Interesting Facts about the Den Gamla Briggen
The Den Gamla Briggen or Svineper was the most popular pumping shanty of all Scandinavian. The original was the Norvegian, but also we can find the German and Swedish versions. This is a Swedish version of this beautiful pump shanty, it comes from “Sang under Segel” (1935), Sigurd Sternwall’s Swedish shanty book. The Swedish version gives us the same story but has a different type of chorus. It is in “broken-down”, i. e. “spoiled” Norvegian according to the notes in Sternval’s book.
Fortunately for me, I have Sigurd’s Sternwall’s book in my collection and I compared Stan Hugill verses with Sternval’s ones, and I discovered that Hugills 4th verse doesn’t appear in Sternwall’s book, which must come from the J. Ingemarsson of Valberg (Shantyman which gives this version to Stan Hugill). Also, the tempo in the original song in music notation is 3/4 in Stan Hugill’s book 2/4. And last comparing value Stan Hugill gives us 8 verses (including a unique one from the J. Ingemarsson of Valberg), and Sternvall gives us 15.
The biggest dilemma for me was which version I should reconstruct, the obvious choice was Sigurd Sternvall’s version because his book is much rarer than Hugill’s “Shanties From the Seven Seas”. But because Hugill’s version contains this one completely unique 4th verse I will reconstruct Hugill’s print version.
The source of this sea shanty
The music: “Shanties from the Seven Seas” by Stan Hugill (1st ed p 235).
The lyrics: “Shanties from the Seven Seas” by Stan Hugill (1st ed p 235).
The Record of the Den Gamla Briggen
You also can find this record on my YouTube channel here or directly listen below. Additionally, if you want to share your opinion about the record or share your opinion you can do it in my Facebook forum here, or leave a comment at the bottom of this blog article.
The musical notation
The full lyrics
Den Gamla Briggen
Udi Parmarentha der låg en gammel brigg,
Udi Stykker var hans sail, og udsliten var hans rigg,
– For ti-di-li, am-tam-ta, For ti-di-li, am-tam-ta!
– Vi hurra for den reisen naar vi kom till Langeland.
* 2 *
Foruden hvide lester var han sort som en ravn,
Det var en gammel vase, han var kjöbt fra Kjöbenhavn.
* 3 *
En hver ma nu vidden skuden var ej rar,
Forthy bogspröjtet var aabrekt det beste som der var.
* 4 *
Vi had ingen klyverbom, vi rigged ud en kolt,
Og folket orket ingenting, var udpint og sult.
* 5 *
Gallionen hun laa allt i veien for oss.
Hver gang vi skulle have voran klyvare loss.
* 6 *
Og spröjtet den peger i den himmelske sky,
Og atten aarhundrede siden den skudden var ny.
* 7 *
Kompass udi sitt nakterhaus, det har hun aldrig haft,
Vi stryde efter kullen på en gammel flossehat.
* 8 *
Nakterhuset var vel ett gammelt vejaskul,
Og ratten er gjort av ett gamelt rokkehjul.