Opera Singer Reacts: Sovngarde || Skyrim OST

A cool thing about Sovngarde, is it has the same lyrics as the Song of the Dragonborn, which is the main theme. You can find the lyrics in a songbook in-game, which translates the dragon language and mentions that the song is so ancient that the real music has been lost to time and modern bards have just improvised a melody to go along with the lyrics. What this implies is that the main theme is just something the modern Nords have made to go along with their ancient song, but Sovngarde, which only plays in Sovngarde, is the original.

What really makes me love this song in particular is that the lyrics of this song are essentially singing that you're going to destroy Alduin. This isn't the final boss' theme. It's your theme. YOU are the final boss. So cool.

Getting to Sovngarde, looking up at the sky and hearing this song was one of my best gaming memories as a kid

The lore in Elder Scrolls has got to be some of the most original and wild stuff I’ve ever read.

When the tables have turned. The story starts with running away and warning others of the coming danger, but ends with actively pursuing the retreating enemy.

I'm telling you man, this is 10x MORE powerful in context of the game. To set the scene: You've been battling multiple dragons as you climb Alduin's hidden temple and finally cross through his portal into Sovngarde. You come through the other end into a massive field with glowing skies and a gargantuan feast hall off in the distance across the bone bridge made of a colossal creature's spine. You gather up the greatest heroes of old who fought Alduin again, they aid you in flushing him out of hiding, and this song is playing the whole time as you finally catch the bastard and put an end to him.

The in-between shouts are sooo powerful!

Funny little story about this track. Back when Skyrim was a new-ish game I had built my first gaming PC just to play it. I was very proud of my build with all its glowing, pulsing lights in the main tower and in most of the auxiliary devices, and not a bad set of speakers hooked up to boot. My little niece ( 6 y/o) was coming over and I wanted to show her my new computer and for her to be really impressed by it. So I dimmed the lights in the room, put on the coolest wallpaper I had, and timed it so that this song would be softly playing over the sound system when she made her way to the room with the PC in it, as if just by magic, for that extra gravitas. This had exactly the intended effect with my niece starting off by just peeking curiously around the doorway at the computer, and then approaching very slowly and respectfully to take a closer look, just like a video game protagonist who just found a sacred/possibly dangerous relic in a temple. Lol, this is my favorite memory associated with this song. Kudos to Jeremy Soule for helping me impress a little girl. 😅.

Out of all the songs in the Elder Scrolls series, "Sovngarde" remains my favourite. It is a slower, more operatic version of "Dragonborn", and in-universe is likely the original version, even including an extra verse when compared to the main theme; Ahrk fin zul, rok drey kod, nau tol morokei frod, | And the Voice, he did wield, on that glorious field, Rul lot Taazokaan motaad voth kein! | When great Tamriel shuddered with war! Sahrot Thu'um, med aan tuz, vey zeim hokoron pah, | Mighty Thu'um, like a blade, cut through enemies all, Ol fin Dovahkiin komeyt ok rein! | As the Dragonborn issued his roar! And then add in the fact that both "Dragonborn" and "Sovngarde" are prayers to honour and seek divine favour from the Dragonborn, as sung in the first and last verses, then this song truly gives the impression that the Dragonborn, Dov-Ah-Kiin, Ysmir Dragon-of-the-North, is hero of myth, a hero born of divine blood, to wage war on behalf of Mortality. You are the Hero-God, you are Thor fighting the Jotnar in defense of Midgard, you are Herakles performing the 12 Labours, you are Pwyll mortally wounding Hafgan in one strike to win rulership of Annwn.

Even though I've replayed Skyrim 100 times - and the Special Edition another 100 times, I still get the chills when hear this song. Also because I'm Scandinavian, and the Nord culture is heavily inspired by the ancient Vikings that were my ancestors.

The best part about the Sovngarde theme is that it uses the exact same lyrics as Dragonborn, just with a completely different musical arrangement.

2:47 Bro became a Nord. An Atmorian, even.

Apparently, the voices singing the song are supposed to be all the souls lost in Alduin's soul snare mist. The song is the souls announcing that the Dragonborn, the hero, has finally come to free them from the darkness.

It's not often Marco is left this speechless. Sometimes he just jams and indulges in the music but here he just can't add anything that isn't coveyed by the music. Which is fitting because this is your boss theme, not Alduin's. It is a song talking about how you will slay Alduin, a song of defiance and of power.

The masculine urge to slay a draconic demon alongside ancient gods and warriors

I choose to believe this song is diegetic meaning its being heard by everyone in Sovngarde itself. I just like the idea that as soon as you arrive, Alduin just starts hearing the sky singing that he's about to die

Lyrics translated from Dragon to English that I yoinked from google: Dragonborn, Dragonborn by his honor is sworn To keep evil forever at bay! And the fiercest foes rout when they hear triumph's shout Dragonborn, for your blessing we pray! Hearken now, sons of snow, to an age, long ago And the tale, boldly told, of the one! Who was kin to both wyrm and the races of man with a power to rival the sun! And the voice, he did weild, on that glorious field When great Tamriel shuddered with war! Mighty Thu'um, like a blade, cut through enemies all As the Dragonborn issued his roar! And the Scrolls have foretold, of black wings in the cold That when brothers wage war come unfurled! Alduin, Bane of Kings, ancient shadow unbound With a hunger to swallow the world! But a day, shall arise, when the dark dragon's lies Will be silenced forever and then! Fair Skyrim will be free from foul Alduin's maw Dragonborn be the savior of men! Dragonborn, Dragonborn, by his honor is sworn To keep evil forever at bay! And the fiercest foes rout when they hear triumph's shout Dragonborn, for your blessing we pray!

I love the epicness of this ost!

As a fellow Elder Scrolls enjoyer, and ravenous Elder Scrolls lore fanatic, It's a pleasant sight to see Marco checking out some of the music from the series.

Holly crap. I replayed this game like 20 times. But its been yeeaaaars. I was like what song is this? Within the literal first second I was like "OHHH THIS BANGER!" Man I love this song. You hear it in such a cool area of the game. SPOILERS!! Its in this ethereal afterlife for all nords who died honourably in battle. So fricking cool.