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Kveding – a Norse tradition with roots older than 1000 years Kveding – ein tradisjon med røter i det norrøne Jon Storm-Mathisen pp 1-10 printed in "Vokal folkemusikk verden rundt – Studies in global vocal traditions" Ed Irene Bergheim 2008 Tapir Akademisk Forlag Trondheim ISBN: 9788251922678

pp 11-16 unauthorized PowerPoint presentation from meeting "Muntlig tradering i vokal folkemusikk" NTNU Trondheim 2nd March 2006

English summary The oldest form of Norwegian traditional music and poetry is known as gamalstev (singular = plural). Some of the medieval ballads are in gamalstev metre. There are no written sources that prove the origin of stev. Similarity in structure, function, and other considerations suggest that stev represent a continuous line of development from Old Norse poetry, preserved in the Edda manuscripts, e.g. Hávamál. The hypothesis is ‘tested experimentally’ by singing ljóðaháttr verses to gamal-stev and ballad tunes. Some of the tunes used can be traced through direct tradition to informants living 200 years ago. Similarities, signs pointing to a continuous tradition of performance (kveding), include: • Metre: accentual pattern (stresses: 2+2, 3; 2+2, 3), alliterations. • Oral tradition: existed originally only as performed, perceived and remembered. • Use: improvisatory contests, riddle games, commenting on or marking events. • Contents: nature, life, words of wisdom. • Terms: the verb for chanting stev (kveda) or reciting Edda (kveða) literally means ‘say’ –

in contemporary kveding, words govern music. Norsk samandrag Gamalstevet er den eldste forma for norsk vokal tradisjonsmusikk. Den eldste poesien i «vårt» språkområde er Edda-kvedet. Strukturen i eit gamalstev er svært likt versemålet ljodahått som mykje av den eldste diktinga går i, til dømes Håvamål. Det er mykje som peikar i retning av at syngemåten i norsk vokal folkemusikk, kveding, står i ubroten tradisjon frå det norrøne: Versemål: Gamalstev og ljodahått-vers har same mønster av trykktunge stavingar (2+2,+3; 2+2,+3), medan talet på trykklette stavingar ymsar. Dei trykktunge stavingane ber meininga. I ljodahått har dei eit regelbunde bokstavrim. I gamalstev er det ofte ei rest av bokstavrim (men i tillegg er det enderim eller assonans). Mange av dei gamle folkevisene fekk same meter. Munnleg: Både gamalstev og Edda-kvede er opphaveleg munnlege og munnleg traderte. Bruk: Gamalstev har vore kvedne til viktige eller særmerkte hendingar, eller i stevleik eller gåteviser. Edda-kvede har eksempel på alt dette. Både har truleg vore nytta til tidtrøyte, kveik, gaman, åleine eller i lag. Innhald: Håvamål er som ei lang rekkje frodestev. Det konkrete innhaldet er ulikt, men det handlar om livsvisdom, levereglar, verdsorden. Nemningar: Å kveda tyder opphavleg å seia, seinare å dikta, seia fram dikt, syngja, skrika opp. Den som kveder legg vekt på orda. Prøve: Norrøne vers i ljodahått-meter kan ein synge til gamalstev-tonar. Det provar sjølvsagt ikkje min tese, men det visar at han kan vera sann. Utan tvil gjev slik kveding kveik til den som kveder – og dei gamle orda har mykje å seia oss, jamvel i dag.

Stev are a characteristic component of Norwegian traditional music – and poetry. They are

known throughout the country and have been in wide use. Even today probably every

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Norwegian – consciously or unconsciously – knows at least a couple of stev, often learnt by

word of moth. Poets use them for inspiration and models. There appears to be consensus that

gamalstev constitute the oldest form of Norwegian poetry – and music – but there are no

written sources to document their origin. Were they ‘always’ there, handed over orally from

generation to generation, slowly changing in the process? My first tenet is that the answer to

these questions is ‘yes’.

When you study the structure of gamalstev, it becomes obvious that the metre is very

similar to ljóðaháttr, the type of verse characteristic of Edda poems such as Hávamál. A stev

and a Hávamál verse alike are self contained statements, typically carrying a word of wisdom.

These and other similarities in form and function, dealt with in detail below, converge to

suggest that gamalstev and Edda poems are closely related, i.e. representatives of a common

line of oral tradition over more than a thousand years.

The traditional way of reciting stev and ballads is known as kveding, a style of singing

that keeps the words in focus. The verb kveda is the same as that used in the Old Norse

(kveða) for reciting or composing poems, the original meaning being ‘say’ (cf. English

‘bequeath’, ‘quoth’). How did it sound when the skald recited Edda poems in the Old Norse?

Nobody can know this, but likely it may have sounded intermediate between speaking and

singing (cf. the habits of some contemporary poets, of priests, of auctioneers, of fishmongers

etc.).

My second tenet is therefore that the contemporary style of kveding may be the result

of a development, through oral tradition, rooted in the practice of reciting poems back in the

times when Old Norse was spoken in Scandinavia. I ‘test’ these hypotheses ‘experimentally’

by singing Hávamál verses in the Old Norse to gamalstev and ballad tunes, seeking tunes that

can be traced as far back as possible through a succession of known informants, i.e. up to over

200 years. The fact that this succeeds does not prove the tenets, but does support them.

Importantly, the singing of the old words to the old tunes is a novel approach to these

treasures – the poetic and musical beauty provide joy, at least in the performer, who learns the

tunes and words to become part of this grand tradition. Moreover, quite a few of the ancient

words of wisdom are still valid.

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What is a stev?

A stev is a single-verse poem with independent content, often a word of wisdom (frodestev).

Pairs or rows of stev (like of Hávamál verses) may repeat parts of the content. There are

distinct structural differences between gamalstev, nystev, and slåttestev.

The structure of gamalstev, which is the focus of the present discussion, is usually

described (Myhren 1980) as consisting of four lines with end-rhyme or assonance in line two

and four. There are four stresses in line one and three, three stresses in line two and four. For

examples and further analysis of the gamalstev metre, see below.

The word stev is of the same root as stav (English ‘stave’, is formed as plural of

‘staff’). Old Norse stafr (m) (f pronounced v) means stick, pillar, rune/letter, formula, while

stef (n) means time-limit, time-period, refrain, verse/stanza, i.e. ‘set or recurring time’. (The

original meaning of stev is therefore akin to that of the word ‘metre’ as a term for poetic

rhythm.) The meanings of stef may have developed from the concept of a ‘row of stakes’

(fence, i.e. a limit, cf. å stevja in the sense ‘to stop’, ‘to prevent’). Also notice the terms

bokstav (letter, originally rune, i.e. a letter shaped like rods), and ‘stave rhyme’ (alliteration,

the virtual ‘pillars’ of the verse). (References on etymology, here and in other paragraphs:

Torp 1919, Egilsson 1931, de Vries 1961, Bjorvand & Lindeman 2000, OED 1995, 2006.)

Structure of verses in the ljóðaháttr metre

Ljóðaháttr is held to be a uniquely Nordic type of poetic metre (a variant of the ancient

Germanic alliterative metre). The word means ‘song mode’ (ljoð = German Lied). The metre

ljóðaháttr can be described (KLNM 1956-1979, vol. 12 p. 355) as two ‘half-verses’, each

consisting of a pair of short-lines and a ‘full-line’, with a characteristic pattern of stresses

(underlined) and alliterations (bold italics), as exemplified here by Hávamál’s 3rd verse

(Bugge 1867):

A pair of short-lines forms a ‘line’, separated in two by a short pause (caesura). Such a pair, and a ‘full-line’, were each called a vísufjórðungr (a fourth of a verse). 2 vísufjórðungar make 1 vísuhelmingr (a half-verse). 2 vísuhelmingar make 1 vísa (a verse).

EEEEldz er þÃrf þeims iiiinn er kominn oc a kkkkne kkkkalinn; mmmmatar oc váða er mmmmanne þÃrf þeim er hefir vm ffffiall ffffariþ

1. Short-line 2 stresses (arses, lifts), i.e. a dipody, “visúorð” 2. Short-line 2 stresses 3. Full-line 3 (or 2) stresses [3 may function as 2+1, 1+2, or 1+1+1] 4. Short-line 5. Short-line 6. Full-line

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Alliteration (stave rhyme), i.e. words start on the same consonant or on a vowel (different).

Alliteration and stress coincide on significant syllables. Alliteration is between short-lines,

within full-lines. Thus each vísufjórðungr is ‘held together’ by an internal stave rhyme.

The number of unstressed syllables (theses) varies very much, providing freedom conducive

to improvisation. This may well be an important point: when the genre was in its heyday,

skalds may have been able to improvise verses in the metre (see below under Function).

Gamalstev metre compared to ljóðaháttr

The structure of gamalstev is similar to that of ljóðaháttr stanzas, but the stave rhyme is

rudimentary and irregular. In addition, there is end rhyme or assonance between the full-lines.

The similarity is seen more clearly when the verses are rendered in the same way, exemplified

here by a well known stev (≈ Landstad 1853):

Usually, gamalstev are rendered as four line verses. This is actually in agreement with the first

line (like the penultimate line) being the ‘line’ composed of two ‘half-lines’, according to the

usual notation for ljóðaháttr. (Opinions and practice may vary somewhat on which syllables

to stress.)

The fact that the stresses typically come in pairs (dipodies) has been demonstrated by

J.P. Ekgren (Ekgren 2002) who has shown by counting film-frames that traditional kvedarar

sing and tap their feet for stresses in an ‘irregular’, flexible rhythm composed of dipodies.

This underlines the similarity with the ljóðaháttr metre.

The stev chosen for illustration shows an extensive use of stave rhyme. It agrees

exactly with the alliteration pattern of ljóðaháttr in the first vísuhelmingr. In the second half-

verse, the alliteration is irregular, i.e. rhyme within the half-lines, rather than between the half-

lines, and there is no stave rhyme in the ultimate full-line. Still, this is a remarkable degree of

‘preservation’ of the ljóðaháttr metre if we perceive it as developed in purely oral tradition

over a thousand years.

Ingin fugle flyge så hågt som grå-gåsi med sine ungar og ingin orme stinge så sårt som falske manne-tunga

1. Short-line 2 stresses (arses, lifts), i.e. a dipody, visúorð 2. Short-line 2 stresses 3. Full-line 3 (or 2) stresses; [may function as 2+1, 1+2, or 1+1+1] 4. Short-line 5. Short-line 6. Full-line

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A Norwegian nursery rhyme set in galdralag!

Several verses of Hávamál, including the opening one, are set in the ljóðaháttr variant,

galdralag (‘magic tune’). In this, the last line (the ‘full-line’) of the first vísuhelmingr is

repeated with slightly different wording, creating an enchanting effect (galdr is ‘spellbinding’,

‘bewitchment’). Curiously, a similar metre occurs in a Norwegian nursery rhyme: «Har du

sett noe til kjæringa mi»?

GGGGattir allar, aþr ggggangi fram, vm sssscoðaz sssscyli, vm sssscygnaz sssscyli; þviat oooouist er at vita, hvar oooo-vinir sitia a ffffleti ffffyr(ir).*

Har du sett no’ te kjerringa mi? Langt nord i leitom! Går og gjeter geitom? Svart hatt! Rau stakk! Lita, gammal, låghalt!

* Bugge, in contrast to most editions, has sitia one line up.

A troll is shouting over to his neighbour in the next mountain, asking whether he has seen his

wife. This song became well known to several generations of Norwegians due to Norsk

Billedbok for Barn (Holst & Nielsen 1888), which carries its illustration on the cover,

reprinted many times until recently. I learnt it from my mother as a child some 60 years ago.

It was truly ‘enchanting’ to discover that I could chant Hávamál’s opening instruction to this

tune!

Other traces of gamalstev / ljóðaháttr?

The narrative old folk songs of Scandinavia, now known as ‘medieval balads’ (TSMB 1978),

are thought to have arisen in Scandinavia by the end of the 13th century, mainly through

influence from France via England. According to some (Jonsson 1996, p. 17), the genre first

came to Norway, spreading from here to Iceland (Ólason 1982), Sweeden and Denmark.

Many of the ballads thought to be of high age are set in gamalstev meter (e.g.

«Draumkvedet», «Åsmund fregdegjevar», «Sjugurd og trollbrura»). In several (e.g.

«Beiarblakkjen») the ‘full-lines’ function as refrains (called innstev and etterstev or

mellomsleng and ettersleng). When the novel genre was to be adapted and translated to the

Old Norse, it would be natural to do it in a familiar poetic metre.

The end-rhyme may have come at this time. The Old Norse word rím is thought to

originate from the Old French. In Iceland, there is a rich variety of metres for rímur. The

metres ferskeytt and skáhent resemble the metre of gamalstev and the Icelandic counterpart,

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lausavísur (literally ‘loose verses’, i.e. single verse poems). However, end-rhyme is more

abundant in rímur and lausavísur than in gamalstev, which in this respect are the closest to

ljóðaháttr.

The vísuhelmingr pattern of stresses or complete gamalstev-like verses have been used

by many modern writers, including Henrik Ibsen (e.g. «Terje Vigen»), Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson

(e.g. the National Anthem «Ja, vi elsker»), Alf Prøysen (e.g. «Slipsteinsvalsen»), after the

national romantic revival. But even Petter Dass used them (e.g. «Jæphthæ Løfte» from the

17th century). It is perhaps telling that there are similar examples on the British Isles (e.g.

«Auld Lang Syne», ‘reconstructed’ by Robert Burns based on a 16th century precursor).

Are there traces of the metre earlier than the Edda? Again, I think the answer is ‘yes’.

Norway’s probably earliest written document is the Tune runestone (about 300 AD).

According to Gerd Høst it reads and can be interpreted as follows (Høst 1976):

ek wiwaR after woduride witadahalaiban worahto [runoR] (Alternative suggestion for the missing fragment: [waru]) I, Wivar, after Woduride, the bread-provider*, worked runes (alternatively: stone-fence (around grave))

*i.e. the chieftain who provides subsistence(?): witada ‘seeing (about)’ same root as in vite, vett, vise, vis, vitje, vitne, ‘wise’, ‘wit’, ‘visit’, ‘video’, ‘idea’, ‘Veda’, etc; halaiban same root as leiv, ‘loaf’.

This indeed makes a vísuhelmingr!

Oral tradition and function

Both stev and Edda poems were originally produced and passed on by people who did not

read or write. The Edda poems (or rather their precursors) are thought to have originated in

Norway before the emigration to Iceland (i.e. before the 9th century). (One piece of evidence

for this is the many references to things that do not exist in Iceland but in Scandinavia.) The

poems were in oral tradition in Iceland for several hundred years, and of course modified in

the process, before they were written down on parchment by Icelandic scholars in the 13th

century.

Norwegian stev were taken down on paper only some 150 years ago (Landstad 1853)

when scholars started to take interest in the ancient Norwegian culture (which then became an

important factor in the building of Norway as an independent nation). At this time, gamalstev

were still in active use, for entertainment at festive occasions and at kveldsseta when people

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sat around the fire after the day’s work was ended. They were used for contests, on who knew

the most different stev and who could turn the wording of ones known to ‘everybody’ so as to

most aptly comment the situation or the opponent. This has parallels in the Edda: in the poem

Lokasenna (the Loki quarrel), Loki is the most astute among the gods making ljóðaháttr

verses insulting the others. In Vafþruðnismál, Oðin wins a game of riddles, with the j†tunn

Vafþruðni (‘the strong weaver’, i.e. of riddles). This finds parallels in several series of

gamalstev with riddles and answers (notably the ones about «Grønalihei», probably a

metaphor for the earth, where people live) (Landstad 1853, p. 369). There is allusion to the

riddle contest’s being a fight at high stakes, i.e. life or death, like in Vafþruðnismál.

Importantly, gamalstev were used as words of wisdom (frodestev) and as comments on

events. An example of the latter is «No grånar skjeggji på håka mi og falmar me mål i munni,

og gjentune vi inkji kjenne meg ette fordomdaga me funnest», sung by Halvor Bjaai (born in

Grungedal, Vinje, 1775-1867) as a comment on his bad luck wooing to get a wife as an

elderly man around 1850. (His young companion then, Svein Knutson Tveiten, from Hovden

in Setesdal (born in Grungedal, 1841-1924), learnt the stev and sang it to O.M. Sandvik who

recorded it on phonograph 1920.) Correspondingly, Snorri Sturluson in his sagas of the

Norwegian kings uses verses by named skalds made on occasion a couple of hundred years

earlier – but still widely known by oral tradition – as documentation of the events (i.e. much

like we use literature references to document statements in a scientific paper). Hávamál itself

is like a long series of frodestev.

Why were not the stev or the rudiments of Edda poems – if they existed – written

down in Norway during the time between the 9th and the 19th century? It would simply be a

wonder if such written material had been prepared and preserved, considering the general

paucity of written sources from the time and the fact that ‘pagan’ material quickly came out of

fashion and would be strongly suppressed by the authorities. A tradition of making and

reciting verses among ordinary people was probably not of interest to scholars, until the

national romantic period. By then, collectors like Magnus B. Landstad and Ludvig M.

Lindeman often had to go to people in the lowest social ranks to find ones who knew. The old

stuff carried no prestige any longer. Today, we are faced with the paradox that most of what

we have left of this kind of traditional music and poetry – which by its nature lives only as

remembered, performed and perceived – would have gone lost unless it had been written

down.

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Examples of gamalstev by the tunes of which I sing Hávamál verses

On the next pages I give examples, with comments, sources, and translations of the texts.

(The table is based on Storm-Mathisen 2002a.) In principle, any gamalstev tune can be used

for any gamalstev, and according to my hypothesis, for any verse in ljóðaháttr. Of course,

some tunes and words match better than others. Sound tracks of the CD ISBN 82-995010-1-6

can be played and downloaded (please excuse the errors!) from the web site of ICTM / Norsk

folkemusikklag (http://www.hf.ntnu.no/rff/organisasjonar/innhold/sporliste.html).

Acknowledgements

Warm thanks go to Agnes Buen Garnås (who had me present these ideas at the founding of

“Norsk kvedarforum” 27th April 2002), Kirsten Bråten Berg and Tone Berge Juve for

encouragement and instruction, and to many other kvedarar (from whom I learnt other pieces

than those mentioned here); special thanks to Jacqueline Pattison Ekgren for inspiration to

explore the origin of stev, and for support during the work. I am grateful to Jon Gunnar

Jørgensen for advice on Norse language.

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References

Bjorvand H, Lindeman FO (2000) Våre arveord. Etymologisk ordbok Instituttet for sammen-

lignende kulturforskning (The Institute for Comparative Research in Human Culture) /

Novus, Oslo ISBN82-7099-319-0

Bråten Berg K, Jansen LB (1991) Svein Knutsson Hovden - kvedar og sogemann Bykle

kommune, Bykle ISBN82-992746-1-9

Bugge S (1867) Norrœn fornkvæði, islandsk samling af folkelige oldtidsdigte om nordens

guder og heroer, almindelig kaldet Sæmundar Edda hins fróða Reprinted 1965

Universitetsforlaget, Oslo

Crøger O (2004) Lilja bære blomster i enge. Folkeminne oppskrifter frå Telemark I 1840-50-

åra Bind 1 & 2 Utgjevne av B Alver, R Kvideland, AN Ressem, Norsk folkeminnelags

skrifter 112, Oslo ISBN 82-03-19015-4

Egilsson S (1931) Lexicon poeticum antiquæ linguæ septentrionalis. Ordbog over det norsk-

islandske skjaldesprog. 2. udgave ved Finnur Jónsson Reprinted 1966 Lynge & Søn,

København

Ekgren JP (1999) Edda and runes alive in Norwegian stev. Norsk folkemusikklags skrifter

12:55-91 ISSN 0800-3734

Ekgren JP (2002) Norwegian kveding. What’s the score? Studia musicologica norvegica

28:93-120 ISSN 0332-5024 [refers to the CD recording by Storm-Mathisen J 2002b (ISBN

82-995010-1-6) as illustration]

Gaukstad Ø (1997) Ludvig Mathias Lindemans samling av norske folkeviser og religiøse

folketoner. Bind 1. Tekster Etter originalmanuskriptene i Norsk musikksamling UBO

Instituttet for sammenlignende kulturforskning / Novus, Oslo ISBN82-7099-273-9

Holst E, Nielsen E (1888) Norsk Billedbok for Barn Damm, Christiania

Høst G (1976) Runer. Våre eldste norske runeinnskrifter Aschehoug, Oslo ISBN 82-03-

08069-3

Jonsson BR (1996) Om Draumkvædet och dess datering Sumlen, Årbok för vis- och

folkmusikforskning 1994-5:9-153 ISSN 0346-8119

Juve IB (1988) Stev frå Voss Gamalt frå Voss 20:15-27 Voss bygdeboknemnd / Voss sogelag

/ Voss folkemuseum ISSN 0333-0869

KLNM (1956-1979) Kulturhistorisk leksikon for nordisk middelalder fra vikingtid til

reformasjonstid Vol. I-XXII (1956-1978) Gyldendal, Oslo

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Klüwer LD (1823) Norske Mindesmærker, aftegnede paa en Rejse igjennem en Deel af det

Nordenfjeldske Det Kongelige Norske Videnskabers Selskab i Trondhjem, Christiania

Landstad MB (1853) Norske Folkeviser C Tønsberg, Christiania; Reprints 1968 Norsk folke-

minnelag / Universitetsforlaget, Oslo & 2002 Norgesforlaget, Porsgrunn ISBN82-91986-

45-2

Lindeman LM (1853) in Landstad MB Norske Folkeviser C Tønsberg, Christiania Reprinted

1968 Norsk folkeminnelag / Universitetsforlaget, Oslo

Lindeman LM (2003) Norske folkeviser og religiøse folketoner. Bind 2. Noter Etter

originalmanuskriptene i Norsk musikksamling UBO Instituttet for sammenlignende

kulturforskning / Novus, Oslo ISBN82-7099-3298-8

Myhren DG (1980) Stev Cappelens musikkleksikon 6:166-167 ISBN82-02-03690-9

OED (1995 & 2006) The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Current English Ninth Edition 1995

(edited by D Thompson) Clarendon Press, Oxford ISBN 0-19-861319-9 & The Oxford

English Dictionary Online (2006) Oxford University Press http://dictionary.oed.com

Ólason V (1982) The Traditional Ballads of Iceland. Historical Studies Stofnun Árna

Magnússonar, Reykjavík

Opheim B (1995) Solè mi sæla Ole Bull-akademiet, Voss ISBN82-991803-1-7

Storm-Mathisen J (2002a) Gamle ord til gamle tonar/Old words to old tunes Norsk

folkemusikklags skrifter 16:108-132 ISSN 0800-3734

Storm-Mathisen J (2002b) Gamle ord til gamle tonar/Old words to old tunes Old Norse

Hávamál sung to Norwegian stev and ballad tunes Sound tracks: http://www.hf.ntnu.no/rff/

organisasjonar/innhold/sporliste.html, CD (with commentary booklet modified from Storm-

Mathisen, 2002a) recorded ‘live’ at a ‘house concert’ at Jacqueline Pattison Ekgren

Musikkinstitutt, Oslo, 15th March 2002 ISBN 82-995010-1-6

Storm-Mathisen J (2005) "Kveding" of "stev", the oldest form of Norwegian vocal music,

may have evolved from an Old Norse practice of reciting Edda poems, Abstracts of the 38th

World Conference of the International Council for Traditional Music, Sheffield 3-10

August 2005, Session 34E, p 83

Torp A (1919) Nynorsk etymologisk ordbok Reprint 1992 Ringstrøms antikvariat, Oslo

ISBN82-90520-17-4

TSMB (1978) The Types of the Scandinavian Medieval Ballad. A descriptive catalogue

(1978) Instituttet for sammenlignende kulturforskning / Universitetsforlaget, Oslo ISBN82-

00-01654-4

de Vries J (1961) Altnordisches etymologisches Vörterbuch EJ Brill, Leiden

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HávamálHávamálHávamálHávamál Old Norse English (direct translation)

Norwegian stev/verseTuneTuneTuneTune English (direct translation)

(Number) of verse in parentheses Spelling as in ‘Sæmundar Edda hins fróða’ after Bugge (1867)

Similar words used if possible [alternative words in brackets] (implicit words in parentheses, eg words implied by case)

Source of tune in italics ‘After’ learnt orally − direct (year), or from recording �, � sequence of tradition

Similar words used if possible [alternative words in sq. brackets] (implicit words in parentheses)

underline = stress, emphasis, arsis; bold italics = stave rhyme, alliteration

underline = stress, emphasis, arsis; bold italics = stave rhyme, alliteration

(3) EEEEldz er þÃrf þeims iiiinn er kominn oc a kkkkne kkkkalinn; mmmmatar oc váða er mmmmanne þÃrf þeim er hefir vm ffffiall ffffariþ

(Of) Fire is need (for) him who in is [has] come and on knee cold (has become); (of) food and cloths are (for) the man requirement whom that has over fell [mountain] fared [travelled]

Ingin fugle flyge så hågt som grå-gåsi med sine ungar og ingin orme stinge så sårt som falske manne-tunga (≈Landstad 1853)

No bird flies as high as the grey goose with its young and no worm [snake] stings as sore as false [treacherous] man-tongues

After Kirsten Bråten Berg (Rysstad, Setesdal) CD 1990 �Gro Heddi Brokke (Rysstad, Setesdal, 1911-1997) orme ←ON ormr, the svarabhakti e is a vestige of the Old Norse r There is biological truth as well as philosophical wisdom in this frodestev: the goose indeed appears to be the highest flying bird, Anser indicus having been observed high aloft over the top of Mount Everest! (A Hauge 2002 Aesculap 82(2):40)

Kirsten Bråten Berg

Gro Heddi Brokke

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(1) GGGGattir allar, aþr ggggangi fram, vm sssscoðaz sssscyli, vm sssscygnaz sssscyli; þviat oooouist er at vita, hvar oooo-vinir sitia a ffffleti ffffyr(ir).* * Bugge, in contrast to most editions, has sitia one line up.

(Through) all door-ways before going forth around looked should (it be) around inspected should (it be) because uncertain is to wit [know] where ‘unfriends’ [enemies] sit on the benches [in the house] before

Har du sett no’ te kjerringa mi? Langt nord i leitom! Går og gjeter geitom? Svart hatt! Rau stakk! Lita, gammal, låghalt! (≈Holst & Nielsen 1888) A nusery rhyme in galdralag!

Have you seen anything of my wife? Far north in the distant [horizon]! Goes herding the goats! Black hat! Red skirt! Little, old, limping!

Oseberg find (University of Oslo): Orator/”kveðar”(?) 9th century

Ardis Storm-Mathisen

After Ardis Storm-Mathisen (1912-2000) �Gerhard Munthe; from Elverum (Holst & Nielsen 1888)

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(35) GGGGanga [scal], scala ggggestr vera eeeey í eeeeinom stað; llllivfr verþr lllleiþr, ef llllengi sitr aaaannars fletiom áááá.

Go (one) shall shan’t (a) guest be always [for too long] in one stead [place] dear becomes boring if long (he) sits on other(man)’s flats [benches]

Dæ va Idde Hermo dæ fyste han sprætte Tan’n

(Tænder)

Augo spela på Tavlebore aa Hugen i Jomfrugas Fang

That was ill [bad] Hermo as soon as he got teeth His eyes played on the game-board and the mind in the maiden’s lap

%Men ennaa æ kje fagraste Liljo vonne%

(≈Landstad 1853) [De va sankte Såle-Mikkjel...] [≈After Agnes Buen Garnås (Jondalen, Telemark) LP 1984] �Olea Styhr Crøger (Seljord, Telemark 1801-55) (Crøger 2004) 1851 Lindeman: ’Den gamle Stevtone. Efter denne Melodi synges flere af de gamle Viser og især Draumkvedit, og Hermod Ille, med og uden Omkvæd’

Sculpture by Anne Grimdalen Cover picture Spelemansbladet

Agnes Buen Garnås

Olea Styhr Crøger

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(54) MMMMeþalsnotr scyli mmmmanna hverr ¡va til ssssnotr sssse; þeim er ffffyrða ffffegrst at lifa, er vvvvel mart vvvvito. (55) MMMMeðalsnotr scyli mmmmanna hverr, ¡va til ssssnotr sssse; þviat ssssnotrs mannz hiarta verþr ssssialdan glatt, ef sa er aaaalsnotr, er áááá.

Medium smart [wise] should every(one) of men (be) never too smart be (he) for those men is (it) fairest [most beautiful, best] to live who well [suitably] much know

Medium smart [wise] should every(one) of men (be) never too smart be (he) because (a) smart man’s heart becomes seldom glad [happy] if the one [he] is all-knowing, who owns (it)

No grånar skjeggji på håka mi og falmar me mål i munni og gjentune vi inkji kjenne meg ette fordom-daga me funnest Text transcribed from phonogram made by OM Sandvik 1920.

Now the beard gets grey on my chin and withers me voice in the mouth and the girls want not ken [know] me after past-days we found each other

[≈After Kirsten Bråten Berg (Rysstad, Setesdal) MC 1982] After Svein Knutson Tveiten (Hovden, Setesdal) (1841-1924, born Grungedal, Vinje, Telemark) Phonogram by OM Sandvik 1920 (Bråten Berg & Jansen 1991) �Halvor Bjaai (born Grungedal, Vinje 1775-1867)

Kirsten Bråten Berg

Svein Tveiten Hovden

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(58) ÁÁÁÁr scal rísa sa er aaaannars vill ffffe eþa ffffior hafa; sialdan lllliggiandi vlfr llll¶r um g¶tr, ne ssssofandi maþr ssssigr.

Early shall rise he who of other(man) will [wants] wealth [property] or life have [take] seldom a lying wolf gets ham neither a sleeping man victory

Han Sjugur han tok sig no atten Pund Jøn begyndte i Branda aa raka det er no saa godt aa laga sig til og hava sig noko i Haando %Han Sjugur vaagde Live for Jomfrua%

Sjugur he took (to) himself now eighteen pounds (of) iron began in the fire to rake it is so good, then, to prepare oneself and have (for) oneself something in the hand

From the ballad ’Sjugurd og trollbrura’ (≈Landstad 1853, from LD Klüwer (Klüwer 1823) �’af en Hallingdøl, 1808, i Vagten paa Aggershuus’) Learnt from notes (Klüwer 1828, now printed Lindeman 2003) Informant for LM Lindeman: Johannes Halvordsen Vornhus (Maridalen, in present Oslo) 1864

Ludvig Mathias Lindeman (1812-1887) pioneer and most important collector of

Norwegian folk music

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(88) AAAAkri áááársánom trvi eeeengi maþr, ne til ssssnemma ssssyni; vvvveþr r†dr akri, enn vvvvit syni, hhhh¶tt er þeirra hhhhvart.

An acre [field] early-sown (let) trust no man neither too soon a son the weather rules (over) the field [determines the crop] and wit [brains] the son risky is each of them

By-flyta, Bokka-hodn, trillar i mitt oyra. Manna-ljo’a, Byrsa-skott, da tål eg inkje hoyra (sa’ bjødn)

Town-flute, (ie flute bought in town) buck-horn, ripple in [annoy] my ear. Man-sounds, gun-shots, that I don’t stand hearing - said the bear

After Tone Juve (Voss) 2000 ’Bjødna-kjenslo’ �Ingjerd Berge Juve (Voss 1937-) cf IB Juve 1988 Gamalt frå Voss 20:15-27 �Inger N Dagestad (Voss 1884-1964) cf B Opheim 1995 ’Solè mi sæla’ Ole Bull-akademiet

Ingjerd Berge Juve, with Tone Tone Berge Juve Inger N Dagestad, b Grimastad