| "Nordsving" and "bakmes" were dance designations, and were viewed as synonymous by a number of sources, for example in Ingeborg Neby's district around Drevsjø (Td 2106). This dance, however, with rotations in both directions, was little known further south in Engerdal. Many of those interviewed about the runnom and pols (short forms in which the dancers rotate in one direction only), had heard of the nordsving (among them Solveig Haugen, Engerdal) but pointed out that it was most common in the Elgå district.
John Nysted, Engerdal, said the nordsving was rather like the Røros pols and was danced from Drevsjø northwards.
Helmer Kjølvang, Engerdal, had heard of the bakmes, and his wife had seen the dancers "rotating in the reverse direction" (Td 1149).
Agnes Sevilhaug, daughter of fiddler Per Solvang in Engerdal, regarded the nordsving as virtually equivalent to the Rørospols, but she knew that some old people in Engerdal were also said to have known this dance, among them her grandfather Per P. Sletmoen (born 1854).
Johan Hollseter, Flendalen in Trysil, was familiar with the term "bakmes". He thought it was an old term but was unsure of its meaning. Jon Lund (born in 1877 at Hylleråsen) had also heard of the bakmes, but was unable to explain what it was (Td 1141).
Embret Lund gave an interesting explanation of the bakmes: when the dancers tired after many runnoms, the fiddler could add variation by playing a 'dance' in which the dancers walked clockwise in a slow march tempo. Solveig Haugen from Engerdal gave a similar account: after a number of polsks the girls would thread their way back through the ring of dancers until they met their partner and resumed the polsk. |
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