Echoes of Poltava - V - Polska from Orsa / Ten-Thousand Men

"Femtusen man från Dalorten sprang..."
Traditional, pre-18th century.

Performed by Laude Novella and Insula Magica.

[smygskytt]

It's a very beautiful song, but it is not about the great northern war at all. It's about the Dalecarlian rebellion of 1743.

After Charles XII died, royal absolutism ended and Sweden had a half-century of parliamentarianism. Two parties now emerged: the Hats and the Caps. The hats were the party of the nobility and they constantly sought a new war against Russia and had their will in 1743; it was an unmitigated disaster.

It is now that the people of Dalecarlia rose in protest to show their anger and elect the Danish prince king. They then marched on Stockholm, and the soldiers sent to stop them instead joined the march.

They had essentially won, but the leaders couldn't keep cohesion over the men whilst inside Stockholm. New soldiers arrived to the capital, opened fire on the revolters, and took the remainders captive. They were eventually released, but not before they had been ravaged by diseases in the now over-crowded prisons.

This event is essentially the Tiananmen Square massacre of Swedish history.

Here is my translation of the first stanza:

"Five thousand man, from Dalecarlia ran,
with hob-nailed shoes and clubs in their hands,
to defend their heartlands."