Freeway - Carl Michael Bellman

Carl Michael Bellman

When you hear the name Carl Michael Bellman are you thinking of poetry. Thats what
he is known for. But how was Michael Bellman really as a person and how did he lived
his live?! Was Bellman really the man we think. Which people around him did he cared specially for?

Bellman was an outstandning poet and musican of the 18th- century in Sweden, whose songs have remained popular in Scandinavia. In the beginning he published religious and satirical work and translations from German and French, but then he started to write poems and songs. He combined stylized realism with humour and delicate sense of language and rhytm. His starting point was the drinkingsongs, parodies and companysongs.
In 1760 his popular drinkingsongs and biblical parodies were being sung throughout Scandinavia, circulated by word of mouth, handwritten copies and printed sheets. He borrowed the music for his songs from the work of others and performed them to his own accompaniment on the zither.

A nobleman in the time wrote in his diary about when he had "looked at Bellmans folic". "He sings and plays on the zither by himself. His gestures, his voice, his playing which can't be compared, increases the pleasure of the verses, which always are beautiful and contains thoughts which are funny or pleasant, and always new, always strong and unexpected".

Fredmans epistlar
In 1765 Bellman began to write a cycle of songs, "Fredmans epistlar". "Fredman" was conceived as a respected clockmaker, who took to drinking and died in poverty. Fredmans epistlar was not published until 1790, when it appeared with an introduction by the famous critic J.H. Kellgren. The 82 songs in the final collection reflect his poetic and personal development. The feeling for nature in the "epistlar" make it unique in Swedish poetry. It was followed in 1791 by "Fredmans sånger" which also was a varied collection, but containing mainly drinkingsongs. Most famous are "Gubben Noak", " Joakim uti Babylon" and "En Potifars hustru med sköna maner" which are Biblical parodies.

The life of Carl Michael Bellman He was born 4th February 1740 in Stockholm and lived with his parents Johan Arndt Bellman and Catharina Hermonia in the "Dauerska Huset". When Bellman was three years old the family moved to Bellmansgatan 4. Bellman was the first child of fifteen but seven of them died as children. The family belonged to Maria assembly and they often had religious meetings in their home. Relations and friends of the family took part too. When he was six years old he began in Maria school as a private pupil. When he was fourteen he had a temperature of 40 degrees Celcius and was very sick, is said that he had spoken everything on verse.

His parents understood that he was a literary talent. When he was fifteen years he had already composed several poems and translated of hymns from several languages and when he was seventeen years in 1757 he published two books in his own translation. The same year he got a testappointment at the National Central Bank of Sweden and the coming year he began at the university in Uppsala but the time there he used to pleasure and outdoor life. In 1759 he got a position at the Bank as extraordinary but without salary. During many years he borrowed money and spent it on parties. In August 1763 he was forced to fly from his creditors to Norway because he had debts of 18 000 daler, but already in September he got a letter from the King where it said that he could go home and settle his debts.

During the summer of 1775 he met Lovisa Fredrika Grönlund who was fifteen years younger and the same year in December they got married. In 1765 both Bellmans parents died. His mother in March and his father in December. Bellman then began write drinkingsongs and Bibleparodies. In the spring 1765 he wrote the first of Fredmans epistles. On 27th April 1781 Bellmans and Lovisas first child Gustav was born, their second son Elis was born in 1785 and their third son Carl was born in1787 but the same year Elis died of the infectious smallpox. It was at that time he wrote the cradle song "Lilla Charles sov sött i frid" (Little Charles sleep sweet in peace).

When Lovisa was sick and laid in bed for four months Bellman had a big outdoor life and was often at parties. Adolf who was their last son was born in October the same year 1790. Bellman wrote an evil poem and was placed under arrest. It was cold there and when he was free he was ill. Lovisa and he was sitting under a transfusion chief guardian on their own request. 11th February 1795 died Bellman in the night at 00:30 of lungsoot only 55 years old.

People around Bellman
Bellmans parents: The father Johan Arndt Bellman and the mother Katarina hermonia. They got married in 1738. 1763 Johan applayed for dismissal. Something that could help to explain could be that he was going to deal with a personal.The Same year a bankrypty petition was filed against Carl Mikael. Bellman didn't say much about his father in his description of his life and that shows that they didn't have the best relationship. Bellman writes about his mother Katarina in his description of his life. He writes like this: my mother beautiful as a day, charming kind, in her clothing, Kind to all people, delicate in her surroundings, had a gorgeous voice. Bellman had 15 sisters and brothers. Carl Mikael wrote and dedicated a couple of poems to his mother, whom he seems to have had a warm relationship to. Bellmans wife: Lovisa Fredrica Bellman was born16 October 1755, she was the daughter of a grocer in Stockholm. Bellman and Lovisa met eighother for the first time in 1775, and two years later on 19th December 1977 they married. Bellman was 37 year and Lovisa only 22 years. They didn't have a very easy relationship, even if Bellman was a prominent man, he did not make a larse income. Bellmans many visits to the pub and his huge needs of women didn't make the relationship to his wife any stronger. After Bellman died Lovisa became very poor, she didn't own furniture in her own home. Lovisa became 52 yearafter that Bellman died. The last 13 years she was the only person left of the Bellman family. The children: Bellman and Lovisa got four sons Gustav, Elis Carl and little Adolf. Gustav was born on 27th April 1781. Elis was born on 2 July 1785 and died already at two years of ase. It is for the sadness over Elis that Bellman writes his very wellknown lullaby "Little Charles sleep sweet in peace" wisch later the son Carl got to hear. He was born a few days before Elis died on 12 July. The youngest son Adolf was born on 29 October 1790. We hope this will make you interessed in Bellman's music and maybe listen to him.

The song in english.

Drain of thy glass ! Sie death upon thee waiting, Sharpens his sword and peers in at the door. Be not afraid! He but essays the grating, Friend, to thy tomb; and grants thee one year more. Movitz, consumption is laying thee in the grave man! 'cello: …Pluck an octave, man! Tune thy sweet strings, sing life's fair spring of yore ://: Well, then a toast: to Bacchus farewell waving From Fröja's throne, a last, a long adieu! Fondly the blood, thy veins a last time laving, Seethes to its spell. Then violently spew. Sing, read, forget; weep, bethink thee and ponder: cello: ---Wilt thou go yonder? Movitz, wouldst die? Ah no! Good health to you! ://: