The twelve days of
Christmas - FR 262-63 - Date: 31.10.1994
The
special medieval chain dance, sung without the accompaniment of instruments, is
still preserved in the Faroes. Special customs and ceremonies relating to the
Faroese chain dance do not vary much from one village to another. The dancing
period extends from Christmas until the inception of the Fast. Outside the
dancing season people may perform dances at special festive occasions, i.e. at
weddings.
Dancing was, however, strictly forbidden during the Fast and it was not
permitted to dance on the day before Ash Wednesday. During the last evening of
the dance period children were allowed to dance alongside adults even if it was
very late in the evening. After midnight a special ceremony of 'counting the
days of Christmas' began, at which the men danced bareheaded.
The chain dance is still performed and the accompanying ballads are sung with
great force and enthusiasm. Young and old are in great spirits for now the end
to the period of dance and celebration is drawing nigh and the serious business
of keeping the Fast is at hand.
On this lst evening of dancing some short rhymes are sung to accompany the
dance. This is the custom of 'counting the days of Christmas', i.e. enumerating
the Christmas days of which there were twenty. The most important jingle is
that of St. Martin. The lead singer starts with relating the gifts of the first
evening, then the second, third etc.. until he reaches the 20th. Each evening
the gifts of the preceding days are counted as well. Usually there were also
some smaller jingles, numbering twelve in all and mostly in Danish, among them
'Stand up St. Simon', 'Please lend an ear', 'Let's laugh for a while', and
others. St. Martin was born in Hungary in 316. As a young man he once met a
naked beggar. He was only wearing his military coat and he promptly divided it
into two with his sword, giving the beggar the other half. When he was late
declared a saint, his relics were preserved in a special church room named
'capella' a Latin term referring to St. Martin's coat of which there were many.
St. Martin became known for his many miracles and the purity of his ascetic
life. It was said that he hid in a gooseshed to avoid being named a bishop. But
the geese were not easily silenced - Martin was found and appointed bishop of
Tours. He died there and was buried on Nov. 11th 397. Martin de Tours, as he
was also called, became the first great Gallic saint. He was also held in high
esteem in Northern Europe. Memories of him abound as evidenced by a special St.
Martin's day in the Nordic calendar. Since he had been exposed by geese, this
was a day on which they must be slaughtered. St. Martin was the patron saint of
domestic animals, growth and vegetation. On St. Martin's day a goose or something
from the year's harvest must be offered to him - a long-abandoned practice in
Scandinavia. However, not so long ago goose-eggs were preserved in seed until
they were brought to the geese for hatching. This custom may have been related
tot he worship of this popular saint.