Two major facets of traditional Norwegian music: the beguiling richness of ancient melodies in ballads, love songs, wedding marches, dance-tunes, nursery rhymes, lullabies, coupled with...

Two major facets of traditional Norwegian music: the beguiling richness of ancient melodies in ballads, love songs, wedding marches, dance-tunes, nursery rhymes, lullabies, coupled with the singular charm of hardingfele music, a singular violin considered the king of Norwegian instruments. The hardingfele (fiddle from Hardanger), richly decorated with bone and mother-of-pearl-inlay, and “rose painting”, and has four or five sympathetic strings, is a prominent member of the fiddle family, due to its make, tunings, and the particular richness and diversity of its regional styles and repertoire. The playing of hardingfele music has been a lasting tradition for nearly three centuries. Even today, airs and musical style are passed on orally. Several terms are frequently employed for vocal repertoire in Norway. In the first category, the words stev (sung poem), vise (popular song) and kveding (recitation) are often used. Depending on the type, a stev or vise can be recited or sung; the term vise stresses the importance given to the text. Songs for shepherds and herdsmen, dance, and cradle songs represent other forms of vocal tradition. Laling and lokking are used to call in the animals, or to re-unite people separated by great distances. As well as the wordless tralling, tulling or hulling, there is the slåttestev, whose rhythm is more important than the words or the meaning.