Om dur- og moll-preg i Arvidsjaur-joiker

Abstract

Taking into account the archaic traits of the Sami joik tradition in general, Matts Arnberg and Karl-Olof Edström consider that some aspects of the tradition of Arvidsjaur in Sweden are structures borrowed from the neighbouring Scandinavians, particularly traits of major and minor tonality. Edström considers the minor third the typical basic interval in the Sami tradition, and the traits associated with minor tonality to have been superimposed. He points out that Samis and other Scandinavians have had the opportunity for cultural contact for centuries, but the author questions whether this cultural contact was extensive, citing historical and social evidence to suggest that the level of contact between the two cultures could not have created the continuous social intermingling necessary to produce basic structural change. The social function of joiks and their peculiar characteristics have also been culturally preserving factors. The author goes on to show by musical analysis how inherent basic structures generated the material in question. The typical minor third cannot be understood separate from its pentatonic background, which also furthers pre-modal structures in the material. In this connection the author also show how the minor second becomes a point of interest. As a pre-minor structure, a typical three-note descending motive develops within the frame of a fourth – a–g# e. This permeates a great deal of the southern Sami melodies, which also demonstrate how a minor tonic – a – develops by establishing a leading tone – g# – through old circular cadence formulas. On the other hand, the descending motive often enhances the importance of the major third, which, however, should not be mistaken as part of a major tonality. Major tonality serves as a background for only a few new melodies from the first half of the twentieth century, where chordal organization from Scandinavian popular dance-music is clearly present.