Kong Christian stod ved højen mast

Denmark's King Christian IV lost an eye in the sea ​​battle on the Kolberger Heide , but held out against the Swedes.

Kong Christian stod ved højen mast ("King Christian stood on the high mast") is the royal national anthem of Denmark . The original melody comes from Ditlev Ludvig Rogert , the text from Johannes Ewald (1779). The revised version of the melody that is common today comes from Friedrich Kuhlau , who used it in the overture of his incidental music to the drama Elverhøj (1828). A well-known processing of the melody comes from Peter Iljitsch Tschaikowski , who composed the Danish Overture in D major op.15 , which is also known as the Festival Overture to the Danish National Anthem , in 1866 on the occasion of the wedding of Tsarevich Alexander and Princess Dagmar of Denmark . Exactly 30 years later, the English composer Clement Harris (1871–1897) also quoted the royal national anthem in his March festival on the occasion of the wedding of Princess Maud to Prince Carl of Denmark on July 22, 1896.

background

The stanzas of the text refer to various historical events and personalities:

• The naval battle on the Kolberger Heide during the Torstensson War with Sweden in 1644, in which King Christian IV personally had the supreme command.
• Admiral Niels Juel , who acted in the Skåne War (1674–1679) and won several times over Swedish associations.
• The Norwegian naval hero Peter Wessel Tordenskjold , who carried out pirate trips and similar undertakings against Sweden in the Great Northern War (1700–1721).

Use of the Danish hymns

In the Kingdom of Denmark two official national anthems are used: the royal anthem Kong Christian (King Christian) and the so-called national anthem Der er et yndigt land (There is a lovely country).

• The royal anthem is played on official occasions when members of the Danish royal family or the Danish government are present or in which the head of state of the host country or members of the host government participate. The royal anthem is also played during fleet visits and military sports events.

• For other, civil occasions, such as B. sporting events, visitor exchanges u. a. the national anthem is played.

song lyrics

Original Danish text Kong Christian stod ved højen mast i røg and steam; hans værge hamrede så almost, at gotens hjelm og hjerne brast. Then hvert sank fjendtligt spejl og mast in red and steam. Fly, skreg de, fly, hvad flygte kan! hvo står for Danmarks Christian hvo står for Danmarks Christian i kamp? Niels Juel published a report on stormens brag. Nu er det tid; Han hejsede det røde flag and slog on the fjenden slag i slag. Da skreg de højt blandt stormens brag: Nu er det tid! Fly, skreg de, hver, som véd et skjul! hvo kan bestå mod Danmarks Juel hvo kan bestå mod Danmarks Juel i strid? O, Nordhav! Glimt af Wessel brød din mørke sky; Da ty'de kæmper til dit skød; This is the case with a window and dod. Fra vallen heard vrål, som brød the tykke sky. Fra Danmark Lyner Tordenskjold; hver give sig i himlens vold hver give sig i himlens vold og fly! You danskes vej til ros og like, sortladne hav; Modtag din ven, som uforiges tør møde faren med asks så stolt what you like mod stormens, sortladne hav! Og rask own noise and spil and campaign and security for some of them and campaign and security for some of them min grav!

German translation King Christian stood on the high mast, in smoke and steam. His sword hammered so hard that the goth's helmet and brain burst. Then all the enemy aft decks and masts sank in smoke and steam. “Flee”, they shouted, “flee whoever can flee! Who stands against Denmark's Christian, who stands against Denmark's Christian in battle? " Niels Juel paid attention to the roar of the storm. Now is the time. He raised the red flag and hit the enemy blow after blow. Then they shouted loudly in the roar of the storm: Now is the time! “Flee,” they shouted, “anyone who knows a hiding place! who can stand against Denmark's Juel, who can stand against Denmark's Juel in battle? " O, North Sea! Wessel's gaze broke your dark sky. The fighters took refuge in your lap for terror and death flashed with him. A scream was heard from the wall as it broke the massive sky. Tordenskjold flashes from Denmark; everyone succumbs to the power of heaven, everyone succumbs to the power of heaven and escape! You danish way to praise and power, blackish sea. Receive your friend who is undaunted dares to face the danger with contempt as proud as you against the power of the storm, blackish sea! And research through noise and play and struggle and victories lead me in and struggle and victories lead me in my grave!

Remarks

1. ↑ Cf. supplement to the CD " Max von Schillings : Kassandra · The Eleusian Festival / Siegfried Wagner : Sehnsucht / Clement Harris: Paradise Lost · Festival March" ( Thuringian Symphony Orchestra Saalfeld-Rudolstadt under Konrad Bach), 8.223660 of the Naxos series label Marco Polo, 1994, p. 40.
2. ↑ The Swedes are meant.
3. ↑ Niels Juel
4. ↑ Peter Wessel Tordenskiold

Trivia

In the Danish crime comedy The Olsen Gang sees red (1976), a legendary film scene uses a performance of the overture to "Elverhoj" by Friedrich Kuhlau to drown out the noises of the gang as they break into the Royal Theater in Copenhagen, whereby the moment of the sound is heard uses the royal anthem in Kuhlaus Musik for the final theft.

See also

• List of national anthems