When Rebells Yodel

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I can yodel! We all can; it’s a tradition, an important part of our cultural heritage, that we are proud of. Do my friends know that I can jodel? No, they don’t, they wouldn’t understand. For them, and most in the US, jodeling is a part of beautiful Hollywood productions like “The Sound of Music,” and others, but sadly, the history of the jodel is never mentioned.

We, meaning people like me, who were born and raised in the Alps in Tirol, South Tyrol, Austria, Germany, or Switzerland, we don’t go around wearing funny costumes and jodel for no reason. Well, yes, we do now, because tourists expect us to. These ‘costumes’ had a purpose; they were worn by the poorer folks, and not for entertainment.

Yodelling or dudeling, sadly for many, are meaningless syllables strung together in unusual melody sequences, but it has a rather interesting history and purpose. Technically, yodelling can be described as singing with melodious, inarticulate sounds and frequent changes between falsetto and the normal voice—the headvoice and the chest voice.

Yodelling has its origins in the Alpine region, where it is documented as early as the 17th and 18th centuries.

Research shows, among other things, that yodelling in Tyrol at the time of the Napoleonic Wars primarily fulfilled an identity-forming function. It served as an acoustic symbol for the rebellion against the French and Bavarian (South Germany) troops.

Yodelling as a political statement

In the first half of the 20th century, yodelling was increasingly politically instrumentalised.

In Austria, singing and yodelling during World War II was considered a patriotic matter of conscience and an expression of culture. It was therefore accepted and never questioned by the Nazi Regime.

In Switzerland, on the other hand, people tried to clearly distinguish themselves from their National Socialist neighbours in yodelling during this time.

Jodeln is an old Alpine sound

I learned to jodel as a young girl, to make myself heard when hiking up the Alps. The echo travels far, so the farmer on our alpine pastures knew I was coming. There are different sounds of jodel, one for danger, the others for joy or a simple welcome, or “I am on my way.”

Somehow, after the Second World War, yodelling became increasingly unpopular. Interestingly, however, this has changed in recent years. Yodelling has never been as popular as it is today. Yodelling has found its way into the modern lifestyle and is combined with hiking and also with yoga, Qi Gong, or Pilates without any fear of contact, and is used as a therapeutic means according to the motto “Yodeling yourself free”.

“Today, yodelling is unifying; people now see yodelling as an opportunity to gain new personal, musical experiences—both alone and in a group. Modern sounds with old customs.

Turns out I am quite in 🙂

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Daily writing prompt

What aspects of your cultural heritage are you most proud of or interested in?

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