nineveh_uk: Illustration that looks like Harriet Vane (Harriet)
Some years ago, in a minibus on the Gudbrandsdal, I spotted a memorial to what appeared to be some random Scottish solders. And later I looked it up and it turned out to be the Battle of Kringen in which some Norwegian farmers attacked, captured, and subsequently slaughtered 300 Scottish mercenaries en route to Sweden. This did not cause a diplomatic incident on account of King James VI/I being unimpressed that they were there at all, on account of how he was supposed to be allied to Sweden's enemy, Denmark. The National Archives have more of that.

Anyway, I looked it up again the other day as I am heading to that part of the world again in March and discovered there was a ballad, and coincidentally it got mentioned on fail_fandomanon and I thought I should listen, and I did and it is brilliant.

(1) In a dialect called Gøtedansk, AKA Faroese Danish with the consonants reinserted and thus more comprehensible.



(2) The metal version. Actually less metal than the previous one. This band are also Faroese. Clearly the Faroes like their ballads of slaughter, I can't complain.



There is also the community hall version - impressive knowledge of the lyrics, and the usual unimpressed teenagers. Or with female voice in Norwegian this time. Oh wait! Female voice with jazz accompaniment. Like you do.

Lyrics in Norwegian and English here and more modern here.

TL:DR Never go up against a bunch of Norwegian peasant farmers when death is on the line!

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nineveh_uk: Illustration that looks like Harriet Vane (Default)
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