This ballad*, written in the Faroese language, narrates the Battle of Svolder that took place in the Baltic Sea in the year 1000 AD, and the legendary Viking ship "Ormurin Langi" (Long Serpent). King Olaf Tryggvason of Norway seeks to Christianize and unite entire Norway under one roof. On his return from an expedition to the Pomerania (Poland) region, he is ambushed near the Øresund Strait between Denmark and Sweden. Engaging in an epic naval battle, he confronts an alliance consisting of the kings of Denmark and Sweden, as well as his enemies within Norway. The battle concludes with Olaf's ultimate defeat. Olaf died, Norway was divided among the victors, and the spread of Christianity has been interrupted. Since that day, Olaf Tryggvason and the Battle of Svolder have been memorialized in numerous literary works, etching themselves into the memory of Scandinavian societies. The original version of this ballad consists of 87 quatrains. Even today, particularly during various folk gatherings in the Faroe Islands, people form circles and recite this ballad in unison, accompanied by dances.

Translated by: Mehmet Can Türk
Special thanks to my friend Preben for his help with proofreading.

People dancing and singing Ormuring Langi: [ Ссылка ]
Battle of Svolder - 1: [ Ссылка ]
Battle of Svolder - 2: [ Ссылка ]
King Olaf Tryggvason: [ Ссылка ]
The ship Ormuring Langi: [ Ссылка ]
The ballad Ormuring Langi original lyrics: [ Ссылка ]

Music
Artist: Týr
Song: Ormurin Langi

Painting
Artist: Otto Ludvig Sinding
Painting's Original Name in Norwegian: Slaget ved Svolder
Painting's Name in English: The Battle of Svolder

*The term ballad is used to describe a type of poem in Western literature which tells a story and is set to music that people dance and sing along.

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