Berit Opheim about the Dream Song
Berit Opheim has been performing Draumkvedet for 30 years. On Wednesday, January 14, she will perform it in Førde church together with Karl Seglem, Sigbjørn Apeland and Nils Økland. Photo: Roger Tallroth.
On the 13th day of Christmas, Olav Åsteson woke up after falling into a deep sleep on Christmas Eve. In Draumkvedet, he tells of all the dreams he has had, and we spoke with Berit Opheim about her thoughts on the poem.
On Wednesday, January 14th, she will perform it in Førde church together with Karl Seglem, Nils Økland and Sigbjørn Apeland.
"The dream ballad is a mystery that has not been solved," says Berit Opheim when we ask her what it is about our most famous medieval ballad that captivates so many. She has been making the Dream Song for 30 years, but is still fascinated by this unsolved mystery. The content is both magical and mysterious. Much has been researched, but no one has found the answer. How old is it? Who made it? Why? Many have theories, but no one has the answer.
"The magic is that there's something we can't get a hold of. I can feel that," she says. "I have to use my own intuition and creativity to get into the material."
Eternal wisdom
When Opheim performs the Dream Poem, something new stands out every time. To a greater or lesser extent. -There are different aspects of the poem that speak to me. It becomes like a kind of meditation, she says. You have to think a lot, so you just have to throw yourself into it.
It is a fantastic story about Olav Åsteson who fell into a deep sleep on Christmas Eve and woke up on the 13th day of Christmas (January 6) and told about all the dreams he had. In his dreams he had been in the realm of the dead, and gained life wisdom that Berit Opheim believes we can learn something from in our time. -The message is simple: 'Blessed is he who in his birthplace', that is, on earth, is generous and helpful and helps those in need with shoes, food and clothing. Live like this, and you will be fine when you go to the other side, she says. -It is a battle between good and evil, and good wins - according to Olav Åsteson!
Multiple versions
The dream poem exists in many versions, and there is no definitive answer. -I learned the poem by listening to recordings by Sondre Bratland and Agnes Buen Garnås, but I use a version by Molkte Moe, where I have omitted a verse or two, and am left with 47-48, says Berit Opheim. It is called restitution, she explains, that you can put different parts together into one version.
Berit Opheim had her first performance of the entire Draumkvedet in a private room in Voss 30 years ago. She remembers it well, but performing the Draumkvedet in Nidaros Cathedral, as she has been honored to do three times, is probably what has made the biggest impression. It gives a very special dimension. – You know, one theory is that Olav Åsteson is Olav the Holy. 'Åst' means love, so Olav 'son of love' is the wise, wise creature who will teach us how to live our lives. – Nidaros Cathedral, yes, and then that time in a cabin out in the sea outside Stad! Such experiences stay with you for a long time, she says.