Lister

By Linda Hansen
Translation by Minna Julie Kolte

Niels, 58, pounds away on a white water tank on the grass. His rhythm is slow and methodical. He stares intensely at the top of the twelve metres high metal tower, raises his tempo, thumps away on the tank and then a fire ball emerges from the top of the tower. The fire ball sends out a roar and the heat wave hits the jubilant drummers.

“It is a funky drum,” says Niels with a blissful smile under the cap. “We can simply play a flame out”. Niels and his mate leave the white tank. Immediately, three young women approach instead.

The tribal spirit of Roskilde

Tilde, 25, does not stop drumming as she explains her fascination of the exploding village: “It really demands something from people. We have to interact with each other to make something happen. There is a sense of tribal spirit about it.”

A certain drumming intensity and rhythm need to be conveyed to make the fire ball rise to the sky. Tobias and Andreas, both 13, like to help. With red cheeks, gesticulation and a little breathless they declare shouting, that “it is just so cool with that flame!”

Thilde, 20, is sitting on the grass and looks a little perplex at the tower. “It is fun to look at, but it seems a little dangerous,” she says. She is not the only one who thinks that the tower is violent.

The drums build up, and the light goes on in the tower. A policeman in shirt sleeves and cap with his back turned does not notice the danger signals and jumps half a meter in the air, when the fire ball with a boom re-emerges. The loving audience respond the tower with a roar of joy.