Summerfestival approaching...

Last weekend we had Ólavsøka, the weekend before that, G! Festival, and this coming weekend, another big event coming up, Summerfestival (Summarfestivalurin), and they're main attractions are The Scorpions and Kim Wilde.

The festival is being held at our second largest town, Klaksvík.

Here is the page of the festival itself:

http://www.summarfestivalur.fo/english/

Back...

Well, i'm back from Ólavsøka, and this was a tough one, 3 days of straight party'ing, it was a great event... i'll get back to my regular posts tomorrow. Take care.

Religion...

Religion plays a major part on the Faroe Islands. Many people have got it wrong if you ask me, but that's just my personal opinion, although, i don't label myself as an atheist, far from it.

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Religion

Church of Viðareiði from 1892

According to Færeyinga Saga, Sigmundur Brestisson brought Christianity to the islands in 999. However, archaeology from a site in Leirvík suggests that Celtic Christianity may have arrived 150 or more years earlier.^{[citation needed]} The Faroe Islands' church Reformation was completed on 1 January 1540. According to official statistics from 2002, 84.1% of the Faroese population are members of the state church, the Faroese People's Church (Fólkakirkjan), a form of Lutheranism. Faroese members of the clergy who have had historical importance include V. U. Hammershaimb (1819-1909), Frederik Petersen (1853-1917) and, perhaps most significantly, Jákup Dahl (1878-1944), who had a great influence in making sure that the Faroese language was spoken in the church instead of Danish.

In the late 1820s, the Christian Evangelical religious movement, the Plymouth Brethren, was established in England. In 1865, a member of this movement, William Gibson Sloan, travelled to the Faroes from Shetland. At the turn of the nineteenth century, the Faroese Plymouth Brethren numbered thirty. Today, approximately 10% of the Faroese population are members of the Open Brethren community (Brøðrasamkoman). About 5% belong to other Christian churches, such as the Adventists, who operate a private school in Tórshavn. Jehovah's Witnesses also number four congregations (approximately 80 to 100 members). The Roman Catholic congregation comprises approximately 170 members. The municipality of Tórshavn operates their old Franciscan school. There are also around fifteen Bahá'ís who meet at four different places. Unlike Iceland, there is no organized Ásatrú community.

The best known church buildings in the Faroe Islands include St. Olafs Church and the unfinished Magnus Cathedral in Kirkjubøur; the Vesturkirkjan and the Maria Church, both of which are situated in Tórshavn; the church of Fámjin; the octagonal church in Haldarsvík; Christianskirkjan in Klaksvík and also the two pictured here.

In 1948, Victor Danielsen (Plymouth Brethren) completed the first Bible translation. It was translated into Faroese from different modern languages. Jacob Dahl and Kristian Osvald Viderø (Fólkakirkjan) completed the second translation in 1961. The latter was translated from the original languages into Faroese.

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Well, i'm off to the capital to go party and have a good time, see you in a few days.

A few days from this post...

I'll be attending our national holiday in a few days, Ólavsøka, there i'll most surely get drunk and having a great time. Maybe i'll even take a few photos and upload them to the blog.

Famous Faroese People

Here's a list from Wikipedia, listing famous faroese people:

Authors and poets

Heðin Brú.

William Heinesen.

• Heðin Brú
• Joen Danielsen
• William Heinesen (also a painter, graphical artist and musician)
• Jóanes Nielsen
• Rói Patursson (also a philosopher)
• Kristian Osvald Viderø (also a clergyman)

Cinema and theatre artists

• Katrin Ottarsdóttir, Director
• Helena Patursson, actress, feminist, and writer

Musicians and Singers

Eivør Pálsdóttir.

• Peter Alberg, Composer of the Faeroese Anthem
• Lena Anderssen, singer-songwriter
• Kristian Blak, composer and musician
• Teitur Lassen, singer-songwriter
• Høgni Lisberg, singer-songwriter
• Eivør Pálsdóttir, singer-songwriter
• Sunnleif Rasmussen, composer
• Heri Joensen singer, guitarist and songwriter of the Viking Metal band Týr
• Niels Galan, singer and guitarist in the Punk rock band 200

Painters, Graphical Artists and Sculptors

Elinborg Lützen, bust by Janus Kamban.

Ingálvur av Reyni.

• Astrid Andreasen, textile, scientific and stamp artist
• Steffan Danielsen, painter
• Hans Hansen, painter
• Zacharias Heinesen, painter and graphical artist
• Hans Pauli Olsen, sculptor
• Anker Eli Petersen, graphical and stamp artist, also songwriter
• Ingálvur av Reyni, painter, graphical artist
• Eli Smith, painter
• Sámal Joensen Mykines, painter
• Rasmus Rasmussen, Guitar Player
• Tróndur Patursson, painter, glass- and iron sculptor, also adventurer

Leaders and politicians

Jóannes Patursson.

Historical

• Sigmundur Brestisson, chieftain
• Lucas Debes, conservative rebel
• Magnus Heinason, National hero
• Grímur Kamban, first settler
• Nólsoyar Páll, National hero
• Sverre Sigurðsson, king of Norway

Modern

• Atli Dam, Prime Minister, 1970–93 (periodically)
• Marita Petersen, Prime Minister, 1993–1994
• Anfinn Kallsberg, Prime Minister, 1998–2003
• Høgni Hoydal, Republican leader
• Jóannes Eidesgaard, Prime Minister, 2003–
• Niels Cook, Security Services Operative (British) 1949–

Scholars, Scientists and Academics

Venceslaus Ulricus Hammershaimb.

• Niels Ryberg Finsen, physician
• Venceslaus Ulricus Hammershaimb, philologist
• Símun av Skarði, Folk high school teacher
• Jens Christian Svabo, philologist

Explorers and Travellers

• Grímur Kamban, see above
• Naddoddur, explored Iceland

Clergymen

• Lucas Debes (see above)
• V. U. Hammershaimb (see above)

Athletes

• Ove Joensen, rowing legend
• Todi Jónsson, football player
• Jens Martin Knudsen, football player (goal keeper)

G! Festival gets praise.

The very popular G! Festival is getting major praises, the most recent is this one, from IQ Magazine:

http://www.ilmc.com/secure/IQ/index.html#what

IQ is the essential quarterly magazine presenting news, features and information for business leaders operating in the International Live Music industry. A planned development and an extension of the International Live Music Conference, IQ updates its members, companies and individuals on events and progressions in the ever-changing world of the Live Music Industry.IQ is the essential quarterly magazine presenting news, features and information for business leaders operating in the International Live Music industry. A planned development and an extension of the International Live Music Conference, IQ updates its members, companies and individuals on events and progressions in the ever-changing world of the Live Music Industry...


There's an article in their latest journal, summing up the best 10 music festivals in Europe, and the G! Festival comes in a #2

G! FESTIVAL
Gota, Faroe Islands. 19-22 July
Headliners: Guillemots, Lonely Dear, Dr.
Spock, Young Dubliners
PA Supplier: TBC

Now this is an interesting one. Rocky
terrain, usually overcast and windy,
bordered mostly by high cliffs and halfway
between Iceland and Norway, the Faroe
Islands aren’t the obvious choice for a
festival. Especially given that organisers are
hoping to sell 9,000 tickets to a total
population of just 48,000 people. Which is
exactly why G! Festival makes this year’s top
ten: for sheer guts alone. It takes place on a
beach in Gota, and the last two years have
sold out (at 6,000), although an estimated
2,000 pesky fishermen copped a free view
from their boats. There are rumours of Navy
Seals being employed this year.

The Culture...

Culture of the Faroe Islands has its roots in the Nordic culture. The Faroe Islands were long isolated from the main cultural phases and movements that swept across parts of Europe. This means that they have maintained a great part of their traditional culture. The language spoken is Faroese. It is one of three insular Scandinavian languages descended from the Old Norse language spoken in Scandinavia in the Viking Age, the others being Icelandic and the extinct Norn, which is thought to have been mutually intelligible with Faroese. Until the 15th century, Faroese had a similar orthography to Icelandic and Norwegian, but after the Reformation 1538, the ruling Danes outlawed its use in schools, churches and official documents. This maintained a rich spoken tradition, but for 300 years the language was not written down. This means that all poems and stories were handed down orally. These works were split into the following divisions: sagnir (historical), ævintyr (stories) and kvæði (ballads), often set to music and the mediaeval chain dance). These were eventually written down in the 19th century.

Geography...

The uninhabited island Lítla Dímun.

Satellite photo of the Norwegian Sea and the North Sea. Faroe Islands on the top left.

The Faroe Islands are an island group consisting of eighteen islands off the coast of Northern Europe, between the Norwegian Sea and the north Atlantic Ocean, about halfway between Iceland and Norway; the closest neighbours being the Northern and Western Isles of Scotland. Its coordinates are 62°00′N, 06°47′W.

Its area is 1,399 square kilometres (540 sq. mi), and has no major lakes or rivers. There are 1,117 kilometres (694 mi) of coastline, and no land boundaries with any other country. The only island that is uninhabited is Lítla Dímun.

Distances to nearest countries and islands

• Sula Sgeir (Scotland): 240 km (149 mi)
• Shetland (Scotland): 280 km (174 mi)
• Scotland (British Mainland): 310 km (193 mi)
• Iceland: 450 km (280 mi)
• Norway: 675 km (419 mi)
• Ireland: 678 km (421 mi)

My Hometown...

The town of Sandavágur lies on the south coast of the Faroese island of Vagar, and has been voted the most well-kept village in the Faroes. The name Sandavágur means sandy creek and refers to the beach down by the inlet. From one point in Sandavágur you can get a view of all the southern islands in the Faroes.

The rune stone

Runen Stone in Sandavágur
Stamp FR 59 of the Faroe Islands
Engraver: Max Müller
Issued: 19 October 1981

The town has an ancient history. A thirteenth century rune stone, discovered in 1917, bears an inscription stating that the Norwegian Viking Torkil Onandarson from Rogaland was the first settler in this area. The stone can be seen in Sandavágur Church. Excavations in the town have also uncovered ruins from the Middle Ages.

Á Steig

Á Steig in Sandavágur was the residence of the Lagman, the lawspeaker and leader of the Faroese parliament, until 1816, when the office was abolished and the islands became a Danish administrative district. The clergyman V. U. Hammershaimb, who was born in Sandavágur in 1819 and became the father of the Faroese written language, was the son of the last law speaker.

Witch’s finger

There is a freestanding rock to the east of the town called Trollkonufingur, which means Witch’s finger. It is said to have been climbed only once, and the story goes like this:

Frederick VIII of Denmark visited the Faroe Islands in 1844, and a man climbed the Witch’s finger so that he could wave to the King as he sailed past. Later, when the man had come down, he realized that he had left one of his gloves on the top of the rock, so decided to climb it again. On his way to the top he fell and died.

Sandavágur Church

Church of Sandavágur, Oct 2005

The beautiful red-roofed Church has a distinctive architecture and was built in 1917. A memorial was erected outside the church to one of the many ships that were sunk during the Second World War.

Vestanstevna

Sandavagur takes turns in hosting a civic festival called Vestanstevna which takes place annually at the beginning of July. The other participating villages are, Midvagur and Sorvagur. The festival is similar to Olavsøka in Torshavn but smaller.

Industry

Kovin, the canning factory in Sandavágur produces canned fish products: primarily shrimp, but also roe and normal fish meat. It also produces various kinds of pâté, for example from salmon, shrimps and tuna.

The People...

The vast majority of the population are ethnic Faroese, of Norse and Celtic descent.

Recent DNA analyses have revealed that Y chromosomes, tracing male descent, are 87% Scandinavian. The studies show that mitochondrial DNA, tracing female descent, is 84% Scottish or Irish.^[1]

Of the approximately 48,000 inhabitants of the Faroe Islands (16,921 private households (2004), 98% are realm citizens, meaning Faroese, Danish, or Greenlandic. By birthplace one can derive the following origins of the inhabitants: born on the Faroes 91.7%, in Denmark 5.8%, and in Greenland 0.3%. The largest group of foreigners are Icelanders comprising 0.4% of the population, followed by Norwegians and Polish, each comprising 0.2%. Altogether, on the Faroe Islands there are people from 77 different nationalities.

Faroese is spoken in the entire country as a first language. It is not possible to say exactly how many people worldwide speak the Faroese language. This is for two reasons: Firstly, many ethnic Faroese live in Denmark and few who are born there return to the Faroes with their parents or as adults. Secondly, there are some established Danish families on the Faroes who speak Danish at home.

The Faroese language is one of the smallest of the Germanic languages. It is most similar to Icelandic and Old Norse. In the twentieth century Faroese became the official language and since the Faroes are a part of the Danish realm Danish is taught in schools as a compulsory second language.

Faroese language policy provides for the active creation of new terms in Faroese suitable for modern life.

Link to info about some faroese people:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Faroese_people

Faroe Islands Facts

I, myself am from the Faroe Islands. We do not speak English here, so to present some facts about the Faroes, i turn to Wikipedia:

The Faroe Islands or Faeroe Islands or simply Faroes or Faeroes (Faroese: Føroyar, meaning "Sheep Islands", Danish: Færøerne) are a group of islands in Northern Europe, between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, about halfway from Iceland to Norway. They have been an autonomous region of the Kingdom of Denmark since 1948. The Faroese have, over the years, taken control of most matters except defence (though they have a native coast guard), foreign affairs and the legal system which are the responsibility of Denmark.

The Faroes have close traditional ties to Iceland, Shetland, Orkney, the Outer Hebrides and Greenland. The archipelago was politically detached from Norway in 1814. The Faroes are represented in the Nordic Council as a part of the Danish delegation.

Location:


People are welcome to ask me any question they like in the comment box.

I will write more about my country, including my own text.