Ålänningens sång
Regional anthem of Åland, Finland
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"Ålänningens sång" (lit. 'Ålander's Song') is the official regional anthem of Åland, an autonomous Swedish-speaking province of Finland. Adopted in 1922, the anthem's lyrics were written by John Grandell, and the music was composed by Johan Fridolf Hagfors. The song was first performed during the song festival in Mariehamn 1922. In Åland, the song is mostly sung on Midsummer's Eve and on Åland's Autonomy Day on 9 June.[1]
| English: 'Ålander's Song' | |
|---|---|
 | |
Regional anthem of Åland | |
| Also known as | "Ahvenanmaalaisten laulu" |
| Lyrics | John Grandell |
| Music | Johan Fridolf Hagfors |
| Adopted | 1922 |
| Audio sample | |
Instrumental rendition in E-flat major | |
History
"Ålänningens sång" was first written by John Grandell in 1922 when he was visiting Skansen in Stockholm, Sweden.[2] It was shortly after Åland had been granted self-government under Finnish authority but with their Swedish culture respected.[3] Grandell was asked by Johannnes Eriksson to write a song for Ålanders to rally around as a distinct symbol. It was first performed at a national song festival in Mariehamn. Grandell was inspired to write it due to his mother being from Åland and he wanted to pay tribute to her and her homeland through "Ålänningens sång".[2]
The song originally had four verses, but the third verse had been omitted for a long time when the song is sung and often when it appears in print.[2] The reason for the omittance of the fourth was given by Grandell as for timing so the song was not too long.[2] However, it has been argued by critics that the reason was it was because it was too political in terms of the verse being a lament to the Swedish language.[4] In tribute to the composition of the music, the Hagfort Medal is awarded yearly by Friends of Swedish Schools.[5]
Lyrics
| Swedish original[6][7] | IPA transcription[a] |
|---|---|
Landet med tusende öar och skär, |
[ˈlanː.dɛt meː(d) ˈtʉː.sɛn.dɛ ˈøː.ar ɔ(kː) ɧæːr] |
| Finnish translation[citation needed] | English translation |
Tuhannen saaren ja luodon maa, |
Land of thousand islands and skerries |