1912 Olympic Games Official Report Part 2

“SVEA LEVE” (Long live Sweden). First- Lieutenant Höijer had allhonour of his lads from “Det Danske Spejderkorps.”After the close of the display, all the boy scouts formed in linesof columns. Captain Littorin went to the front and thanked the publicfor the interest it had shown in the lads. After this there wassung in unison the song to Sweden beginning: “Du Gamla, du Fria”(“Thou ancient, thou fell-crowned, free land of the North”); then a cheerfor Sweden was called for, the answer being a thundering fourfoldcheer in Swedish fashion, and, with the band of the Gothenburg “Riddarpojkar”at its head, the army of boy scouts marched out of thearena and the display was ended.Displays of Gottland Games and Icelandic “Glima”.Even now-a-days, very ancient, popular games are played in the Swedishisland of Gottland. From old documents we know with certaintythat such sports were practised at the beginning of the 17th century, andthat then they were known to have been long customary in the islandof the Goths. In all probability they are as old as the days of paganism,and have been handed down from generation to generationwithout suffering any kind of deterioration. People of all ages, fromboys to old men, take part in them, and it is almost counted as ashame for a Gottlander not to have practised these ancient games.They are, thus, deeply rooted in the hearts of the people of the island,and the time will hardly come when they will be forgotten in theplace that saw their birth.There are three of these games that deserve special mention, andthe Swedish Olympic Committee for the Olympic Games of Stockholm1912 thought it only right to arrange exhibition games of“Pärkspel”, “Varpkastning” and “Stångstörtning”, for those whohappened to feel an interest in the matter.These displays, which were given in the Stadium at 7.30 p.m.,Sunday, the 7 July, attracted a small but interested public, and thevarious exhibitions, which were finely performed, were greeted withlively applause.The first to make their appearance were 16 stately, gigantic Gottlanders,bronzed by the sun of their native island. They were underthe command of Lieutenant Lindvall. The men marched in stepto the “pärk”-field in the southern half of the Stadium, and the gamebegan. It was a little difficult for the uninitiated, perhaps, to followall the intricacies of the game, but one could not but admire thelively yet lithe movements of the players, who used both hands andfeet, as occasion required, to return the ball in fine curves to opponentswho were equally on the watch to receive it.The match was between a Blue team, of Visby men, and a Yellow,the members of which were from the country districts of Gottland.After an hour’s contest the Yellows had won the two “pärks” played,and so claimed a well-deserved victory.Simultaneously, at the other end of the arena, a display was beinggiven of Icelandic “Glima”-wrestling, a form of athletics that de-52 Fifth Olympiad. 817