{"id":1266,"date":"2017-03-09T00:10:00","date_gmt":"2017-03-09T00:10:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nordligefolk.no\/?p=1266"},"modified":"2026-02-09T19:42:34","modified_gmt":"2026-02-09T19:42:34","slug":"sjosamisk-salmeskatt-fikk-nytt-liv","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nordligefolk.no\/en\/sjosamisk-salmeskatt-fikk-nytt-liv\/","title":{"rendered":"Sea Sami hymn treasure given new life"},"content":{"rendered":"

When Liv Rundberg arrived in K\u00e5fjord 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.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Text and photos: Torun Olsen<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Published: 9 March 2017<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Few people have meant as much to so many people in K\u00e5fjord as Liv Rundberg. With unstoppable energy, she has ensured that an entire generation of K\u00e5fjord residents are educated in music, song and culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

- 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

- 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Around with a tape recorder<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Liv Rundberg travelled around the municipality with a tape recorder, getting people to sing the hymns and write down the notes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

- There was a lot of travelling back and forth, because the work wasn't easy. The hymns were sung differently in K\u00e5fjorddalen, Birtavarre and Manndalen, so what should I choose? Even though it was difficult, it felt right to do this work,\" says Rundberg.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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 l\u00e6stadian songbook Vekter-ropet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Christmas, Liv and her husband \u00d8yvind received a gift of selfie mittens from Pauline Nyvoll with a greeting:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Thanks to Liv for organising the sheet music for the Guard call, and thanks to \u00d8yvind for putting up with Liv when she organised the sheet music for the Guard call.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

- 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The hymns are now immortalised in the official Sami hymn book Salbmagirji 2.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 <\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Medal reception at the Royal Palace.
Astrid Liv Kristine M\u00e6sel Rundberg, Birtavarre, Troms, has received the King's Medal of Merit in silver. Greeting King Harald and Queen Sonja. To the left, \u00d8yvind Rundberg.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
The bridge builder<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

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 \u201dbridge builder\u00bb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

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 K\u00e5fjord, I think that had an impact on everyone.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

- 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Generation Choir came into being when K\u00e5fjord was the venue for the Festival of Northern Norway in 2000. The choir was made up of the K\u00e5fjord choir, the Sami singing group \/ S\u00e1mi L\u00e1vlunjuovku and young people from the former Sol Tensing, among others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Soon, the Generation Choir was travelling around with the musical devotional \u201dKlokketoner under vandringen\u201d, but also to other events. The choir received support to tour and to record the CD Lokten oaiv\u00e1n l\u00e1vllodettiin<\/em> \u2013 I lift up to God my song.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Liv Rundberg. Photo: \u00d8rjan Bertelsen.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
The hymns live on<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

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 \u00c0rbi<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

- 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

- I have great respect for the special culture that exists in G\u00e1\u00edvuotna\/K\u00e5fjord, 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 \u00d8yvind 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 K\u00e5fjord 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She highlights the hymn Siona hearv\u00e1s joavku d\u00e1l<\/em>, which is particularly in demand for both weddings and funerals.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Liv Rundberg believes that the content of the songs can in many ways be compared to Nigro spirituals.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

- Here you will also find the longing for heaven, and the hope and confidence of getting there,\" concludes Liv Rundberg.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
Programmes and videos with Liv Rundberg<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Watch the documentary Brobyggeren Liv Rundberg, NRK<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Rundberg family from K\u00e5fjord, \u00c1rdna, NRK<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A journey in music, video portrait, Framtid i nord<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

S\u00e1pmi and the church - on new paths with historical baggage, NRK<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What happens, radio programme about Norwegianisation, NRK 2018<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Articles about Liv Rundberg<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

The Sea Sami boy and the queen of the night, Framtid i nord 2020<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Honoured by the King, Future in the North<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Violet Road's mum builds a bridge with her hymn book under her arm, NRK<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since 1988, Petter (80) has participated in the hymn evenings, Framtid i nord<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Lunch concert with Sea Sami hymns<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The entire audience cheered for Liv, Nordlys<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Current links<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

L\u00e6stadiansk sang, tromsfylke.no<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"Generasjonskoret<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
I lift up to God my song<\/strong><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
  Kristusa vieljat ja oapp\u00e1t<\/strong><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
  Oh, how blissful it will be<\/strong><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
  A crowd gathered here<\/strong><\/pre>\n\n\n\n