Stev

For the taxonomic abbreviation, Stev., seeChristian von Steven.

Stevis a form ofNorwegianfolk songconsisting of four linelyricstanzas.TheEnglishversion of the word isstave,meaning the stressed syllable in a metric verse.

Various types

There are various types ofstev:

Gamlestev

• gamlestev(old stave) is the oldest type. It is likely that gamlestev were originally danced.Stanzas in gamlestev meter,were already established around the end of the 13th century.

Of the gamlestev that have been preserved, most of them are fromSetesdalandøvre Telemark.This poetic form is equivalent to the metre of themedieval 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) have probably been around since about the year 1700."It is the Norwegian counterpart toblues from America",wroteGeirr Lystrup(in 1980).

InTelemark,nystev have been replaced byruralfolksongs,to a great extent. By contrast, nystev inSetesdalhave 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 inballads), includesinnstev,etterstev,mellomslengandettersleng.

Slåttestev

• slåttestev(tune-staves) are instrumental dancetune songs. This is dancetunes with a short text. Sometimes the staves grows to longer songs. InIreland,an equivalent would beThe 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 containWellerisms.

Origin

Some researchers have presented theories aboutstev"relating to language and poetry rather than to slowed-down dance":Ivar Mortensson-Egnund(in 1914),Idar Handagard(in 1942),O.M. Sandvik,Eivind Groven(1971),Jon Storm-Mathisen(2002 and 2007) andJacqueline Pattison Ekgren(1975 and 2007).( "Handagard points out that much Norwegianfolk poetry,includingstev,has strong elements ofalliterative rhymeand rhythm which he claims shows an unbroken tradition from Old Norsefolk poetry.Storm-Mathisen demonstrates in his writing and audio recordings of stanzas from Old Norse eddicHavamalsung-recited togamlestevandballadmelodies that there are good arguments for the theory of an unbroken tradition and non-dance origin ofstev.")

"Theories in the last century connectingnystevwith dance "have been presented byErik Eggen(in 1928 and 1939),Hallvard Lie(1967),Otto Holzapfel(1993),Ånon Egeland(1998) andReimund Kvideland(2002).These theories were startedbyRichard Steffen's claim in 1898 that "nystevwere originally dance songs, even though he had never seen them danced. "

Performers

A person who can perform a stev, is known as akveder(or "kvedar" ), in Norwegian.

Previously "A good kvedar [really had to know] knew how tostevja",wroteGeirr Lystrup(in 1980).( "Tostevjastis a social form of songkamp[ "song" + "battle" ], where the object is to know many stev so one will not beat loss(or become perplexed). "

A kveder from Setesdal, when performing stev, generally sings more slowly, than a kveder from Telemark.One reason for this, may be that Setesdal stev are often more meditative ( orelegiac), in regard to the stev text.

Notable performances

In 1945,Aslak Brekke's performance at "liberation of Norway" concertthat was held 1945, in the ceremonial hall (the "Aula" ) at theUniversity of Oslo. In 1983, a member of Norway's national team of football,Åge Hareide,was honored with astev(performed by another member of the team,Svein Mathisen) related to Hareides receipt of theNorwegian Football Association Gold Watch(Norwegian:Gullklokka— signifying 25 matches played for Norway's national team).The stev was performed at 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.(The watch was received before the match.)

Further reading

• "Old words to old tunes - Old NorseHavamalto Norwegian stev and ballad tunes "in" Folkemusikkinnsamling - Skrift nr.16 - 2002 "(ISSN0800-3734), p. 109; author:Jon Storm-Mathisen,publisher:Norsk Folkemusikklag