Einar Selvik (born 18 November 1979), also known by his stage nameKvitrafn ("white raven"), is a Norwegian musician known for being the drummer of black metal band Gorgoroth from 2000 to 2004, and for fronting the Nordic folk project Wardruna, founded in 2002.[1][2][3] Selvik and Wardruna earned international prominence for contributing to the soundtrack and score of the television show Vikings.[4][5][6] Selvik is a founder of By Norse, a platform to support Norse and Norse-related art, music, literature, film and culture.[7]
On 1 March 2016, A Piece for Mind & Mirror by Skuggsjá, a collaboration between Selvik and Enslaved's Ivar Bjørnson, was announced and streamed. Commissioned by the Norwegian government for the 200th anniversary of the Norwegian Constitution, the album tells the history of Norway, and was released by Season of Mist on 11 March.[8][9]
Selvik has also recorded with other projects including Det Hedenske Folk, Bak de Syv Fjell, Jotunspor, Sahg, Dead to this World and Faun.[10][11] He worked on the soundtrack for Assassin's Creed Valhalla[12] and collaborated with Riot Games for the theme song of Volibear, a League of Legends character.[13]
Einar Selvik was born and grew up on Osterøy, a small inland island outside of Bergen on the west coast of Norway. He became interested in pre-Christian viking culture in his early adolescence after discovering an old book on runes.[14] Selvik worked as a kindergarten assistant prior to Wardruna's breakthrough.[15]
Selvik is an adherent of modern Paganism characterized by animism. In a 2017 interview with Morgenbladet, he talked about his worldview: "I am a strong supporter of individual responsibility. No one died for my sins. This is a slightly pagan body of thought: the gods help those who help themselves. It mirrors that you are your own god, that it is your responsibility how you behave, what you contribute in this world".[16]
