Faroese chain dance

The "skipari" is the one who sings and must know all the verses, while the people who are dancing with him in the circle join in at the chorus.

The following description is by V. U. Hammershaimb, Færøsk Anthologi, 1891: The storyline of the ballad is attended by everybody with great interest, and if something especially pleasant or moving occurs, it can be seen in the look and movement of the dancers – when the rage of the battle is described, the hands are clenched together, and when victory is in hand, the dancers make cheering movements.

The tunes of the ballads are in sixth bars and accompanied by a rhythmical, monotonous stamping of the feet.

The dancers stand in two rows, two to four feet apart – men on one side, women on the other, holding a ribbon between each couple.

In Svabo's fifth travel book in the Royal Library, he has described several of these dance games, which were played at gatherings indoors as well as outdoors.

It is an old tradition, that people don't dance during Lent, it is believed to date back to Catholic Medieval Ages.

Normally people don't feel like dancing inside during the light summer nights.

The Faroese chain dance traditionally belongs to the dark winter nights.