The travelling musician who was not settled in any particular rural community was in many ways a contrasting figure to the resident farmer, but there was no big difference between the fiddle music the Travellers played and that of the resident population. They played the same types of folk tunes and essentially had the same repertoire. Ånon Egeland therefore points out that the previous view of folk music, which emphasises that the traditions have been based on local affiliation, might need to be more nuanced (Egeland 2000).
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Five musicians with their instruments. Foto: Anno Glomdalsmuseet
Despite the fact that the residents’ and the Travellers’ music had much in common, the particular characteristic of Traveller fiddle players is described as tatersleng ("Tater flare") or fantesleng (“vagabond flare"). An example from the Agder area is that there the Travellers’ music had variable intervals, playing with dissonant unison (bourdon play) and pulsing with the bow (Egeland 2000).
Although not much has been written about fiddle players of Traveller heritage in general, Nils Bakke and fiddle player Hilmar Aleksandersen are well documented. Mary Barthelemy has researched the musician "Fant-Karl" and discovered new facts about the influence of these musicians on Norwegian musical life.
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Bernhard Osa (left) and Hilmar Alexandersen (right). Foto: Anno Glomdalsmuseet
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Hilmar Alexandersen (left) and Bernhard Osa, 1987. Foto: Nils Torske / Anno Glomdalsmuseet.
The fiddle was the dominant musical instrument from the eighteenth century onwards, and well into the twentieth century. The fiddle players performed the music that was popular at the time and played almost exclusively dance music. There are few fiddlers of Traveller heritage today. This is mostly because other musical instruments and musical forms have taken over, but the old ballads remain and are considered musical heirlooms.
Many ballads are called taterviser (Tater ballads). Tater ballads, as Hans Hinrich Thedens claims, may be various songs used and "propagated" by the people themselves. These can be anything from songs in Romani to old hits of different origins.
The most important characteristic of the Travellers’ music tradition is not the music itself, but the way it is performed and conveyed. Knowledge of music is transferred from older to younger generations and different families may interpret the traditional ballads differently.
