Living culture - an Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Faroe Islands

The Faroese Chain Dance

The Faroese chain dance has its origins in the medieval ring dance tradition in Central Europe. However, the Faroese chain dance has developed its own characteristics. The Faroese chain dance is a living heritage and has been transmitted from generation to generation for centuries. Along with the Faroese language, the Faroese chain dance has been significant for Faroese cultural identity. The chain dance is at combination of three pillars: 1) the epic storytelling of the ballads, 2) the dance, 3) and the tune of the ballad. It is characteristic that the leader of the chain dance controls the dancing and that no instruments are used.

The Faroese chain dance is practiced: 1) Chain dancing associations practice the chain dance on a regular basis in the dancing-season (from October to Shrovetide). The repertoire of ballads is extensive. Dancing associations from all over the Faroe Islands also come together for large dancing events. 2) Public chain dancing events are organised around the Faroe Islands a few nights a year. For these events the repertoire is wide. 3) On occasion, the Faroese chain dance is practiced at public receptions, festivities, celebrations, and parties, especially when visitors from abroad are part of the event. On occasions such as these, the ballads used are short and easy. 4) The Faroese chain danse is also used in connection to private celebrations, birthdays, weddings, and anniversaries. The repertoire on these occasions varies vastly depending on the guests. 5) The Faroese chain dance is in the curriculum in the Faroese public school system. Especially from New Years to Shrovetide the teachers teach the students to dance the Faroese chain dance and ballads. However, it varies from school to school how much focus is on this part of the curriculum. The main emphasis is to teach the students the steps, the tradition of the dance, and a ballad or two.

The influence the Faroese chain dance has had on Faroese culture and the Faroese identity has been immense and still is. The Faroese chain dance is one of the main reasons why Faroese written language as we know it today was established in the middle of 19th Century. The ballads have been an important factor for preserving, researching, and developing the Faroese language and the history of the Faroese language. In addition, because of very scarce written Faroese sources, the ballads in some cases are historical sources of great value. The ballads are also of a literary importance. Myths and tales from the European mainland were communicated through ballads and were sung in the Faroe Islands – both in Faroese and in Danish after Vedel and Peder Syv published their books of ballads. In more recent time, Faroese writers wrote ballads of their own about events in neighbouring countries and from the Faroese saga. Most part of this early Faroese writing was visibly inspired by the structure and atmosphere of the ballads. As is the case with the Faroese chain dance, other kinds of folk dances have been imported to the Faroe Islands and have been altered with the Faroese characteristics such as the steps and the singing. This way, Faroese dance games have become a special part of the Faroese cultural heritage. Faroese art is also highly influenced by ballads and sagas. The melody for the Faroese ballads, rhymes, the Danish heroic ballads and folk ballads, and the Danish spiritual ballads have been the core in Faroese music from the very beginning to today. These melodies have been a central inspiration to both choir music, classical music, folk music, pop-, rock, and metal music. The Faroese chain dance is, therefore, much more than the dance and the ballad; it has influenced many aspects of cultural life of the Faroes.

History and Background

The Faroese chain dance has its origins medieval ring dance in Central Europe. Before the 19th Century, the Faroese written language was non-existent, and although Danish was the language of the officials and the church, very few attended school or had learned to read or had any academic education, and access to books was minimal. Furthermore, the Faroese common people were poor and the connection between villages and the rest of the world was very little. Very few to no instruments were among the public and foreign dances and entertainment was unknown to most people.

The Faroese chain dance and the ballads contained most of the secular entertainment of the people. They were used in connection to outside and inside chores, at evening sittings in the smoke room and for entertainment at celebrations and for festivities. The dance and the ballad were also the means through which stories were told – these were stories from foreign countries, from home, and satirical ballads. The stories and the ballads survived through oral tradition.

Today, this has changed. The written Faroese language and schools have been established and most of the Faroese population has been able to read and write for generations. Literature, stories, and news are available through all kinds of channels – electronic and on paper. The connection between the villages and the rest of the world has never been better, and communication means have been revolutionised with radio, television, telephones, internet etc. A vast range of entertainment is common in the Faroes; plays, music instruments, choir singing, radio, sports, television, various internet platforms etc. The evening seats are passé and new dance forms have to some extent taken over the Faroese chain dance at celebrations.

The importance of the Faroese chain dance and balladry as nearly the sole means of entertainment is gone. The ballads are no longer the only carrier of storytelling, and has now, therefore, the status of a cultural treasure that must be preserved. Schools and chain dancing associations do a great job at preserving the chain dance by organising children’s chain dance events, dances, and other public events. The ballads are to a very limited extent learned through oral tradition, but by memorising them from a book or through electronic channels.

Distribution and Narrative

Through history the Faroese chain dance and the ballads have survived by oral tradition from one generation to the next while working outside or inside, at evening sittings and at dance events.

With the change of times, people have learned how to read and write and material about the Faroese chain dance and ballads has been published, people have moved to reading the ballads on print. Other tools are also used today for distribution; some of the dance organisations publish recordings of the Faroese chain dance for distribution in the radio and on TV, and other electronic platforms are also used.

The tradition of singing while working and at evening sittings has vanished. Dancing in connection to festivities and at other celebrations has been reduced to very little. Those, who learn how to dance the Faroese chain dance, most often learn it from a family member that is active in Faroese chain dancing, in organisations, children’s dance, or in schools.

Most dance organisations are active in the winter season with regular dances for both adults and children. They, furthermore, organise overseas travels and large events that gather many dancers. Now there are 17 member dancing associations in Sláið Ring.

The Future

Despite several attempts to strengthen the traditional Faroese chain dance, it has been in decline for the past many decades.

The school system: It is mandatory that the public schools teach the students the chain dance, but it varies how much focus there is on this part of the curriculum. At some schools very little is done to fulfill this obligation, whereas in other schools they learn the basics such as the steps and some of the short ballads. Some schools have teachers that are passionate about the Faroese chain dance, and who are members of a dancing association, that inspire other students to join a dancing organisation, but this is very rare. The teaching of the Faroese chain dance at the schools educates their students about the basics such as the steps and a few ballads so the students may join the dancing when they have the opportunity. However, this does very little to develop the living dance tradition.

Children’s dancing at the associations: Many of the chain dance associations have children’s dance, and for some of these dances the attendance is good. However, many of these associations experience that children stop coming when they reach the teenage years and do not continue as adults.

Dances at the dancing associations: For many years the Faroese chain dance has been practiced in the dancing associations, and at events that these associations arrange. Membership numbers and attendance has been in decline for the past decades, and the medium age of the members of these associations is high.

Those who practice the living culture and who know about the tradition

Today it is almost exclusively members of a dancing organisation that practice the Faroese chain dance, although there are many individuals that do dance regularly without being part of a dance organisation. In the 1980s it was estimated that around 2.500 people were regularly active in the Faroese chain dance. The number of regular dancers today is closer to 500, and at dancing events which are held every third year, the number of participants has steadily declined the past 18 years, from around 700 in 2001 to 350 in 2019.

17 organisations form the national dancing associations in Sláið Ring: Klaksvíkar dansifelag, Eysturoyar dansifelag, Norðurstreymoyar dansifelag, Dansifelagið í Havn, Dansifelag Kaggans, Tøkum Lætt, Nólsoyar dansifelag, Vága dansifelag, Leikum Fagurt, Stígum Fast, Dansifelagið í Suðuroyar norðaru helvt, Tvøroyrar dansifelag, Jómsvíkingar, Sumbiar dansifelag, Danisfelagið á Látrinum, Fótatraðk, Ung í Dansi.

References

Selection of literature:

J. Bloch, N. Djurhuus, Sv. Grundtvig, Chr. Matras, M. Chesnutt, K. Larsen, M. Clausen, Føroya kvæði: Corpus Carminum Færoensium, vol. I–VIII, Universitets-Jubilæets Danske Samfund, 1941–2003.

D. Niclasen, T. Lenvig (ed.), Föroya kvæði, vol. I–XXXVII, Bókagarður, 1998–2005.

V. U. Hammershaimb, Færöiske Kvæder, vol. 1–2, Det Nordiske Literatur-Samsfund. Nordiske Oldskrifter 12, 20. København, 1851, 1855.

V. U. Hammershaimb, Færøsk Anthologi, vol. 1, København, 1891.

V. U. Hammershaimb, Olufas kvad, Antiquarisk Tidsskrift, pp. 279–307, 1847.

V. U. Hammershaimb, Færøiske kvæder, henrørende til Hervarar saga, Antiquarisk Tidsskrift, pp. 57–96, 1852.

H. C. Lyngbye, Færøiske Qvæder om Sigurd Fofnersbane og hans Æt, Randers, 1822.

M. Clausen, Hundredesyv-visebogen - Danske folkeviser og andre viser på dansk med færøske melodier, 1995.

Jeffrei Henriksen, Kvæða- og vísuskrá, Føroya skúlabókagrunnur, Tórshavn, 1992 (rev. 2004).

A. C. Evensen, Kvæðabók I. Tórshavn, 1910.

Astri Luihn, Føroyskur dansur, Trondheim, 1979.

S. Grundvig et al., Danmarks Gamle Folkeviser, København, 1853–1976.

Danske Kæmpe- og Folkeviser, 2. ed., Tórshavn, 1951.

H. Thuren, Dans og Kvaddigtning på Færøerne, København, 1901.

H. Grüner-Nielsen, De færøske kvadmelodiers tonalitet i Middelalderen. Færoensia I. København, 1945.

H. Thuren, H. Grüner-Nielsen, Færøske Melodier til danske Kæmpeviser, København, 1923.

H. Grüner-Nielsen, Færøske Folkemelodier – og: Folkemusik i Danmark, Nordisk Kultur XXV, pp. 152 ff og 81 ff, Stkh., 1934.

J. Enni et al., Grør so fagurt, Tórshavn, 1980.

J. Patursson, Føroysk kvæði (Gyltabók), 2. ed., Tórshavn, 1979.

J. Jakobsen, Poul Nolsøe, lívssøga og yrkingar, 2. ed., Tórshavn, 1966.

J. Patursson, Kvæðabók I–V, Tórshavn, 1922–45.

J. Patursson, Táttabók I, Tórshavn, 1934.

D. Magnussen, J. av Skarði, Kvæði, vísur og tættir, 2. ed., Tórshavn, 1965.

M. Johannesen, Tættir I-V, 1966–78.

P. Eide, Stígum fast, Tórshavn, 1963.

J. í Króki, Sandoyarbók I–II (R. Long), Tórshavn, 1968–82.

Chr. Matras, Shrøters optegnelse af Sjúrðar kvæði. Færoensia III. København, 1951–53. S. Egholm, Kvæðabókin I, Tórshavn, 1960.

S. Egholm, Nýggja kvæðabókin, vol. 1–2, Tórshavn, 1996–97.

Chr. Matras, Svabos færøske visehaandskrifter, København, 1939. H. Thuren, Folkesangen paa Færøerne, København, 1908.

B. Jonsson, S. Solheim, E. Danielson, M. Nolsøe, The types of the Scandinavian Medieval Ballad, Oslo, 1978.

A. Opielka, Tanz auf den Färöer-Inseln – Studien zu einer alten Tanztradition, Magisterarbeit, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, 2003.

A. Opielka, Färöische Tanzspiele: Herkunft - Verbreitung - heutige Tradition: Studien zu einer alten Volkstanztradition, 2009. (Týtt til danskt: Danse og sanglege på Færøerne Oprindelse - Ubredelse - Nutidig tradition, 2011)

M. Clausen, Vísuløg í Føroyum / Danish folk ballads in the Faroes, 2010.

M. Clausen, Føroya Ljóð / Sound of the Faroes, 2014.

Á. Dahl, Søga og stev 1–6, Fannir, 1996–2000.

T. á Trøð, Traðarbókin, Tórshavn, 1999.

Ó. Dahl, Vit fara upp á gólv I–IV, Klaksvík, 1974–75.

M. Marnersdóttir, Ey. Andreassen (ed.), Ballads – new approaches / Kvæði – nýggj sjónarmið. Ráðstevnurit. Tórshavn, 2018 Annað tilfar:

In addition, there are a number of scientific articles, many manuscripts in the safe-keeping of e.g. the Royal Library in Copenhagen, Copenhagen University, The Folklore Archives, The National Library of the Faroe Islands, the University of the Faroe Islands, and in private property. Furthermore, extensive sound and visual material is archived at e.g. the National Television of the Faroe Islands (KVF), the Univserity of the Faroe Islands, and privately.

Some webpages with an extensive material about the Faroese chain dance:

https://bandasavn.setur.fo/ https://www.kvf.fo (search for e.g. ”Upp á gólv” or ”Dansival”)

https://snar.fo/foroyakvaedi/

https://www.danshavn.org/index.php/kvaedasavn