Einar Selvik to be featured in Assassin's Creed Valhalla's soundtrack after Vikings success

News that Assassin's Creed Valhalla's soundtrack will feature a song from Einar Selvik is another indicator of how Norse mythology can influence pop culture.

Selvik used to be the drummer for Gorgoroth but has since become the frontman for Wardruna.

Both bands have several years of experience in the Nordic music scene, which has also given birth to so-called Viking metal and other modern-day entertainment.

Iceland, Sweden, Finland and Greenland and other Scandinavian countries are home to many metal bands, but Norway alone arguably have the best and some of the most longstanding.

While some have come and gone, others are still dominating recording studios and festival stages across Europe, if not the rest of the northern hemisphere as well.

9 popular Viking metal bands from Norway:
Asmegin
Borknagar
Burzum
Drottnar
Einherjer
Emperor
Enslaved
Glittertind
Helheim

Even today, bands like In Flames, Children of Bodom and others have noted Viking metal and Nordic music in general among their key influences.

Selvik, lest we forget, helped in the filming of the History Channel's Vikings series. The show became a big hit with Europeans, Americans, Africans and other nationalities.

"They contacted me a few months before airing the first season in 2013 as they were looking for music that imparted a sense of Nordic spirituality. They licensed seven songs for that season, after which I was contacted again to team up with Trevor Morris, the chief composer of the show,” Selvik told Indulge.



Vikings was and still is screened on Netflix and other platforms – and is another excellent example of how Norse mythology of yesteryear can always be framed as relevant today. Series like The Last Kingdom and even Game of Thrones are of a similar ilk to Vikings.

Games like God of War have drawn on the fighting culture of the Vikings, while The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim took players deeper into folklore from the religious traditions of the Norsemen during the Viking Age.

Literature from the last century and prior also has Nordic mythology to thank for the inspiration.

The Skulduggery Pleasant novel series saw Stephanie Edgley assume the moniker, Valkyrie Cain. Writer H. Rider Haggard's Eric Brighteyes was based on a fantastic adventure of Nordic-saga proportion.

The Ballad of the White Horse by G. K. Chesterton referenced Odin, Thor and other Norse gods. Lester del Rey's The Day of the Giants regaled the tale of Ragnarok amid a pseudo-science-fiction setting.

In other reading material, Valkyrie Yuuki is a webcomic lined with mythological Norse characters – and Brat-halla portrays Norse gods during their formative years at school. There are Norse gods such as Thor, Odin, Sif and Loki in The Order of the Stick, which is another webcomic popular among new and old fans alike.