When Liv Rundberg arrived in Kåfjord in 1965, the Sami were not very visible in the municipality. Thanks to her work, a hidden Sea Sami cultural treasure has been given new life.
Text and photos: Torun Olsen
Published: 9 March 2017
Few people have meant as much to so many people in Kåfjord as Liv Rundberg. With unstoppable energy, she has ensured that an entire generation of Kåfjord residents are educated in music, song and culture.
Liv Rundberg has also been a driving force in bringing the Sami language back to the fore in a municipality where the language and culture were about to disappear. When old Sami song lyrics were pulled out of drawers and cupboards, she was introduced to language and tones she had never heard before. These were handwritten hymns that had been created and used in the Laestadian congregation from a time when it was common to gather around homes to sing.
- I felt like I had a treasure in my bag, and it was these songs and hymns that led me into the Sami language. Both the words and the tones fascinated me. In the beginning, I sang along like a monkey, because I didn't know any Sami. This gradually became very unsatisfactory," says Rundberg.
She enrolled on her first Sami course in 1989, and when the municipality became part of the Sami language area, she had the opportunity to really immerse herself in the language.
- The Sami language opened new doors for me. It's a rich language in so many ways, and so different from any other language I knew. It's an impressively complex language," she says.
Around with a tape recorder
Since February 1988, hymn evenings have been held at the infirmary in Birtavarre every month. This is where the hymns are sung and maintained, and this is where Liv's interest in hymns was awakened in earnest.
Liv Rundberg travelled around the municipality with a tape recorder, getting people to sing the hymns and write down the notes.
- There was a lot of travelling back and forth, because the work wasn't easy. The hymns were sung differently in Kåfjorddalen, Birtavarre and Manndalen, so what should I choose? Even though it was difficult, it felt right to do this work," says Rundberg.
Her work was noticed, and most people were positive and grateful for her efforts. At the same time, she worked, in collaboration with several others, to create an appendix to the læstadian songbook Vekter-ropet.
For Christmas, Liv and her husband Øyvind received a gift of selfie mittens from Pauline Nyvoll with a greeting:
Thanks to Liv for organising the sheet music for the Guard call, and thanks to Øyvind for putting up with Liv when she organised the sheet music for the Guard call.
- It's hard to believe that she realised what a painstaking job this was, and that it could have been a burden on the home.
The hymns are now immortalised in the official Sami hymn book Salbmagirji 2.
Astrid Liv Kristine Mæsel Rundberg, Birtavarre, Troms, has received the King's Medal of Merit in silver. Greeting King Harald and Queen Sonja. To the left, Øyvind Rundberg.
The bridge builder
Liv Rundberg experienced a lot of goodwill and positivity around the work. There was probably some scepticism about how the hymns would be used in the future, she recalls, but the joy of seeing them used again overshadowed this. The singing and music helped to make the Sami language less dangerous, and Liv has deservedly been labelled a ”bridge builder».
People saw how important this was, and the fact that we were allowed to publicise it and show that this was a part of us in Kåfjord, I think that had an impact on everyone.
- Culture has the ability to act as a bridge builder. What I did was to start using the Sami songs in the choir, and although some people found it a bit challenging at first, they gradually realised that our Sami repertoire was a niche, and that we were invited here and there precisely because of that repertoire," says Runberg.
The Generation Choir came into being when Kåfjord was the venue for the Festival of Northern Norway in 2000. The choir was made up of the Kåfjord choir, the Sami singing group / Sámi Lávlunjuovku and young people from the former Sol Tensing, among others.
Soon, the Generation Choir was travelling around with the musical devotional ”Klokketoner under vandringen”, but also to other events. The choir received support to tour and to record the CD Lokten oaiván lávllodettiin – I lift up to God my song.
The hymns live on
The hymns have been given a new lease of life, but have also been further developed and continued through her daughter Herborg Rundberg's publication Àrbi.
- The fact that Herborg has grasped these tones and made them accessible and known through her music means a lot, and it brings the treasure to a larger audience.
- I have great respect for the special culture that exists in Gáívuotna/Kåfjord, and I can't stop marvelling at how much creative energy there is here. I feel very grateful that I was able to come to this place, to meet Øyvind and the nature here. I've been able to play in the church, work with the people here from nursery school age, through school and up to the oldest. I've been able to follow the people of Kåfjord through both joy and sorrow. Being able to accommodate people when they have special requests for a particular song or hymn is huge for me," says Rundberg.
She highlights the hymn Siona hearvás joavku dál, which is particularly in demand for both weddings and funerals.
Liv Rundberg believes that the content of the songs can in many ways be compared to Nigro spirituals.
- Here you will also find the longing for heaven, and the hope and confidence of getting there," concludes Liv Rundberg.
Programmes and videos with Liv Rundberg
Watch the documentary Brobyggeren Liv Rundberg, NRK
The Rundberg family from Kåfjord, Árdna, NRK
A journey in music, video portrait, Framtid i nord
Sápmi and the church - on new paths with historical baggage, NRK
What happens, radio programme about Norwegianisation, NRK 2018
Articles about Liv Rundberg
The Sea Sami boy and the queen of the night, Framtid i nord 2020
Honoured by the King, Future in the North
Violet Road's mum builds a bridge with her hymn book under her arm, NRK
Since 1988, Petter (80) has participated in the hymn evenings, Framtid i nord
Lunch concert with Sea Sami hymns
The entire audience cheered for Liv, Nordlys
Current links
Læstadiansk sang, tromsfylke.no
I lift up to God my song
Kristusa vieljat ja oappát
Oh, how blissful it will be
A crowd gathered here
Lokten oaiván lávllodettin
Where many will come
Maid veahket min eallin mailmmis
O Jesus Christ mun anun dus
Alas, my way to Canaan
Armon lapset
Dávja muittašan mun siidda liggosa
O Ipmil buorresivdni dál
O man ávdugaslaš áigi
The day gives way and passes away
Siona hearvás joavku dál
About Liv Rundberg
- Full name: Astrid Liv Kristine Mæsel Rundberg
- Former athlete, cultural school principal and organist
- Born in Porsgrunn in 1945, grew up in Herefoss in Aust-Agder and Skotfoss in Skien.
- Came to Kåfjord in Nord-Troms in 1965
- Helped start the Culture School in Kåfjord in 1979
- Awarded the Áillohaš music prize 2009
- Headmaster at Kulturskolen from 1990 - 2012
- Received Troms County Council's Culture Prize 1997
- Awarded the King's Medal of Merit 2011
- Firebrand of the year 2012
- Mum to four of the boys in Violet Road
Mandela concert Tromsø 2005
The wits around me 2011
