Løvstakkens Jægerkorps
Encyclopedia
Buekorps
Buekorps are traditional marching neighbourhood youth organizations in Bergen, Norway.The tradition, which is unique to Bergen, dates back at least to the 19th century when children would imitate the adult militia soldiers performing close order drill...
in Bergen
Bergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
. It is mainly the buekorps for the neighbourhood of Løvstakksiden
Løvstakksiden
Løvstakksiden, commonly shortened to Løvstakken or simply Stakken, is a neighbourhood in the city of Bergen, Norway, currently it is part of the borough of Årstad...
. It was founded for the first time in 1903, then for boys only. On May 11, 1999 it was founded again as a "mixed brigade", allowing both boys and girls as members. Their current motto is: "Vennskap og samhold gir styrke" ("Friendship and unity gives strength").
History
Among the predecessors of Løvstakkens Jægerkorps was Krohnvikens BataljonKrohnvikens Bataljon
Krohnvikens Bataljon was a buekorps in Bergen which existed from probably before 1854 to 1916. The proof of its early foundation is because of the fact that the man who allegedly painted its first banner died in that year, 1854. It was the local brigade for a working-class area called Krohnviken,...
(founded before 1854). The first Løvstakkens Jægerkorps was founded on May 11, 1903 but lasted only until 1918.
Ten years later, on April 30, 1928, it was however re-established after initiative by Johannes Ludvigsen who collected all that was of effects from the two earlier brigades. Another brigade that had competed with the first Løvstakkens Jægerkorps were Skytterbanens Bataljon which the bickerings still continued with. When the boys started up again they were poorly equipped. They received some old tree-rifles, and one drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
was all they had available for use. They had a modest first march with 15-20 privates and 1 drummer, banner-carrier and chief.
But as of 1929 older boys from Solheimsviken
Solheimsviken
Solheimsviken is a bay and a neighbourhood in the city of Bergen, Norway. The bay is situated at the end of the strait of Damsgårdssundet, near Store Lungegårdsvann...
joined in, and the year after they expanded greatly; 130 privates, 24 axe-carriers and 10 drummers was the impressive result. In 1933 the brigade celebrated its 5-year anniversary, and the first issue of their newsletter "Løvstakkgutten" ("the Løvstakken-boy") was published.
In 1934 the brigade was probably the first to get a leisure
Leisure
Leisure, or free time, is time spent away from business, work, and domestic chores. It is also the periods of time before or after necessary activities such as eating, sleeping and, where it is compulsory, education....
-center when a related organization rented for them a room where various games, a radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
and a gramophone
Phonograph
The phonograph record player, or gramophone is a device introduced in 1877 that has had continued common use for reproducing sound recordings, although when first developed, the phonograph was used to both record and reproduce sounds...
were made available to them. During the same year a co-operation with Skutevikens Buekorps and Sydnæs Bataljon were initiated.
When "Guttekorpsenes Allianse" ("the Boy-brigades' Alliance") was founded in 1957 by 12 of the then 18 brigades of the city Løvstakkens Jægerkorps immediately joined in. The members of this alliance participated at amongst other events at the opening of Bergen International Festival
Bergen International Festival
Bergen International Festival is an annual international music and cultural festival in Bergen, Norway. The festival is the largest in the Nordic countries in its genre and has a large number of activities in music, dance, literature, visual arts, folklore etc...
.
Interest for the brigade lasted well up until 1964 when the recruitment vanished, and the following year it wasn't possible to keep it up. The main reason for the decline went to the great traffic
Traffic
Traffic on roads may consist of pedestrians, ridden or herded animals, vehicles, streetcars and other conveyances, either singly or together, while using the public way for purposes of travel...
-increase at Danmarksplass which made it impossible to move around in their practice-area without help from the police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
.
At the end of the 90s work started for re-establishing the buekorps as a leisure-organization for both boys and girls. The brigade was founded on april, 1999, and marched for the first time on 17 May (national day of Norway), 1999. Løvstakkens Jægerkorps has numerous activities for its own members in a building in the neighbourhood.
Løvstakkens marsj
The official song of Løvstakkens Jægerkorps, written in 1938, is called "Løvstakkens marsj":Løvstakkens marsj:
Composition by Odd Walle, Text by Sigurd Steffensen
Vi heve vil vårt løveflagg, så fritt det kan få vaie,
Få vaie fritt for hver en vind og samle sine gutter inn.
Din løve kraft - den gir oss makt, om den vi vil oss samle.
Den fri som fuglen over fjellet sin flukt imot det mål,
Oss samle om vårt kjære merke. Stå på vakt hver Løvstakksgutt.!
Nå vaier fritt for hver en vind vårt kjære samlingsmerke.
Med faste skritt med blikket fritt vi samlet om vår fane står.
I kamp for alt vi fikk så kjært, skal samhold gjøre sterke.
Oss løfte opp mot høye tinder, gir korpset evig vår.
Vi samles om vårt kjære merke, Stå på vakt hver Løvstakksgutt!