Btw traditional cowherding (kulokk) is still used in Norway. It is a very efficient way of gathering the cows that have been out all summer in the wild, and are "all over the place". Done properly and in the right environment the kulokk reaches far, and sounds as out of this world, mystical and beautiful; no wonder the cows are hypnotised by it, and follow the herder back home.
I heard it's still used in Sweden as well, but it's not that common as back in the days. Such a pretty way to call in the animals. 100% love, never let it die!
This is literally my favorite entry for Eurovision since I've been watching (1990). What a phenomenal song ! Goosebumps every single time... It makes me feel alive !
Really great reaction! I had the exact same experience at the end of just sitting back and saying "wow"! This was my number 1 when it came out and it's still my number 1 now. It's everything I love about Eurovision. Ethnic vibe, in their own language, powerful vocals, entertaining stage show. I have a soft spot for rock in Eurovision too so this ticks every box for me!
Kulning in Norwegian is lokking or kulokk. At the very beginning you can hear an old recording of the "lokk" that is the inspiration for the chorus. Yes, it was a nøkkelharpe. Gåte is a fantastic band. The song "Svarteboka" is also an experience.
You do the same thing as me. I also always wait until the last song gets released. I actually then do a blind listen to all songs once. When i did it, Norway was my 2nd favourite. I then watch all MV's/Performance's, and after i did it, Norway became my favourite. I just love it so much. 12 points from Portugal.
@@ailino86 yeah, its just the right way to do it. I like to give all countries a fair chance. I dont want to get attached to one song so soon, and then never give a chance to later songs. It also allows me to never get bored of a song cuz I only first listen to them in March
The instrument at the beginning was indeed in nyckelharpa (keyed fiddle in English). Since you enjoyed this song, I also recommend to check out the original version of "Ulveham" which was released last year and is nearly twice as long (you find it as an audio-clip on youtube). Gåte are a Folk Rock band and if you like their style, I highly recommend to check out the live and official music videoclips you find on their official youtube-channel, especially the live-clips of "Knut liten" and "Rideboll og Gullborg" as well as the clips of "Hemnarsverdet", "Kjærleik" (both are acoustic songs) and "Skarvane" (which sounds very electronic). Gåte already started in 1999, when their singer was just 14 years old, but there has been a longer hiatus in their career. At the end of 2005, their singer decided she wanted to become an actress and except for a few concerts in 2009/2010, it wasn't before 2017 that Gåte reunited. Last year, a few weeks before their Norwegian tour, the vocalist's brother and co-founding member Sveinung decided to quit the band. He was replaced by John Stenersen, the guy who played the nyckelharpa in this clip. One of Gåte's influences is the Swedish Folk Rock band Garmarna. Fun fact: the lyrics of Garmarna's song "Vedergällningen" (released in 1999) tell the same story as the Norwegian medieval ballad "Møy i ulveham", which Gåte's song is based on. The main difference is that in Swedish version which Garmarna's song is based on, the main character who is turned into a wolf by the evil stepmother is a boy, whereas in the Norwegian version, it is a girl. Since you are Swedish, on a very rare demo EP which Gåte recorded at the beginning of their career, they also included a rendition of the Swedish lullaby "Byssan lull" and on their debut album "Jygri" (2003), you find "Bruremarsj frå Jämtland". Gåte's vocalist Gunnhild does indeed use herding calls in some songs. BTW, are you familiar with the Finnish-Swedich Folk Rock band Gjallarhorn? There's a live videoclip titled "Cow Calling" on their official youtube-channel giving a perfect impression of kulning/kulokk. And since I've already mentioned Garmarna, "Vallåt från Hälsingland" from their debut-EP also comes to my mind.
@@ailino86 You're welcome! :) I think Gjallarhorn aren't active anymore. Their last album "Rimfaxe" came out in 2006. What made them special was the fact that they also used a didgeridoo in their music. Are you familiar with the Swedish bands Hedningarna (they had two Finnish vocalists on three of their albums, out of which I think "Trä" is their best) and Två Fisk och en Fläsk? By the way, the guy who now plays keyed fiddle in Gåte (he also plays hurdy-gurdy) is also the band leader of the female-fronted Norwegian Folk Rock/Metal band Bergtatt. I think that people who like Gåte might like them as well. If you are interested, I'd recommend their songs "Huldra" (Gåte also have a song with this title, but it's not the same song) and "Gudmund og Signelita" (a beautiful ballad), both featuring their current vocalist.
The original folk ballad exists in 10 versions in Norwegian, Swedish and Danish. Here is the one perhaps most close to the Gåte performance. This version is a combination of two ballads "Møya i ulveham" (The maiden in wolf hide) and "Møya i linden" (The maiden in the linden) which in several versions has been intertwined in different ways. The origin may go back to translated Welsh/Irish texts fron the later half of the 12th century translated to old Norse in the early 13th century. The first written version existing is in Danish from before 1583. These old ballads are meant for dancing, so there are a lot of verses + a chorus sung by all the dancers. Gåte makes use of a different chorus than written here. Oppskrift 1857 av Sophus Bugge etter Elen Rolleivstad, Fyresdal, Telemark Written down (in dialect)1857 by Sophus Bugge from Elen Rolleivstad, Fyresdal, Telemark Eg va' meg så liti ei møy mi moder ho monne på barseng døy. -Imot den blie somår I was so small a maiden my mother she should in birth-bed die - Towards the mild summer Eg va' ikkje håt åtte år då eg fekk meg en sjukmoder i går. I was not yet eight years when I got a stepmother in the house Så skapte ho meg i en gangari grå så sendte ho meg av ti kongens går. Then she made me into a grey horse Then she sent me off to the king’s estate De totte mi skjukmor vere vest at adde dei gjillaste sill' ake mæ meg mest That my stepmother thought was the worst that all the finest should ride with me the most Så skapte ho meg i eit liti svær eg sille fare i mannefær. Then she made me into a small sword I should travel on the ways of men [= to war] De totte mi skjukmor vere vest at adde dei gjillaste sille bera meg mest That my stepmother thought was the worst that all the finest should carry me the most Så skapte ho meg i ei liti nål så sendte ho meg av ti skræddarens går. Then she made me into a small needle Then she sent me off to the tailor’s estate De totte mi skjukmor vere vest at adde dei gjillaste sill' saume mæ meg mest That my stepmother thought was the worst that all the finest should sew with me the most Så skapte ho meg i ein liten kniv ho sa' eg sill' taka av manneliv Then she made me into a small knife She said I should take men’s lives De totte mi skjukmor vere vest at adde dei gjillaste sill' tægje mæ meg mest That my stepmother thought was the worst that all the finest should take with me the most Så skapte ho meg i ein ulve grå ho sa' at eg sille på skogjen gå. Then she made me into a grey wolf She said I should roam in the forest Ho sa at eg sill' ikkje få bot før eg fekk drukkji min broders blod She said I should not be restored before I got drinking my brother’s blood Min skjukmoder var så gammel en kvinde men herre Gud lod hende mæ båni binde My stepmother was such an old woman but the lord God let her be bound with children Mi skjukmoder va' heimi i åtte år ho tore 'kje ti kyrkja for ulven grå My stepmother stayed home for eight years She dared not to the church for the grey wolf Dæ niende tok ti kyrkja gå nie møyar så va dei då. The ninth startet going to the church Nine maidens were there then Nie møyar dei rei i ring mi skjukmor ho rei innar i kring Nine maidens rode in a ring my stepmother she rode within the circle Så tok eg hennar i kåpa blå så rykte eg hennar av gangaren grå Then I grabbed her in the blue coat Then I jerked her off the grey horse Så tok eg hennar i silkjeskaut så rykte eg hennar av veg braut Then i grabbed her in the silk headscarf Then I jerked her off the track of the road Så reiv eg ut hennes vistri sie så hennes blod de sprang så vie Then I tore out her left side so that her blood ran so widely Så reiv eg ut hennes hjarterot så fekk eg drukkji min broders blod Then I tore out her heart's root then I got drinking min brother’s blood Då eg ha' drukkji min broders blod då bleiv eg atte ei jomfru så go When I had drunk my brother’s blood then I became again a maiden so good Då eg va' ei jomfru så go då gjekk eg inn for min fader å sto When I was maiden so good then I went in standing in front of my father Då eg gjekk inn for min fader å sto så skapte han meg i ei lind så go. When I went in standing in front of my father He made me into a linden so good Fyst andre lindar dei feller bla allstøtt ska' du stande like klar First other lindens they shed leaves All the time you shall stay just as ready Når andre lindar dei feller løv allstøtt ska' du stande like grøn When other lindens shed leaves All the time you shall stay just as green Her sit du mi syster å skor din fot eg stende uti mæ frosi rot. Here you sit, my sister, putting shoes on your foot I stand outside with frozen root Her sit du mi syster å klær din kropp eg stende uti mæ frosen topp. Here you sit, my sister, dressing your body I stand outside with frozen top I kvell så kjeme der belar ti deg imorgo kjem hoggaren høgg av meg Tonight there is coming a suitor for you Tomorrow comes the lumberjack cutting me down Dei høgge av meg dei kyrkjesvalir eg høyrer så mange dei løyndetali They make of me the church swales I will hear so many secret speeches Dei høgge av meg ein kyrkjekamm eg skjuler så mang ein synduge mann They make of me a church chamber [perhaps a confessional] I will hide so many sinful men
Luckily, "dokumentasjonsprosjektet" about Norwegian medieval ballads and their variants which once was done by the UIO (University of Oslo) is still to be found online. (I once bookmarked it.) Did you also get the original lyrics from there - BTW, thanks for the translation (dialects can sometimes be quite difficult for non-native speakers like me - I'm German) - or did you have another source?
@@MissLoonasSpeech The lyrics given here are from "dokumentasjonsdprosjektet" by UiO. But there are several versions on the website "bokselskap" by UiA (University of Agder). And my background source is an article by Bente Velle Hellang called "«No talar ’en mannemál!» Forandring og identitet i omskapingsballader". YT won't allow me to give you the links, but you will surely find them by googling.
Good reaction. I appreciate you played the whole song instead of pausing it every twenty second to make a comment. Thanks! Are you Swedish or Finnish, if i may ask?
great reaction, thank you.I used "kulokk/kulning" on a herd of sheeps...they came running like crazy to me...Then I tride to do it on cows, they mooed and run away in fear 😀haha Btw, this song get better and better each time I listen to it.
Thanks for this great reaction👍 Yes it’s a ‘nyckelharpa’, and the chorus is inspired by an old Norwegian ’kulning’ which is used in the intro😊 And in Norway we still use ‘kulning’ (kulokk), I use it (I’m not that good though lol) English lyrics: [Sample: Vocalization; Marit Jensen Lillebuen] [Verse 1] I was such a beautiful maiden My stepmother evil, my mother she died She turned me into a sword and a needle And sent me to the king's estate And the anger my stepmother felt the most That all the stately liked me best [Chorus: Vocalization] [Verse 2] Then she gave me skin like a grey wolf She cursed me to walk the forest alone And never will I bе whole and good Before I drink my brothеrs' blood [Chorus: Vocalization] [Outro: Vocalization, Storm] I then tore out her heart So her blood flowed free Then I got to drink my brothers' blood”
Nice reaction! I think it's cool that you as a fellow Nordic recognized the traditional elements there. I am definitely feeling this a lot and will support Gåte as much as I can 🖤
Last year - yeah! I didn't get all the hate. This year? Meh. (Though I should of course be applauding them for choosing Norwegians to represent themselves... but still - meh).
If I'm not mistaken, I think Gunnhild was schooled in 'kulning' as a kid (or 'kulokk' as we say), and probably also 'kveding' (which is the singing style of the old ballads). Then as a young adult, along with the band, morphed all that into something contemporary. Perhaps a bold claim, but I think they've almost single-handedly reconnected two generations to these old and otherwise lost songs ;)
