The Moon and the Nightspirit

The Moon and the Nightspirit

The Moon and the Nightspirit is a Hungarian dark folk, folk and neofolk group from Békéscsaba. It forms in 2003 and centres on Szabó Mihály and Tóth Ágnes, who handle vocals, with Mihály also playing acoustic 12-string guitar and Ágnes also playing violin. The project also works with additional live members, including Gábor Végh on drums and percussion and Gergely Cseh on bass.

Style and themes

The group’s music combines neofolk and medieval folk with ethereal and pagan folk elements. Its work is closely tied to nature, Hungarian legends and folklore, and a spiritual approach that runs through both the lyrics and the visual presentation. Ágnes Tóth also creates the paintings that accompany the project, giving it a fantasy setting populated by figures drawn from traditional Hungarian stories.

Releases and activity

The Moon and the Nightspirit’s debut album is Of Dreams Forgotten and Fables Untold, released in 2005 on Equilibrium Music. The later album Regõ Rejtem leads to touring across much of Europe, including performances at fairs and festivals such as Trolls et Legendes in Belgium, Wave-Gotik-Treffen in Germany and Castle Party in Poland. The band also shares stages with Corvus Corax, Faun, Blackmore’s Night and Korpiklaani.

Its third album, Ösforrás, develops a more tribal and exotic sound, while Mohalepte appears in 2011 as a self-released album. The collector’s edition of Ösforrás includes a bonus track with guest appearances by Catarina Raposo of Dwelling, Saskia Dommisse of Poets to their Beloved and Alessandra Santovito of Hexperos.

Artistic identity

The Moon and the Nightspirit presents its music as part of a wider artistic world, with imagery, paintings and lyrics all contributing to the same mythic atmosphere. Its songs draw on the idea of nature, ancient mysticism and old forest traditions, and the project develops a distinctive place within the pagan folk scene.