Not long ago you have released Volven, the new album of HAGALAZ RUNEDANCE. I think the album is really good. Do you feel that everything you planned is achieved on Volven? In your opinion what is the main difference between that album and The Winds...

Volven is much more advanced, both musically and technically. I have learned a lot about the technical aspects about making music and I was working intensively on the musical side. My voice has also improved and I have a much better vocal arrangement on Volven. For Volven I finally managed to get hold of a lot of old Celtic and Nordic folk instruments, like the Lyre, the Strykelyre (A forerunner of the fiddle), Norwegian Bagpipe, Hurdy Gurdy, Mandoline, Harp and Irish flutes and whistles. Thus we achieved to create an authentic atmosphere. With Volven I really managed to express myself and I believe I will only continue to improve musically. One learns more with experience and improves previous mistakes.

Volven means a wise women of the north, a priestesses... Am I right? Since I don't have any lyrics in promo CD I can only guess about their contents. Volven is a conceptual album or not?

Volva or Volven is the wise woman, the seeress or witch of the ancient Northern societies and I try to learn myself the mysteries she knew. The song 'Volven' is dedicated to her. The other songs are again a blend of my different visions, feelings, longings, experiences and view upon the world. The subjects range from my personal meetings or invocations of deities (Seeker Divine and Wake Skadi), longing to different worlds (On Wings of Rapture), lament for the passing summer and life in general (Solstice Past), dreams of mythical beings (Dreaming Wild White horses) and a mythical expression of somebody who touched my heart very much (Alva). 'Your World in My Eyes' describes my sadness and anger about the cruelty of mankind. Again, many songs have a message for the modern world today.

I have your debut album and Volven, but unfortunately I got no chance to listen to MCD. Could you tell me a bit about this album? Are there any differences among full-length albums and MCD?

The mini CD is called Urd-That Which Was, containing two new songs, Urd-That Which Was, Wake Skadi, and three remixes from the "Winds" album. The mixes are more in the style of trance/techno. However "The Falcon Flies" Remix was done in a quite experimental style by Trickster G. The remixes were an interesting experiment to see how DJ's can wrap a modern coat around my music. It all started off as a joke actually. DJ Gemini Rising and I were rather drunk when he told me that he had remixed "Behold the Passionate ways�" and that it turned out pretty cool. After I listened to it, I said hey, let's release it and so came the idea of releasing a mini CD containing three remixes.

I know that you had a tour not long ago. Was it successful? How do your shows look like? How many people usually come to your gig?

Well it depends. On the Leipzig festival we had an audience of 2000, in some clubs it can be merely 50 and on the recent tour, where we were supporting Subway To Sally, we had an audience of ca. 200-800 per night. Particularly the drums are quite powerful when we play live and a magical, trancy atmosphere surely comes across. The tour was very successful, it was very professionally organised and the audience was generally very impressed. However, the STS audience was not really like my usual audience and I experienced quite some shallow and superficial people coming up to us after the show and they had no idea about the concept or even interest to understand the deep emotions behind Hagalaz' Runedance.

I'd like to ask you about re-mix of On Wings Of Rapture. Many people and myself believe that the song doesn't belong to Volven. It sounds too different from the rest. Why did you put it to Volven? Was it your decision or your label has offered that idea?

The remix was again an experiment done by Thorbjorn Akkerhaugen, the studio engineer. I really liked the result and wanted to use it. For me it fits on the album as the bonus track, the future vision (vision of Skuld).

Press-release tells that Hammerheart is releasing a special edition of your album together with The Ancient Fires of Midgard. May be it would be wise to bring some light on the publication. Please tell me about the book. What makes it special and different from other books in this genre?

First of all it's written from a very personal perspective. It is written from my experience, observances and very own thoughts and opinions. I do not merely give information on the ancient myths and traditions, but also give insight on how to understand the old wisdom and how to apply the pagan way of thinking into our modern live. I do not dwell on the past but try to inspire an individual to express his or herself and get to know their own nature.

I know that you run your own foundation Hagalaz Runedance. Could you tell
me about it's activities, goals, ideology. How people can contact you? Do you cooperate with other foundations and groups from abroad?

Hagalaz' Runedance is more an entity for my creations and expressions. It is not a foundation in the manner that there are other individuals involved. But I do have contact with pagans and organisations all over the world, which pursue the same goals as I.

It looks like modern European society began to rediscover it's roots. People begin to study runes, mythology, enjoy nature, fight for animal rights, etc. But one thing makes me worry... No one was really concerned by cyanide pollution of almost half of Europe last year, but higher prices for gasoline made almost everyone to strike... Don't you think that this revival of ancient heritage is nothing but trend and it will ends soon?

For some it might be a trend, but others surely will take it further. The new awareness has surely influenced many people's way of thinking in general. And since the Church has lost much of its control over people's minds, society has become more tolerant to other religions, tribal cultures are more respected, alternative medicines are accepted and so on. The influence will last and give the new generation a more open perception of live, I think.

As I understand one of your goals is revival of Asatru, ancient Scandinavian religion. A lot of people nowadays believe that no man/ woman needs religion any more. People build spacecrafts, use atomic energy, communicate with each other in seconds through Internet. They are like gods. Today we even can create people like us through cloning... There is nothing sacral left. Many religions begin to look like some strange form of entertainment (Catholics, for example, even invented a new saint for Internet :-) and that's why we see so many entertaining pseudo-religions
like Church Of Satan on the market. What do you think about role of religion
in our life? I guess there is some sacral meaning behind the legalization of
ancient Asatru religion right before coming of new Millennium. Do you agree?

We all need spirituality in our grey lives, most people want to believe that there is something beyond this world and I think several experience something supernatural, something they cannot explain, which makes them believe that there is 'something out there'. We really don't need religions like the dominating patriarchal monotheistic religions that tell us what to do and close our minds with their unnatural dogmas. But I think we do need myths and legends that make us understand the circle of life and that expand our imagination. In a way I dislike to use the word religion, I prefer to use the term spirituality.

Here is the last question. Not long ago I have found pretty interesting article about ancient European religions. The article analyzes book "The Civilization of the Goddess" written by Marija Gimbutas. This is a research about ancient matriarchatic civilization and it's female deities. This woman tells: <The Indo-European society was warlike, exogamous, patriarchal, patrilinear, and patrilocal with strong clan organizations and strict social hierarchy, which gave the leading role of society to the warrior class. Their major gods were male, and the gods' activities were connected with war. In no way is it possible that such a social order could have developed within the matrilinear, matricentric, and endogamously balanced society of 'Old Europe.' Therefore we must regard the appearance of the Indo- Europeans in Europe as a clash between two ideologies, not as evolution." Nowadays we all see that women regain their power, slowly but steadily. We see more and more females in governments, parliaments, corporate headquarters. Is that possible that new millennium and new Aeon (as some say) can bring to this world new religion and new society as well?

We see what the future will bring. I don't think a new society will suddenly appear, it has to develop out of this one.

Thanx for your support. Good luck in all your activities!