Virgin Spring

Subject: Virgin Spring
From: Fred McCormick
Date: 21 Aug 09 - 05:36 AM

Ingmar Bergman's film, Silent Spring is based on a Swedish ballad called Töres dotter i Wänge. Does anybody know where I can uncover a text of Töres dotter i Wänge?.

NB., I'm not asking out any scholarly motives. I'm just curious to see how it compares with the film.

Subject: RE: Virgin Spring
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 21 Aug 09 - 05:48 AM

It is also related to Babylon; or The Banks of Fordie [Child # 14]: Child refers to the Scandinavian variants in his headnote, which might help in locating versions. Hope this helps.

Subject: RE: Virgin Spring
From: maeve
Date: 21 Aug 09 - 05:51 AM

Is this what you are looking for? I found it here
Töres dotter i Wänge

Pehr Tyrssons döttrar i Vänge,
Kaller var deras skog
de sufvo en sömn för länge.
Medan skogen han lövas
Först vaknade den yngsta,
Kaller...
Så väckte hon upp de andra
Medan...

    (the rest is shown without the refrain)
   
    Så satte de sig på sänge-stock.
    Så flätade de hvarandras lock.
    Så togo de på sina silkesklä'r.
    Så gingo de sig åt kyrkan.
    Men när som de kommo på Vängelid
    Der möta dem tre Vallare.
    - Ant'en vill J bli' Wallare-vif,
    Eller vill J mista Ert unga lif?
    - Inte villa vi bli' Vallarevif,
    Heldre vi miste vårt unga lif.
    De höggo deras hufvu'n på björke-stock,
    Så rann der strax tre källor opp.
    Kroppen grofvo de ner i dy.
    Kläderna buro de fram till by.
    När som de kommo till Vänga gård,
    Ute för dem fru Karin står
    -Och vill J köpa silkes särkar
    Som nio jungfrur ha' stickat å virkat?
    - Lös upp Edra säckar och låten mig se,
    Kan hända jag tör känna dem alla tre
    Fru Karin slog sig för sitt bröst,
    Hon gångar för Pehr Tyreson opp
    - Det håller tre Wallare upå vår gård,
    De hafva gjort af med döttrarne vår.
    Pehr Tyrsson ta'r sitt svärd i hand,
    Hn högg ihjäl de äldsta två.
    Den tredje lät han lefva
    Tills han fick honom fråga:
    - Hvad heter eder Fader?
    Hvad heter eder Moder?
    - Vår fader, Pehr Tyrsson i Vänge;
    Vår moder fru Karin i Skränge
    Per Tyrson går sig åt smedjan
    Han lät smidja sig jern om medjan
    - Hvad ska' vi nu göra för syndamehn?
    - Vi ska' bygga en kyrka af kalk å sten.
    - Den kyrkan skall heta Kerna
    Den skall vi bygga upp så gerna.[2]

Subject: RE: Virgin Spring
From: maeve
Date: 21 Aug 09 - 05:53 AM

An English language translation is included on the Wiki site link, above.

maeve

Subject: RE: Virgin Spring
From: Fred McCormick
Date: 21 Aug 09 - 06:53 AM

Thanks for the info folks. I checked in Child, but not connecting the film with the Bonnie Banks of Fordie, hadn't thought to read the headnote.

Having looked at the text which Maeve provided, the film appears to diverge from the ballad in several crucial respects. This is probably only to be expected. But it raises two questions.

Firstly, might there be other versions which are closer to the screenplay?

Also, there are several details which are in the film, but not in the ballad, but which which look to me like they might be Swedish folklore motifs in their own right. I'm thinking particularly of the sister putting the toad in the stottie cake, and the spring flowing up from where the corpse was laid.

Anyone care to comment?

Subject: RE: Virgin Spring
From: maeve
Date: 21 Aug 09 - 07:11 AM

Fred, when I conducted the google search there were some sites that seemed devoted to the ballad and some devoted to the film. You might find what some useful information in the same way.

I've never seen the film, nor do I have any way to see it now, so I can't contribute much to that part of the discussion.

maeve

Subject: RE: Virgin Spring
From: Fred McCormick
Date: 21 Aug 09 - 07:16 AM

Maeve,

I googled the ballad title and got endless discussions of the film but nothing about the ballad itself. I'll try again.

Fred.

Subject: RE: Virgin Spring
From: maeve
Date: 21 Aug 09 - 07:40 AM

I think I used the title plus ballad, Fred.

maeve