English translation

"Gala" is the Old Norse verb meaning "to crow," as in the sound a rooster makes. This root is present in both "Gal-" (crow) and "-galdr" (chant, spell, incantation).

Given the sound of a rooster crowing at the beginning of the song, and the verses from the Eddic poem Völuspá ('The Seeress's Prophecy', which details the world's creation and eventual destruction/rebirth at Ragnarök), I believe the title is a reference to the three roosters of Norse myth that crow to signal the beginning of Ragnarök: Gullinkambi ('Golden-Comb), who wakes Oðinn's chosen warriors in Valhalla; Fjálar ('Deceiver'), who crows from the forest Gálgviðr ('Gallow's Wood') in Jötunheim to rouse the giants; and the nameless sooty-red rooster that wakes the dead in Hel.

My interpretation of this song is that it is a spell invoking the urgency and devastation of Ragnarök to ward off attacking spirits. The end result is peace and renewal, symbolized by the seeress's vision of the earth rising again from the waves.

Galgaldr - Heilung Explained Part 2 [from Heilung's Facebook page March 26, 2020]

svört verða sólskin
um sumur eftir

This is the beginning of the end.

We start with stanza 45 of Völuspá. It is the description of not just the end of the world, but also the rise of a new cleansed world, when the Völva recites stanza 59 in the very end. It is the darkest moment known in Norse mythology, a devastating final battle between good and evil that comes to a point of total meltdown. But only that meltdown makes it possible for a renewed and rejuvenated world to arise.

As the theme of this piece describes the birth of a new world, the music arrangement is highly inspired by an actual birth situation. This is clearly visible towards the centre, where the primal scream of the Audugan echoes a new beginning.

The chanting piece, which is a defending spell against evil spirits, origins from an old Swedish amulet: “Like other Germanic people, the Scandinavians believed in malignant spirits of disease floating around the atmosphere, attacking the unwary (…) A 12th century bronze amulet from Högstena, Sweden, for instance contains an alliterating spell against these roaming spirits of disease” (MacLeod/Mees, 2006)

Live, Heilung intend to make you physically feel Ragnarok by the violent use of lights and sounds, the drums hammering, horns blasting, the Audugan screaming.

Maria explain: “Performing this piece live is always extremely intense. Mentally, I’m picturing huge glaciers thundering into the sea, storms raging, animals dying, humanity fleeing, at the same time as being torn apart by giving birth. It’s heart-breaking and deeply disturbing. But then comes the chanting piece, which is a protection spell against evil spirits, and I get the feeling of: “We got this. We can fix it” like the tipping point of a hero’s journey. And then we reach the end, where we recite a part of the poem which describes green clad slopes rising from the sea, the return of the eagles and the fish and fresh waterfalls cascading. The meltdown made it possible for a renewed and rejuvenated world to arise. The same applies for me, I rise from the piece in perfect tranquillity.”

Stay safe out there, take care of each other

Heilung

[recent edits made to include missing lines, modify translations, and adding an exposition from Heilung's Facebook page]