Stev
Stev is a form of Scandinavian folk song consisting of four line lyric stanzas.[1] The English version of the word is stave, meaning the stressed syllable in a metric verse.
Various types
There are various types of stev:
Gamlestev
- gamlestev (old stave) is the oldest type. It is likely that gamlestev were originally danced.[2] Stanzas in gamlestev meter,were already established around the end of the 13th century.[3]
Of the gamlestev that have been preserved, most of them are from Setesdal and øvre Telemark . This poetic form is equivalent to the metre of the medieval ballad, and is used over most of Northern Europe:
- Oh who will shoe my bonny foot
- and who will glove my hand
- and who will lace my middle waist
- with a long, long linen band.
The metre in most old staves is free, and the rhyming is always on the second and fourth line.
Some gamlestev might be remnants of folk songs that have been split up, and thereby losing completeness.
Nystev
- Nystev (new stave[citation needed]) have probably been around since about year 1700.[3] "It is the Norwegian counterpart to blues from America", wrote Geirr Lystrup (in 1980).[4]
In Telemark , nystev have been replaced by rural folksongs , to a great extent. By contrast, nystev in Setesdal have held much of their ground. Many folksongs are based on the form, which rhymes in pairs:
- Den dag kjem aldri at eg deg gløymer
- for når eg søver, eg om deg drøymer.
- og natt og dag er du like nær,
- men best eg ser deg når myrkt det er.
Omkved
- omkved (refrain in ballads) , includes innstev , etterstev , mellomsleng and ettersleng.
Slåttestev
- slåttestev (tune-staves) are instrumental dancetune songs. This is dancetunes with a short text. Sometimes the staves grows to longer songs. In Ireland, an equivalent would be The Rocky Road to Dublin, a tune which is both a dance-tune and a song.
Hermestev
- hermestev (imitating staves) are often referred to as parody-quote stev. These contain Wellerisms.
Performers
A person who can perform a stev, is known as a kveder (or "kvedar"), in Norwegian.
Previously "A good kvedar [really had to know] knew how to stevja", wrote Geirr Lystrup (in 1980).[5] ("To stevjast is a social form of songkamp ["song" + "battle"], where the object is to know many stev so one will not be at loss (or become perplexed)."[6]
A kveder from Setesdal, when performing stev, generally sings more slowly, than a kveder from Telemark.[7] One reason for this, may be that Setesdal stev are often more meditative ( or elegiac ), in regard to the stev text.[7]
Notable performances
In 1945, Aslak Brekke's performance at "liberation of Norway" concert[citation needed] that was held 1945, in the ceremonial hall (the "Aula") at the University of Oslo. In 1983, a member of Norway's national team of football, Åge Hareide, was honored with a stev (performed by another member of the team, Svein Mathisen) related to Hareides receipt of a gilded watch (gullklokka — signifying 25 matches played for Norway's national team). [8] The stev was performed at the the banquet in Yugoslavia following a football match of two national teams, and the performer held the head of the lamb that had been eaten at the banquet, while he performed from a tabletop.[9] (The watch was received before the match.)
Literature
- "Old words to old tunes - Old Norse Havamal to Norwegian stev and ballad tunes" in "Folkemusikkinnsamling - Skrift nr.16 - 2002"(ISSN 0800-3734), p. 109; author: Jon Storm-Mathisen, publisher: Norsk Folkemusikklag
References
- ^ Jacqueline Pattison Ekgren, Studia Musicologica Norvegica, Volume 27, Universitetsforlaget, 2001, p158.
- ^ Dagne Groven Myhren ,Stev S.V.,Cappelens Musikkleksikon 1981, Cappelen, 1981, Column no.3(paragraph no.4)
- ^ a b http://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stev
- ^ Lystrup, Geirr (1980). Skjemteviser og salmevers. p. 7. ISBN 82-521-1849-6.
Nystevet er det norsk motstykket til amerikanarane sin blues. Steva uttrykkjer kjærleik eller og lengt, men dei kan også vera skjemtande eller forma slik at dei skal ramme ein annan på eit sårt punkt.
- ^ Lystrup, Geirr (1980). Skjemteviser og salmevers. p. 7. ISBN 82-521-1849-6.
I eldre tider var det sjølvsagt at ein god kvedar kunne stevje,
- ^ Lystrup, Geirr (1980). Skjemteviser og salmevers. p. 7. ISBN 82-521-1849-6.
Å stevjast er ei selskapeleg form for songkamp, og det gjeld å kunne flest mogleg stev slik at ein aldri er opprådd.
- ^ a b Dagne Groven Myhren, Stev S.V.,Cappelens Musikkleksikon 1 981, Cappelen, 1981, Column no.5
- ^ Aslan Farschian (2011-10-11). Verdens Gang. p. Sporten 7.
Han fikk selv klokken borte mot Jugoslavia i 1983. Norge tapte 2-1, men banketten etterpå husker Hareide godt. — – Vi hadde spist noe lammekjøtt og Svein Mathisen hadde vært inne på kjøkkenet og hentet et sauehode! Han tok det med inn der vi spiste, gikk opp på bordet og fremførte et stev fra Telemark for meg. Svein var god på stev, forteller Hareide.
{{cite news}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ Aslan Farschian (2011-10-11). Verdens Gang. p. Sporten 7.
Han fikk selv klokken borte mot Jugoslavia i 1983. Norge tapte 2-1, men banketten etterpå husker Hareide godt. — – Vi hadde spist noe lammekjøtt og Svein Mathisen hadde vært inne på kjøkkenet og hentet et sauehode! Han tok det med inn der vi spiste, gikk opp på bordet og fremførte et stev fra Telemark for meg. Svein var god på stev, forteller Hareide.
{{cite news}}: Missing or empty|title=(help)