Bjergtaget in Danish or bergtatt in Swedish... Both essentially meaning the same thing. Taken by the mountain people or mountain-taken, it describes the peculiar feeling one experiences when surrounded by peaks and valleys of mountain ranges. In Norwegian folklore, being bergtatt means to be lured by the sub terrestrial spirits of the mountains, into the very rock itself, to the halls of the mountain king. Essentially, being spellbound by the mountains themselves.
As a verified flatlander, I really feel that. I came across the Danish word on a post written by Myrkur years ago and knew that meaning in my flatland bones. The call of the mountain people. I've always known my destiny lies in the peaks. Knew it when I first read Heidi and then saw a German adaptation in the 80s, knew it when we all were subjected to the Sound of Music, knew it when I first walked through the foothills of the Austrian Alps, knew it when flying over the Rockies back and forth to the city of Angels, the first time seeing Mount Rainier and Mount Hood. I used to even startle myself when looking out at the flat sprawling freeways at distant cumulus clouds on the horizon and think I was seeing mountain ranges. And yet their heights electrify and terrify me too which, in the end I suppose, all the worthwhile things do.
I didn't realize I was collecting mountain songs until kind of recently. It all started ages ago with Goldfrapp's album Felt Mountain (released TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO stop it!) and later Les Discrets Song for Mountains.
Here are a few in the collection. I'm feeling kind of basic today so it's just songs with Mountain in the title. No different really than Track Ones, Side Ones.
Funny also that my natal moon is in Capricorn, the little capricious tenacious deeply feeling earth moon represented by the sea-goat but that's a winding tale for another day. [insert cheeky winky smirk]
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