Culture of the Faroe Islands
Encyclopedia
The culture of the Faroe Islands has its roots in the Nordic culture. The Faroe Islands
were long isolated from the main cultural phases and movements that swept across parts of Europe
. This means that they have maintained a great part of their traditional culture. The language spoken is Faroese
. It is one of three insular
Scandinavian languages descended from the Old Norse language spoken in Scandinavia
in the Viking Age
, the others being Icelandic
and the extinct Norn
, which is thought to have been mutually intelligible with Faroese. Until the 15th century, Faroese had a similar orthography
to Icelandic and Norwegian
, but after the Reformation
in 1538, the ruling Danes outlawed its use in schools, churches and official documents. This maintained a rich spoken tradition, but for 300 years the language was not written down. This means that all poems and stories were handed down orally. These works were split into the following divisions: sagnir (historical), ævintyr (stories) and kvæði
(ballads), often set to music and the mediaeval chain dance. These were eventually written down in the 19th century mostly by Danish scolars.
s were present in the older days. When trade grew in the 20th century the Faroese started to use imported musical instruments. Much of the imported music and instruments remained popular only in the capital and largest city, Tórshavn
. Rural peoples remained true to traditions of the chain dance and ballads. The chain dance is a dance, which only survived in the Faroe Islands, while in other European countries it was banned by the church, due to its pagan origin. The dance is danced traditionally in a circle, but when a lot of people take part in the dance they usually let it swing around in various wobbles within the circle.
The following description is by V. U. Hammershaimb, Færøsk Anthologi, 1891:
The storyline of the ballad is attended by everybody with great interest, and if something especially pleasant or moving occurs, you can see it in the look and movement of the dancers – when the rage of the battle is described, the hands are clenched together, and when victory is in hand, they make cheering movements.
Such is the importance of the dance as a cultural element that the Faroese refer to it as Faroese dance. However, it shall be stated that the dance hasn’t the same popularity it once had. This especially applies to younger generations.
published a written standard for Modern Faroese that exists to this day. He produced orthography consistent with a continuous written tradition extending back to Old Norse
). The Danish language
was also encouraged at the expense of Faroese. Nevertheless, the Faroes have produced several authors and poets. The most famous of these authors are Jørgen-Frantz Jacobsen
(known for his sole novel Barbara) and William Heinesen
. Both authors wrote in Danish. Other famous authors from the Faroes include Heðin Brú
(The Old Man and His Sons) and Jóanes Nielsen
. Poets include the brothers Janus
and Hans Andreas Djurhuus, and Rói Patursson
.
Both Heinesen and Patursson have been awarded The Nordic Council's Literature Prize
.
As with literature, painting only really took off in the 20th century in the Faroes. Famous Faroese painters include Sámuel Joensen-Mikines, Ingálvur av Reyni
, Ruth Smith
, Tróndur Patursson
, Steffan Danielsen
and Amariel Norðoy among others.
is a traditional handcraft of peoples of the Faroe Islands
. The most distinguishing characteristic of Faroese lace shawls is the center back gusset
shaping. Each shawl consists of two triangular side panels, a trapezoid-shaped back gusset, an edge treatment, and usually shoulder shaping.
, volleyball
and rowing
. 60% of those who play sport on the islands play football. A 1-0 victory over Austria
on 12 September 1990 still ranks as the greatest day in the history of football on the islands, but the national team has also recorded a number of impressive results against higher-ranked teams, primarily on home soil.
As of 1 July 2008, the Faroe Islands' international record (in UEFA European Championships qualifiers) was played 48, won 3, drawn 5, lost 40.
Five different institutions run football schools, attended by 1,000 children each year. Todi Jónsson
is probably the most famous player from the Faroe Islands of all times. He used to play for FC Copenhagen in Denmark
and was the top scorer in the 2002/2003 season.
The Faroe Islands compete in the biannual Island Games
, which have been hosted by the islands in 1989.
The Faroese freestyle swimmer Pál Joensen
is the sportsperson of the Faroe Islands
with the best international results until now (2011). In july 2011 he qualified for the finals in the men's 800 meters and 1500 meters freestyle at the 2011 World Aquatics Championships
in Shanghai
. He was number four in in 1500 meter free just 0,67 second after the bronze medalist. He was number five in the men's 800 meters freestyle. In 2010 Joensen won silver in 1500 meter freestyle in the European Championship 2010 (LC). His results are amazing especially considering that he lives in the Faroe Islands and trains in a 25 meter long pool because there is no 50 meter pool in the Faroe Islands (as of July 2011).
Faroe Islands
The Faroe Islands are an island group situated between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately halfway between Scotland and Iceland. The Faroe Islands are a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, along with Denmark proper and Greenland...
were long isolated from the main cultural phases and movements that swept across parts of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. This means that they have maintained a great part of their traditional culture. The language spoken is Faroese
Faroese language
Faroese , is an Insular Nordic language spoken by 48,000 people in the Faroe Islands and about 25,000 Faroese people in Denmark and elsewhere...
. It is one of three insular
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
Scandinavian languages descended from the Old Norse language spoken in Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
in the Viking Age
Viking Age
Viking Age is the term for the period in European history, especially Northern European and Scandinavian history, spanning the late 8th to 11th centuries. Scandinavian Vikings explored Europe by its oceans and rivers through trade and warfare. The Vikings also reached Iceland, Greenland,...
, the others being Icelandic
Icelandic language
Icelandic is a North Germanic language, the main language of Iceland. Its closest relative is Faroese.Icelandic is an Indo-European language belonging to the North Germanic or Nordic branch of the Germanic languages. Historically, it was the westernmost of the Indo-European languages prior to the...
and the extinct Norn
Norn language
Norn is an extinct North Germanic language that was spoken in Shetland and Orkney, off the north coast of mainland Scotland, and in Caithness. After the islands were pledged to Scotland by Norway in the 15th century, it was gradually replaced by Scots and on the mainland by Scottish...
, which is thought to have been mutually intelligible with Faroese. Until the 15th century, Faroese had a similar orthography
Orthography
The orthography of a language specifies a standardized way of using a specific writing system to write the language. Where more than one writing system is used for a language, for example Kurdish, Uyghur, Serbian or Inuktitut, there can be more than one orthography...
to Icelandic and Norwegian
Norwegian language
Norwegian is a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Norway, where it is the official language. Together with Swedish and Danish, Norwegian forms a continuum of more or less mutually intelligible local and regional variants .These Scandinavian languages together with the Faroese language...
, but after the Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
in 1538, the ruling Danes outlawed its use in schools, churches and official documents. This maintained a rich spoken tradition, but for 300 years the language was not written down. This means that all poems and stories were handed down orally. These works were split into the following divisions: sagnir (historical), ævintyr (stories) and kvæði
Kvæði
Kvæði are the old ballads of the Faroe Islands, accompanied by the Faroese dance....
(ballads), often set to music and the mediaeval chain dance. These were eventually written down in the 19th century mostly by Danish scolars.
Music and Chain Dance
Traditional Faroese music was primarily vocal, and was not accompanied by musical instruments. Only in Tórshavn instruments like fiddleFiddle
The term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...
s were present in the older days. When trade grew in the 20th century the Faroese started to use imported musical instruments. Much of the imported music and instruments remained popular only in the capital and largest city, Tórshavn
Tórshavn
Tórshavn is the capital and largest town of the Faroe Islands. It is located in the southern part on the east coast of Streymoy. To the north west of the town lies the high mountain Húsareyn, and to the southwest, the high Kirkjubøreyn...
. Rural peoples remained true to traditions of the chain dance and ballads. The chain dance is a dance, which only survived in the Faroe Islands, while in other European countries it was banned by the church, due to its pagan origin. The dance is danced traditionally in a circle, but when a lot of people take part in the dance they usually let it swing around in various wobbles within the circle.
The following description is by V. U. Hammershaimb, Færøsk Anthologi, 1891:
The storyline of the ballad is attended by everybody with great interest, and if something especially pleasant or moving occurs, you can see it in the look and movement of the dancers – when the rage of the battle is described, the hands are clenched together, and when victory is in hand, they make cheering movements.
Such is the importance of the dance as a cultural element that the Faroese refer to it as Faroese dance. However, it shall be stated that the dance hasn’t the same popularity it once had. This especially applies to younger generations.
Literature and art
Faroese literature in the traditional sense of the word has only really developed in the past 100-200 years. This is mainly because the Faroese language was not written down in a standardised format until 1890 (in 1854 Venceslaus Ulricus HammershaimbVenceslaus Ulricus Hammershaimb
Venceslaus Ulricus Hammershaimb was a Faroese Lutheran minister who established the modern orthography of Faroese, the language of the Faroe Islands, based on the Icelandic language, which like Faroese derives from Old Norse.-Background:Hammershaimb was born in Sandavágur on the island of Vágar in...
published a written standard for Modern Faroese that exists to this day. He produced orthography consistent with a continuous written tradition extending back to Old Norse
Old Norse
Old Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....
). The Danish language
Danish language
Danish is a North Germanic language spoken by around six million people, principally in the country of Denmark. It is also spoken by 50,000 Germans of Danish ethnicity in the northern parts of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, where it holds the status of minority language...
was also encouraged at the expense of Faroese. Nevertheless, the Faroes have produced several authors and poets. The most famous of these authors are Jørgen-Frantz Jacobsen
Jørgen-Frantz Jacobsen
Jørgen-Frantz Jacobsen occupies a distinct place in Scandinavian literature. He is the only Faroese writer to achieve international best-seller status...
(known for his sole novel Barbara) and William Heinesen
William Heinesen
Andreas William Heinesen was a poet, composer and painter from the Faroe Islands.- His Writing :The Faroese capital Tórshavn is always the centre of Heinesen's writing. He is famous for having once called Tórshavn "The Navel of the World". His writing focuses on contrasts between darkness and...
. Both authors wrote in Danish. Other famous authors from the Faroes include Heðin Brú
Heðin Brú
Heðin Brú was the penname of Hans Jacob Jacobsen, a Faroese novelist and translator.Heðin Brú is considered to be the most important Faroese writer of his generation and is known for his fresh and ironic style...
(The Old Man and His Sons) and Jóanes Nielsen
Jóanes Nielsen
Jóanes Nielsen is a Faroese author and poet of the 1980s generation. He has written both short stories, plays and novels. He has now published seven collections of poetry, and has been nominated for the Nordic Council's Literature Prize for the fourth time with his latest collection of poems,...
. Poets include the brothers Janus
Janus Djurhuus
Jens Hendrik Oliver Djurhuus, called Janus Djurhuus, was the first modern Faroese poet...
and Hans Andreas Djurhuus, and Rói Patursson
Rói Patursson
Rói Reynagarð Patursson is a Faroese writer and philosopher. He is also the director of the Folk High School of the Faroes....
.
Both Heinesen and Patursson have been awarded The Nordic Council's Literature Prize
The Nordic Council's Literature Prize
The Nordic Council Literature Prize is awarded for a work of literature written in one of the languages of the Nordic countries, that meets "high literary and artistic standards". Established in 1962, the prize is awarded every year, and is worth 350,000 Danish kroner...
.
As with literature, painting only really took off in the 20th century in the Faroes. Famous Faroese painters include Sámuel Joensen-Mikines, Ingálvur av Reyni
Ingálvur av Reyni
Ingálvur av Reyni was the most celebrated painter of the Faroe Islands during the last years.Ingálvur av Reyni was born in Tórshavn. He rebelled through his expressionism against the epic content of his predecessors' art, and has opened up new paths in his painting...
, Ruth Smith
Ruth Smith (artist)
Ruth Smith Nielsen was a Faroese artist. She lived for some years in Denmark, where she was educated as a painter first on the Bizzie Højer Art School and later on the Art Academy of Copenhagen...
, Tróndur Patursson
Tróndur Patursson
Tróndur Patursson is a Faroese painter, sculptor, and glass artist. He was educated in Norway and was initially a sculptor. He has since become better known as a painter and glass artist....
, Steffan Danielsen
Steffan Danielsen
Johan Steffan Danielsen was a Faroese painter.-Life and work:...
and Amariel Norðoy among others.
Handcrafts
Lace knittingLace knitting
Lace knitting is a style of knitting characterized by stable "holes" in the fabric arranged with consideration of aesthetic value. Lace is sometimes considered the pinnacle of knitting, because of its complexity and because woven fabrics cannot easily be made to have holes...
is a traditional handcraft of peoples of the Faroe Islands
Faroe Islands
The Faroe Islands are an island group situated between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately halfway between Scotland and Iceland. The Faroe Islands are a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, along with Denmark proper and Greenland...
. The most distinguishing characteristic of Faroese lace shawls is the center back gusset
Gusset
In sewing, a gusset is a triangular or rhomboid piece of fabric inserted into a seam to add breadth or reduce stress from tight-fitting clothing...
shaping. Each shawl consists of two triangular side panels, a trapezoid-shaped back gusset, an edge treatment, and usually shoulder shaping.
Sports
Football is the most popular sport on the Faroe Islands, closely followed by handballTeam handball
Handball is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each pass a ball to throw it into the goal of the other team...
, volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
and rowing
Rowing (sport)
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
. 60% of those who play sport on the islands play football. A 1-0 victory over Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
on 12 September 1990 still ranks as the greatest day in the history of football on the islands, but the national team has also recorded a number of impressive results against higher-ranked teams, primarily on home soil.
As of 1 July 2008, the Faroe Islands' international record (in UEFA European Championships qualifiers) was played 48, won 3, drawn 5, lost 40.
Five different institutions run football schools, attended by 1,000 children each year. Todi Jónsson
Todi Jónsson
Todi Adam Jónsson is a Faroese football striker who is playing for Faroese side KÍ.- Club career :He spent a large portion of his career at the Danish Superliga side FC Copenhagen, having arrived in 1997 from Lyngby BK together with the new CEO Flemming Østergaard...
is probably the most famous player from the Faroe Islands of all times. He used to play for FC Copenhagen in Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
and was the top scorer in the 2002/2003 season.
The Faroe Islands compete in the biannual Island Games
International Island Games Association
The International Island Games Association is an organisation the sole purpose of which is to organise the Island Games, a friendly biennial athletic competition between teams from several European islands and other small territories. The IGA liaises with the member island associations and with...
, which have been hosted by the islands in 1989.
The Faroese freestyle swimmer Pál Joensen
Pál Joensen
Pál Joensen is a Faroese elite swimmer. He was born in Vágur, Suðuroy, Faroe Islands. Pál is training in a short pool 25 m, because there is no 50 m pool in the Faroe Islands. Pál Joensen still lives in his hometown Vágur, and he is training with Susvim...
is the sportsperson of the Faroe Islands
Faroe Islands
The Faroe Islands are an island group situated between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately halfway between Scotland and Iceland. The Faroe Islands are a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, along with Denmark proper and Greenland...
with the best international results until now (2011). In july 2011 he qualified for the finals in the men's 800 meters and 1500 meters freestyle at the 2011 World Aquatics Championships
2011 World Aquatics Championships
The 14th FINA World Championships were held at July 16–31, 2011 in Shanghai, China at the Shanghai Oriental Sports Center. The 2011 World Championships featured five aquatics disciplines: swimming, water polo, diving, open water, and synchronised swimming...
in Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
. He was number four in in 1500 meter free just 0,67 second after the bronze medalist. He was number five in the men's 800 meters freestyle. In 2010 Joensen won silver in 1500 meter freestyle in the European Championship 2010 (LC). His results are amazing especially considering that he lives in the Faroe Islands and trains in a 25 meter long pool because there is no 50 meter pool in the Faroe Islands (as of July 2011).
See also
- Faroese languageFaroese languageFaroese , is an Insular Nordic language spoken by 48,000 people in the Faroe Islands and about 25,000 Faroese people in Denmark and elsewhere...
- Faroese literatureFaroese literatureIn the Middle Ages many poems and stories were handed down orally. These works were split into the following divisions: sagnir , ævintyr and kvæði . These were eventually written down in the 19th century.In the 13th century the Færeyinga saga was written in Iceland...
- Art of the Faroe IslandsArt of the Faroe IslandsFaroese art is art by artists living in the Faroe Islands and art by Faroese nationals living abroad. In the Faroe Islands art is an important part of everyday life and in the public debate. It may be the special light in the Faroes which causes so many to express themselves in painting. The...
- Music of the Faroe IslandsMusic of the Faroe Islands- Faroese music today :Faroese Music today is buzzing with artists and creators across all genres delivering world class performances and recordings. With long music tradition many Faroese musicians are going professional and touring the world...
- Nordic House in the Faroe IslandsNordic House in the Faroe IslandsThe Nordic House is the most important cultural institution in the Faroe Islands. Its aim is to support and promote Nordic and Faroese culture, locally and in the Nordic region- History :...
- Faroese danceFaroese danceThe Faroese dance is the national chain dance of the Faroe Islands, accompanied by kvæði, the Faroese ballads.The dance is a mediaeval ring dance, which only survived in the Faroe Islands, while in other European countries it was banned by the church, due to its pagan origin...
External links
- faroearts – shows and sells the work of Faroese artists on the internet