The drums that announce spring in Bergen
The buekorps look like miniature military parades, but they are children’s and youth organizations rooted in neighbourhood history.
If you hear drums in Bergen’s narrow streets, you may be encountering a buekorps. These groups march with uniforms, banners and their own music. They emerged in the mid-nineteenth century and became one of the city’s most recognizable traditions.
Their origins probably relate to the former citizens’ militia, whose public drills provided inspiration. Each corps developed its own identity, routes and memories. The city archive holds membership records, photographs, flags and activity programmes. The tradition has also changed: a girls’ group, Vågens Bataljon, was founded in 1991.
For visitors, part of the charm is discovering that this is not a performance invented for tourists. The drums belong to Bergen’s social life. Sometimes understanding the city means following the sound down a side street.