Towards hymnological decolonisation in Norway

The Sálbmagirjji šuokŋagirji – The Northern Sámi hymn tune accompaniment book

Abstract

Sálbmagirjji šuokŋagirji (hymn book sound book, published by Verbum, Oslo in 2023) is a Norwegian publication of international significance. It plays a role in the healing of memories, in ongoing truth-telling and reconciliation between the oppressed and the largely unaware majority population, and it acknowledges that a multiplicity of understandings of place, culture and identity are necessary components in all societies. More relevant for hymnology, it also contributes to notation and performance-practice discourse and provides an example of a stepping stone towards cultural self-awareness and post-colonial indigenous agency. In practical terms, it also enables western-trained musicians to approach a musical tradition with an alternative starting point and trajectory.

In this article, we aim to show that this publication is a practical resource based on ethnographic research into hymn singing practices in Northern Sámi culture. Additionally, we argue that this resource is a both a programmatic document which provides an alternative musicological trajectory in understandings of musical practice in indigenous culture, and not least, it is itself a product of indigenous agency. We analyse the processes involved in compiling the book, and in choosing notational practices based upon historical and contemporary singing practices. Some social and ethical issues relevant to the discussion are also explicated.