Små grodorna - The little frogs

No Swedish Midsummer can be celebrated without them ... young and old, in the north and south, everyone dances 'Små Grodorna' but where did the song really come from? 

  • No midsummer without "Små Grodorna" - The Little Frogs' dance around the Maypole. Here in front of the American Swedish Historical Museum in Philadelphia, PA (This year celebrating on June 22)

  • Små grodorna - The little frogs is as close to a Swedish line dance as it gets and anyone who’s been to a Swedish Midsummer celebration has seen it performed. People gather around the Maypole and sing this song while jumping forward, mimicking little frogs and touching their ears or "tails" in time with the text. And everybody does it, from 3 year olds to parents, former and present prime ministers and consul generals.
    How the song ended up in Sweden is unclear. What we do know is that the melody can be traced to a French military march from the days of the French Revolution, the so-called Onion Song "Löksången," or in French ”La Chanson de l’Oignon,” where in the chorus you sing ”Au pas, camarade, au pas camarade / au pas, au pas, au pas!" (In pace, companion!) It was France's sworn enemies who changed the text with classic British irony to ”Au pas, grenouilles!” (In pace, little frogs!) Somewhere along the way it acquired a Swedish text about frogs and became an important part of our Swedish cultural heritage ... and you can trust us when we say with conviction that no Swedish Midsummer can be celebrated without it!

  • Link to one of the many Youtube presentations of the traditional performance in a smaller group (no formal training needed) Små Grodorna

  • The song "Små grodorna", text probably by Inez Mallander sometime at the turn of the century...

  • Other popular songs to sing around the Maypole are:
    Och flickan hon går i dansen
    Prästens lilla kråka
    Höga berg och djupa dalar
    Jag gick mig ut en afton
    Sju vackra flickor i en ring
    Så går vi runt om ett enrissnår
    Uppå källarbacken
    Vi äro musikanter
    Karusellen
    Morsgrisar är vi allihopa
    Raketen

  • Just in case you're visiting your first Swedish party this year, here is the grodsången lyrics in Swedish:

  • Nordstjernan offers features, columns and reports from current and future events of Sweden in the United States (Sweden or, of relevance to Swedish Americans and Swedes in the U.S.) <a href="http://www.nordstjernan.com/subscribe" target="_blank">Subscribe to Nordstjernan</a> and Make Life Sweder! Above: View of Stockholm's Old Town (Gamla Stan) and the Royal Palace... Photo: Christer Lundin/Sockholm Visitors Board.

  • Små grodorna, små grodorna är lustiga att se.
    Små grodorna, små grodorna är lustiga att se.
    Ej öron, ej öron, ej svansar hava de.
    Ej öron, ej öron, ej svansar hava de.
    Kou ack ack ack, kou ack ack ack,
    kou ack ack ack ack kaa.
    Kou ack ack ack, kou ack ack ack,
    kou ack ack ack ack kaa.

  • English translation:
    The little frogs, the little frogs are funny to observe.
    The little frogs, the little frogs are funny to observe.
    No ears, no ears, no tails do they possess.
    No ears, no ears, no tails do they possess.
    Kou ack ack ack, kou ack ack ack,
    kou ack ack ack ack kaa.
    Kou ack ack ack, kou ack ack ack,
    kou ack ack ack ack kaa.
    (There's a second verse about the little pigs but let's not get complicated here. Just do what everyone else does and you'll be fine.)