The Swedes like all nations have a national anthem to represent their country in matters of importance whether it is the Olympics or another important event that they are a part of or hosting. You will find the Sweden National Anthem goes by many names and was written in 1844 by Richard Dybeck. It is a traditional style of music offering uplifting words to the people, and quite a bit of pride. The Song of the North or Sang Till Norden is just one of the names the song goes by. The other title is Du Gamla, Du Fria, which means Thou Ancient, Thou Beautiful. The writer of the song chose to use a musical melody from the Swedish folk music that was predominant in their history. You will find his words were used from the folk era as well and are considered to be from the Vastmanland province.
You will find that the original anthem was rather short, but very purposeful in melody and in meaning. In later years Louse Ahlen added more versus to the song, but these versus have not survived to be the official national anthem of Sweden. In fact those versus are rarely sung today.
You will find the need for the song was related to a time when there was a lot of turmoil in the Scandinavian countries and they need to have not only a song of Sweden, but a song of the North to rally all of Scandinavia. It was in the latter part of the 19th century that offers the national anthem to Sweden alone. In fact it was to differ from the Royal anthem and separate the countries. It was not until the 1930's that an attempt was made by the Parliament that there were claims wishing for control of patriotism regarding the opposition.
The literal translation of the music is as follows:
Thou ancient, thou freeborn, thou mountainous North,
In beauty and peace our hearts beguiling,
I greet thee, thou loveliest land on the earth,
Thy sun, thy skies, thy verdant meadows smiling.
Thy sun, thy skies, thy verdant meadows smiling.
Thy throne rests on mem'ries from great days of yore,
When world wide renown was valour's guerdon.
I know to thy name thou art true as before.
Oh, I would live and I would die in Sweden,
Oh, I would live and I would die in Sweden.
This national anthem of Sweden differs from the King's Song that was written around the same time that only offers homage to the Swedish King. You will find that both anthems are still used today and that the National Anthem of Sweden offers much in the way of history as well as pride in their country. Though it is a short anthem it does have much meaning to those who live in the northern country. The King's Song or the Royal anthem is most typically sung when the King holds court or when he has just arrived. Each song is very important and should be recognized.
Sweden History Tip #1
Always remember to carry a map of Sweden when you visit, mark on it the whereabouts of your hotel and the full address and keep it with you when you travel. Mark down landmarks near the hotel if you plan to walk so that you can easily spot the direction of your residency for the time of your stay. |
Sweden History Tip #2
If you plan to travel to Northern Sweden to experience the Northern Lights and the Ice Hotel, pack accordingly and remember warm clothing, especially in winter months. Thermal underwear is highly recommended on top of hats, scarves and a couple of pairs of gloves – there's nothing worse than packing just one pair and losing one glove! |
Sweden History Tip #3
Gothenburg Sweden is just one of many things to see in Sweden. A good idea is to plan your trip in advance so that you can get to see the best of the best. The place is full of history, glorious scenery, architecture and quaint little buildings. |
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