- Stev
Stev is one of the
poetic forms that can be found inlyric poetry fromScandinavia . The English version of the word isstave , meaning the stressed syllable in a metric verse.The different types of stev
Among the various types of stev:
*gamlestev ("old stave") is the oldest type. It is likely that gamlestev were originally danced. [Dagne Groven Myhren ,"Stev" S.V.,Cappelens Musikkleksikon 1981, Cappelen, 1981, Column no.3(paragraph no.4)] Stanzas in gamlestev meter,were already established around the end of the 1200's.http://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stev]Of the gamlestev that have been preserved, most of them are from
Setesdal andøvre 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
remnant s of folk songs that have been split up, and thereby losing completeness.*
nystev (new stave) have probably been around since about year 1700. InTelemark , nystev have been replaced byrural folksong s , to a great extent.By contrast, nystev inSetesdal have 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 (refrain inballads ) , includesinnstev ,etterstev ,mellomsleng andettersleng .*
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 (imitating staves) are often referred to as parody-quote stev. These containapologetic proverb s (also known as Wellerisms).The people who can perform stev
A person who can perform a stev, is known as a
kveder (or "kvedar"), in Norwegian (a folk-singer).A kveder from Setesdal, when performing stev, generally sings more slowly, than a kveder from Telemark. Dagne Groven Myhren, "Stev" S.V.,Cappelens Musikkleksikon 1981, Cappelen, 1981, Column no.5] One reason for this, may be that Setesdal stev are often more meditative ( or
elegiac ), in regard to the stev text.The Meters of Stev
Stev consists of
stanza s, that have four lines.References
Notes
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