In my country, Sweden, the night of Midsummer Eve is thought of as one of the most magical and mystical nights of the year.
During the Middle Ages, medicinal herbs picked on Midsummer’s Eve were considered more potent and were believed to create a stronger healing effect. I have never heard any of my herbalist friends talk about midsummer night harvests. Still, the urge to absorb nature’s heightened and benevolent energy on this day seems to be deeply ingrained in the Swedish subconscious.
Mother Nature calls upon us
Even today, the longing to spend this weekend in nature creates a pilgrimage of people from the cities to the countryside. The busiest streets in Stockholm look like they do during the finals of the World Cup in football (except for the few open restaurants and bars, which are filled with bewildered tourists – Where did all the people go??!)
If the weather permits, many Swedes gather with their extended family or in large groups of friends to spend the day together. Flower picking and garland making of flowers and birch branches to decorate the maypole. Abundant meals outside; herring, salmon, new potatoes and all the delicious and early vegetables, served in all possible variations. There are cakes and copious amounts of strawberries for dessert. A lot of singing and toasting is also common. I found an old photo from one of my childhood Midsummer celebrations. I apologise for the composition, this was long before I knew anything else about photography, than pressing the button!
Every little country village with self-respect has their own maypole to dance around, which comes in handy after all the food, drinks and singing and is a relief for the children who have been trying to “behave” for far too long.
In this small country in the far north, the summer nights are short. At the beginning of the summer, it’s more like dusk than night, which adds to the magic and mystique. North of the Arctic Circle, where I grew up (I just learned that it is approximately above the latitude 66̊ 33′ N), one can even experience the midnight sun in the summer (but the cost for the lavishness of light is high during winter…).
Taking a look beyond what is usually there
Many early records tell us that people believed the veil between the seen and the unseen worlds was thinner on the night of Midsummer’s Eve. The trolls and fairies could show themselves to those who wandered around in the wilderness. (You can Google John Bauer, a famous illustrator (1882-1918), to see what Swedish trolls look like…).
People also thought the night of Midsummer’s Eve could give them a glimpses of what the future held for them. As always, love was high on the list of things that people wanted to know about. The recipe for learning about one’s future differed from region to region.
A tradition I grew up with was midnight walks in solitude on Midsummer Eve (I usually brought my dog, though). Picking seven different flowers, placing the bouquet under the pillow and going to bed in silence, then you can be rewarded with a sneak peek of your future lover. However, if a single word is uttered during the process, the spell is broken.
If you have ever been to Scandinavia at the beginning of the summer, and if you have had the pleasure of walking in the uninhabited areas at dusk or dawn, I think you understand where these beliefs come from. Nature feels alive, wild and rather uninterested in what a little human being does in the middle of its vastness.
Today, I want to share music by someone brilliant at capturing the ancient, otherworldly melancholy that rests over the untouched parts of the Scandinavian landscape: the Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg. These are two of my favourite melodies from his masterpiece Peer Gynt combined into one – Morning Mood & Solveig’s Song.
The recording is from earlier this year, from the National Gugak Centre’s latest album. This is an organisation that teaches and preserves traditional Korean folk and court music, as well as all the traditional instruments.
This recording is a beautiful blend of two cultures so geographically far away from each other, and yet I can “hear” the same fragrance of pine, spruce, mountains and streams.
I am delighted to get the opportunity to share one of my absolute favourite singers and musicians with you today – sEODo, who you will hear in the latter part of this piece. I will tell you more about him another time, but today, he will bring you my best wishes for a mystical, magical and joyful Midsummer.
And if you are curious about your future beloved, maybe a midnight stroll in solitude can be worthwhile. Just don’t scare the fairies, and beware of the trolls!
Much love,
Carin
