Snapsvisa
Encyclopedia
A snapsvisa is a traditional Scandinavia
n drinking song
which is often sung before drinking a small shot of spirit
that is called a snaps
.
A typical snapsvisa is a short, vigorous song; its lyrics usually tell of the delicacy and glory of the drink, or of the singer’s craving for snaps
. Snapsvisor are short, bright, and easy to learn.
Snapsvisor are an important part of traditional and family festivities in Sweden
, Norway
, Denmark
, and among Swedish-speaking Finns. The singing of these drinking songs is also a lively part of Scandinavian student culture. They are also widespread among monolingually Finnish students in Finland
, although they are rarely met with elsewhere in Finnish drinking culture
.
The history of singing snapsvisor during parties is quite old. Carl Michael Bellman
, a Swedish poet, published a collection of them in 1790; this was the Epistles of Fredman
(Fredmans epistlar) which included 82 songs. In 1791 he published another collection, Songs of Fredman
(Fredmans sånger), containing 65 songs.
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
n drinking song
Drinking song
A drinking song is a song sung while drinking alcohol. Most drinking songs are folk songs, and may be varied from person to person and region to region, in both the lyrics and in the music...
which is often sung before drinking a small shot of spirit
Distilled beverage
A distilled beverage, liquor, or spirit is an alcoholic beverage containing ethanol that is produced by distilling ethanol produced by means of fermenting grain, fruit, or vegetables...
that is called a snaps
Snaps
Snaps is a Danish and Swedish word for a small shot of a strong alcoholic beverage taken during the course of a meal. A ritual that is associated with drinking snaps is a tradition in Scandinavia, especially in Denmark and Sweden, where it is very common to drink snaps at holidays such as...
.
A typical snapsvisa is a short, vigorous song; its lyrics usually tell of the delicacy and glory of the drink, or of the singer’s craving for snaps
Snaps
Snaps is a Danish and Swedish word for a small shot of a strong alcoholic beverage taken during the course of a meal. A ritual that is associated with drinking snaps is a tradition in Scandinavia, especially in Denmark and Sweden, where it is very common to drink snaps at holidays such as...
. Snapsvisor are short, bright, and easy to learn.
Snapsvisor are an important part of traditional and family festivities in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, and among Swedish-speaking Finns. The singing of these drinking songs is also a lively part of Scandinavian student culture. They are also widespread among monolingually Finnish students in Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, although they are rarely met with elsewhere in Finnish drinking culture
Drinking culture
Drinking culture refers to the customs and practices associated with the consumption of alcoholic beverages. Although alcoholic beverages and social attitudes toward drinking vary around the world, nearly every civilization has independently discovered the processes of brewing beer, fermenting...
.
The history of singing snapsvisor during parties is quite old. Carl Michael Bellman
Carl Michael Bellman
was a Swedish poet and composer. Bellman is a central figure in the Swedish song tradition and remains a very important influence in Swedish music, as well as in Scandinavian literature in general, to this day....
, a Swedish poet, published a collection of them in 1790; this was the Epistles of Fredman
Epistles of Fredman
Epistles of Fredman is a collection of poems and songs by 18th century author Carl Michael Bellman. It contains 82 works created over a period of twenty years. Many of the songs have remained culturally significant in Scandinavia, especially so in Sweden...
(Fredmans epistlar) which included 82 songs. In 1791 he published another collection, Songs of Fredman
Songs of Fredman
Songs of Fredman is a collection of 65 poems and songs published in 1791 by the Swedish poet Carl Michael Bellman.As a follow-up of Epistles of Fredman from the previous year, the book contains songs from a longer period...
(Fredmans sånger), containing 65 songs.