Walpurgis Fires

April 30th

The celebration of Walpurgis Night, or Valborgsmässoafton in Swedish (“Valboree”) is so ancient, there are many reasons given as to why it appears on the calendar.  Some say that the tradition stems from rural communities as they would bring their animals out into the fields this time of year, and fires were lit to scare away predators.  Others claim it as an important spiritual holiday of fertility and rebirth, as it is the midpoint between the Spring Equinox and the Summer Solstice and the eve of the pagan holiday Beltane.  Of course, the early church authorities recognized this, and canonized Saint Walpurga, who is best known for fighting back the tide of witchcraft.  If the masses cannot be purged of their pagan rituals, just give the holiday some proper Christian context.

 Regardless of its origins, it is seems rather intuitive as to why it should be celebrated here in Umeå.  Once the snow had melted, it was time to light the fires ushering in the spring!  Old doors, broken chairs, and other wooden refuse were piled up, and multiple trees were stacked atop them to a height of about ~20 feet.  A choir was assembled (Swedes love to sing) and began to sing “Spring Songs”, like “Längtan till Landet” (“Longing for a country”):

 

The winter raged among our fjällar;
drift flowers melt down and die.
The sky smiles in the spring's bright nights,
sun kisses forests and lakes.
Soon it is summer here. In purple waves,
Gold plated, shades of blue,
lie the meadows in today's flames,
and in the grove dance källorne.

Yes, I come! Greet, happy winds,
Out to the country, out to fåglerne,
That I love them, birch and linden,
lake and mountain, I want to see them again,
see them as in my childhood,
follow the creek dancing to clarified lake,
thrush singing in the pine forest groves,
Water play around the bird's bay and oh…  

  

Thanks, Google translate!  Well, there were a few untranslated words (in bold) I’ll have to ask someone about, but the overall meaning should be clear.  Spring is finally here!  We’ve never been so excited to see a lawn.  We’ve also recently seen ducks pairing together, birds making nests, a few flowers, leaves beginning to emerge, baby lambs, and tadpoles.

PONIES!

Walpurgis Revelers (some well past their bedtime)

European coltsfolt - the first wildflower we’ve seen emerge!  Also called ‘son-before-the-father’, the flower emerges before the hoof-shaped leaves.  It has traditional medicinal use as an expectorant for coughs and bronchial infections.