinsson (Þorsteinsson)
Defining Characteristics of Tvísöngur
Tvísöngur is another ancient Icelandic musical tradition. Like rímur, it is entirely a
cappella, although two people sing tvísöngur as the name literally means “bi-sung” (Ólafsson
and Þorsteinsdóttir). In addition to having two voice parts, tvísöngur is polyphonic, and features
many of the qualities of medieval organum.
Rev. Bjarni’s1 book, Íslenzk Þjóðlög, refers to the main voice as the tenor voice and the
following voice as the bassus. The tenor voice sings the main part of the song, or the melody,
while the bassus sings harmonies both above and below the tenor’s notes. Often both voices start
on the same note and then the bassus sings parallel fifths below the tenor until they meet on the
tri tone and then the song continues with the bassus singing a perfect fifth above the tenor
(Þórarinsson).
1
Icelandic last names are patronymics; it is considered polite in Icelandic culture to refer to the person by first name
rather than the patronymic.
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As with in rímur, ancient modes were also popular in tvísöngur, particularly the Lydian
mode. Although according to Íslenzk Þjóðlög, there is some speculation on whether the songs
were created based on a uniquely Icelandic tone scale that was later classified as being similar to
the Lydian mode of the Medieval Church (Þórsteinsson). As the Catholic Church’s influence
took hold in Iceland, tvísöngur tunes featured less and less of the tri tone and Lydian mode as the
church tried to bring the country in the direction of traditional Western music.
The lyrics and form of tvísöngur were not as strict as those of rímur. They were not
required to have the same strict rhyming scheme, alliteration, and meter as rímur. Their use was
more flexible and could be either serious and solemn or happy. People even sang them during
mass or religious celebrations. Even the Catholic Church’s hymns were sung in this style before
it banned them because it considered the harmonies unorthodox. In addition to being sung as
sacred tunes, many tvísöngur are also drinking songs and satirical folk tunes meant for
entertainment or to accompany dances (Benediktsson). The following sample, “Þá Var Jeg
Ungur”, is also found in Íslenzk Þjóðlög and is an example of tvísöngur.
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Figure 2 Sample of Tvísöngur recorded by Rev. Bjarni Þorsteinsson (Þorsteinsson)
Present Day Artists
Sigur Rós
Sigur Rós is an Icelandic band formed in the year 1994. The band consists of three
members, Jón ‘Jónsi’ Þór Birgisson, Orri Páll Dýrason, and Georg Holm. Throughout their
career, they have released seven albums. Their songs feature both traditional rock band
instruments such as guitars, drums, and pianos, along with instruments that aren’t commonly
found in a rock band setting, for instance, celestes, and organs. (“About Sigur Rós”).
In 2000, Sigur Rós recorded “Bíum Bíum Bambaló”, an old Icelandic lullaby. The lullaby
had before then only been passed down by word of mouth, and Sigur Rós’s recording was the
first time it had ever been recorded (“Englar Alheimsins”). The song features the traditional
Icelandic lyrics sung by Jónsi, backed by drums and Jónsi’s bowed guitar (Birgisson, et al).
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In 2001, the band released an EP titled Rímur, which was a six song collaboration
between the band and the chairman of the Kvæðamannafélagið Iðunn, Steindór Andersen
("Steindór Andersen / Rímur EP"). The tracks “Vorvísur” and “Rímur af Göngu-Hrólfi” feature
Andersen chanting rímur unaccompanied in the traditional stype. The other four tracks,
“Mansöngur”, Fjöll í austri”, “Á ferð til Breiðarfjarðar vorið 1922”, and “Lækurinn” all include
the band playing with the rímur, incorporating Steindór’s chanting into their rock music (Rímur).
In 2002, Sigur Rós collaborated with Andersen again for the Hrafnagaldur Óðins
concert. Hrafnagaldur Óðins is an Old Norse Edda which describes the adventures of Odin and
his raven companions, Hugin and Munin. An
Icelandic composer named Hilmar Örn
Hilmarsson composed the music for the
concert with Sigur Rós. The concert featured
Steindór chanting a known Edda in the
traditional style with accompaniment from
Figure 3 Steindór Andersen chanting rímur with Sigur Rós
(Steindór Andersen / Rímur EP)
Sigur Rós and The London Sinfonietta The
concert, like the Rímur EP, combined the old traditional Icelandic style with a more modern style
by adding instruments such as electric guitar and a synthesizer to accompany the traditionally a
cappella singing. The rímur itself follows its traditional pattern of intonation, with a change in
meter marking the beginning of a new section of the poem. The voices of The Sixteen Choir
joined the main chanting voice. They added harmonies in parallel fifths in addition to thirds and
sixths to keep some of the rímur tonality. (Hrafnagaldur Óðins)
In 2007, Sigur Rós filmed a documentary called Heima, which is an account of their
summer tour around Iceland. While on their tour, Sigur Rós teamed up with Steindór Andersen
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again. Together they performed rímur chants for the Icelandic Þorrablót tradition, a winter meal
where many people gather together to eat while rímur, tvísöngur, and poetry are performed
during and after the meal. Of the band members, Kjartan Sveinsson, also performed tvísöngur
with members of the Kvæðamannafélagið Iðunn during the meal. In an interview in the
documentary, Kjartan describes his interest in “exploring [the traditions] like the rímur [and] the
old chanting style”. Jónsi, who is also interviewed about the performance, conveys his feelings
about participating in the old tradition. “When [Steindór] started to chant… something connected
inside of me… it’s so beautiful” (DeBlois).
In contrast to the traditional Icelandic music, several instruments join Jónsi’s singing.
About half of the songs do not feature words, which is unlike the chanted poems of rímur. The
homophonic and polyphonic nature of the music often follows more popular Western styles, and
strays from perfect fifths, octaves, and older modes such as in their song “Við spilum endalaust”.
While all of these characteristics point to a more Western type of music, Sigur Rós’ Icelandic
roots can clearly be heard. Through a fascination with their own culture, the band has often
performed new renditions of old Icelandic songs, even recording a few for the first time. They
have found new ways to present rímur to a younger generation of Icelanders in addition to the
rest of the world, shedding light on a unique tradition. Like the rímur songs, Sigur Rós create
their music by improvising. They play and sing their music all by ear without writing it down or
noting it as sheet music, much in the same way rímur and tvísöngur were carried through
generations and remembered orally. The presentation of the band’s music, with its unusual
rhythm changes, dynamic Icelandic lyrics, and unusually long song length reflect traces of their
Icelandic roots, and a deep connection between the band’s contemporary music and the old
traditional Icelandic music.
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Árstíðir
Árstíðir is another Icelandic band from Reykjavík. Significantly newer than Sigur Rós, it
began in 2008. Daníel Auðunsson, Gunnar Már Jakobsson, Karl James Pestka and Ragnar
Ólafsson are the current members. Together they have released three full length albums featuring
the sounds of guitars, cellos, violins, violas, pianos, and vocals. Their songs often include unique
harmonies not often found in most popular Western music (“Artist Bio”).
Recently Árstíðir recorded themselves in the Wuppertal train station while on tour in
Germany, performing an old Icelandic song, “Heyr Himna Smiður”. The song follows the style
of traditional a cappella Icelandic music,
containing parallel fifths in the harmonies
and musical canon. The band also recently
released its own traditional Icelandic style
song, “Þér Ég Unni”, which also follows
the same harmonic and a cappella style of
the traditional music (Icelandic Music
Figure 4 Árstíðir performs Heyr himna smiður a cappella (Heyr,
himna smiður (live at Wuppertal train station, Germany 2013))
Export). In an interview with a Polish TV station, the band mentioned they enjoy learning
traditional Icelandic music and using it to practice their singing. For them it is “just a natural
thing to put the harmonies into [their] own songs too”. (Radio Kraków).
In addition to singing and creating old Icelandic hymns, Árstíðir has released three
contemporary albums in a more modern style. These albums feature vocals in either English or
Icelandic, accompanied by various instruments such as piano or cello. While these albums have a
much more modern sound than their a cappella songs and the instrumentation takes after a more
Western musical style, Árstíðir’s songs still retain the influence from the old Icelandic songs.
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Throughout both their albums, there exist hints to their Icelandic background in almost every
song which can be heard most prominently through their vocal harmonies.
In their second album, Svefns og Vöku Skil, many of the songs such as “Ljóð í Sand and
“Lost in You” feature prominent parallel fifths that can be found in both the vocal harmonies and
the harmonies formed between the violin and cello (Svefns og Vöku Skil). The use of fifths in
their songs reflects the band’s use of old Icelandic hymns to practice their harmonizing.
In the song “Næturylur”, the lyrics contain a pattern of alliteration commonly used in the
poetic forms of rímur. The phrase “það þykir mér þreytt/þunglyndið umlykur grátt” contains
repetitions of the letter Þ2 in the words það, þykir, þreytt and þunglyndið (“Næturylur”).
Árstíðir has brought down and preserved a specific tonality in their music, in their hopes
to bring awareness of the old singing traditions to the current music scene in Iceland. Their
popular video on YouTube of them singing an old Icelandic hymn has been viewed in several
different countries, including the United States, increasing awareness of this old style of
Icelandic singing across the world. Árstíðir, like Sigur Rós, has also found their own unique
ways of preserving and presenting the old Icelandic sound through their music.
Svavar Knútur
Svavar Knútur is a singer and a songwriter from the western fjords of Iceland. He has
released three solo albums since 2009 with lyrics in both English and Icelandic, featuring guitar,
ukulele, occasional piano, and voice. He is also a member of the band Hraun, which was formed
in 2003, and has since released two albums. He writes folk music that explores the realm of
human emotion, in particular overcoming adversity and achieving happiness (“About Mr.
Knútur”).
2
Pronounced as English ‘th’ sound, as in three
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Svavar performed and recorded his first album, Kvöldvaka, in a traditional kvöldavaka
style, with people gathered together in a house during the evening to listen to the music
("Discography"). This method of performing reflects the tradition of how rímur and tvísöngur
were originally performed in such gatherings. The first and second verses of the song “Undir
Birkitré”, from Kvöldvaka, contain a rímur like verse pattern with four lines. Both verses use an
A B A B end rhyme pattern with both B lines containing the same amount of syllables.
Einn ég dvel og velti um heiminn vöngum.
Bærist laufið græna, bærist laufið græna.
Hérna get ég setið stundum löngum,
Syngur lækjarspræna, syngur lækjarspræna.
When sung, the melody of the first and second lines is repeated during the third and fourth lines,
but at the end of the fourth line, the note is held out longer and raised slightly in pitch, following
one common rímur form (“Undir Birkitré”).
Svavar’s second album, Amma, is an album of thirteen traditional Icelandic songs
covered by Svavar Knútur. Like his album Kvöldvaka, Svavar recorded Amma live in a home
surrounded by his family and close friends. His idea was to make it a tribute to the folk and
traditional songs of Iceland ("Discography"). One of the songs from the album that reflects the
traditional songs is the song “Frá Liðnu Vori”. The first minute of the song is sung entirely a
cappella, just as the old Icelandic songs were sung (“Frá Liðnu Vori”).
Similarly, the song “Ferðalok” is almost entirely a cappella with the exception of a few
notes on piano in between each of the verses. In addition to the a cappella section, several of the
songs were well known Icelandic poems Svavar Knútur wrote music for and turned into songs,
much in the way rímur and tvísöngur were created from existing literature. One of these songs is
“Sofðu Unga Ástin Mín”, which was originally a poem by Jóhann Sigurjónsson, a poet from the
late 1800s ("Sofðu Unga Ástin Mín").
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Like Sigur Rós, Svavar Knútur was able to take the old traditional music and put a more
modern twist on it. The traces of Icelandic tradition are woven in both clear and hidden patterns
through his music. Like other artists in
Iceland today, Svavar employs several
instruments in his music that would not have
been present in Iceland until the 20th century,
and primarily writes his music alone before
performing it. But from the recording of
Kvöldvaka, which was done all at once during
a gathering of family and close friends, rather
Figure 5 Svavar Knútur performing kvöldvaka style
(photograph, Svavar Knútur)
than in a recording studio, to Amma, which Knútur specifically created to bear witness to the
Icelandic tradition, the influence of style coming from the rímur and tvísöngur traditions is
present.
Of Monsters and Men
Of Monsters and Men is one of the most internationally popular Icelandic bands. Formed
in 2010, they became famous quickly after winning a national competition for bands in Iceland
called Músikilraunir. The band uses instruments traditionally found in a rock band, namely
guitar, bass, and drums in addition to piano and occasional brass instruments. The members are
Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir, Ragnar “Raggi” Þóhallsson, Brynjar Leifsson, Arnar Rósenkranz
Hilmarsson, and Kristján Páll Kristjánsson. Together they have made themselves a place in
western pop culture, and achieved recognition worldwide. They have also recently written a song
for the popular Hunger Games movie, Catching Fire (“Bio”).
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While the band seems quite modern, the members share a fascination with telling stories.
Through their song lyrics, they have taken to telling these stories, much in the same way rímur
was once used to tell stories around Iceland. Both old histories and fantastical stories have found
their ways into the songs.
The song “Six Weeks” was based on the true story of an American trapper named Hugh
Glass who was left for dead after a bear attacked him (“Bio”). The song tells about his fight with
the bear and having its “blood on [his] bones” and then how he “crawl[ed] on the ground” to
return to Fort Kiowa with his injuries “alone, until [he got] home” (“Six Weeks”).
Another song, “From Finner” also details a story, but unlike “Six Weeks”, the song is
fantastical, describing a group of people
traveling “far from home” in a house “on
[a whale’s] back” (“From Finner”). The
song Dirty Paws also chronicles a
mythical story about how “the bees had
declared a war” on the birds because “the
Figure 6 Of Monsters and Men in concert (Of Monsters and Men)
sky wasn't big enough for them all”. The
story of the song is all told from the perspective from a dragonfly that is said to have witnessed
the events of the war (“Dirty Paws”).
In an interview, the band explained they like telling stories in their songs because they
felt it was a better way to connect to each other and the people listening to their music. They
explained they wanted to create something everyone would be able to understand and relate to,
no matter what their age, gender, or background (Hilmarsdóttir, and Þórhallsson).
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It’s not a defining sound that makes Of Monsters and Men uniquely Icelandic, but rather
the way they present their music and the way they use their lyrics. The idea of sharing histories
and mythological tales, and even occasionally their own stories with the people for whom they
perform is also a main focus of the rímur tradition. Of Monsters and Men mirrors the way the
rímur were used to share legends of courage, great feats, and tales of the Norse gods, and their
popularity only aids to the knowledge of the stories they choose to tell.
Conclusion
Through the centuries Iceland has worked hard to preserve its many musical traditions.
The influence of traditional music such as rímur and tvísöngur has found its way into popular
Icelandic groups such as Sigur Rós, Árstíðir, Svavar Knútur, and Of Monsters and Men. Through
tonality and from modern covers of the old songs to the sharing of stories and concerts with
families on cold winter nights, the Icelandic influence can be found organically buried in the
very souls of these bands. It influences them not only both directly and indirectly, but conversely
informing and extending the old sensibilities to the modern soul.
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Works Cited
"About Sigur Rós." Eighteen Seconds Before Sunrise. Sigur Rós. Web. 08 Dec. 2013.
"About Mr. Knútur." Svavar Knútur. Svavar Knútur. Web. 26 Jan 2014.
Andersen, Steindór, Jón Birgisson, Orri Dýrason, Georg Holm, and Kjartan Sveinsson, perf.
Hrafnagaldur Óðins. Reykjavík Art's Festival. Reykjavík. 24 May 2001.
--- Rímur. Sigur Rós, 2001. 22 Nov 2013. "Artist Bio." Árstíðir. Árstíðir, Web. 11 Dec. 2013.
Auðunsson, Daníel, Hallgrímur Jensson, Gunnar Jakobson, Jón Elísson, Ragnar Ólafsson, and
Karl Pestka. Interview by Icelandic Music Export. Árstíðir - Iceland Airwaves And
Jamming In Train Stations! 26 Oct 2013. Oct . Web. 8 Dec 2013.
--- Interview by Radio Kraków. Árstíðir - Show & Interview 15 Jul 2012. Jul . TV. 8 Dec 2013.
---"Heyr, himna smiður." live at Wuppertal train station, Germany 2013. Árstíðir, 2013. 8 Dec
2013.
--- “Næturylur” Árstíðir. Árstíðir, 2009. 26 Jan 2014.
---Svefns og vöku skil. Árstíðir, 2012. 26 Jan 2014.
---"Þér ég unni." Live in Dresden 2013. Árstíðir, 2013. web. 8 Dec 2013. Benediktsson, Einar.
"Varðveizla Íslenzkra Rímnalaga." Rímur. Kvæðamannafélagið Iðunn. Web. 22 Nov.
2013.
"Bio." Of Monsters and Men. Of Monsters and Men. Web. 3 Mar 2014.
Birgisson, Jón, Orri Dýrason, Georg Holm, and Kjartan Sveinsson, perf. "Bíum Bíum Bambaló."
DeBlois, Dean, dir. Heima. Perf. Jón Birgisson, Orri Dýrason, Georg Holm, and Kjartan
Sveinsson. Sigur Rós, 2007. Film. 25 Dec 2013.
"Discography." Svavar Knútur. Svavar Knútur. Web. 1 Feb 2014.
"Englar Alheimsins." Eighteen Seconds Before Sunrise. Sigur Rós. Web. 09 Dec. 2013.
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Heyr, himna smiður (live at Wuppertal train station, Germany 2013). 2013. Photograph.
Bandcamp Web. 25 Jan 2014.
Hilmarsdóttir, Nana, and Ragnar Þórhallsson. Interview by Jian Ghomeshi. Of Monsters and
Men's Nanna and Raggi in Studio Q . CBC. 7 Dec 2012. TV.
--- "Six Weeks." My Head is an Animal. Of Monsters and Men, 2012. web. 12 Mar 2014.
--- "From Finner." My Head is an Animal. Of Monsters and Men, 2012. web. 12 Mar 2014.
--- "Dirty Paws." My Head is an Animal. OfMonsters and Men, 2012. web. 12 Mar 2014.
"History." Icelandic Music Export. Icelandic Music Export. Web. 30 Oct. 2013.
Hopkins, Pandora, and Þorkell Sigurbjörnsson. "Iceland." n.pag. Oxford Music Online. Web. 10
Nov. 2013.
"Hvað Getið Þið Sagt Mér Um Rímur?". Vísindavefurinn. Háskóli Íslands. Web. 27 Oct. 2013.
Knútur, Svavar, perf. "Undir Birkitré." Kvöldvaka. Svavar Knútur, 2009. web. 1 Feb 2014.
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