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A new type of melody came to Sweden after 1850: religious songs of
Anglo-Saxon origin with Swedish texts. These songs were spread via the
Free Church, Sunday school and small booklets. Compulsory school
attendance was introduced in Sweden in the 1840's and this, the
'folkskola' (lit. 'folkschool', in actual fact 'elementary school') led
to an almost total eradication of illiteracy towards the end of the 19th
century. People began to write down the words to songs – both religious
and worldly – in notebooks, many of which are preserved.
 Songs
were often used to accompany the activities of the evening.
Photo: Nordiska museet.
People
sung not only for each other but also collectively – in the church on
Sundays, for instance. The psalms are not, strictly speaking, folk music
but many of the psalms from the psalmbook of 1695 became a part of the
folk tradition and their melodies were altered in the traditional
manner. Collective song was most prevalent during the celebrations
around Yule, Easter, Whitsuntide and Midsummer. The young people in
particular would gather in 'lekstugor' ('playhouses') to sing, dance and
play. There were many different singing-games. Some of them consisted of
small sketches where the participants imitated the movements of
craftsmen or depicted different phases of farm work. Many singing-games
were about courting and here the women and men danced in rows turned
towards each other. The most normal formation was the circle, but the
snake (Sw. 'långdans') was also used. Many of the Swedish singing-games
have their counterparts in other European countries. Singing-games are
still danced in Sweden, particularly by children in connection with
Yuletide and Midsummer.
Drinking songs have been popular up to the present day whenever Swedes
have gathered together for celebrations. They are sung in unison
immediately before drinking a little glass of "brännvin" or "snaps".
Some drinking-songs come in two parts, one of which is sung before, one
after drinking the snaps. Snaps is a very strong drink and the knack is
to avoid choking on it before singing the second part of the song. There
are many, many drinking-songs: a genre which is being continually
expanded. |
