Hello guys,
Nearly every person I meet acknowledges that I am in love with Scandinavia. Every single part of it. Its culture. Its food. Its music. Its folks, too.
So, as I was listening to Týr’s lovely song, Turið Torkilsdóttir, I wondered about it. I knew that Turið was somehow Scandinavian, and must be a hero or something, but who knows!
Let’s take a look at what Wikipedia says about Turið:
Þurið Þorkilsdóttir (Faroese Turið Torkilsdóttir, Icelandic Þuríður, Danish Turid, sometimes anglicized as Thurid, born ca. 960 in Ulfdal in Dovrefjell, Norway, died ca. 1047 in Skúvoy, Faroe Islands) was the first woman about whom we have knowledge in Faroese history. In the Viking Age in the Faroe Islands, she was the islands’ most influential woman. After her husband’s death in 1005, she was generally called Þurið Megineinkja, “chieftain’s widow”.
Þurið was the daughter of Ragnhild Þoralfsdóttir and Þorkil Barfrost. Around 986, she married Sigmundur Brestisson, on his third visit to Norway. According to the Færeyinga Saga, the wedding took place at Håkon Jarl’s farm near Trondheim and lasted for seven days. She had already borne him a daughter, Þóra. That autumn, the couple and their daughter moved to the Faroes, where Þurið lived out the rest of her life.
Þurið and Sigmundur later had four sons, Þórálfr, Steingrímr, Brandr and Heri Sigmundsson, who all lived on the farm in Skúvoy.
The island of Skúvoy where Turið died, as seen from Sandoy in Faroe Islands. Image courtesy of Wikipedia.
She is said to be influential and powerful. And her husband is the man who brought Christianity to Faroe Islands at the decree of Olaf Tryggvason who was one of the most scary and powerful kings of Norway. Sigmundur also broke in to house of Tróndur í Gøtu who is a national hero of Faroes, as declared in Færeyinga Saga. I guess Sigmundur was not an enemy or something, but he was scared from the strong Olaf, and forced folks to accept Christianity.
So, the awesome band Týr made a song for the honor of her. Here is the song:
http://youtu.be/Q3b419s8InI
And here we have the lyrics for the song;
Vatnið rennur av høgum fjøllum
og eftir hvøssum gróti
So ilt er at leggja ást við hann
ið onga leggur ímóti
Dagurin líður, náttin kemur
dimmir á jørð so fríða
Í morgin saðlum hestar dyst at ríða.
“Tað er so vánt í tínum landi
tí har er veður og vindur
Nògv betri er í Noregs fjøllum
tú ástir við meg bindur.”
Fylgdi hon honum so langt á leið
til gøtur tóku at skilja
“Tað, ið eg vendi aftur frá tar
tað er ei við mín vilja.”
Turið situr í Noregs fjøllum
hon vekir harm og pínu
So møðig fellur hon blóðig tár
á báðar armar sínar
Dagurin líður, náttin kemur
dimmir á jørð so fríða
Í morgin saðlum hestar dyst at ríða.
Fellows! I know you’re wondering the translation. Here we go;
The water runs of high mountains
And along sharp rocks
So painfull it is to love him
Who doesn’t love you back
The days goes by, the night comes
Darkness falls on fair ground
Tomorrow let us saddle the horses for a race
“Your land is so unpleasant
For there is bad weather and wind.
Much better it is in the mountains of Norway
To stay here in love with me.”
She followed him so far on his way
Until paths went separate ways.
“When I turn away from you now
It is against my will.”
Turið sits in the mountains of Norway
She invokes harm and pain
So mournfull she fells bloody tears
Down both her arms
The days goes by, the night comes
Darkness falls on fair ground
Tomorrow let us saddle the horses for a race
Don’t murmur for the lyrics, I am unfortunately not able to translate them, so I obtained the lyrics from Dark Lyrics, those fellows working very well.
