The Language and the Dance
The Faroese language has its roots in
Old Norse from the Viking age. The Vikings, who came mainly from
Norway, sailed westwards looking for new land and reached the coasts of
Scotland, Shetland, Orkney, the Hebrides, the Faroes and Iceland. At
that time Viking culture was uniform and there were few linguistic
differences.
In due course, the various countries developed
their own culture and Old Norse split into different dialects, dying
out completely in some places.
The Faroese language survived
as an independent language, but was threatened with extinction. After
the reformation, Danish became the language of the church, also the
written language and was eventually used in all official matters. When
the first research into the Faroese language was started at the end of
the 18th century, its aim was to collect and document the remains of
the old language. But research revealed an overwhelming collection of
old words and sayings, established turns of speech, legends and
ballads. The ancient and heroic ballads alone numbered 70,000 verses,
all of which had been handed down orally from generation to generation.
How
could this be, in a population that for hundreds of years had numbered
between 4,000 and 5,000 people? An important part of the answer lies in
the renowned Faroese dance, for which it is necessary to learn and
remember a long story. This dance is a direct continuation of the
medieval ring dance that began in France and spread throughout Europe.
The ring dance went out of fashion or was forbidden by the authorities,
but lived on in the Faroes.
The special features of the Faroese
dance are the song and story. There is no instrumental accompaniment,
only the voices and feet are heard. While a single or a few singers
lead the song, the others take part with their dance steps and by
singing the refrain after each verse. There is a live bond between the
story of the ballad and the mood of the dance. The dance steps are
always the same; if the story is a sad one, the steps are soft; if
dramatic, the feet tramp hard. If it is a ballad that makes fun of
something, the rhythm is springy and light. It is a dance where many
take part, faces pass by one another; the dance turns inwards and can
be difficult to appreciate from the outside. You have to participate,
and when it is at its best the chain melts together and you feel a part
of something vast.
The collection and documentation of the vast
amount of oral material formed the foundation for the preservation of
the language. The establishment of the written language in the middle
of the 19th century created the basis for the renewal that has taken
place. While other languages disappear, the Faroese language is
developing and is today the pride of Faroese culture.
Guide to the pronunciation of Faroese
a
and æ = /Ea/ or /æ/ as in “hat”, sometimes /a/ shorter than in “car”;
á
= /Oa/ approx. as in “saw” /sO:/;
e = /e/, /e:/ or /@/,
i and y = /i:/
or /I/ as in “see” or “sit”;
í and ý = /Ui/ approx. as in “ruin” but
shorter;
j = /j/ as in yes;
o = /Å/ as in “long”,
ó = “oh”, but
preceding “lk” = /´:/ as in “fur” and preceding “gv” = /e/ as in “leg”;
u = /U/ as in “put”;
ú = /u:/ as in “you”;
ø = /´:/ as in “fur”;
ei =
/aI/ as in “I”;
ey = /eI/ as in “page”; oy = /OI/ as in “join”.
ð:
btw. open vowel and u = /v/; btw. other vowels = /j/; otherwise silent.
ge = /dZe/ as in “jet”;
gi and gy = /dZi:/ as in “jeep”;
ggj = /dZ/;
hv
= kv;
ke = /tSe/ as in “chess”; key = /tSeI/ as in “chase”;
ki and ky =
/tSi:/ as in “cheek”;
kj = /tS/;
ll = dl;
ng = /&Mac247;g/ as in
“finger”;
rn = often dn;
rs = /rS/; rt = /rSt/.
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