Queen Margrethe's Summer Tour aboard the Dannebrog: 2015 - 2023

[Muhler]

Some great pics of a QMII in high spirits looking at and discussing the local art, so she was in her right element!
Dronnningen: Derfor er jeg så vild med Færøerne

Yesterday she climbed around in the rugged hills, which is impressive for a women her age and two new knees!

You are welcome, Valkyrie.
And thanks for the suggestions. Perhaps pluck is the best general word to cover "frisk"?

Summary of article in Billed Bladet #24, 2016.
Written by our woman in the North Atlantic, Trine Larsen.

This covers the first part of the visit.

QMII arrived by plane Sunday and went on to Dannebrog so that she could arrive officially in the proper fashion Monday forenoon to the southernmost island of Suouroy (which, surprise, means South Island). Here she was officially welcomed by her host, the Faeroese PM, Aksel Johannesen.

QMII went to the islands for the first time in 1959, which is also when she for the first time wore the costume she's seen wearing during most of the visit.
The last time she was here, was in 2010. She and PH were scheduled to go in 2015 but then a general election was called and she had to cancel.
But she's delighted to be back, even though it's without PH and it is a little odd to be here on her own, she said.
Her schedule is busy, but it's far from her first visit, so many things she has seen before, she explains. Actually she's been there fourteen times.

(Note: I will here use capital Y, when it's formal You, just like in Danish).
Q: When the mayor welcomed the Queen he said You were heartily welcome to say hello to the family bring them along...
QMII: "Well, I hope the rest of the family at some point... or several points will come here".

Q: Could you imagine that You at some point came up here with Your grandchildren?
QMII: "Aaha... I'm not sure... it's so suitable to do that. I think it's better they do that with their parents".

But apart from the odd question QMII enjoyed the scenery, that is when she wasn't shown around a fish processing plant or visiting the local activity.house for young. Where some some and blushing girls showed QMII examples of their artwork.
She also visited a nursing home for elderly, where she was received with ballad-singing at the coffee-table. (*)

The Faerose being very proud of their heritage were seen dressed in lots of costume. The article mentions that QMII made a slight mistake in the way she wore hers, but I need help from Danish readers when I upload the scans in the Mary current events thread later, because I don't understand it!

(*) This is particular to the Faeroese Islands and Iceland too I believe.
Called "kvædesang" in Danish, a "kvad" is basically a story told in a song. It consists of about a zillion verses! The origin goes back to pre-historic times and during medieval times, troubadours and minstrel singers were expected to memorize lots of such songs. The troubadours of course focusing on high art, while the minstrel singers could be a bit, ahem, saucy...
The unique thing about the Faeroese singing is that people dance, holding hands while singing. In this case however, they were sitting down.
I guess the best translation for "kvædesang" would be saga-song.

Here is a video of a kvædesang - with dancing. And it's long! And it's as close to the way the Vikings sounded we can come today: (With English subtitles. They are singing about a battle that took place about a 1.000 years ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvjdBelNFZM

Here in a modern version, enjoy the scenery!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zm3wa2LtJQM

I need a little help from Danish readers in getting on with this post.

In BB there is a note saying that QMII made a slight mistake in the way she wore her costume. But I can't understand the explanation, nor can I see any mistake!
So... Help!

https://app.box.com/s/9nkme0jtb9kgr9yvzwdlp84abegcupx3

[FasterB]

I can´t see the mistake either, so I can´t help. Sorry :(

[Muhler]

Thanks anyway, FasterB.

A BB video from the press conference aboard Dannebrog. at 01.58 you will hear QMII's reply to the rumors that she and PH are de facto divorced.
VIDEO: Dronning Margrethe svarede på lidt af hvert | BILLED-BLADET

I was looking forward to seeing this and I'm surprised at her mild reaction. QMII has been known to split a journalist in half with a lightning bolt from her tongue at twelve paces!

As for the rest of the questions. Well, it too late tonight for that and I think we can wait until next Thursday for that, eh?

She does say though that she expect M&F to go there within a not too distant future, with all or as many children they can bring.

[gerry]

Originally Posted by Muhler

Thanks anyway, FasterB.

A BB video from the press conference aboard Dannebrog. at 01.58 you will hear QMII's reply to the rumors that she and PH are de facto divorced.
VIDEO: Dronning Margrethe svarede på lidt af hvert | BILLED-BLADET

I was looking forward to seeing this and I'm surprised at her mild reaction. QMII has been know the split a journalist in half with a lightning bolt from her tongue at twelve paces!

As for the rest of the questions. Well, it too late tonight for that and I think we can wait until next Thursday for that, eh?

She does say though that she expect M&F to go there within a not too distant future, with all or as many children they can bring.

Muhler, mange tak as always, but I will not join in on the divorce digression as I am more interested in the Faroese cultural tidbits you showed us! First of all, am I correct in understanding that Faroese and Danish are two separate languages? Secondly, the singing and dancing in the first video you showed us was led by a 'skipar'. Does this mean 'leader'? The english word 'skipper' probably would come from this then! Thirdly, do you know if this dancing/recital of sagas happens elsewhere in Scandinavia? I am fascinated by what I am seeing of the Faroe Islands and want to know more! I am putting the islands on my list of places to visit in the very near future!

[Muhler]

You are welcome.

Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Faroese and Icelandic used to be closely related and anyone from these areas could understand each other reasonably well. But that was a 1.000 years ago.
Since then Norwegian, Danish and Swedish has evolved or moved away if you prefer from Old Norse. So far that only a number of words are still retained. (That is still a surprising number of words though!)
But Iceland and the Faroe Islands being very much isolated, retained their language and culture, so to this day they speak an only slightly developed Old Norse. - The Icelandics have a policy about keeping out foreign words and instead coming up with new words derived from their own language.
The Shetlands (Being Danish until the 1500's) and other island groups off the Scottish coast are, I understand, to this day very much influenced by Nordic culture and language - as well as genetic.
When I hear someone speaking in a say Yorkshire dialect I'm often surprised to hear many words I recognize, even though the words are often archaic in Danish at least.
So it's no wonder that a word like skipper is still used on both sides of the North Sea. After all we remained in close contact via the sea.

As for the chain-dancing and saga-singing. I don't know is something similar exists on the Scottish isles or Iceland. It doesn't here in DK.
But the concept of ballads with 622 verses existed well into the 1900's. But by then it was basically a kind of tabloid press. Here in DK certainly, but also in Sweden such ballads were often composed by amateurs, who had them printed and who went out into the streets to sell, singing samples. O paid someone to sell them.
Such ballads were at least until the first half of the 1800's often downright slanderous! And anyone could risk ending up in a ballad.
Eventually because the law cracked down on slander, the ballads became more sentimental. Being about unhappy lovers who died because they couldn't get each other, or adorable children dying of tuberculosis and also prostitutes who was suffered all kinds of bad things but still prevailed.
Such ballads were called "skillingsviser = penny-ballads" and the women who sold them, were often poor and elderly (and alcoholics) were called a "visekælling = ballad-hag". Here is such a "visekælling" from around 1805: https://app.box.com/s/m2ob1u827aue6fd5mf0ddbb9nnxj0up9
The concept of homemade ballads exists to this day at family celebrations, where you get a local lyric to compose a song praising whoever is celebrated. You get it printed and bring it to the party for all to sing. And since you often sit at the table for three-five hours before the dancing and as several guests may have brought songs it can be quite entertaining to observe the main-person! Especially at a confirmation, where he/she sit between the parents in his/her finest wishing a UFO would show up and...

[Osipi]

I find it amazing to think that someone could memorize and sing a balled with 622 verses to it. It boggles my mind.

One thing that I would imagine that the custom of doing this way back when is that it was how stories and traditions and history were passed down from generation to generation especially when the majority of the population didn't have access to learn to read and write and be able to compile the information into a library. As time passes, the stories, I would imagine, became more mythical and legendary but I would imagine that there's a bit of the original truth in them.

[Muhler]

Well, 622 verses is perhaps slightly exaggerated in regards to these saga-songs...

But not to a medieval troubadour. He was fully expected to recite the entire saga about Roland or Sir Lancelot - while being tipsy!

And back in ancient Greece it was fully expected that storytellers could recite the entire Odyssey.

As late as the late 1800's British observers were astonished to observe how Zulu-couriers could recite long and intricate messages - right after having run for perhaps 50 km!

We've simply become lazy memory-wise.

And looking at the saga-singing in the clip. That's full nine minutes with perhaps three or four verses per minute. 27-36 verses. That's no mean feat!

[An Ard Ri]

H.M.The Queen visit to the Faroes Islands

PPE


PPE Agency

[Valkyrie]

Thanks Muhler for all the great info on the Kvaedsang! Not one person in the song chain group appeared there against their will. The verses and stomping and turns must be taught at school as I saw at least three generations present. I found it mesmerizing and thought it must be good for the body soul and spirit.. not to mention balance and reflexes. Vibratory! I've seen videos of the Lanciers dance, but at least no words there to memorize. For someone who is from a larger country with so much diversity, it is lovely to see these special places that are pockets of unity and pride and preservation.

[Muhler]

Thanks, An Ard Ri.

Yes, there really is a sense of community in this kind of saga-dancing and you really want to join in. - Which is probably the purpose of the whole thing.

[Muhler]

I watched a 30 min TV summary of the visit yesterday - with half an eye.
And it was an unusually cheerful QMII we saw!

And that was also very much the case at the press-meeting, where QMII can sometimes respond in very short shrift if she feels a question is too personal or silly. And apart from a "Good heavens, no" response to the question about her and PH perhaps being de facto divorced, she was laughing her head off during the whole meeting.

Brief summary of article in Billed Bladet #25, 2016.

She thought is was a little odd to visit the islands without her husband, but she didn't feel lonely, nor should anyone feel sorry for her.

She expects M&F to visit the islands before long.

Her mind is still sharp, she had no problems taking in all the impressions. On the contrary, she didn't think the visit was tiring at all.

Apart from the fact she has problems standing still for too long, she didn't find the visit strenuous. And a chair was ready should she need it.

She would very much like to return.

She can read Faeroese, and pronounce it reasonably well, but she can't keep up a conversations. But she was able to sing along to the chorus during the saga-dancing.
There was also a saga-dance on the quarterdeck of Dannebrog. A tradition since 1949.

As you can see in the smaller photos in the scans below.
QMII was presented with a knitted grey shawl.
She posed next to a knitted troll-woman. According to the local legend, the entrance to the troll's lair is located here.
A four year old flowergirl was a bit overwhelmed. She did present QMII with flowers but hurried away before QMII could thank the girl.

See for yourselves here: https://app.box.com/s/4raxn2h8jz2drm4kdf2yz4b1p1q1terp

(I won't write about M&F at Ascot because BB don't know anything. The article is based on the photos).

[iceflower]

The detailed programme for the second part of this year's summer tour has been released today:


On September 5 and 6 Queen Margrethe will visit Odsherred Municipality.

On September 7 she'll be in the Municipality of Favrskov.

And on September 8 and 9 it's Langeland Municipality that will receive a royal guest

You can find links with extra-information about each visit here:


** kongehuset.dk: Program for sommertogt ** translation **

[iceflower]

.

Queen Margrethe on day 1 in Odsherred Municipality today, September 5



** sn.dk gallery ** sn.dk gallery 2 ** sn.dk gallery 3 **


** kongehuset.dk gallery : Sommertogt i Odsherred Kommune **


** tveast.dk: LIVE: Dronningen færdig med plejehjemsbesøg ** tveast.dk gallery **

[polyesco]

She looks fantastic in red. Always enjoys these summer cruises around Denmark

Beautiful picture of the royal ship
https://www.instagram.com/p/BJ95g9sg5M4/

[LibrarianDaisy]

I love the pictures of her drawing with the children watching her. And I really hope she makes the masks with some of her Grandchildren - who wouldn't want to be on a fly on the wall to see that, lol!

Originally Posted by polyesco

Beautiful picture of the royal ship
https://www.instagram.com/p/BJ95g9sg5M4/

It always looks so majestic. She's definitely a grand old lady. (Ships are always female in English - is that the same in Danish?)

[iceflower]

.

First pics of day 2 in Odsherred Municipality:


** sn.dk gallery ** sn.dk gallery 2 ** sn.dk gallery 3 ** tveast.dk gallery **


And yesterday's gallery has been updated:


** kongehuset: Sommertogt i Odsherred Kommune **

[Muhler]

Thanks, Iceflower

A BB video of QMII to a kind of mask-ball. VIDEO: Dronning Margrethe til maskebal | BILLED-BLADET
Or is it a masque-ball?

She's become a lot better with children, it clearly helps having grandchildren.

[iceflower]

You're welcome!

On day 3 today, September 7, Queen Margrethe arrived in the Municipality of Favrskov, wearing another outfit in eye-catching red



** favrskov.lokalavisen.dk gallery **

[LibrarianDaisy]

I keep forgetting to thank you Iceflower for posting the pictures, sorry. They have really cheered up my lunch breaks these last few days (and public librarians over here in the UK need all the cheering up we can get these days)

[iceflower]

You are most welcome, LibrarianDaisy!

And here are some more colourful pics from today to cheer you and all other Margrethe-fans up



** kongehuset.dk: Sommertogt i Favrskov Kommune **


** stiften.dk: Se billederne: Dronning Margrethe i Favrskov **