Meaning of "Born from the Serpent's Eye" by Wolves In The Throne Room

The lyrics of "Born from the Serpent's Eye" by Wolves In The Throne Room invoke a sense of exploration and introspection. The image of the narrator in falcon skin, with eyes turned upwards, signifies a transcendental journey of the mind and spirit. The red eggs spilling and warships circling suggest the presence of conflict and violence in the world. The copper shields bedecked across the green meadows and the river teeming with spears create an atmosphere of warfare, alluding to the cyclical nature of human history.

The reference to the lake of stone, where nothing lives and nothing grows, symbolizes a desolate and barren state of existence. It represents a place devoid of life, filled with sadness, and detached from the vibrancy of the natural world. The mention of the many worlds below, ungulate with memory and sadness, speaks to the depth of human experience and the collective memories carried within us. It suggests that beneath the surface, beyond what is visible, there are intricate layers and dimensions to our existence that are often overshadowed by the chaos and violence of the world above.

The subsequent verse, written in Swedish, adds another layer of complexity to the lyrics. It contemplates the seeking of a breath, indicated by looking at a star and its light. The imagery of a cold and dark heart, away from all light, seeking water and diving into the depths, conveys a longing for renewal, escape, or transformation. It represents a desire to escape the bleakness of the world above and delve into the unknown, finding solace or rebirth in the depths of the sea.

The final lines of the song, "Noose tightens, hammer falls / Thunderheads mount the shore / Drenching twin rivers / Born from the serpent's eye," evoke a sense of impending doom or destruction. The tightening of the noose and the falling hammer signify the inevitability of fate or consequences catching up with us. The image of thunderheads mounting the shore and drenching twin rivers suggests a violent storm approaching, representing a metaphorical or literal deluge of chaos and upheaval. This final section of the lyrics reinforces the cyclical nature of existence, the constant ebb and flow of destruction and rebirth.