The Mountain King, Song # 9: Tilili
This is blog no. 9 about our 2016 album The Mountain King. Recorded and mixed at Wall of Sound Studio by John Wall in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Tilili is performed by Scott Darsee, electric guitar, Johanna Hongell-Darsee, vocals and Månmarkspipa, Larry Otis on bass and Christopher A. Carlson on violin. You can hear the full song on our Recordings page.
This is the last song on our album. We have used the Norwegian melody Veneliti og Bergekongen for this final part of the story.
After the disastrous visit with her mother, our heroine is forcefully whisked up on the Mountain King's horse and he rides away with her, through the forest and back to the mountain.
At the mountain she is met by her children. Her daughter gives her a cup of mead. As you might remember, if you eat or drink something in this Otherworld you forget all about your life in the human world. After drinking the mead they ride seven times around the mountain to make it open and allow them to step back into the ground.
We don't know if she was ever let out of the mountain again, as in the Greek myth of Persephone who was allowed to visit her mother once a year, thus making spring and summer come.
He lifted her up on his horse so gray, and together they rode away. -Tilillilililihaugen min, och de lekte so lätt genom lunden.
“Farewell dear mother, farewell dear father, farewell dear sister, farewell dear brother!” -Tilillilililihaugen min, och de lekte so lätt genom lunden.
And they played so lightly through the grove
“Farewell woods and mountains, farewell wide sea! Never again the green earth I will see!” -Tilillilililihaugen min, och de lekte so lätt genom lunden.
They rode through the forest so dark and long. She cried but the mountain king he sang his song. -Tilillilililihaugen min, och de lekte so lätt genom lunden.
They rode through the wood many many miles. Out from the mountain came their children full of smiles. -Tilillilililihaugen min, och de lekte so lätt genom lunden.
Out came their daughter so slender and fair. She danced around them with a silver cup so rare. -Tilillilililihaugen min, och de lekte so lätt genom lunden.
“Come in, come in, my mother best! Drink a cup of mead, sit down and rest!” -Tilillilililihaugen min, och de lekte so lätt genom lunden.
They rode the mountain seven times around. It opened up and they stepped into the ground. -Tilillilililihaugen min, och de lekte so lätt genom lunden.
