Ein táttur eftir Sjóvarbóndan – ella tveir? / A Faroese jocular ballad by Sjóvarbóndin – or two?

Abstract

Úrtak: Í greinini vísir høvundurin á at tann tátturin sum í Føroya kvæðum ber heitið „Mikkjals táttur“ (CCF 201), í roynd og veru er yrktur av Jens Chr. Djurhuus, Sjóvarbóndanum eldra (1773-1853). Víst verður eisini á at samband má vera millum henda táttin og ein annan tátt, „Abba Nouva“, sum í illa bronglaðum líki stendur í kvæðahandritinum Fugloyarbók (frá fyri 1854). Høvundurin heldur góð sannlíkindir vera til at báðir tættirnir hava sama høvuðspersón, og hann gevur eitt boð upp á hvør hesin hevur verið. Eisini setur høvundurin fram ta tilgiting at Sjóvarbóndin kann hava yrkt báðar tættirnar.

Abstract: The article shows that the jocular ballad entitled Mikkjals táttur in Føroya kvæði (CCF 201), was in fact composed by Jens Chr. Djurhuus, popularly known as Sjóvarbóndin eldri (‘Sjóvarbóndin the older’, 1773-1853) after his farm, Sjógv, in Kollafjørður. A case is also made for there being a connection between Mikkjals táttur and another ballad, Abba Nouva, which appears in extremely garbled form in the ballad manuscript Fugloyarbók (from before 1854). The author considers there is a strong likelihood both ballads portray one and the same person, and he hazards a guess about who this person might have been. It is also suggested that Djurhuus may be behind both ballads.