"Heilung" on Healing, Nature, and Why Music Is Our Original Language

Heilung's Christopher Juul and Maria Franz talk about recording Sagas in an Ice Cave a kilometer underground, making music from bones and Iron Age instruments, why they refuse to use AI or auto-tune, and why music may be our original language.In this episode of Bonfire Conversations, we talk with Heilung, the Danish collective known for music rooted in Iron Age and Viking Age Northern Europe. Heilung means "healing," and that idea runs through everything they make: ancient instruments, human bones, chanting, and modern production.We discuss their new release Sagas, which began as a collaboration with Ninja Theory on Hellblade 2. They recorded across Iceland, including an ice cave a kilometer underground, and the material grew into its own album.Topics covered:- Why Heilung's music feels terrifying and beautiful at once- Recording Sagas in Iceland for Hellblade 2- Working with bones, ritual, and raw vocals- Why Heilung doesn't use AI or auto-tune- Making every sound themselves, from spear hits to screams- Music as humanity's original language- Nature, technology, and reforestation- Music, war, and cultural preservationCHAPTERS00:00 Intro01:13 A game composer's connection to Heilung02:00 How looking inward connects us to other cultures03:40 Why we are drawn to music that frightens us05:10 Peeling the layers and facing your true self08:26 Why the meaning of the lyrics stays open09:23 A global awakening and the migration period12:25 Iceland, ice caves, and playing with nature14:56 The silence of Mývatn15:25 How Heilung records outdoors17:01 Sagas as a Hellblade 2 commission17:48 Live energy and the upcoming live release18:48 When a song gains an identity of its own21:36 Ancient instruments versus modern technology23:05 Automation, AI, and auto-tune26:15 Is making the music healing for the creators?27:10 Minimalism and making every sound themselves30:16 Voice, ritual, and bones from a plague grave32:50 The primal mother voice34:17 Music as our original language36:14 Have we lost our connection to nature?39:15 Reforestation and mental health work40:38 Music through war, and Tehran43:15 The Hymn to Nikkal and preserving culture45:41 Closing thoughtsABOUT HEILUNGHeilung is a Danish collective formed by Kai Uwe Faust, Christopher Juul, and Maria Franz, blending ancient instruments, human bones, and chanting with modern production.ABOUT BONFIRE CONVERSATIONSBonfire Conversations is a long-form interview podcast with 100+ episodes featuring Oscar winners, nominees, and creators across film, games, music, and art.Subscribe for new conversations.www.bonfireconversations.com#Heilung #Sagas #Hellblade2 #BonfireConversations #NordicFolk #Viking #IronAge #SoundDesign #GameMusic