[1] They are dedicated to creating musical renditions of Norse cultural and esoteric traditions, and make significant use of Nordic historical and traditional instruments including deer-hide frame drums, flutes, kraviklyra, tagelharpe, mouth harp, goat horn, and lur.

Selvik and Gaahl were both previously members of Gorgoroth, appearing together on the album Twilight of the Idols and the live DVD Black Mass Krakow 2004.

[4][5] Selvik had also recorded with other projects including Det Hedenske Folk,[4] Bak de Syv Fjell, Jotunspor, Sahg, Dead to this World, Skuggsjá, and Faun.

In 2014, Selvik announced on the group's official Facebook page that they would take part in composing the score for season 2 of Vikings along with Trevor Morris.

[20] In September 2024, they announced their upcoming sixth studio album, titled Birna, set to be released on 25 January 2025.

[21] Jonathan Selzer of Metal Hammer magazine described Wardruna's music as "a conjunction of the earthy, the organic and the ethereal" with "runic-based rites inhabiting a frequency that once heard have always seemed just adjacent to everyday consciousness".