Lyr Req/Add: Land of Oden (Travis Wommack)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req/Add: Land of Oden (Travis Wommack)
From: GUEST
Date: 30 Sep 14 - 02:47 AM

I have a version by the Journeymen, the 1960's, and Yorkshire Yankee is very close. This seems derived from an old viking myth, possibly from "words of the wise one" in Old Saxon. Chords are Myxolydian, I usually use D and C, only two chiords in the song. haunting quaity. I like it, but rarely do it.

best wishes, Bard Francis, Society for creative Anachronism, musicologist ancient and folk music, play it on Kithara or Lute.

Local folks can call me at 530-926-0311 in PM if they like this sort of music.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req/Add: Land of Oden (Travis Wommack)
From: YorkshireYankee
Date: 10 Jul 13 - 06:43 PM

Remembered (very clearly - even though I am more than 50 years old!) from my days in Girl Scout Camp (during the 60s):

In the land of Oden, there stands a mountain
Ten thousand miles in the air;
This mountain measures, from edge to edge
Ten thousand miles square.

Once every million years,
A little bird comes winging
Sharpens his beak
And then quickly disappears...
And quickly disappears.

And when this mountain, is worn away,
Time to eternity will be one single day...
Will be one single day.

In the land of Oden, there stands a mountain
Ten thousand miles in the air...


What fascinates me is that there must be a fair number of tunes to go with all these versions, 'cos when I try to use the tune I know for many of the versions above, the words simply don't scan (though sometimes they almost do...).

Subject: RE: Lyr Req/Add: Land of Oden (Travis Wommack)
From: GUEST,me
Date: 10 Jul 13 - 03:09 PM

in the land of oden, there stands a mountain
ten thousand miles in the air
from edge to edge, that mountain measures
ten thousand miles square

once every million years, a little bird comes wingin
sharpens it's beak, on the mountain
and when that mountain, is worn away
eternity is but a day

in the of Oden, there runs a river
ten thousand miles, for its span
and from shore to shore, this rolling river
is filled by the tears of man

once every million years, a little bird comes wingin
dips it's beak in the water, drinks mankinds tears
and when that river, ceeses to be
that time is, eternity

in the land of oden, there stands a mountain
ten thousand miles in the air
from edge to edge, that mountain measures
ten thousand miles square

Subject: RE: Req/ADD: Land of Oden (Travis Wommack)
From: GUEST,Kristine
Date: 17 Jun 11 - 01:42 AM

The Nina and Frederik version was recorded on their LP album, "Dawn". The lyrics are:

In the land of Odin, there stands a mountain ten thousand miles in the air
In the land of Odin, there stands a mountain ten thousand miles in the air
Little bird come a'winging - aha
To sharpen its beak on the mountain once every thousand years
And when the mountain is worn away
This to eternity will be one single day

In the land of Odin, there stands a mountain ten thousand miles in the air
And that mountain is ten thousand miles square
Little bird come a'winging - aha
To sharpen its beak on the mountain once every thousand years
And when the mountain is worn away
This to eternity will be one single day

Subject: RE: Req/ADD: Land of Oden (Travis Wommack)
From: Dave MacKenzie
Date: 28 Sep 10 - 06:12 AM

I was surprised that it nothing to do with Hawick. Their motto is "Teribus Ye Teriodin" derived from the British for Land of Death and Land of Odin and has something to do with the Wild Hunt, though why the British should be celebrating a Norse deity is beyond me.

Subject: RE: Req/ADD: Land of Oden (Travis Wommack)
From: GUEST,Steve Travis
Date: 28 Sep 10 - 05:50 AM

I heard a woman sing this song just once, 25 years ago. I later recreated it from memory, filling in my own words and tune. I recently met her again and asked her to sing it. She barely remembered it. It sounded nothing like the version I reconstructed, and I couldn't really hear her sing her version. It just didn't register in my mind. Then I sang my version, which she liked. Then she told me her mother had passed away two weeks earlier, and her mother's Italian name translates to "Little Bird". Jeez. You can hear my version at steventravis.wordpress.com

Little Bird

In the land of Oden
There was a mountain,
Stood five miles in the air.

Once every year or so
there came a little bird
to scratch its beak upon the stone.

And when that little bird
had worn the mountain
all the way down to the crashing sea,

Then had one single day
in all of eternity
finally passed away.

I didn't know the origin of the song until just now.

Subject: RE: Req/ADD: Land Of Oden
From: GUEST
Date: 17 Jul 10 - 06:08 PM

Hi there
I know of a song with these very similar lyrics by Nina and Frederik who were a very popular Scandinavian folk duo in the 1960's and as a small boy i loved it. I believe this song was on the album Dawn, but also possibly on the album Lovers of the world Unite as both are very similar albums. I hope this leads you onwards on your search as I don't know who originally wrote the song but i believe the spelling on the album to be Odin not Oden but i loved their version of it.

Subject: RE: Req/ADD: Land Of Oden
From: Peace
Date: 19 Mar 08 - 06:21 PM

Joe, there is another thread that has some of this on it. I can't remember what its title is or whether it's on Mudcat, but let me assure you I saw it somewhere recently.

---

Look at the crosslinks above.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Req/ADD: Land Of Oden
From: Peace
Date: 19 Mar 08 - 06:19 PM

"We have relied on the fading memories of people who are in their fifties, or even older."

LOL

Subject: ADD: Land Of Oden (Travis Wommack)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 19 Mar 08 - 06:14 PM

OK, so in our long quest for lyrics to this song, we have still not arrived at a definitive transcription of this song. We have relied on the fading memories of people who are in their fifties, or even older. So, I think it's time to get down to business and do an actual transcription of an actual recording. Here's what I hear on the 1962 recording by the Travelers 3.

The Land of Oden
(Songwriter not identified - from Travelers 3 recording)

In the land of Oden there stands a mountain
One thousand miles in the air.
From edge to edge, this mountain
Is one thousand miles square.

A little bird comes winging
Once every million years,
And sharpens its beak on the mountain
And quickly disappears.

Thus when this mountain is worn away,
This to eternity will be one single day.

(Sing a verse of Oooh's, and then repeat the lyrics)

---

Now, my belief is that the definitive version of this song is the Peter & Gordon recording:


The Land of Oden
(Travis Wammack- from Peter & Gordon)

In the land of Oden there stands a mountain
One thousand miles in the air;
From edge to edge this mountain measures
One thousand miles square.

A little bird comes winging
Once in every million years,
Sharpens its beak on the mountain
And swiftly disappears.

Thus when this mountain was worn away,
This to eternity will be one single day.

[instrumental break, then repeat lyrics]


Transcribed by ear from "World Without Love" album by Peter and Gordon.

My personal belief is that this song was personally dictated to Travis Wammack by Sister Mary Conscience in 1958, when young Travis was in the eighth grade at Our Lady of the Precious Rosary Catholic School in Woonsocket, Rhode Island. This is one of many colorful "old nun's tales" I grew up with.

-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Land Of Oden
From: OldPossum
Date: 11 Feb 03 - 01:24 PM

- or go over here if you can't open a PDF file.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Land Of Oden
From: OldPossum
Date: 11 Feb 03 - 01:09 PM

It is one of Grimm's fairy tales - The Shepherd Boy 1812. See the third question.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Land Of Oden
From: MMario
Date: 11 Feb 03 - 10:36 AM

I seem to recall this story from back in the misty depths of time when studying myths and folklore in grammer school - but it could have been Van Loon's rather than something traditional.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Land Of Oden
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 11 Feb 03 - 10:13 AM

Oops! I just realized that a lot of this information was already posted by Joe Offer in the other thread. However, it just dawned on me that the "Henry Van Loon" listed as a co-author with Barry McGuire, and "Hendrick Van Loon", author of the 1921 quote, are probably the same person.

Here's a hypothetical scenario: Barry McGuire reads Van Loon's book, and decides to set the story to music. Figuring his audience will be unfamiliar with "Svithjod", he translates it as "Land of Odin", the Norse god. Either he or his music publisher misspells both Odin and Hendrick. The song gets passed around, and other performers, mistaking it for an old traditional song, modify it a bit and claim authorship themselves, failing to credit McGuire or Van Loon.

The remaining mystery is where Van Loon got the story. I don't think he invented it.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Land Of Oden
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 11 Feb 03 - 09:58 AM

According to AMG/All Music Guide, the correct spelling is "Land of Oden." It appeared on Peter & Gordon's 1965 album "I Don't Want to See You Again" (which has been re-released with "World without Love" as one CD), and it's credited to "Travis/Wammack" but I think that's an error.

BMI lists 3 different compositions called "Land of Oden":

one (aka "Eternity") by Ronald P Shipman--this one was recorded by Phil Campos;

one by Barry McGuire and Henry Van Loon, recorded by Barry McGuire and Barry Kane;

and one by Peter Asher and Gordon Waller (Peter & Gordon)--see above.

The song, without attribution, has found its way into several collections of "campfire" songs, scouting songs, etc.

As a parable or folk tale (not a song) I have heard this story repeated in religious contexts. I had the vague notion it was Buddhist or Hindu in origin, but I have been unable to confirm this. I did find this quote, however:

High in the North in a land called Svithjod there is a mountain. It is a hundred miles long and a hundred miles high and once every thousand years a little bird comes to this mountain to sharpen its beak. When the mountain has thus been worn away, a single day of eternity will have passed.
Hendrick Van Loon (History of Mankind, 1921)

Svithjod seems to be an old name for part of Norway or Sweden.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Land Of Oden
From:
Date: 15 Jan 03 - 10:27 PM

Recorded by Peter & Gordon in 60's
In the land of Oden / there stands a mountain / one thousand miles in the air / (missing lyrics) / one thousand miles square

A little bid comes winging / once in every million years / sharpens its beak on the mountain / and quickly disappears / thus when this mountain was worn away / this to eternity would be one single day

Subject: ADD: Land Of Oden
From: raredance
Date: 01 Jun 00 - 09:26 PM

The version I learned 30+ years ago is pretty similar. A friend of mine came back to college from summer vacation with it. I have never heard a recording, although I am sure they exist, and I don't know anything of its origins. I've always sung it with some "ooooooing" at the beginning and end.

In the land of Odin, there stands a mountain
One hundred miles in the air.
From edge to edge, this mountain measures
Ten thousand miles square.
A little bird comes winging, once every million years
To sharpen its beak on that mountain,
Then quickly disappears, for another million years.
Now when that mountain is all worn away
This, to eternity shall be
One single day, one single day.

rich r

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Land Of Oden
From: Lanfranc
Date: 01 Jun 00 - 07:37 PM

The version I have, originally from Colin Scot back in the 60's goes:

"In the land of Odin, there stands a mountain
Ten thousand miles in the air
From edge to edge, that mountain measures
Ten thousand miles square

Once in a million years, a little bird comes
Sharpens its beak on the mountain and flies away

And when that mountain is worn clean away
That, to eternity, will be just one single day."

Subject: ADD: Lyr Req: Land Of Odin
From: MMario
Date: 01 Jun 00 - 11:06 AM

Would that be this one?

In the land of Odin there stands a mountain,
that reaches a hundred miles in the air.
From edge to edge, that sacred mountain,
measures one thousand miles square.

A little bird comes wingin'
once every million years
to sharpen its beak on that mountain
and then quickly disappear,
for another million years.

And when that mountain shall be all worn away,
that, to eternity, shall be -- one single day...

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Land Of Oden
From: SINSULL
Date: 01 Jun 00 - 11:05 AM

The Donovan song? "In the valley of Odin
There's a mountain
Ten thousand miles in the air?"

If that's it, I may have it somewhere. Will look.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Land Of Oden
From: Peg
Date: 01 Jun 00 - 10:59 AM

would the spelling perhaps be "Land of Odin" as in the Norse god?

Subject: Land Of Oden
From: Banjoman_CO
Date: 01 Jun 00 - 10:44 AM

I tried this under a different thread and had no luck. Here we go again. Does anyone know the song "Land Of Oden". There is a second verse that I am looking for. Any help would be appreciated.

Banjoman