I’ve heard of dog and horse whisperers. You know, a certain person who is able to pick up on the animal’s needs, wants, motives and desires, without speaking the same language. There’s a bond, an understanding that goes without saying.
In a beautiful, lush green vast field, far into the north (1000 km from Gothenburg, Sweden where she grew up and was living), a young woman named Jonna Jinton found her little slice of paradise; she surrounded by endless acres of nature, and in a village of 10 people. When she’s not working on her business, she can be found singing to a herd of cows. And she does it in a way that will have tears in your eyes, it’s so beautiful.
This incredible video opens to the woman’s back. She’s dressed in a plain white dress with her blonde hair neatly tied back. The setting is ethereal. The sky is gray and overcast and lined with a dark row of pointed trees. There’s a mist in the distance, a morning fog, with cows tinkering around, paying no attention to anything but the grass in front of them.
Sounds of their bells are heard against a gentle wind and the faint sound of crickets. Jonna raises her hands to her mouth, and lets out a high-pitched, absolutely haunting voice. It’s almost like she’s throwing her voice in a much more sophisticated, elegant-sounding yodel. More specifically, its called kulning, and it’s a high-sounding, ancient singing technique first used by women from 1500-1800, in Scandinavia. It was the woman’s job to take care of the animals and keep an eye on their whereabouts by singing kulning when they needed to be summoned.
And wow, does it ever work. The moment Jonna opens her mouth to sing the chilling notes of the Viking song, the cows’ ears perk up. Their cowbells start to jingle and they all put a little pep in their step to hurry along and get to the source of the music. Jonna’s voice floats through the air with intention and grace. And with the slight echo and upturn of the last note in each set of notes, her herding call sounds dreamy. If I heard this traditional medieval song coming in my direction, I am certain I would respond the same way the cows do.
Click below to watch the video and melt to the music performed by an angelic voice. Jonna’s video has over 4 million views, and there’s a reason why.
