When come to think of Swedish regions with rich folk traditions we usually think of Dalarna, Uppland, Hälsingland and maybe some other, but let us be honest, Öland is nobody´s first choice. However, are we entitled to say that Öland is a culturally poor region? The short answer would be no, the long answer is as long as this whole article.
An Ölandish style
According to Göran Rygert and Lars Weinhardt[1] there are without any doubts particularities in the Ölandish folk music. The first one is that during the 19th century there was a curiously big amount of clarinet players on the island. The other characteristic is that the majority of the melodies ascribed to Öland are in the major mode. According to statistics, Sweden is the Northern European country with most melodies in the minor mode. With no less than 80% of its folk tunes on this mode, it opposes completely to what happens in Finland or Russia.
In Öland, the proportion is completely inverted. For example, 92% of the tunes included in Rygert and Weinhardt´s book are in the major mode. The causes for this we can only guess, but several literary sources speak in favour of milieu influence on the music. In the book Öland, from 1949, the Ölander is described as follows: “a child of its own surroundings, open, with rich fantasy, easily entranced, with somewhat of the wind´s and the sea´s volatility in his mind. Cheerfulness, openness and light humor indeed characterise a big part of the island´s population. There is a southerner trait not only in the island´s nature but also in its people”. While the island´s inhabitants also have been described as the “Italians of the North”, Swedish poet Erik Axel Karlfeldt compared the island and its people to a schooner with its merry crew onboard.
Medieval ballads from the Island
According to the profesionals responsible for the SMB (Svenska Medeltida Ballader) collection, editor in chief Professor Bengt R. Jonsson and editor Associate Professor Sven-Bertil Jansson, there are 32 medieval ballads with roots in Öland, which is only 1% of a total of 3612 collected by them, with 9% ballads of unknown procedence. The predominant types of ballads in Öland are Naturmytiska visor (Ballads of the supernatural), Legendvisor (Legendary ballads), Riddarvisor (Ballads of chivalry) and Skämtvisor (Jocular ballads).
I would like to share with you two well known ballads of the Legendary type in the hope you will find them interesting
Fru Gunnil och Elov väktare (TSB B 17)
Konungen skulle till Ledingen fara,
Och Fru Gunnil skulle hemma vara.
Men Gud gifver siälen god nadhe!
Fru Gunnil beställer en badstuf hasteligh,
Och Eluff vechter biuder hon till sigh.
Men Gud gifver siälen god nådhe!
Hon skiäncker Eluff vechter både miöd och vijn,
Så somnar han neder på händer sin.’
Men Gud gifver själen m. m.
Eluff vechter drack aff dhen miöden så varm,
Fru Gunnil tager nycklarna aff hans arm.
Fru Gunnil tager nycklarna uthi sin hand,
Så släpper hon fångarna aff theras bandh.
Hon löste fhe fångar alt aff sine band:
“I skynden nu eder aff dhetta land!”
Hon kastar the nycklar i borga haga;
Thet monde Eluffs hierta så illa behaga.
Konungen kom från ledungen hem på land,
Honom möter Fru Gunnill på siöastrand.
Straxt hon seer sinom herra berättar hon så:
“Att Eluf med villia lätt fångarne bortgå.”
Konungen lätt kalla Eluff vechter till sigh:
“Hvij hafver tu thetta understått tigh?”
Han svor om Gud fadher och thet heliga liuus:
“Jag aldrigh släpte fånga aff fånga huus!”
Han svor om Gud fadher och then helige and:
“Jag aldrigh släpte fångar aff dhetta land!”
Tå svarar Fru Gunnil, ty var hon så vrångh:
“i låten honom niupa med heeta jerntångh!”
Tå svarar Fru Gunnil, ty hon var så vreed:
“i låten honom niupa alt öfver hans qved!” —
“Och är thet eij sant som jag berättar nu,
“Så gif Gud jag måtte föda hundhvalpar siu.”
Sedan Eluff vächtar nu var pijnter så,
Månde the honom i en spijketunna slå.
Therföre tå sattes the skalkhästar två,
Som aldrig hade varit någon tömm uppå.
Så skalkade the honom uth för Borgholms broo,
Igen stod Fru Gunnel, så hiertelig logh,
The skalkade sig alt uth åth Borgholms slätt,
Effter lopp hans moder, så hiertelig gräät.
The skalkade sigh alt uth med Borgholms haagh;
Dher rycktes då från honom hans högra arm.
The skalckade sigh alt uth åth Kiöpings heed;
Effter gick hans moder och plåcka upp hans been.
Sedan uth för Kiöpings klint monde the skalka,
Der Eluf moot en klippa stötte sin nacka.
Ja, dher stötte han så hårdt sitt nacke been,
Att uhtur berget upsprang en källa så reen.’
På Cappels udd monde the sedan stanna;
Ty the af löpande voro så lamma.
Så komma dher siömän och segla ther fram;
Ther fingo the see hvar itt klart lius bran.
“Ty villiom vij ofra een gryta aff malm,
“Vist är ther mördat een sanner Guds man!”
När födslostunden kom på Fru Gunnela nu,
Tå födde hon fram dhe hundhvalpar siu.
Så lät hon strax koka the hundhvalpar små,
Eluf vächtarens lius hon uthsläckte tå.
Hvad löhn Fru Gunnel för dhetta mord bekom,
Är eij uthi thenna vijsan rördt om.
Hon lefver ännu och hoverar fast,
Som räcker doch störst en helt kortan rast.
Men Gudh gifver siälen god nådhe!
Lady Gunnil and Elov the guard (English translation)
The king would depart to the Leidang[2],
And lady Gunnil would stay at home
-But God gives good grace to the soul!-
Lady Gunnil then commands a bath be prepared promptly
And calls Elov the guard to her presence
-But God gives good grace to the soul!-
She offers Elov the guard both mead and wine,
And thus he falls asleep on his own hands
-But God gives good grace to the soul!, etc.
Elov the guard took a sip of the mead so warm
Lady Gunnil takes the keys from his arm
Lady Gunnil takes the keys from his arm,
And frees the prisoners from their chains
She released all the prisoners from their chains:
“Hurry now and leave this land!”
She casts the chains in Borgahaga:
This might not please Elov´s heart.
The king returned from the Leidang
He meets lady Gunnil by the shore
No sooner she sees her lord than she speaks thus:
“That Elov willingly let the prisoners escape”
The king calls Elov the guard to his presence:
“What were you presuming to do?”
He swore by God father and the holy light:
“I never freed any prisoners from the prison!”
He swore by God father and the holy ghost:
“I never freed any prisoners from this country!”
Then answers lady Gunnil, for she was so wrought:
“Seize him and pinch him with hot iron tongs!”
Then answers lady Gunnil, for she was so angry:
“Seize him and pinch him beyond his whining!”
“And be it not true, this I tell you now,
So will God that I may give birth to seven puppies”
Then Elov the guard was made to suffer so,
They put him inside a spiktunna[3]
Then they tied him to two frisky horses,
Which nobody had mounted before
The horses kicked him up friskily by Borgholm’s bridge
And lady Gunnil so gladly she smiled
The frisky horses galloped all across Borgholm’s plain
Behind him ran his mother, so heartily she wept.
They galloped friskily all across Borgholm’s grove,
Where his right arm was snatched from him
They galloped friskily all across Köping’s heath
After him went his mother and picked up his legs
Then by Köping’s cliff they kicked up friskily,
Where Elov against a rock bumped his neck
Aye, there he bumped his neck so hard,
That from the rock flowed so pure a spring
In Kappeludden[4] the horses stopped;
For of so much galloping they became lame
Then came sailors and sailed to the place;
There they could see that a bright light burned
“Thus we want to offer up a kettle of ore”
“Indeed there was killed a true man of God”
When the moment of birth arrived for lady Gunnela,
She gave birth to seven puppies.
So she ordered the puppies be cooked
Thus extinguishing Elov the guard´s light
What reward waited Lady Gunnil because of this murder,
This ballad is not concerned with
She still lives and floats around,
Which is sufficient, however, for a whole short break
But God gives good grace to the soul!
Långlötevisan (Stolta Karin)[5]
1. I Långlöte by är den fagraste by,
för femton stolta möjar de bo däruti
- För lindar och för ekar i lunderna de gröna –
2. Då kom den danska konungen seglande fram,
fick höra liten Karin i björkelunden sang
3. Å konungen frågade småsvenner så:
“Vem är det som på gullharpan slår?”
4. “Ingen det är som på gullharpan slår,
det är liten Karin i lindelunden går”
5. Å det var den danska kungen steg på snövitan sand,
så gick han uti ekelund för liten Karin fram:
6. “Å hör du stolta Karin-lill, kväd visan för mej,
det kan du väl göra till viljes göra mej”
7. Å stolta Karin kvädde en visa så klar,
att ekelövet dansade som uti lunden var
8. Så kvad hon de visorna, kvad hon de fem,
att danska kungen dansade och alla hans hovmän
9. “Å hör du stolta Karin-lill, drick en dryck med mej,
det kan du väl göra till viljes göra mej”
10. “Å väl vill jag dricka en dryck med dej,
men nog jag har så många, som akta uppå mej
11. På mej aktar fader, på mej aktar mor,
på mej aktar syster såväl som min bror”
12. Den danska kungen tog liten Karin i famn,
så bar han henne i det stora skeppet fram
13. Å danska kungen seglar från Långlöte hamn,
han offrade en gryta av blankaste malm
14. Stolt Karin hon somnade i konungens famn,
hon vaknade ej förrän vid det danska land
15. Stolt Karin hon vaknar och kammar upp sitt hår:
“Gud nåde mej arma för de ord jag sa i går!”
16. I hjälpen mej hem till min fädernesby,
ty mina småbarn de gråta efter mig”
17. “Grant ser jag det på dina snövita bröst,
att inga småbarn de hava dem kysst”
18. “I hjälpen mej hem till mitt fädernesland,
ty mina husdörrar stå olästa för sann”
19. “Grant ser jag det på din snövita arm,
att du aldrig har burit nycklar i band
20. Å aldrig ska du komma till ditt fädernesland,
förrän du får sonen som skeppet styra kan
21. Å aldrig ska du komma till din fädernesby,
förrän du får dottern som silke kan sy”
- För lindar och för ekar i lunderna de gröna -
Långlöte´s ballad (Proud Karin) – English translation
1. In Långlöte vale is the fairest of towns,
Where fifteen proud maidens do dwell,
´Midst the limes and the oaks, in the grove, on the green
2. The Danish king he came sailing by,
And hear little Karin in the birch-gove sing,
3. The king he asked his small pages two,
Who strikes on the gold harp so cheerily?
4. No one, lord liege, strikes the gold harp-string,
´Tis fair Karin herseld who sweetly doth singm
5. Then the Danish king leapt upon the white sand,
And in the oak grove took Karin´s fair hand
6. I pray you, fair Karin, sing a ballad for me,
As I sit and repose beneath the oak tree
7. Proud Karin she sang a ballad so clear.
The oak-leaves they danced on the trees that stood near;
8. She sang him five lays, and when she sang ten,
The Danish king danced with all his court-men
9. Oh, hear me, proud Karin, will you drink to me?
That you can do and so grant my will
10. Oh, that would I do right willingly
But there are so many so look after me;
11. First comes my father, and then there´s my mother,
My two elder sisters as well as my brother
´Midst the limes and the oaks, in the grove, on the green
Karin[6] yelds, quaffs the draught, and is carried off by the Danish king to his ship and they sail fast away from Öland. Next morn, when Karin wakes and combs her long hair, she begs piteously to return to Långlöte.
16. ”Oh, bear me back to my father´s hall,
I hear the cry of my children small,
But[7] the Danish king answers:
17. ”Full well I see by your snow-white breat,
No child have you to your bosom press´d”
Karin now tries a new dodge:
18. ”Oh, bear me back to my father´s land,
For my house-door doth open stand”
But , answers the king:
20. ”Ne´er shall you return to your father´s land,
Until you bear a son who con stir the ship”
21. ”And ne´er shall you return to your father´s
Until your bear a daughter who can sew silk
´Midst the limes and the oaks, in the grove, on the green”
[1] Rygert, Göran; Weinhardt, Lars. Ölands folkliga visor och melodier genom tiderna, Lidingö Öfolk, 1987.
[2] A form of conscription to organise coastal fleets for seasonal excursions and in defence of the realm, typical for Medieval Scandinavia.
[3] Literally “nail barrel”. Torture method consisting in a barrel with nails that were hammered from the outside with the idea that when the barrel was set to roll down a hill or tied to a horse, the person trapped inside would get hurt by the nails.
[4] This place´s name means “the chapel´s ness”
[5] The English translation is based on that rendered by Horace Marryat on his book “On year in Sweden – including a visit to the isle of Götland”, London: 1862.
[6] Marryat omits stanzas 12-14 and instead narrates the events mentioned there. The stanzas can be translated as follows: “12. The Danish King took sweet Karin in his arms and took her on board the big ship” “13. And the Danish kung sails from Långlöte harbour, he offered a pot of the shiniest ore” “14. Proud Karin fell asleep in the arms of the King, and she woke up only once in Danish land arrived” “15, Proud Karin wakes up and combs her hair; May god have mercy for the words I spoke yesterday
[7] Marryat omits stanza 19: “Full well I see by your snow-white arm, that you never wore keys in a bind”