Du gamla, Du fria
From Freepedia
"Du gamla, Du fria" ("Thou Ancient, Thou Free") is the unofficial national anthem of Sweden. Although the Swedish constitution makes no mention of a national anthem, "Du gamla, Du fria" enjoys universal recognition and is used at, for example, sporting events. Only the first two verses are normally sung. In international sporting events, only the first verse is played, similar to "The Star-Spangled Banner".
The lyrics were written by Richard Dybeck in 1844 to a traditional melody from Västmanland. The song began to be used as a national anthem in the 1890s. Official acceptance as national anthem in 1866 is a well-spread factoid, and a Riksdag committee turned down a proposal to give the song official status in 2000 with the motivation that it did not need one.
Contents |
Lyrics
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Translation
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See also
- Flag of Sweden
- National holiday of Sweden
- Holidays in Sweden
- Vårt land (Maamme) - Finland's national anthem, originally with Swedish lyrics
- Ålänningens sång - the official anthem of Åland
External links
| Image:Sweden flag 300.png | Swedish patriotic songs | Image:Sweden flag 300.png |
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Du gamla, Du fria | Gustafs skål | Kungssången | ||



