“The Battle of Copenhagen”

Ten thousand Swedes ran through the weeds,
chased by one norwegian.
Ten thousand more ran to the shore
in the battle of Copenhagen.

Way, way back in history,
back when the world was new,
norwegian searched all over,
to find some snoose to chew.

They fished for Lutefisk and Torsk,
it helped to make them strong,
and you and me, we know a Norsk,
cannot do nothing wrong.

But swedes and danes were envious
of Viking trips and raids.
The Viking shields and helmet horns,
made all those folks afraid.

Throughout the world the Vikings sailed,
to Ireland and to France.
They even found America,
one afternoon by chance.

My grandpa says, and he should know,
the swedes made up the minds.
To beat the Norsky Vikings,
and kick a few behinds.

But history, so grandpa says,
show that the Norskies won.
They clobbered all the swedes and danes,
and made it lots of fun.

Ten thousand swedes ran through the weeds,
chased by one norwegian.

The dust from the weeds,
made snoose for the swedes,
and they called it Copenhagen,

E. C. Stangland

The full version of the ditty Frank, of Norwegian extraction, recited for me, of Swedish extraction, at the summit of Mt Baldy, is the source of much debate. “Chased by” or “chasing”? did it originate ‘back home’ or with immigrants in Minnesota? and most importantly, what was the Battle of Copenhagen? Hemingway wrote his own–expanded and globalized–version

A couple of touching eulogies to Sam, who recently passed away on Mt Baldy, by Edward Kim at Socalhiker.net, and Drew Robinson at Trailtopeak.com

Walking Project 012_ten thousand swedes from chris worland on Vimeo.