Swedish bagpipes

Introduction

Though this is perhaps not common knowledge, even among Swedes, bagpiping has a long history in Sweden. There are several images of bagpipes and bagpipers in Swedish churches from the 14th century and onwards. So, at least the instrument has been known for a long time. There is hardly any evidence that the bagpipes were also played in Sweden in the middle ages, but there is little reason to doubt it - Sweden was under heavy cultural influence from central and western Europe at the time. Later reports, from the 17th-19th century, describe situations including bagpipes in an off-hand way, not as an exotic instrument.

But only one bagpipe model survived the battle with the less demanding fiddles and accordions, to see the 20th century. In western Dalarna, bagpipes were still common in the 19th century, and the last traditional piper was heard playing the pipes as late as in the 1940's. Gudmunds Nils Larsson (1892-1949) knew only a handful of tunes, but, being the last known piper, he became an essential link to the past.

Olle Gällmo
Email: olle@gallmo.se
WWW: http://olle.gallmo.se