Bro, bro, brille
The Norwegian version of the London Bridge game that dates back at least to the mid 1800's.
This song is played at Birthday parties and at Christmastime in Norway.
Bro, bro, brille
Bridge, Bridge, Glasses
Singing Game
Singing Game
(Norwegian)
(English)
Bro, bro brille.
Klokka ringer ell've.
Keiseren står på sitt høyeste slott,
så hvit som en mann,*
så sort som en brann.
Fare, fare krigsmann.
Døden skal du lide.
Den som kommer aller sist
skal i den sorte gryte.
Bridge, bridge, glasses,
The bell rings eleven.
The Emperor is at his highest castle,
As white as a man,
As black as a fire.
Danger, danger, warrior.
Death thou shall suffer.
Whoever comes last
Will be in the black pot.
Notes
*Some versions have this line as "så hvit som en and" (As white as a duck).
According to this site (in Danish), this game was originally about choosing between heaven and hell. Another site claims the tug of war game at the end symbolized life and death. In the old days, the two sides were the sun and moon, the moon symbolizing the underworld. According to Wikipedia (Norwegian version), the "bridge" symbolically spanned the river that separates the land of the living from the dead. The "pot" represented the grave or hell. Nowadays, the two sides are more innocently something like the apple side and the banana side.
Game Instructions
Two children hold hands and put their arms up in the air forming a "bridge". Each of those two kids is a side - in the old days it was the moon side and the sun side - nowadays it might be the apple side or the banana side. The other kids go under the "bridge" in single file while singing this song. At the end of the song, the two kids forming the bridge put down their arms, capturing the child underneath in the "black pot". That child has to choose one side to go behind. They keep doing this until all of the kids have chosen a side. At the end, both sides play a game of tug of war to decide which side wins. The tug of war can be played either with a rope or they can go behind the kids forming the bridge and pull the kids.
Comments
This is also played in Denmark where it's also called "Bro, bro brille". It's played in Sweden under the name of "Bro, bro breja" and in Iceland as "Brúarleikur".
Thanks!
