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
Key: D minor
Time signature: 4/4
Tempo marking: quarter note = 70
Arrangement: Violin
Edition: Maiko Thomé de Araujo
Style / Character: Nordic / Viking-inspired / Neo-Medieval / Soundtrack
Type: Song / historical-text soundtrack adaptation
Special features: regular violin score, additional rhythmic Study Version with 1–2–3–4 beat markers, reference MP3
Format: Digital download (PDF + MP3) — 2 files (2.0MB)
Musical material: 2 useful pages — regular version + Study Version
“My Mother Told Me,” or “Þat mælti mín móðir,” became widely known to modern audiences through the historical drama series Vikings.
The text is connected with the Icelandic poet and warrior Egill Skallagrímsson and comes from the medieval Norse literary tradition. Its imagery of ships, journeys and Viking life gives the song a particularly strong historical and Nordic atmosphere.
The musical version familiar from Vikings combines this ancient textual source with a modern cinematic treatment, creating a piece that feels simultaneously historical, Nordic and contemporary.
Its broad melodic line translates very naturally to violin, where it can retain a vocal quality while gaining the clear projection and expressive possibilities of a bowed string instrument.
This edition by Maiko Thomé de Araujo presents the melody in D minor for violin.
The regular score provides a clean performance version with standard notation, phrasing and the characteristic rhythmic shape of the melody.
The moderate tempo and strongly recognizable musical line make the piece suitable both for performance and for students developing rhythmic and expressive control.
A major feature of this edition is the inclusion of a separate Study Version in addition to the regular score.
The Study Version shows the four beats of every 4/4 measure visually above the music:
1 – 2 – 3 – 4
Reference lines make it easier to see how each written note relates to the underlying pulse, including shorter subdivisions and notes that begin between beats.
This is especially useful for students who can identify pitches but still have difficulty understanding note duration and rhythmic placement from standard notation alone.
The melody itself is not simplified — the Study Version simply provides an additional visual rhythmic guide.
The additional page can help develop:
Once the rhythmic structure is understood, the player can return to the regular score and perform without the additional visual markings.
Treat the melody as if it were being sung rather than mechanically played. Keep the longer notes supported with a continuous bow and allow the shorter figures to flow naturally into the phrase. At the moderate tempo, avoid making every beat equally accented; the written 1–2–3–4 markings are a study aid, not a suggestion to emphasize all four beats in performance.
Especially suitable for violinists interested in Vikings, Nordic and Viking-inspired repertoire, soundtrack music and Neo-Medieval themes, as well as students developing rhythmic reading, steady pulse and expressive phrasing. The extra Study Version makes it particularly useful for lessons and independent practice.