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Religious folk songs

Melodies to Protestant texts are called religious folk songs (religiøse folketonar), and originated after the Reformation.Melodies to Catholic texts are called heilagviser, and are a type of ballad.

The religious folk songs usually use well-known psalm texts, set to melodies by Kingo and other known composers. However the melodies are often rendered unrecognizable by ornaments and melismas in the traditional vocal style of the local area.

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