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Culture
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.
Ólavsøka
The national holiday Ólavsøka, is on the 29 July, commemorating the death of Saint Olaf.
The celebrations are held in Tórshavn.
They really commence on the evening of the 28th, and carry on until the 31 July.
The official part of the celebration starts on the 29th, with the opening of the Faroese Parliament, a custom which dates back some 900 years.
This begins with a service held in Tórshavn Cathedral, all members of parliament as well as civil and church officials walk to the cathedral in a procession.
All of the parish ministers take turns giving the sermon.
After the service, the procession returns to the parliament for the opening ceremony.
Other celebrations are marked by different kind of sports competitions, the rowing competition (in Tórshavn harbour) being the most popular, art exhibitions, pop concerts, and the famous Faroese dance.
The celebrations have many facets, and only a few are mentioned here.
Another way many people mark the occasion is to wear the national Faroese dress.
The Nordic House in the Faroe Islands
The Nordic House in the Faroe Islands (in Faroese Norðurlandahúsið) is the most important cultural institution in the Faroes.
Its aim is to support and promote Nordic and Faroese culture, locally and in the Nordic region.
Erlendur Patursson (1913-1986), Faroese member of the Nordic Council, brought forward the idea of a Nordic cultural house in the Faroe Islands.
A Nordic competition for architects was held in 1977, in which 158 architects participated.
Winners were Ola Steen from Norway and Kolbrún Ragnarsdóttir from Iceland.
By staying true to folklore, the architects built the Nordic House to resemble an enchanting hill of elves.
The house opened in Tórshavn in 1983.
The Nordic House is a cultural organization under the Nordic Council of Ministers.
The Nordic House is run by a steering committee of eight, of which three are Faroese and five from the other Nordic countries.
There is also a local advisory body of fifteen members, representing Faroese cultural organizations.
The House is managed by a director appointed by the steering committee for a four-year term.
Music
The Faroe Islands have a very active music scene.
The islands have their own symphony orchestra, the classical ensemble Aldubáran and many different choirs; the most well-known being Havnarkórið.
The most well-known Faroese composers are Sunleif Rasmussen and the Dane Kristian Blak.
Blak is also head of the record company Tutl.
The first Faroese opera ever was by Sunleif Rasmussen.
It is entitled Í Óðamansgarði (The Madman´s Garden), and it opened on the October 12, 2006, at the Nordic House.
The opera is based on a short story by the writer William Heinesen.
Young Faroese musicians who have gained much popularity recently are Eivør (Eivør Pálsdóttir), Lena (Lena Andersen), Teitur (Teitur Lassen), Høgni Reistrup, Høgni Lisberg and Brandur Enni.
Well-known bands include Týr, Gestir, Boys In A Band, 200 and the former band Clickhaze.
The festival for contemporary and classical music, Summartónar, is held each summer.
Large open-air music festivals for popular music with both local and international musicians participating are G! Festival in Gøta in July and Summarfestivalurin in Klaksvík in August.
Traditional food
Traditional Faroese food is mainly based on meat and potatoes and uses few fresh vegetables.
Mutton is the basis of many meals, and one of the most popular treats is skerpikjøt, well aged, wind-dried mutton which is quite chewy.
The drying shed, known as a hjallur, is a standard feature in many Faroese homes, particularly in the small towns and villages.
Other traditional foods are ræst kjøt (semi-dried mutton) and ræstur fiskur, matured fish.
Another Faroese specialty is Grind og spik, pilot whale meat and blubber.
(A parallel meat/fat dish made with offal is garnatálg).
Well into the last century meat and blubber from the pilot whale meant food for a long time.
Fresh fish also features strongly in the traditional local diet, as do seabirds, such as Faroese puffins, and their eggs.
Dried fish is also commonly eaten.
The Faroese do enjoy (Danish) snaps and (Faroese) beer with their food.
There is one brewery situated in the Faroes Islands called Föroya Bjór, which has produced beer since 1888 with exports to mainly Iceland and Denmark.
Hard alcohol like the snaps is not allowed to be produced in the Faroe Islands.
Sport
The Faroe Islands compete in the biannual Island Games, which were hosted by the islands in 1989.
10 football teams contest the Faroe Islands Premier League Football, currently ranked 48th by UEFA's League coefficient.
The Faroe Islands national football team is one of the weakest members of UEFA, currently ranked 50th of 53, and one of the weakest members of FIFA, currently ranked 197th of 207 national teams.
Whaling events, known as grindadrap, occur annually in the Faroe Islands.
Pilot whales and some other small whale species are harvested in strictly regulated non-commercial hunts.
Around 950 long-finned pilot whales (Globicephala melaena) are killed annually, mainly during the summer.
Source: CIA Factbook, Wikipedia
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