‘Kvæði í Føroyskari Samtíð’ Exploring Ballads as Popular Culture and Heritage in Contemporary Faroese Culture Annika Christensen Submitted in accordance with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy The University of Leeds School of Fine Art, History of Art and Cultural Studies August 2020 The candidate confirms that the work submitted is her own and that appropriate credit has been given where reference has been made to the work of others. This copy has been supplied on the understanding that it is copyright material and that no quotation from the thesis may be published without proper acknowledgement. © 2020 The University of Leeds and Annika Christensen The right of Annika Christensen to be identified as Author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. This PhD was funded in part by Emerald Publishing, Bingley, and the Faroese Research Council. Acknowledgements I would like to start by thanking my supervisors, Dr Claudia Sternberg and Professor Catherine Karkow for their unflinching support throughout the years. You have allowed me to find my own path but have not hesitated to reel me in when venturing too far down the rabbit hole. I would not have made it to the end without the generous support of my family and friends in the Faroe Islands that, although they are far away, have been present every step of this long, hard (but rewarding) journey. I owe all my stubbornness, tenacity and love for books to my parents, Gunnleyg and Hans Jørgen. My thanks go out to the people that have helped me out with information gathering: The (patient) people at The Faroese National Library, Peter Andersen from the University of Strasbourg, Tina Jacobsen from The Faroese University, the people at University of Leeds libraries and people at the Faroese National Archives. A special thanks to my interviewees: Sonja Johannesen (who I am also lucky to call a friend), Birita L. Jóansdóttir, Marjun Berg, Kathrina Hansen, Erlendur Simonsen, Anna Louisa Joensen, Jónleif Johannesen, Sharon Weiss, Heri Joensen from Týr, Armgarð Weihe and Alda Joensen from the Faroese Ministry of Culture and Education, and finally all those who chose to not have their name disclosed. Thank you all for sharing your time and knowledge with me. I also want to thank my fellow PGRs and friends, Marlo, Bing, Jan and Fiona; my buddies Emily, Tini, Karina and Ida/Søster Grimm; my OE peeps Catalin, Gesner and Emma, who have all provided feedback, snacks and support when needed. Saving the best for last, my unconditional love goes to my partner and best friend Richard, who came into my life as I was starting this PhD. From the start you have supported me, read my (sometimes long and awful) writing, provided comfort and pushed me in the right direction when I was ready to give up. You (are my) rock. Abstract Faroese ballads are some of the oldest and most prominent features of a specifically Faroese cultural heritage and history. Before the development of Faroese orthography in the 19th century, these ballads and folktales were communicated orally only. The preservation and dissemination ballads have evolved from relying solely on the participation of singers and storytellers to being easily employed in contemporary cultural activities Since the early 2000s, there has been a reinvigoration of the ballads in Faroese culture. The areas which this has been most prominent is in the Faroese heritage and tourism industry, education and music. Although there has been research on the ballads and as part of Faroese oral culture and on their linguistic significance, there has been relatively little research done on their implementation in contemporary Faroese culture. As a focal point, this thesis investigates how the ballads have been repurposed in contemporary Faroese popular culture and what this means in terms of establishing and reaffirming this particular strand of Faroese cultural heritage. By combining the ballad material with qualitative research methods and interviews, the thesis draws together historical literature with the experiences and views presented by the people and institutions who today actively engage with ballads, with a focus on Faroese education and music. This thesis explores to what extent the ballads are still present within Faroese culture and how people are engaging with them in contemporary cultural practices. The thesis concludes that if the ballads are to continue to be a dynamic part of Faroese lived experience, it is crucial that a continuous engagement with the ballads has to be supported by different means. This includes funding, research, and allowing the ballads to be repurposed and reimagined in Faroese culture. 1 Table of Contents Acknowledgements ..................................................................................................................................... 0 Abstract....................................................................................................................................................... 1 Introduction: Continuation and Adaptation of Ballads in Contemporary Faroese Culture ............................... 5 Creating the Faroese: Political and cultural relationships ....................................................................... 7 1. Ballads in Contemporary Faroese Culture: Background and Literature Review ......................................... 12 1.1Ballad types and categories ............................................................................................................. 14 1.1.1 Ballad categories ..................................................................................................................... 16 1.1.2 Faroese ring-dance ................................................................................................................. 19 1.2 Literature review ............................................................................................................................ 21 1.2.1 Writing down the ballads: 19th-century Romanticism and early development of Faroese ballad-culture ....................................................................................................................................... 21 1.2.2 Preserving the ballads, preserving traditions ......................................................................... 30 1.2.3 Ballads across the spectrum of contemporary cultural Expression ........................................ 34 1.2.4 Existing research and identifying gaps .................................................................................... 38 1.3 Filling in the gaps: Ballads, popular culture and new directions ..................................................... 44 1.3.1 Structure and approach .......................................................................................................... 50 1.4 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................................... 57 2. Intangible Heritage, Institutional Heritage: Political and Cultural Institutions ........................................... 59 2.1 Defining the difference between intangible and tangible ............................................................... 60 2.2 UNESCO and its influence on the Faroese ballads .......................................................................... 62 2.3 Institutional influence and autonomy: Navigating and negotiating the institutional parameters for Faroese ballad culture. ......................................................................................................................... 69 2.4 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................................... 71 3. ‘At finna stevið’: Ballads in Primary and Secondary Education.................................................................. 72 3.1 Ballads in Faroese schools: Two visits, Frískúlin and Hoyvíkar Skúli ................................................ 73 3.1.1 Frískúlin ................................................................................................................................... 74 3.1.2 Hoyvíkar skúli .......................................................................................................................... 78 3.2 Providing inclusive spaces for ballad learning ................................................................................. 80 3.3 Teaching of ballads and Faroese cultural developments ................................................................ 83 3.4 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................................... 86 4. Faroese Ballads and Ring-dancing Societies ............................................................................................. 88 2 4.1 Organisation of the Faroese dancing societies ............................................................................... 89 4.2 ‘At fáa orið undir fótin’: Learning a ballad and performing the story.............................................. 90 4.3 ‘Dansurin er fyri øll’: The importance of creating community ........................................................ 92 4.4 Ikki bara gráir skallar dansa: Getting children and young people involved ..................................... 95 4.5 Keeping the ring-dance alive: Issues with preservation and staged performances ........................ 97 4.6