Ayla Nereo's "Ylva" is a song and visual offering rooted in ancient Nordic mythology that reimagines the she-wolf as a sacred keeper of balance. The work draws on the old stories of Sunna (the sun goddess) and Mani (the moon god) being chased across the sky by wolves whose relentless pace sustains the cycles of life. Rather than accepting the modern narrative of wolves as predators to be eliminated, "Ylva" reclaims them as misunderstood protectors of ecological balance—and as a metaphor for the wild, creative, and untamed dimensions of human consciousness that our culture often teaches us to suppress.
What is the mythological foundation of "Ylva"?
The song draws directly from Norse cosmology, specifically the mythology surrounding Sunna and Mani. In the old stories, these celestial deities ride across the sky in chariots, pursued eternally by wolves whose hunger and pursuit sets the pace for day and night, for the turning of seasons, for the very pulse of earthly cycles. This chase is not presented as a threat to overcome but as a sacred dynamic—the wolves are not villains but essential participants in the maintenance of life's rhythms.
The term "Ylva" itself means "she-wolf" in Old Norse. By centering this word as the song's title and refrain, Nereo reclaims the wolf from centuries of demonization in Western culture. Wolves have been hunted to near extinction, driven from their habitats, and cast as enemies of human interests. Yet in the old memory—the ancient knowledge preserved in myth—the wolf holds a different place: as a keeper of balance, a sacred wild force essential to the health of ecosystems and, by extension, to the health of human consciousness itself.
How does "Ylva" connect the external wild to the internal wild?
Nereo's framing of "Ylva" as "the call to the holy wild" and "the keepers of balance" operates on multiple registers simultaneously. On one level, the song is a literal call to ecological action—the description notes that all profits go to wolf conservation organizations, and listeners are invited to donate to or take action with groups protecting wolves in Yellowstone and across North America. This is concrete, embodied activism rooted in protecting endangered species.
But the work also functions as a metaphorical and spiritual invitation. The "wild" referenced is not only external—the wolves in Yellowstone and across the Northern Hemisphere—but the wild within each human being. Modern culture, particularly in industrialized societies, has trained us to suppress and control our instinctual, creative, embodied nature. We are taught to be civilized, rational, predictable. The aspects of ourselves that are wild, intuitive, untamed, and aligned with natural cycles are often labeled as problems to solve or emotions to manage.
By calling us to honor the she-wolf, Nereo invites listeners to reckon with their own wildness—the creative impulses, the fierce protective instincts, the cyclical energies that don't fit neatly into linear, domesticated life. The lyric "bring ye Sunna to the night" suggests bringing light, consciousness, and remembrance into the darkness—not to destroy it, but to illumine it, to meet it, to offer it presence and dignity.
What role does ancient memory play in the song's message?
The song is explicitly described as "an ode to the old stories remembered." This invocation of memory is significant. We live in a culture where indigenous and ancient ways of knowing have been largely erased or relegated to museums. The scientific worldview, while invaluable, has often displaced a more relational, mythic understanding of our place in nature. When Nereo speaks of "ancient nordic memory" and "old stories," she is not arguing for a return to the past, but rather a retrieval—a reclaiming of knowledge and perspectives that offer different ways of being in relationship with the wild.
The lyrics themselves invoke this memory: "Flodan, seek you find / Hvatch you lay beside / Catch the shine Mani' / Bring the gifts of Sunna to the night." These phrases, rooted in old Norse language and imagery, function as incantations—they invite the listener into a different register of consciousness, one where celestial beings ride across the sky and wolves keep time. They bypass the rational mind and speak to the deeper layers of the psyche where myth and symbol have always held power.
Why is the she-wolf specifically chosen as the central figure?
The choice of the she-wolf—Ylva—over simply "wolf" carries particular weight. In many cultures, the feminine principle is associated with intuition, receptivity, cycles, creativity, and the body. By centering the she-wolf, Nereo may be speaking to the reclamation of feminine power and the embodied, cyclical nature that patriarchal culture has sought to suppress. The she-wolf is mother, protector, fierce in her devotion to her pack.
Additionally, wolves are pack animals. They move together, hunt together, teach and protect their young together. They are deeply social, deeply bonded. By honoring the she-wolf, the song honors not only individual wildness but relational wildness—the capacity to be fiercely alive in community, to care for and protect the collective.
How does the visual and sonic dimension deepen the offering?
The description notes that "Ylva" is "the first visual chapter of a greater tale." Nereo is not offering only a song, but a multi-sensory experience—a music video that places the sonic invocation within a visual narrative. This approach honors the truth that consciousness is not only auditory or intellectual, but embodied and visual. The combination of image and sound creates what might be called a "spell" in the traditional sense: an invocation designed to shift awareness and open perception.
The title "Sovereign Kin" for Nereo's larger album (of which "Ylva" appears to be a part) suggests that this work is part of a more expansive mythology-making project. Each song, each "chapter," contributes to a larger story about reclaiming our kinship with the wild, our sovereignty as creative and instinctual beings, and our belonging to a world larger than ourselves.
What does it mean to make an "offering" through art?
The song is explicitly framed as "an offering to the wild around us and within us." In many spiritual and indigenous traditions, the offering is not transactional—it is not given to obtain something in return. Rather, it is an act of reciprocity, of recognition, of relationship. By dedicating the profits from "Ylva" to wolf conservation, Nereo enacts this offering in material form. But the artistic offering itself—the song, the video, the mythic reframing of the wolf—is also a gift offered to collective consciousness.
This approach treats art not as entertainment or commodity, but as a form of activism and spiritual practice. The song becomes a vehicle for shifting how we think about and relate to the wild, both externally and internally. It becomes a tool for remembrance, for waking up parts of ourselves that have been asleep or suppressed.
Where to go from here
If "Ylva" resonates with you, there are several pathways to deepen the work. Nereo offers courses including "Meeting the Muse" (a free 5-day journey into creative liberation) and "Empowered Voice," which explore the creative voice as a tool for liberation and aliveness. These courses are rooted in the same philosophy as "Ylva": that our voice and creative expression are inherently connected to our wildness and our power.
On the activist front, consider learning more about and supporting organizations like the Endangered Species Coalition (protecting wolves of Yellowstone) and Wolf Watcher (working to stop the war against wolves in North America). These organizations are the actual recipients of "Ylva"'s proceeds, making the song's mythic invitation concrete in the world.
Finally, allow yourself to sit with the question that "Ylva" poses: What does the she-wolf represent within you? What aspects of your own wildness have been hunted, misunderstood, or driven into hiding? What happens if you choose to honor them, to bring them light, to let them run free in the safe container of your own consciousness?
