What does learning a Swedish Children's song have to do with the Ely Folk School?
- Rachael Pace
- 2 hours ago
- 3 min read
Since last Friday, Lucy and I have found ourselves humming a Swedish Children’s song about a frog on a relatively regular basis. Why? It’s because we were working on learning it to lead people in singing it at last Friday’s Kraftskiva Potluck!
Kraftskivas, translated to “crayfish party” originated in Sweden and celebrates crayfish hunting season. According to VisitSweden.com, “A highlight on the Swedish calendar, the ‘kräftskiva’ (crayfish party) – an annual seafood fest with lots of side dishes, drinks and joyous songs – is a summertime celebration dear to Swedes of all ages. Its history stretches back to as early as the 16th century, when it became popular with the royals. In the 17th century, Swedes started eating crayfish on a broader scale. The name kräftskiva was coined in the 1930s and it’s believed to derive from the 19th century bourgeois crayfish ritual ‘kräftsupa’ – involving crayfish and alcoholic drinks. As for the kräftskiva as we know it today, it took off in earnest in the 1960s.”
Why host a Kraftskiva party here at the Ely Folk School? Well, of course we love any excuse to host a potluck, and this one requires party hats and silly songs! But beyond just the opportunity to wear fun hats, this event is actually a great example of our mission here. It’s an opportunity for our community to come together to learn and celebrate culture and heritage - whether or not their identities you hold or you’re simply interested in learning more - while also placing it in the context of where we live now. On the same day we hosted this Swedish-inspired party, we had a pie dough class that discussed the “American-ness of pies,” and the next day “Around the Samovar: Insights into Folk Embroidery of the Slavic World” explored regional symbolism and embroidery across Ukraine and Russia.. This upcoming weekend we have a Foundations of Mead Making class that explores mead and fermented beverages in the context of human history.
We also use the Kraftskiva to learn about crayfish species in our area. Liz from the Lake County Soil and Water Conservation District and Matt from the 1854 Treaty Authority, shared information on aquatic invasive species, which include the rusty crayfish. (They also caught and cooked the rusty crayfish we ate during the potluck!)
After we enjoyed the food, Lucy and I led those present in that aforementioned Swedish children’s song about funny frogs (if you’d like to try it for yourself, we sang along to this video). For better or worse we didn’t get any video evidence of this. However, you can see a video from last year’s potluck of LynnAnne leading us in "Helan Går," a popular drinking song which is often referenced as a secondary national anthem of Sweden.
Speaking of music, we have a handful of fun, music-based community events coming up!
Join us at the folk school on Sunday, August 23rd at 6pm, for an intimate acoustic concert with Minnesota artists Sophie Hiroko and Lu Starr . We'll also have some appetizers to share!
All ticket sales will be donated back to the Ely Folk School for this summer fundraiser performance! Purchase a ticket ahead of time through our website or on the day of. Arrive early to reserve your seat!
On Friday, August 28th, we’re hosting another Old Time Strings Jam Session. Bring your instrument and join Joe Smith and other musicians to play around in a low-stakes environment. Old Time music is played in unison, without solo breaks - this is a wonderful chance to play in a community setting, whether that’s something you do frequently or have been wanting to try it out! Learn a little more and try out the songs we’ll be playing here..
Then on Saturday, August 29th we’re celebrating Play Music on the Porch Day with the Evergreen Trio who will be playing a variety of heritage music starting at 12pm. They’ll have an assortment of songs, including ones originating from Finnish, Slovenian, Jewish, and Italian heritages.
Our September’s Community Sing led by Chickadee-dee-dee will be on Tuesday, September 1st at 6pm. Emily, Grace, and Ellen are much more experienced song leaders than Lucy and I (and the songs will be in English! )
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