Freya (String Quintet)

Freya, named after the Norse goddess (Freyja) of love and beauty, was a young female walrus who appeared along the western coast of Europe. Weighing approximately 1,300 pounds, Freya first captivated locals, tourists, and wildlife enthusiasts back in 2021. When first learning about Freya, I questioned how such a quirky, robust, creature could be named after the goddess of beauty and love. Afterall, the sightings of Freya primarily were of her struggling to get up on rocks and boats in order to sunbathe--- in the process, sometimes accidentally sinking smaller vessels. Yet, I quickly fell in love with Freya, and understood how in her own way, she was the embodiment of love and beauty. Afterall, she captivated audiences wherever she went, creating a large following around the world.

August 13th, 2022, Freya was shot and killed in Oslo, Norway, by the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries. The Directorate stated they euthanized her amid concerns for public safety. The proper term is murdered. Weeks leading Freya’s murder, humans got too close, interrupting her rest time. It was humans who were putting themselves in danger. Yet, Freya never had signs of aggression to humans or the areas she presided in. In fact, there are many videos of Freya playing around in marinas, and relaxing in the sun--- none with aggression towards humans. Freya’s story is angering, and heartbreaking all at once. It is simply unforgivable that it was decided to murder her, for a problem that did not exist. In the end this shows the destructive nature of humans, and how we do not value the life of other beings who we share this world with.

I wrote this piece to tell Freya’s story. My goal was to not create sad music, but instead bring listeners through the process I went through in falling in love with Freya’s existence. I think most people align with this same experience. Starting with a slow ballad, Freya is outlined as the goddess of beauty and love. Taking inspiration from the Norse goddess herself, the beginning explores the complexity of love and beauty. This ballad is quickly interrupted by a quirky march like song. I imagine Freya (the walrus) appearing out of the water and clumsily attempting to climb up onto shore. This continues for a bit, with interludes of crazy flourishes, representing Freya accidentally sinking boats, being bothered by humans, then trekking along as a 1300lb walrus on land. After a bit, Freya finds a place to rest under the sun. This is heard by a return to the ballad. Eventually the original melody returns, depicting my own realization of why Freya is named after the goddess of beauty and love.

The ballad is interrupted by a dark march: the oncoming of her firing squad. Juxtaposed over the march, the melody to Ja, Vi Elsker Dette Landet is heard in the flute. Ja, Vi Elsker Dette Landet, is one of the Norwegian National Anthems, and means “Yes, we love this country.” Juxtaposed over march like cluster chords, this combination shows the demented perspective of needing to kill an innocent being due to human ignorance and negligence. After a gunshot is heard, there is silence. The then piece ends with a slow remembrance of Freya’s existence, melting back to silence.

For a country that prides itself in being friendly to the natural world, why was Freya’s situation handled so poorly? Why was it the choice to kill her, and not to do something more humane? Why were people let off the hook when they were the one’s going too close? I do not know the answer. So all we can do is learn from this tragedy, and commemorate the memory of Freya, who was taken by the cruelty of human nature.