Sondre Bratland - Draumkvedet

“Draumkvedet” literally means “The Dream Ballad”, and is the dream vision of Olav Åsteson, who falls asleep on Christmas Eve and sleeps through all twelve days of Christmas.

Many years tend to pass between each time a new interpretation of “Draumkvedet” is recorded. With Sondre Bratland’s version of this mighty medieval work, an obelisk is being erected in the Norwegian cultural landscape. This is a reference work that ought to be found in every home and at every school in Norway.

In this ballad Olav Åsteson, falls asleep on Christmas Eve and sleeps through all twelve days of Christmas. When he wakes he rides to church, where he sits in the doorway and tells of what he has dreamed. The ballad, which is of unknown origin and has been passed through generations as folk songs in numerous variants, has achieved the status of a national cultural treasure in Norway.

Bratland’s Draumkvedet was recorded in Northern Spain, along country lanes and in churches, surrounded by the sounds and elements of nature: wind, water, animals and birds.