Ormurin Lange - Folklore - English translation

[@GOLDDYNACO]

Thank you for keeping our tradition in the Nordic countries. I'm Norwegian, but I rarely hear this song sung among us. I have to go to the Faroe Islands to hear old songs about Vikings. God bless the Faroe Islands!

[@aresland2908]

Eg lærte han på skulen som ung. Av ein frå Sogn ;-)

[@Cpt.Charleyes]

​@@aresland2908I'm a Norwegian also, but I speak bokmål norsk

[@kayriz5838]

Everyone in the hall young and old, rich and poor singing together as one , it’s a timeless scene , all of Europe used to be like this once upon a time

[@CozyButcher]

My mother is from Torshavn, she never taught me Faroese or Icelandic or Danish - "We were American". Fewer things would make me happier than to see this chain dance in person. This is culture. This is what must be preserved for the future. This is beautiful.

[@Lokigard]

Agree, but look at them. Other than a few young men, they are old. These traditions won't survive much longer and it's quite sad... Look at your mother. Like most Faroese women, she fled.

[@hanusalogv3789]

@@Lokigard most faroese people dont leave and there are tons of young people involved with this tradition.

[@bjrnslader5907]

I bet you catch a lot of flack from other americans that have no idea what their heritage is and therefore feel like none else should celebrate, enjoy or like their heritage culture either. If you're reading this John, go fuck yourself you rat.

[@lars1943]

old viking Dance. As a norwegian I love this Dance and song. It is "!inside" me

[@HeathenRides]

Lars Johan Berge den er på norsk også (hørte på den sånn jeg fant denne)

[@asbjrnpoulsen9205]

det er vest norsk

[@GangeHrolfr]

The language is developed but not changed much from West Norse, which was the language of Norway. Funny how many teachers in our schools focus on the unions and say that we lost our language to the Danes (East Norse), when in fact they lost their language. Norwegian language (West Norse) remains on Iceland and the Faroe Islands. All who live in Scandinavia have all lost our language to German, Latin and Greek.

[@d.g.7274]

can you explain whats its real and deep meaning? what represents? why it is danced on that concentrical circles instead of creat a unique circle of people? I suppose that the old of this song come from X or XIth century, more or less, it is'nt?

[@quirkyempathyalien9744]

Can we dance, please?

[@Skelldr]

If you ever wondered what songs they are singing in Valhalla.. much love to you 🇫🇴 brothers from 🇳🇴

[@giodiperna3484]

I was studying for my germanic philology exam and I ended up here...

[@ingwiafraujaz3126]

Cool, where are you studying this? Is it a bachelor or master?

[@emirdogantekin8812]

It is truly fascinating that the epic of a man who lived a thousand years ago is still known and still sung to the accompaniment of dance. As a history student, I watched this video with both respect and curiosity.

[@Skelldr]

Skål færøyske brødre og søstre. ❤️❤️❤️ fra Norge. Spis hval!!!

[@1971irvin]

Digger hvalkjøtt... 😆

[@Sander00]

😂🤟🏻

[@Vingul]

HVALKJØTT.... er mat.

[@elvino81]

A comment about the geography: The battle takes place in Øresund. The island mentioned can only be Hven. Hven also known as "sandvoldsøen" - "sand wall island" because of its steep sandy cliffs. Therefore Svold = sandvoldson. Time: year 999 or 1000. Sven Forkbeard (Danish king) and Olof Skotkonung (swedish king) has joined forces to attack Olav Trygvason of Norway. As help they have Erik Ladejarl (Earl of Lade - distrikt i Norway, who has a grudge against Olav Trygvason). Olav Trygvason salls from Venden, where he has gathered auxiliary troops and ships towards Norway trough Øresund. Sven Forkbeard and Olus Skotkonung let him pass Hven and then attacks from behind. This drives the battle northward. The vendish auxiliaries flee to the south leaving Olav Trygvason alone. Olav Trygvason clusters his ships to bring more manpower to the perimeter. As the the battle moves northward towards the narrow strait between what is now Helsingør and Helsingborg the trap closes as Erik Ladejarl lying in hiding north of Helsingør attacks from the north. (Be free to look at maps). The fate of Olav Trygvason is somewhat unclear - most likely he was killed on his flagship Ormen hin Lange.

[@shechaiyah6869]

Thank you for the back-story. Hypnotic singing/dancing, wish I could join in. :)

[@Starkodder1963]

One alternative is Skäldervik close by.

[@elvino81]

@@Starkodder1963 Yes - but thinking strateticly makes a lot of sensense

[@Vingul]

I know it as "slaget ved Svolder", "The Battle of Svolder", as it is referred to as in Heimskringla/The Norwegian King Sagas.

[@OlafThorstensen]

En særdeles interessant teori om "Svolder". Eivind Lange!

[@Sorlendingen82]

Very proud to see this. so good to see that you honour you ancestors in this way. The blood of the Nordic is still good and living:)

[@nyxan07]

Thanks for sharing. It was an old Irish chant that brought me here. I thought it bore a resemblance to old, Norwegian songs. This is an impressive rendering of the Faroese folk ballad (kvæði). It's is quite a lengthy ballad to memorise (only medium long the Faroese would say). In a ballad the "skipari" (leader or skipper) takes the lead and the dancers shuffle their feet as the verses are rhythmically chanted. It's a nice way of sharing a story or a poem. Your English translation isn't bad at all. Maybe in this context the word Hildar/Hildr Thing (þing) could mean "council of war". The Norsemen used to meet at the Thing site, which was the fundamental unit of government and law. The Thing sites were also often the place for public religious rites. These sites were spread all over Scandinavia, Iceland, The Faroe Island and the British Isles. I find it easier to understand written Faroese than Icelandic. Icelandic is more similar to Old Norse.

[@TheMadNorseman]

Hidar Ting is actually the battlefield. Hildur is the name of one of the main Valkyries that came to the battlefield to claim the slain. Hildar's Thing is where the Valkyries gathered and held their thing, so to speak. This is what was called a "kenning" in Old Norse texts. "Hildar Thing" is a poetic way of saying "Battlefield".

[@robinlundqvist2565]

Faroese is still very Conservative and still in a old state of the Norse language. Not as puristic as Icelandic. Icelanders think it's hard to understand because it is not a phonetic language. Many words are spelled the same but pronounced in a typical Faroese way. Love to Ireland from Sweden 🙏

[@asbjrnpoulsen9205]

in the solar eclipse evening and night 10,000 was dansing cain dance in the middle of the capital tórshavn thors harbour

[@d.g.7274]

Faroese, you are a great people. Im glad to have known even your football. I think their lands are incredible, plenty of possibilities for a good investment whose control should keep absolutely in your people. As Icelandese people, great heroes from north of Europe. Regards from Spain.

[@hellmaze85]

I am definately going to Thorshavn some day to experience Olavsøka and participate in Ormurin Langi.

[@alvertohollstrom1773]

Saludos desde Mexico🇲🇽🇲🇽🇲🇽Está super chingona esa rola no le hace falta melodía para sonar de poca madre🖖🖖👍👍

[@DucoSminia]

Teach your children, so that this beautiful tradition survives to the next generation.

[@GermaniaLibera]

Ich liebe die Norweger..

[@d.g.7274]

Thanks, ancient Europe, by revealing your most closed secrets.

[@nassermorales]

Saludos desde Nicaragua!

[@MrUnfamiliar]

I don't have a clue of this story, nor the lyrics. Tears come to my eyes every time I hear this song.

[@sirpamariannesinimaa7624]

It's amazing the power of the voices, I can see the Norvegian Vikings singing this song on the beach, in the night before rowning out to the hard sea!...and raid or even looking for new lands to cultivate...for this you needed courage and fearless mind! With repeating songs you streghtend the vitality of the body! The etheric (the lifebody) was strenghtend! Wonderfull, thank you!

[@fergno2647]

Unfortunately no matter how beautiful and powerful the song may sound it has a dark background. It's about the king Olav Tryggvason of Norway and the massive longship he had men build in Norway. Olaf Tryggvason was a horrible king who murdered and slaughtered any Norwegian who wouldn't convert to christianity. Conversion to christianity eventually caused the adventerous tendencies and glory of the Norwegians to fade gradually as they entered a dark age. Norse traditions and adventerous tendencies still stand strong in our culture but was almost completely eradicated as a result of the conversion.

[@bakatstravarenmattsson3418]

@@fergno2647 I Sverige förekom ingen tvångskristning, hedningar och kristna levde tillsammans, Uppsala templet var mäktigt, det starkast i Norden. Slutligen segrade kristendomen. Men det hindrade inte att den siste?? hedningen avrättades på 1300-talet.

[@haruskin]

yes, Ormurin Langi is the same as Ormen Lange(Norwegian).

[@quirkyempathyalien9744]

Let's all dance!

[@theblissfullone]

Beautiful!!! Thanks so much for sharing :-)

[@gustavo10912]

All My love and respect to Faeroes Islands, from Argentina.

[@sceadugenga2120]

Since you asked for improvements to the translation, "alen" is "ell" in English (from Old English eln), which is also the first element in the word "elbow".

[@Zwanesh69]

Alin is "cubit" - length from elbow to fingertip. Just over 50 centimeters-ish. Eighteen + Forty cubits = around 30 meters long.

[@kevinhoffman8214]

really nice , wish i was there

[@paronzoda]

Powerful and Beautiful - Just like the vikings

[@aled921]

Awesome

[@sm-zj1rv]

Takk fra Norge

[@quirkyempathyalien9744]

Aww cute! Takk fra USA

[@ingwiafraujaz3126]

@@quirkyempathyalien9744 Pls stop.

[@quirkyempathyalien9744]

@@ingwiafraujaz3126 No you stop😂

[@MoraNizze]

Någon gång ska jag flytta till Färöarna.

[@z-mkgaming7464]

12 years out but the last verse is basically an aside from the ballad, saying that they are to "finish their song for now", "move onto another section" and "keep it in their mind."

[@sorengudmund9035]

4:58 Eirik was a son of Haakon, Eark of Hradir, the actual ruler of Norway but a vassal of Denmark. Haakon was killed by Olaf Trygvason under the support of Danes.

[@shechaiyah6869]

This dance goes back to the Lyran Constellation over a million years ago :: perfectly INTACT.

[@talonsoftheraven6693]

Brilliant! sounds great!

[@thossi09]

"Kempum munnu vit møta" = "Giants we may meet"? I'd rather suggest "Heroes we shall meet"; "tí blóðug verður gøta" ... I'd suggest "because bloody will be [the] way/road". ... But that's based on Icelandic understanding of the words, and there sure are som differences between Faeroese and Icelandic :)

[@asbjrnpoulsen9205]

gøta means sidewalk street fore in those times ther was no streets

[@asbjrnpoulsen9205]

bryn tín knív bryna knívin kvørvisteinur er steinurin man vindur og brynur á FruAnonym

[@thossi09]

FruAnonym Yeah, in Icelandic we have it as "brýndum knífi/hnífi", meaning the same, with "brýna" being the verb.

[@asbjrnpoulsen9205]

kvørvusteinur brynesten www.google.dk/imgres?imgurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bjhammer.fo%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2016%2F09%2F304E4582-B459-46E3-B91E-FF52E66A45AC.jpeg&imgrefurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bjhammer.fo%2Fcase%2Fhvoervisteinur-og-vatnpostur%2F&docid=Xz3NDVnY6nkgkM&tbnid=KPlOwLU4uvto-M%3A&vet=1&w=960&h=960&hl=da&bih=638&biw=1366&ved=0ahUKEwjnj5DjjrbQAhWGCSwKHclaDz4QMwggKAIwAg&iact=mrc&uact=8

[@asbjrnpoulsen9205]

ther are noth kveggja in faroese ther are a bird named kvørkveggja buth kvessa is sharpening the knife or some thing else FruAnonym

[@shechaiyah6869]

This dance goes back a million years to the Lyran Constellation. It's gob-smacking to me, that it's still intact. Wow. What this means is, DNA is everything.

[@danestolthed6383]

I absolutely love this! Now I wish my family could connect to our heritage this way... How do I bring this to Wisconsin?

[@joshbest24]

DaneStolthed just pick a good ol' English folk song, find a bunch of people and sing it together

[@baldrbraa]

DaneStolthed Two steps forward and one step back 😊

[@BrunoKrost]

Edge to edge means the swoord battle, and, the last part is about the duty of Norway people to spread the word about this

[@Zwanesh69]

@FruAnonym lyricstranslate.com/en/ormurin-langi-long-serpent.html yep - 87 verse - here is another translation

[@AsatorIV]

Is Ormen Lange the Norwegian version of the title? I got the opportunity to dance to this fine song and supposedly the people on Faeroe Islands call it Ormurin Langi.

[@ZZaarraakkii]

Yep, it basically means the Long Serpent(sometimes the stems of these longboats are fashioned as serpent heads in pictures, I have no idea if that is historically accurate or not).

[@Vingul]

Ormen Lange is correct. The Long Worm, as in drake-ship.

[@larsbangpedersen8985]

Ormen hin Lange. The Long serpent

[@johnfillip1182]

I see you had some ??? at the 9th verse kongurin so til orða tekur baði viå gleði og gamni *translation* king then speaks both happy and pride

[@johnfillip1182]

btw at verse 11 ørma garpur is not arrow thrower garpur is faroese for a strong jung lad ørma garpur basically translation could be "you shall be my young worm" which just means a strong lad onboard or one to defend the boat

[@rafamg12]

So Cool!

[@mattiasfaldt1725]

for Ranrike

[@MrMadman843]

meanwhile in the boys bathroom:

[@Unlawfulpowder]

hetta er gott!

[@brunoedson7330]

I have a doubt: Ormurin Lange are somehow related to jordmungandr?

[@brunoedson7330]

ow, thanks!

[@elvino81]

No - Ormen hin lange - was a ship

[@elvino81]

Ormen hin Lange Was a ship in Olav Trygvasons fleet. Other ships are known: Ormen korte (The short serpent) and Tranen (the crane) allmost as big at Ormen hin Lange.

[@jaymylotto8134]

Not clear why the women are dancing along.

[@shechaiyah6869]

This video is from 2012; there is one from 2014. Any more recent?

[@evilduck9252]

Oh come on! Hildarting was a meeting between states. Not "battle" as transalted here. It was between kings and whatnots to preserve status quo. It was a meeting in Island where our king with his meager 11 ships were ambushed by 70 ships from surroiunfing kingdoms. English. Swedes. Danes. And, yes, Trondheims. I've been there. It's an awesome place.

[@asbjrnpoulsen9205]

we now wath ting means we have the oldest ting in the world today named føroya løgting and that you say have never happend in iceland dag bakken

[@asbjrnpoulsen9205]

and the ting was a meeting between difrenth viking chiefs to solv disputes and problems in a contry or an iceland in a country

[@hrotha]

"Hildarting" is a pretty transparent kenning for "battle": "Hildr's þing/assembly", "Hildr" being a valkyrja (a "chooser of the slain"), hence "battle". There's plenty of similar kennings for "battle" in Old Norse poetry: "Hildar veðr" ("Hildr's storm"), "Hildar leikr" ("Hildr's sport/game"), "Þróttar þing" ("Þrótt/Óðin's þing/assembly"), etc.

[@asbjrnpoulsen9205]

ting is a meeting to solv problems wee have a ting in faroe islands føroya løgting maybe the oldest in the world

[@hrotha]

A ting (Old Norse þing) is a political assembly. No more, no less.

[@AlanHirschenhoferII]

I honestly wonder if these dances grew out of need to stay in good health during the winter thing?

[@Rovarin]

Alan Hirschenhofer II actually it originates in medieval Europe. It kinda was a fad that swept through all of Europe.... It got so popular at one point that catholic monks were banned by their church to dance. The chain-dance survives in the Faroes and a few other places (I'm told, not sure which though).

[@AlanHirschenhoferII]

Thx Rovarin ; c) I've been an avid history researcher most of my life & I appreciate your knowledge my friend. This dance would find it's roots in proto-Europa. I imagine that dancing in its most earliest forms was probably ritualistic in nature (i.e.-Priest or Shaman only?) After a few years, you would probably think some very inquisitive youth or artistic soul, felt the beat in their bones while listening to some percussion's right. After dancing, they probably felt so relaxed that they felt an almost religious or physical satisfaction, they taught others away from their holy folks. Thus leading to the 1st. Mosh-Pit; c)...sorry, couldn't resist.. Anyways, a few centuries later, military commanders realized music and dancing helped with morale. (It was required in her Magisty 's Navy) that all able seaman were required to dance during passages in the ocean, for health & mental health. Regardless of its orgin's, if I were snowed in with a lot of people, I would in encourage this type of dance for the same benifits. It just seems...logical right. Thanks for your view on this.

[@Rovarin]

It does and I find the rhythm somewhat similar to working songs like e.g. sea shanties. But the ballads and kvæði performed with the Faroese chain-dance are usually entertainment, such as war stories, love stories, fairytales and such. There is also a special genré called niðingsvísur (I think?) where certain people are mocked for silly things that they did...

[@asbjrnpoulsen9205]

this kind of cain dance are only in faroe islands

[@Rovarin]

asbjørn poulsen I once heard an account in the Faroese National Radio, where an old Faroese sailor, who had worked on a ship transporting salt to Spain, there he had encountered some people in a certain area, can't remember where exactly, that had a similar dance, with similar origins and this would have been within the last 50 - 70 years.

[@omega1231]

An alen is the length from your wrist to elbow

[@franktristanjensenihoyvik4299]

Langi*

[@bruanlokisson8615]

Great many times Grandpa Olaf did kill a great many folks, no denying that.

[@Lenna27boef]

Okay, so I've tried translating the last verse (the fact that it's subtitled in the video makes it possible), and it seems to have nothing to do with Christians. VERY rough translation (correct me if I'm wrong): Now I shall end my song I no longer want to sing now I shall do something else and try to better remember (??)

[@Rovarin]

Lennaboef look up Olaf Tryggvason on Wikipedia, specifically the text under the heading 'Rule as King'. It does have connection to the shift towards christian tradition in Scandinavia and the Nordic Region.

[@dalamardlight2060]

Lennaboef This is a translation based on my Icelandic so it might not be 100% accurate. Now I shall end my song, for now I sing no longer now I shall take another verse and a better one to remember. (Edit) The full song is actually 86 verses. That verse is just a way to say: "Maybe next time I'll have learned more of the song."

[@Rovarin]

It is a ballad, written around 1819 and 1823. There are however a few variations, some of them less than 86 verses and some exceeding those 86 verses. Not exactly sure how to translate "Nú skal lætta ljóði av, eg kvøði ei longur á sinni". But "Nú skal taka upp annan tátt, dreingir, leggi í minni!" would be more accurately: "Now I shall tell another story/chapter, boys/friends pay heed/listen closely" It could be that this is a segue into another part of the ballad from one part of the story to the next.

[@nanok44]

Rovarin and others The song begins with a question "Do you want to hear a story...". At the end of this story, the Scald/Skald says that this one is over and that he will begin another one. It is really consistent of what we know of the singers and scalds in the Vikjing age, and the author of this piece tried to stick to this.

[@Rovarin]

nanok44 It begins with "Vilji tær hoyra kvæði mítt (...)" (Do you want to hear a story) and as I understand it, kvæði are often comprised of tættir (singular táttur). The kvæði is 86 stanzas (which is what I meant by verses in my earlier comment) and "Nú skal lætta ljóðið av (...) occurs in the 30th stanza (by the variant on display at heimskringla).

[@andreasiversen3440]

You do this otherwise very good video no justice by adding your own juvenile commentaries and interpretations.

[@jakobhallberg9212]

As a swede, the best we got is "Allsång på Skansen" :( I mean it's cool that old songs are used in a modern show aimed for mostly younger people, but this is why swedes dont think they have a culture. Radical socialism took it.

[@leaksson93]

trodde du sa att denna sång sjöngs på allsång på skansen. då hade ja nog tittat om de va så!

[@asbjrnpoulsen9205]

here they dance in sveden kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z5Tbk3esrLuNr9U

[@asbjrnpoulsen9205]

here around 10.000 singing in the capital tórshavn were ther live 20.000 kzbin.info/www/bejne/e3_UZGyBfMaZmZY

[@wfcoaker1398]

It wasn’t radical socialism, it was modernization. The same thing is happening to smaller cultures all over the world. The only way to combat it is for ordinary people to take an interest, collect and learn the old songs and dances, and sing and dance them. And for that, it has to be in your soul.

[@decem_sagittae]

Impressive, very beautiful, but I see no young people in this video, most of them are very old. Have the young men forgot to honor their ancestors and be proud of their heritage and traditions?

[@asbjrnpoulsen9205]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/gafNlXWbobN5kK8 kzbin.info/www/bejne/bqG0iZ1ogb6mn68 kzbin.info/www/bejne/fIGmeqt9d5ySfcU kzbin.info/www/bejne/nJ_Xfphoa62FkKc kzbin.info/www/bejne/eomxYpZnZr-sp6s kzbin.info/www/bejne/f2Waf5dmo553qbM

[@asbjrnpoulsen9205]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/f2Waf5dmo553qbM kzbin.info/www/bejne/bJTcemeciM-bo8U kzbin.info/www/bejne/n2HIfJmlpddksJY kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z3S6Zat-l9Cjapo kzbin.info/www/bejne/fqTLqGyGrdWCq6c

[@matthewlaurence3121]

There are some younger folks among them. The colour of their hair can make them hard to distinguish from their elders, though. If you know what I mean? ;)

[@asbjrnpoulsen9205]

ther are steel menny young people dansing ouer faroese dance

[@elkknowsbetter3199]

Orthodoxy, Autocracy & Pită Unsă cu Unsoare, The young people and kids usually dance at the end of the school year, at every school. Sorry for bad english

[@hashkangaroo]

Sound is beautiful, subtitles are absolute dreck.

Eirik Jarl was one of my forefathers...

[@andtand2558]

No you are not. Even here in Norway we do not know him, so how can you? We know Olav Tryvason better, but we we will never claim that we are related to him.

[@Vingul]

@@andtand2558 what do you mean we don't "know" him? Anyone with more than a passing interest in old Norwegian history knows about Eirik Jarl.

[@andtand2558]

@@Vingul Jepp. We now everything about Erik Jarl (Son off Håkon Jarl) But we don't claim that we are related to him. It seems like foringer are more related to Vikings han we who actually live here are. How in the world can this person claim to be related to Erik Jarl?

[@Vingul]

@@andtand2558 I agreed with that part. Although, to be fair, most (or very many) Norwegians are probably descended from him in some way. All the less reason to brag about it, of course... unless there's actual documentation for it (pretty much impossible to trace that far back).

[@Thename123J]

This translation is terrible.

[@quirkyempathyalien9744]

Wow awesome dance. I want to join that! Do only men dance this?

[@jrkufu2822]

no, everyone can join

[@Gilmaris]

As you can see and hear, both men and women are dancing and singing.