R$35
My Mother Told Me – Þat mælti mín móðir
Series: Vikings
Original text / poem: Egill Skallagrímsson – Iceland (904–995)
Vikings melody / text adaptation: Trevor Morris – Canada
Key: D minor
Time signature: 4/4
Tempo marking: quarter note = 70
Arrangement: Cello
Edition: Maiko Thomé de Araujo
Style / Character: Nordic / Viking-inspired / Neo-Medieval / Soundtrack
Type: Song / historical-text soundtrack adaptation
Special features: regular performance score, additional rhythmic Study Version with beat markers, reference MP3
Format: Digital download (PDF + MP3) — 2 files (3.7MB)
Musical material: 2 useful pages — regular version + Study Version
“My Mother Told Me,” or “Þat mælti mín móðir,” became widely known through the historical drama series Vikings, where the Old Norse text acquired a powerful modern musical identity.
The words are connected with the Icelandic poet and warrior Egill Skallagrímsson and appear in Egils saga. The verse describes a mother telling her son that one day he would have a ship, sail with Vikings, stand at the prow and travel to distant shores.
This combination of genuine medieval Norse poetry with a modern soundtrack treatment gives the piece a distinctive character: ancient in its textual source, but cinematic and Neo-Medieval in the musical form familiar to contemporary audiences.
The melody is particularly effective on cello, whose darker and resonant register reinforces the solemn, narrative quality of the song.
This edition by Maiko Thomé de Araujo presents the melody in D minor for cello.
The arrangement is intentionally compact and direct, allowing the instrument to carry the vocal-like melodic line with a broad and expressive sound.
The score can be used for:
A particularly useful feature of this edition is the inclusion of two presentations of the same music.
The first page provides the regular performance score.
The second page is a dedicated Study Version, where the four main beats of each 4/4 measure are marked visually above the staff as:
1 – 2 – 3 – 4
Vertical reference lines and beat markers make it easier to see how shorter and longer notes relate to the underlying pulse.
This can be especially helpful for students who understand the notes but still have difficulty translating written rhythmic values into a stable internal beat.
Once the rhythm is understood, the player can return to the standard score for normal reading and performance.
Rather than changing or simplifying the melody, the Study Version provides a visual rhythmic guide to the same musical material.
It can help develop:
The familiar melody also makes it an engaging way to work on these basic skills without using a purely technical exercise.
Let the melody remain broad, vocal and slightly austere rather than overly romantic. At the moderate tempo, use enough bow to sustain the longer notes while keeping the shorter figures clear. The phrasing works well when treated almost like sung text, with natural direction toward the important notes and enough space for the darker resonance of the cello.
Especially suitable for cellists interested in Vikings, Nordic and Viking-inspired music, soundtrack repertoire and Neo-Medieval themes, as well as students working on rhythmic reading and steady pulse. The additional Study Version makes it particularly useful for lessons and self-study.