The good thing about the three Scandinavian languages is that if you’re fluent in one of them, you can do pretty well in the other two. Except for some snotty Stockholmers and Copenhageners - and probably some Oslo people as well - who seem to be mentally unable to comprehend the other dialects of what is really one common Scandinavian language…
I know I ought to know this, but what about Faroese and Icelandic? Are they as similar as, say, Danish and Norwegian or Swedish and Norwegian? Or is it more like Scandinavian and German?
The Denmark -> Faroe -> Iceland ferry used to stop at either Lerwick or Stromness (on a weird rotating schedule) until a few years ago. I always fancied that trip, but it’s flights only now*, and those are hellishly expensive, like “could get to Australia for that price” expensive.
*from Scotland anyway, connecting through London or Copenhagen
I am suspicious that I will in fact prefer that. I’ve knit a few shawls, and all of them have started with a few stitches in the center of the back and increased from there. Invariably, I am excited at the beginning of the project, and by the time I’m anywhere near the end, with those everlasting rows, I have to speak to myself very sternly indeed to keep going. I’ve wondered why more patterns don’t start at the edge so you can get through the longest rows while your enthusiasm for the project is still running high.
OK - anyone from the islands make it big in international sports or music or film?
Or who is the richest person/family on the islands? Perhaps someone with that huge mansion or rides in the limo through the villages?
Any big political family that everybody knows?
I ask because pretty much every country on earth has someone who makes headlines on a regular basis, or at least is local fodder for gossip and envy.
BTW, thanks for this thread. I always like to learn about places I am unfamiliar with and learn a bit more about other countries/traditions. Prior to this thread, I have to admit I would have thought the Faeroe Islands were something Tolkien created as a suburb of The Shire.
That was going to be my question! More generally, are there any other notable bands from the Faroe Islands, and is there much live music? Do bands from other countries ever come to perform?
Am surprised am the first to ask about how it is to live in a country where it doesn’t get dark in Summer. How long does that period last and how dark are your winters?
In the OP’s absence, I can probably give an answer to that since the Faroe islands aren’t that far north by Nordic standards. Tórshavn is at about 62° North, a latitude which is sort of medium north for a Finn, Swede or Norwegian. Cities like Vaasa (FIN), Sundsvall (SE) or Trondheim (NO) are at roughly the same latitude.
Around late April/early May, the “white nights” with no darkness nor nautical twilight during the night start. At that time, the sun rises around 3-5 am and sets at 10-11 pm. Around summer solstice, you can easily read the newspaper outside on a clear night. Around Christmas, the sun rises around 10 am and sets around 2:30-3 pm.
It’s very nice in the summer, especially when the weather is nice, but it may be a bit depressing in the winter. It’s commonly believed that some may suffer from winter depressions caused by the lack of daylight. “Daylight” lamps are used to treat this depression, with varying degrees of success.
Would a vegetarian get laughed off the island, starve, or be otherwise treated as ‘uncanny’?
It sounds like an interesting place, but I’d be passing on the whale 'n puffin…
Thanks for all the info, I’ve only heard of the place from the shipping forecast before.
Goodness! Two pages. I’ll try to catch up as fast as I can. I’m sorry I’ve been away for a day, I just got an unexpected chance to go hang out with China Miéville yesterday, and then I had the really, really late shift at work. I have nothing going on to day (except some much needed shut-eye) so I’ll try to babysit this thread more closely.
OK, moving right along. I’m a bit sleep-deprived, so if I make no sense, I’ll come back to it later.
It varies. We have a vocal minority of complete nutters, who I think are taking inspiration from their American counterparts. We get stuck debating religious issues and moral panics that are really over and done with the other Scandinavian countries.
Faroese people in general are slightly more religious than other Scandinavians, inasmuch as most people belong to either the state church, or some other religious community. There are several baptist churches and whatnot. A friend of mine started an Atheist Society a few years ago, which caused quite the little stir.
On the other hand, religion is very much a private matter, and not discussed much. The majority belong to the state church, which is the usual bland, not very religious religion that most state religions tend to turn into. Most people don’t even go at Christmas and Easter, but do get married in church.
So, more than Norwegians/Danes/Swedes, less than Americans, in general, using a very broad brush.
I know, right? But when I look in foreign (as in, non-Faroese) pattern books, or look at shawls from Ravelry, they all start with this itty-bitty cast-on, and you increase as you go. So I just concluded that most of the knitting world knits shawl upside-down for some strange reason.
Although, Spanish pirates did kidnap several hundred Faroese women over the years, and I’m sure they all could knit…
Cool!
Icelandic is the closest cousin Faroese has, so very much like Swedish and Norwegian. As in, we should, on paper, be able to understand each other with no problems at all, but in reality, we often need to use a lot of shouting, hand-waving and alcohol to get any meaning across. And there is the same potential for funny, rude or obscene misunderstanding. I hear “The Faroese (Horseback) Riding Society” comes out as “The Faroese Orgy Club” in Icelandic.
Vinarliga flyt tygara hval = Kindly move your whale (formal)
Eg eri eitt fiskaflak vid skomm og vánaligari samvitsku = “I am a fish filet with shame and guilty conscience.”
Not directly, but we get indirect income by providing goods and services to the oil-platforms and other oil-related things. There are several helicopter firms living of transporting personnel to and from oil-platforms, for instance.
Actually, there is probably a large oil deposit right under us, but it’s to deep to be commercially viable.
The Danes are kind enough to share their Queen with us.
Slættaratindur, at 882 meters. Easily scalable if you’re so inclined.
I don’t have any numbers handy, but it can’t be much above average. As I said, the majority come back, I think at least 3/4. We have a substantially higher birthrate than most of Northern Europe too. It might be slightly above average, but not so you’d notice.
The capitol Tórshavn has a population of about 19.000
Very popular! They were the band to listen to when I was in (our version of) high school. Their use of medieval ballads also made them the subject of academic discussion for a while there.
I’m all sorts of startled at how big they’ve gotten internationally. It still startles me when I he see some random metalhead with a faroese flag on the back of their t-shirts.
Your problem here is that everyone is a local celebrity. Everyone makes headlines and is the victim of gossip at home. All our politicians are “famous”
I’ve never seen a limousine on the islands. Our rich people are pretty low-key. The airline doesn’t even have separate class compartments (Although they made one, as a joke, for Bill Clinton).
Lets see. There is the aforementioned Folk-metal band, Týr, which are quite big.
Better bookstores will have something by William Heinesen, as well as Jørgen-Frantz Jacobsens Barbara.
Niels Finsen won a nobel prize for medicine an physiologi.
Gunnar Nielsen is the goalie for Man City, so footbal fans might know him.
Of course, the Norwegian king Sverre (1177-1202) was raised in the Faroes.
A funny story about famous people and the Faroes: author Susanna Kaysen (she wrote Girl, interrupted) lived here for a while, I think because her husband at the time was an anthropoligist. This resulted in the book Far Afield, which is pretty funny, and spot on for a lot of things (although I swear the capitol is neither ugly nor depressing). It also resulted in her divorcing her husband, although I’m sure that had nothing to with the Faroes per se.
Funny you should mention it, because I’m pretty sure Tolkien knew of the Faroes, and had taken a look at the language, if not studied it.
Most of our electricity is based on water-power, although we do use oil for heating. There are also several project looking to make sturdier windmills (the regular ones just blow away), and we are very involved in alternative power research. There is a big project looking into wave-powered generators currently.
Historically, turf was the most important fuel source for heat and cooking, with whale-oil providing light. There are no trees, so fuel is one of the main challenges of living here.
I have no idea what this means. My Scrabble set has Æ, Å and Ø.
Hi Septima! As a Norwegian who recently moved to Iceland from a Gaelic-speaking part of Scotland, my take on the Faroese language is that it’s halfway between Icelandic and western Norwegian dialects, with some Gaelic - Irish Gaelic rather than Scottish, and sounds rather than words. I guess this makes perfect sense, all things considered. Have you heard Gaelic spoken, and does it sound at all familiar to you?
I have noticed a slightly dismissive attitude towards the Faroese among Icelanders. They seem to treat you like a younger sibling tagging along behind, while they want to hang out with the cool kids and would rather not be seen with you. (You got your own back when that Faroese politician refused to have dinner with the Icelandic prime minister because she is a lesbian. :D)
Oh, and nitpick for the poster who mentioned it: Svalbard is most certainly not a country, it’s just the northernmost part of Norway.
Yes. We have an above average number of musicians, performers, artists and writers, since there has been a substantial effort to invest in culture, both from the state and by private initiative. As to notable bands and musicians, there are the various members of the Blak familiy, Eivør Pållsdøttur, danish/faroese band Valravn etc.
If you like Týr, take a look at Heljareyga, Heri Joensens side project (Týr vocalist, for those following this at home). Also, the newish Doom Metal band Hamferð, which I think is trying to do the same thing within Doom Metal as Týr does in Folk Metal.
Actually, I’ll just link you to the Faroese record label, Tutl.
As to foreign, bands, they come here all the time, in every genre. There are several excellent concert venues, and two largish music festivals in the summer.
I refer you to 2square4u’s excellent answer. There really isn’t much to deal with, except to install sturdy bedroom curtains, and make sure to be out and about during daylight hours in winter, if you’re prone to winter blues (or get a daylight lamp, as has been mentioned.) I’ve never had any issues with it.
Now I’m curious. Hint please?
Nah, we’re used to eccentrics. You may have to plan ahead and spend more time shopping than a meat-eater, but we have all the same vegetables as everyone else, and specialty stores with great selection. You may not be able to get a particular protein replacement, but you’ll find something to eat. Most local groceries will be happy to special-order items for you if their supplier carries it. I know to two vegetarian families, and they do alright. You may go hungry at spontaneous social events, but most people are happy to accommodate strange diets and food issues, given enough warning. Most (all?) restaurants have vegetarian dishes.
20-30 years ago, you’d have been SOL.
Yeah, that’s pretty accurate. I have heard (several dialects of) spoken Gaelic, and it sounds very familiar - I can’t understand a word, but I can sort of hear where the words begin and end, and the sounds are pleasant to my ears. I love hearing it.
You’ve noticed! I have no idea what’s up with that. Actually, they’re rarely rude to our faces, so there is that. They may just have a complex, because we were actually founded first. Plus, they owe us money.
Please don’t associate me with that man. He’s the head of the Conservative Religious Nutter Party, and that is not a cool story, what he did was completely unacceptable. Most sane Faroe Islanders are really ashamed of his behavior. He’s our Santorum, if you will.
I “found” the Faroes a bit ago while looking at Google Maps and north, north Scotland, and even farther north, and saw “you” in the ocean. I’d never heard of your country. and was immediately off to Wikipedia to learn about you. I didn’t know about the “no trees” though!
I have some beautiful pictures of your country in my computer’s picture directory, used as a slideshow/screensaver. I’d love to visit one day.
Lovely thread to read; thank you for starting it.
Edited: I’ll be damned, Wikipedia agrees: no trees! How did I miss that!?
