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| Stine | Thursday 23rd of June 2005 03:00:04 PM |
| Sankt Hans - Since Denmark is a protestant Christian country some may wonder why people would honour the predominantly catholic custom of celebrating the day of an individual saint. Actually, this tradition has its roots in ancient, pre-Christian time, but it was adopted and quietly transformed by the church, when Christianity became the official state religion in 965. After the reformation of 1536, when Denmark adopted the protestant faith, the desire among ordinary people to celebrate Sankt Hans was still so strong that an act outlawing the tradition in 1743 went by unobserved and was quickly withdrawn. The cause for celebration of midsummer arose from a pagan belief that in the period around summer solstice, nature would have reached a peak in the sense that humans, plants, soil, trees and even springs were filled with energy coming from the sun and that from this point on nature's energy stores would deteriorate as the hours of daylight and sunshine gradually decreased. For pagan mystics the days around summer solstice were the best time to go out in the countryside and cut herbs and plants for use in their concoctions. After Christianity had made its entry in Denmark, such activities were generally frowned upon, and people believed that gathering together and lighting huge bonfires would be a good way to ward off evil spirits and witches, who might otherwise bestow evil curses upon their land, family and animals. At the same time many people believed that this night proved a particular good time to visit one of the many holy springs of the countryside, as the water was supposed to be charged with very special healing qualities on this night. Several other rituals including dressing up the livestock with special decorations made out of leaves and twigs were carried out by superstitious farmers in order to protect their cattle from incursions of evil spirits. Over time, the tradition of lighting bonfires became the dominant and other rituals gradually withered away as people preferred the cosiness of gathering around a warm fire. Songs and music had always been a part of this tradition, but during the 19th century the traditional folk songs were replaced by patriotic songs. The most well-known of these is [i]Vi elsker vort land (We love our country)[/i] also known as the [i]Midsommervise (Midsummer song)[/i]. It is sung at every Sankt Hans-celebration across the country and is very important to know of. Usually you only sing the first three verses. It was written in 1885 by the Danish poet Holger Drachmann, and the original version had music by P. E. Lange-Müller. In 1979 the Danish band "Shu-bi-dua" composed a new melody for the song, and since then either version has been in use at Sankt Hans-celebrations all across the country. I usually sing the song twice, I like both versions ;) In the beginning of the 20th century, it became common to affix a figure resembling a witch on top of the bonfire. This tradition came from Germany, and some Danes regard this particular part of the tradition with mixed emotions as it evokes memories of the horrible persecutions and "witch"-burnings carried out in Denmark in the 17th century. However, this custom is only a little part of the overall tradition, and it is easy to forget about the negative associations once you immerse yourself in the general atmosphere of cosiness surrounding the celebrations. [b]Vi elsker vort land[/b] [i]Vi elsker vort land, når den signede jul, tænder stjernen i træet med glans i hvert øje Når om våren hver fugl over mark, under strand lader stemmen til hilsende triller sig bøje: Vi synger din lov over vej, over gade, vi kranser dit navn, når vor høst er i lade, men den skønneste krans bli'r dog din, sankte Hans, Den er bunden af sommerens hjerter så varme, så glade - men den skønneste krans bli'r dog din, sankte Hans Den er bunden af sommerens hjerter så varme, så glade Vi elsker vort land, men ved midsommer mest, når hver sky over marken velsignelsen sender Når af blomster er flest, og når kvæget i spand giver rigeligst gave til flittige hænder; når ikke vi pløjer og harver og tromler, når koen sin middag i kløveren gumler: Da går ungdom til dans på dit bud sankte Hans! Ret som føllet og lammet, der frit over engen sig tumler, - da går ungdom til dans på dit bud sankte Hans! Ret som føllet og lammet, der frit over engen sig tumler Vi elsker vort land, og med sværdet i hånd skal hver udenvælts fjende beredte os kende Men mod ufredens ånd over mark, under strand vil vi bålet på fædrenes gravhøje tænde: Hver by har sin heks, og hvert sogn sine trolde, dem vil vi fra livet med glædesblus holde Vi vil fred her til lands, sankte Hans, sankte Hans! Den kan vindes, hvor hjerterne aldrig bli'r tvivlende kolde, - Vi vil fred her til lands, sankte Hans, sankte Hans! Den kan vindes, hvor hjerterne aldrig bli'r tvivlende kolde Vi elsker vort land, og vi hilser den drot, som har prøvet og valgt sig den rette fyrstinde: På hans eventyr-slot kan hver kvinde, hver mand et eksempel for livet i kærlighed finde! Lad tiderne ældes, lad farverne blegne, et minde vi vil dog i hjertet os tegne: Fra sagnrige Nord går en glans over jord - Det er genskær af vidunderlandets fortryllende enge, - Fra sagnrige Nord går en glans over jord - Det er genskær af vidunderlandets fortryllende enge![/i] | |
| Axnot | Saturday 22nd of October 2005 09:26:13 PM |
| - Hi Freja, It is nice to read that you are interested in things like this. Is that why you chose your internetname 'Freja', or is it your real name? Pre-christian culture en belief in northern Europe is also what I'm very interested in. P.S. I don't understand the tekst of the song. | |
| Ulven | Saturday 22nd of October 2005 10:24:41 PM |
| - This is certainly no replacement for Freja's answer, but I'll try interpret it, with alot of filling in gaps, as I don't understand this cryptic poetry. It's pretty advanced for me:D. We love our land When it signals Christmas time Light up the stars in the tree With a twinkle in each eye When springtime is about Every bird over field and down by beach Let your voice greet us with warbles "We sing your laws over our ways We sound your name when our harvest is freed" But the most beautiful wreath becomes your, Saint hans It is the start of summers heart so warm, so glad But the most beautiful wreath will therefore be yours We love our land Our midsummer most When each cloud over the field sends a blessing When the flowers are in bloom And the cattle go in from pasture --------------- Oh, I give up. too much for me. Don't take this as being a correct translation. It's just my attempt at making sense of it as best I could. Very difficult. Way beyond my ability. But it's fun to try.:p | |
| Axnot | Saturday 22nd of October 2005 10:35:49 PM |
| - Good try untill there I quess! | |
| Mathieu | Monday 24th of October 2005 08:43:48 PM |
| - Hehe, I assume it is indirectly my doing that we haven't been provided with a proper translation yet :D Let's do it together then :p Here's a (crappy) little bit, rough guesses excused: And when the cattle jointly gives royal gifts to hard working hands when we not plow and harrow and toil when the cow munches her dinner amongst the clovers (talk about guessing :p) That's when the juveniles go dancing on your behalf saint Hans! | |
| Mathieu | Monday 24th of October 2005 09:37:33 PM |
| - Hmm just one more bit then, as I'm curious to know how far it'll be off :) And that it may be obvious that this isn't a completely dictionarlyless attempt :p (not in the least place between Dutch and English :p) Just as the foal and the lamb freely tumble over the meadow - that's when the juveniles go dancing on your behalf saint Hans! Just as the foal and the lamb freely tumble over the meadow We love our land and with sword in hand will every surviving (?) enemy readily know us But in light of turmoil over land, across the shore (under? :p) shall we light the bonfire over our ancestours' grave hills (or however that's called in English ;)) Every village has its witch, and every diocese its curse (?) them we will keep from life with the bonfire (do I catch some nice familiar Dutch word ordering here and there in this song? :D) We will bring peace upon the land (this can't be good :p what's with that genitive thingy?) saint Hans, saint Hans! | |
| Ulven | Monday 24th of October 2005 10:37:51 PM |
| - [i]To continue the desecration of Freja's beloved national treasures...:p[/i] It can be won, where the hearts never become coldened with doubt We shall be free here In the land of Saint Hans, Saint Hans We love our land And we greet the royal Who has tried and chosen the right princess To his fairytale palace Can every woman and every man Find in love, an example of life Let the times grow old, let the colours fade A memory in the heart we thusly want to mark: From the legendary North Spreads a shine over the earth (I haven't the foggiest...:S):p ---------------------------- Now await shall I And not without friend Teup Our dear Freja to find Our lack of Danish worth :D | |
| Psyche | Monday 24th of October 2005 10:42:38 PM |
| - "Vi vil fred her til lands" would mean that "we want peace in this country" :) And yes, the genetive is still here after certain prepositions. Til fjells, til gårds, til sæters....but not in all cases :p *also awaiting grammar expert Freja* | |
| Stine | Tuesday 25th of October 2005 12:59:25 AM |
| - Hmm, I tried, I tried. Ulven and Teup, your translation were actually great. I'm no good at poetry in English. Hmm, now I don't even know if I want to post mine :p Grammar expert? Haha. Not really :D We don't really have those prepositions you just mentioned. We have: til lands, til vands, i morges, i sommers (vinters), i hænde, til bords, til tops, til fods and so on :) | |
| Stine | Tuesday 25th of October 2005 01:00:28 AM |
| - We love our country when the blessed Christmas light up the star in the tree with a twinkle in each eye When in spring each bird over the field, down by the beach lets its voice give into greeting trills: We sing your law across the road, across the street, we wreath your name, when our harvest is in the barn, but the most beautiful wreath becomes yours, Saint Hans It is bound by the the hearts of the summer so warm, so happy but the most beautiful wreath becomes yours, Saint Hans It is bound by the hearts of the summer so warm, so happy We love our country but mostly around midsummer when every cloud sends the blessing across the field When most flowers are here and when the cattle drag the plough gives plenty of gifts to laborious hands; when we don't plough and harrow and roll, when the cow munch its dinner of clover: At that time youth will start to dance at your command Saint Hans! Straight as the foal and the lamb which freely romp across the meadow At that time youth will start to dance at your command Saint Hans! Straight as the foal and the lamb which freely romp across the meadow We love our country and with the sword in our hands every foreign enemy shall prepared know us But against the spirit of strife over the field, down by the beach we will light the bonfire on the forefathers' burial mounds: Every town has its witch, and every parish its trolls, we will keep those from our lives with fires of happiness We want peace in this country, saint Hans, saint Hans! It can be won where the hearts never become doubting cold We want peace in this country, saint Hans, saint Hans! It can be won where the hearts never become doubting cold We love our country and we greet that king who has tried and chosen the right princess: In his fairy tale castle every woman, every man can find an exempel of love for life! Let the times grow old, let the colors fade, we will however draw a memory in our hearts: From the North so rich in legends a glory goes across the world It is the reflection of the wonderland's enchanted meadows, From the North so rich in legends a glory goes across the world It is the reflection of the wonderland's enchanted meadows! | |
| Mathieu | Tuesday 25th of October 2005 06:02:27 PM |
| - As said, thanks :) Hmm, 'dinner [b]of[/b] clover'? Drat, that would've been my second guess (hmm in fact it was my first and then i edited it) :p About the genitive thing, it's probably that the preposition in Norwegian assigns genitive case to it's noun phrase complement, and in Danish there are these so called absolute genitives, which are sort of idiomatic phrases that for etymological reasons are genitive (Dutch is also littered with these). Yeah, I have a thing for genitive case, don't know why, call me a nerd :D | |
| Psyche | Tuesday 25th of October 2005 06:28:09 PM |
| - Nerd!!! :D :D | |
| Mathieu | Tuesday 25th of October 2005 06:37:32 PM |
| - Well well, my wish is your command :) | |
| Psyche | Tuesday 25th of October 2005 06:44:40 PM |
| - Tøp zegt: Kick my behind! Nat: *KICKS* :D :D :D | |
| Stine | Tuesday 25th of October 2005 06:52:50 PM |
| - Jamen, det var jo så lidt. Nu er det jo gjort :D No, actually it's not "dinner [b]of[/b] clover", but "dinner [b]in[/b] the clover", which sounds a little strange in English, I think at least, but well :p It doesn't mean that it eats its dinner among clovers, but that it eats the clovers.. Ah, forklaringer!! Ja, idiomatic phrases. A thing for genitive case? So, you like to own things? Nå, nej. Det gør du jo ikke :p Hvad skal alt det sparkeri til for? Vi vil jo fred hertillands :p | |
| Mathieu | Tuesday 25th of October 2005 07:06:19 PM |
| - Yeah I knew 'i' was 'in' of course, but somehow i first interpreted it as if, yes, the cow was eating the clovers, but then I couldn't find proper evidence for that (neither in dictionaries nor with common sense, do cows eat clovers? :D) so I changed it.. Hmmm very sharp one :D In fact I felt it coming while I was writing, but, it's the applications of genitive that [i]do not[/i] have to do with owning things that's so interesting ;) | |
| Ulven | Wednesday 26th of October 2005 09:52:00 AM |
| - [quote][i]Originally posted by Freja[/i] Hvad skal alt det sparkeri til for? Vi vil jo fred hertillands :p[/quote]Ja, Sankt Hans vil ikke være glad om det sparkeri til i sin egne tråd.:)lol -Yes, Saint Hans wouldn't be too pleased about all the kicking taking place in his own thread.:p *Notice, Freja- Danish ":)lol" translates to ":p" in English in this context. It's a grammatical quirk that happens sometimes, like that 'til lands' business. :p | |
| Stine | Wednesday 26th of October 2005 12:32:32 PM |
| - [quote][i]Originally posted by Teup[/i] Yeah I knew 'i' was 'in' of course, but somehow i first interpreted it as if, yes, the cow was eating the clovers, but then I couldn't find proper evidence for that (neither in dictionaries nor with common sense, do cows eat clovers? :D) so I changed it.. Hmmm very sharp one :D In fact I felt it coming while I was writing, but, it's the applications of genitive that [i]do not[/i] have to do with owning things that's so interesting ;)[/quote] Of course I know, you knew. It doesn't? Why not? Clovers are in the grass and cows eat grass. Common sense? Well, that's probably why, I don't get it :p Hehe ja, ikke? :D Ah ja. Selvfølgelig. Jaså, dén genitiv. Til søs, i live, til dels, til gode, til grunde, i sinde ;) | |
| Stine | Wednesday 26th of October 2005 12:37:21 PM |
| - [quote][i]Originally posted by Ulven[/i] [quote][i]Originally posted by Freja[/i] Hvad skal alt det sparkeri til for? Vi vil jo fred hertillands :p[/quote]Ja, Sankt Hans vil ikke være glad om det sparkeri til i sin egne tråd.:)lol -Yes, Saint Hans wouldn't be too pleased about all the kicking taking place in his own thread.:p *Notice, Freja- Danish ":)lol" translates to ":p" in English in this context. It's a grammatical quirk that happens sometimes, like that 'til lands' business. :p [/quote] Nej, det ville han nemlig ikke være særlig glad for, og hvem har lyst til at gøre noget mod Sankt Hans' vilje? :p Hehe, how would I know if you didn't tell me? Could you give me other examples? :p | |
| Stine | Wednesday 26th of October 2005 06:24:36 PM |
| - Til den ikkegenitivhadende person: til mode, til vejrs, til havs, på sinde, på fode, af dage, af gårde, til livs, oven vande, inden døre :D Hmm, jeg forstår ikke, jeg ikke kan komme på dem alle på én gang, for jeg bruger dem jo dagligt, men det er utroligt, hvad der kommer til én i løbet af dagen ;) | |
| Mathieu | Thursday 27th of October 2005 01:55:55 AM |
| - Thanks for thinking of those :p [quote][i]Originally posted by Freja[/i] Of course I know, you knew. It doesn't? Why not? Clovers are in the grass and cows eat grass. Common sense? Well, that's probably why, I don't get it :p Hehe ja, ikke? :D Ah ja. Selvfølgelig. Jaså, dén genitiv. Til søs, i live, til dels, til gode, til grunde, i sinde ;)[/quote] Hmm do you always have to be one step ahead of me? :D Hmm, I just figured it would be more logical for a cow to eat grass, but then, these are Danish cows of course ;) | |
| Stine | Thursday 27th of October 2005 03:34:32 AM |
| - Til orde, ud til bens.. :p Well, I obviously have to, though it may be instinctive :D Ja, de er jo danske. Du skulle bare vide.. ;) | |
| Stine | Sunday 24th of June 2007 01:30:20 AM |
| - God Sankt Hans! :D | |
