The Art of Kulning

Hello Charlie, or I should say Hej Charlie !

I am really fond of Scandinavia and Nordic Culture, and today I wanted to share with something that I discovered not so long ago, and that I find absolutely captivating and beautiful. 

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As I said, I love exploring Nordic Culture, its myths, its art, its History… I find Scandinavian countries amazing, and I am actually impressed by Viking people, who braved the hostility and the dangers of these frozen lands to establish their home. I really love how Scandinavia has been staying wild and untamable. 

One day that I was randomly watching videos on YouTube, I clicked on a video called “Kulning”. In the video, there was a a woman with long blond hair, a white dress floating in the wing. On one her side, a huge majestic fjord in which you could see the reflection of some clouds, and on the other one some typical swedish red-wooden houses. She was standing in one of these beautiful meadow of Great North. 

And then, suddenly, she starts to sing in a way I had never heard before. I was instantly enchanted. It was as if I was called by this song. The animals surrounding the lady too. All the cows, and even the birds went to see her, and even if it sounds like a fairy tale, I swear it was real ! 

This melody had something which was very deep, and powerful. It is really impossible to explain what it provokes inside of you. 

And this is how I discovered Kulning. 

Here’s a little video, so you can listen to it. This one is very touching and poetic, I really love it.  Enjoy ! 

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Kulning is a ancient traditional nordic song that is usually used to call livestock, such as cows for example. It could eventually also have been used to frighten wolves and other predators, but it seemed less frequent. Some say that Kulning could be one of the very first ways of taming animals in Prehistoric Scandinavia. It is traditionally sung by women, who were in charge of looking after livestock. 

The song has a high-pitched vocal technique, i.e. a loud call using head tones, so that it can be heard or be used to communicate over long distances.

So Kulning is all about call. The call of Nature, the call of Instinct, the call of Fate. 

It is meant to dance through valleys, to play with mountains, and to resonate in the deepest place of our souls. 

It is meant to make us feel something, to be led towards something. 

Kulning is an Ode of Nature, of Seasons, of Wildlife. 

It is an intimate communion with everything that surrounds us. 

Kulning is a demonstration of respect and acknowledgement for Earth.

Thank you for having read my article, I hope that you have liked discovering this old nordic tradition, and remember to always be curious.

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Coralie.