Ólavsøka
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Ólavsøka
Ólavsøka is the biggest summer festival in the Faroe Islands, and by most Faroese considered as the national holiday of the Faroes along with Flag Day on 25 April. Ólavsøka is celebrated over two days, from the 28th to the 29th of July, the second of which is the day when the Faroese Parliament (''Løgting'') opens its session. Ólavsøka is a cultural and sports festival with boat races, football matches and other events. The 28 July, which is the day where the finals of the rowing competitions take place, is half working day for the members of some of the labour unions while Saint Olaf's Day (''Ólavsøkudagur'') on 29 July is full holiday for members of most of the unions. The literal meaning is "Olaf's vigil" (''vigilia sancti Olavi'' in Latin), from Saint Olaf's death at the Battle of Stiklestad in 1030 (see Olsok). Vøka comes from Old Norse Vaka, which was a religious celebration that always lasted for two days. Like several other Faroese holidays, the ''vøka'' b ...
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Løgting
The Løgting (pronounced ; da, Lagtinget) is the unicameral parliament of the Faroe Islands, an autonomous territory within the Danish Realm. The name literally means "''Law Thing''"—that is, a law assembly—and derives from Old Norse ''lǫgþing'', which was a name given to ancient assemblies. A ''ting'' or ''þing'' has existed on the Faroe Islands for over a millennium and the Løgting was the highest authority on the islands in the Viking era. From 1274 to 1816 it functioned primarily as a judicial body, whereas the modern Løgting established in 1852 is a parliamentary assembly, which gained legislative power when home rule was introduced in 1948. The Manx Tynwald and the Icelandic Alþing are the two other modern parliaments with ties back to the old Norse assemblies of Europe. Today, the Faroe Islands compromise one constituency, and the number of MPs is fixed at 33. The first election with this new system was held on 19 January 2008, after the Election law w ...
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Flag Day (Faroe Islands)
The Faroe Islands ( ), or simply the Faroes ( fo, Føroyar ; da, Færøerne ), are a North Atlantic island group and an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark. They are located north-northwest of Scotland, and about halfway between Norway ( away) and Iceland ( away). The islands form part of the Kingdom of Denmark, along with mainland Denmark and Greenland. The islands have a total area of about with a population of 54,000 as of June 2022. The terrain is rugged, and the subpolar oceanic climate (Cfc) is windy, wet, cloudy, and cool. Temperatures for such a northerly climate are moderated by the Gulf Stream, averaging above freezing throughout the year, and hovering around in summer and 5 °C (41 °F) in winter. The northerly latitude also results in perpetual civil twilight during summer nights and very short winter days. Between 1035 and 1814, the Faroe Islands were part of the Kingdom of Norway, which was in a personal union with Denmark from 1380. ...
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Faroe Islands
The Faroe Islands ( ), or simply the Faroes ( fo, Føroyar ; da, Færøerne ), are a North Atlantic island group and an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark. They are located north-northwest of Scotland, and about halfway between Norway ( away) and Iceland ( away). The islands form part of the Kingdom of Denmark, along with mainland Denmark and Greenland. The islands have a total area of about with a population of 54,000 as of June 2022. The terrain is rugged, and the subpolar oceanic climate (Cfc) is windy, wet, cloudy, and cool. Temperatures for such a northerly climate are moderated by the Gulf Stream, averaging above freezing throughout the year, and hovering around in summer and 5 °C (41 °F) in winter. The northerly latitude also results in perpetual civil twilight during summer nights and very short winter days. Between 1035 and 1814, the Faroe Islands were part of the Kingdom of Norway, which was in a personal union with Denmark from 1 ...
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Faroese Dance
The Faroese chain dance ( fo, Føroyskur dansur, da, Kædedans) is the national circle dance of the Faroe Islands, accompanied by kvæði, the Faroese ballads. The dance is a typical mediaeval ring dance. The dance is danced traditionally in a circle, but when there are many dancers, they usually let it swing around in various wobbles within the circle. Dance rules When dancing there are a few rules. One is that your right hand must overlap the left hand of the one next to you while moving your feet two paces to the left and one pace back. 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 batt ...
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Olsok
Olsok ("Olaf's Wake" or "Olaf's Vigil") is a national day of celebration on July 29 in the Nordic countries of Norway and the Faroe Islands, and also in the provinces of Härjedalen in Sweden and Savonlinna in Finland. Background King Olaf II Haraldsson of Norway is remembered as Rex perpetuus Norvegiae, the Eternal King of Norway. July 29 is traditionally the date of the death of King Olaf at the Battle of Stiklestad, north of Nidaros (Trondheim), Norway, in 1030. King Olaf's martyrdom at Stiklestad appears to have contributed decisively to establishing Christianity throughout the nation of Norway. King Olaf was subsequently canonized in Nidaros on 3 August 1031 following efforts principally of north Bishop Grimkell. Until the Lutheran Reformation in the 16th century, Olsok was a major church feast in the Nordic countries. The late 19th and the early 20th century saw a renewed interest in Olsok, particularly in Norway. The Roman Catholic Church in Norway recognizes Olsok a ...
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Stevna
A stevna (plural: stevnur) is a regional summer festival in the Faroe Islands, usually accompanied by or built around national rowing boat championships. The races and regattas are always held on Saturdays, except the Ólavsøka race in the capital of Tórshavn, which has a fixed date. There are seven official rowing-related''stevnur'': Stevnur in the Faroe Islands * Norðoyastevna is held annually in Klaksvík, usually in the first weekend of June. * Eystanstevna is held in Runavík the second weekend of June every year, and has a rowing race every other year. In the odd years (2005, 2007 etc.) the race is held at the Varmakelda. * Sundalagsstevna is held in a weekend in mid-June in the Sundalagið region. The host town alternates between Kollafjørður, Hósvík and Hvalvík. * Jóansøka is in the last weekend of June, or the Saturday nearest to the 24 June, which is St John's Day. In the even years it is held in Vágur and in the odd years in Tvøroyri. * Varmakelda is us ...
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Suðuroy
Suðuroy (literally South Island, da, Suderø) is the southernmost of the Faroe Islands. The island covers 163.7 square kilometres (63.2 sq mi). In 2018 the population was 4,601. Suðuroy region (sýsla) comprises this island and Lítla Dímun, the next isle northward in the Faroes, which is uninhabited. History One ancient settlement, Víkarbyrgi was abandoned late in the 1990s. Another settlement, Akraberg was abandoned around 1350 because of the Black Death; the people who lived there at that time came from Friesland, and legend has it that people in Hørg (in Sumba) can trace their ancestry back to this settlement, which was situated on the southernmost point of the island. In the 17th century, Suðuroy was subjected to repeated attacks by North African pirates, who in the Faroe Islands were referred to as Turks when North Africa belonged to the Ottoman Empire. One well known such incident was the Slave raid of Suðuroy .They abducted several women and childre ...
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Tvøroyri
Tvøroyri is a village on the north side of the Trongisvágsfjørður on the east coast of Suðuroy island in the Faroe Islands. Together with Froðba, Trongisvágur, Líðin and Øravík it forms Tvøroyri Municipality. The village is considered to have been founded in 1836, when the Royal Danish Monopoly Trade Store was founded on a small tongue of land, called Tvøroyri. In a short span of years, Tvøroyri grew into a large village, mainly after 1856 when the monopoly state of the store was abolished. Around the turn of the 20th century, Tvøroyri was one of the largest towns on the Faroe Islands and had one of the main fishing industries. Overview The church in Tvøroyri was constructed in Norway as a building set, moved to Tvøroyri and then built here in 1907, ready to use in 1908. The old church was moved to Sandvík. Trongisvágur Trongisvágur is the village furthest to the west of the inlet of Trongisvágsfjørður. Trongisvágur is where most of the new residential ...
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Battle Of Stiklestad
The Battle of Stiklestad ( no, Slaget på Stiklestad, non, Stiklarstaðir) in 1030 is one of the most famous battles in the history of Norway. In this battle, King Olaf II of Norway () was killed. During the pontificate of Pope Alexander III, the Roman Catholic Church declared Olaf a saint in 1164. His younger half-brother, Harald Hardrada (), was also present at the battle. Harald was only fifteen when the battle of Stiklestad took place. He became King of Norway in 1047, until his death in a failed invasion of England at the Battle of Stamford Bridge in 1066. The authenticity of the battle as a historical event is subject to question. Contemporary sources say the king was murdered. According to the '' Anglo Saxon Chronicle'' of 1030, Olaf was killed by his own people. Adam of Bremen wrote in 1070 that Olaf was killed in an ambush, and so did Florence of Worcester in 1100. Those are the only contemporary sources that mention the death of the king. After the king's canoniza ...
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Saint Olaf
Olaf II Haraldsson ( – 29 July 1030), later known as Saint Olaf (and traditionally as St. Olave), was King of Norway from 1015 to 1028. Son of Harald Grenske, a petty king in Vestfold, Norway, he was posthumously given the title '' Rex Perpetuus Norvegiae'' ( en, Eternal/Perpetual King of Norway) and canonised at Nidaros (Trondheim) by Bishop Grimkell, one year after his death in the Battle of Stiklestad on 29 July 1030. His remains were enshrined in Nidaros Cathedral, built over his burial site. His sainthood encouraged the widespread adoption of Christianity by Scandinavia's Vikings/Norsemen. Pope Alexander III confirmed Olaf's local canonisation in 1164, making him a recognised saint of the Catholic Church and started to be known as ''Rex Perpetuus Norvegiae'' – ''eternal king of Norway''. Following the Reformation he was a commemorated historical figure among some members of the Lutheran and Anglican Communions. The saga of Olav Haraldsson and the legend of Olaf the ...
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Tórshavn Cathedral
Tórshavn Cathedral ( fo, Havnar Kirkja, or ''Dómkirkjan'') is the second oldest received church of the Faroe Islands, on Tinganes in the old town of Tórshavn.http://www.folkakirkjan.fo/Default.aspx?pageid=6430
Tórshavn Cathedral on the official website of the Faroese Church.
Painted white, and roofed with slate, it was established in 1788. The cathedral lies in the north of the peninsula of Tinganes and is one of the main attractions of the town. Like most churches of the country it belongs to the - national
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Sunnleif Rasmussen
Sunleif Rasmussen (born March 19, 1961 in Sandur (Faroe Islands), Sandur in the Faroe Islands) is the foremost Faroese people, Faroese composer of classical music. Biography Rasmussen studied in Norway, then returned to Tórshavn in the Faroes as a music teacher and jazz pianist. From 1990 to 1995 he studied musical composition at the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen under Ib Nørholm and electronic music under Ivar Frounberg. In 1992 he received grants from the Leonie Sonning Foundation and the Danish Composer's Society. He also became familiar with spectral music, which has its roots at the IRCAM in Paris, and the work of composers such as Tristan Murail. Rasmussen has produced a number of works combining electronic and acoustic instruments, some produced in co-operation with DIEM (the Danish Institute for Electro-Acoustic Music). In 1997, he was awarded a three-year grant from the Danish State Arts Foundation. In 2002, he won the Nordic Council Music Prize for his ...
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