Buekorps

Buekorps are traditional marching neighbourhood youth organizations in Bergen, Norway.
The tradition is unique to Bergen. The organizations, which are called bataljoner, were first formally organized in the 1850s and are run entirely by the youths themselves. Fourteen different such battalions are active in Bergen, each belonging to a certain part of town.
In the past brigades were also formed in other Norwegian cities, but these were mostly defunct by the early 20th century.
Though the structure and ceremony of the Buekorps has military roots, the brigades are active in various other ways, ranging from physical activity and play to charitable work. Members range in age from about 7 to over 20, and adult veterans play a role in supporting the organizations and during certain events.
Image:SandvikensBuekorps 1932.JPG|thumb|A section of Sandvikens Buekorps in 1932.
The groups consist of privates, officers and drummers. The buekorps have their official season from March through the summer, but are most active during spring, with Norwegian Constitution Day on May 17 as the high point of the season. On that day they are a prominent and popular part of the parade through the streets of Bergen.
In addition, the buekorps have their own celebratory days. One of these is the day they celebrate the founding date of their battalion. Every fourth year is Buekorpsenes Dag, a series of competitions and pageantry.

Background

The tradition dates back at least to the 19th century when children would imitate the adult militia soldiers performing close order drill.
Even from back to the days of Ludvig Holberg it is told of boys playing and marching on the streets of Bergen. The city militia fascinated boys in the 18th and 19th century. They would build their own "fortresses" where they would play and engage in "warfare" against other boy-gangs. Consul August Konow tells from his lifetime that at the end of the 18th century there existed boy-gangs and companies who marched around and engaged in "warfare" with each other. These gangs were called "Nordnæs Kompani" and "Nykirkealmeningens Kompani" and were direct copies of the town militia.
Governor Fredrik Hauch also tells from the same time about boy-gangs who were copying the town militia. Names like "fjeldeguttene", "markeguttene" and "dræggaguttene" were known at the end of the 18th century.
Johan Sebastian Welhaven with his poem 'børnelege' from 1839 gives a picture of his childhood-years in 1814:
"Vi stilledes os siden i lange Rader, marsjerende tappert i byens gader; vi plyndrede Søstrenes Dukkeskrin og gjorde Mundurer av silke og lin. I krigsraadet taltes med megen vekt om fienden stilling og skjulte planer, paa chefens kommando, vi stormede kjækt med skillingstrompeter, karduspapirfaner".

Nils Hertzberg says of the 1830s: there were organized boy-gangs in the different neighbourhoods which under changing alliances gave each other full-blown battles: the Nordnæs-, Drægge-, Nøste- and Skive-Boys. They employed guards and scouts who made strategic moves to surprise the enemy.
In the 1850s these boy-gangs still rampaged, but the violence and hostility had to come to an end. Who it was that finally ended these hostilities and turned them into the current peaceful pursuits of the buekorps is uncertain.

History

Traditionally an activity exclusively for boys, the first girl buekorps was formed in 1991. This stirred some controversy in Bergen, but the girl and mixed gender battalions are now accepted by most people.
The buekorps tradition, even with many battalions experiencing trouble in keeping up the recruiting of new members, continues to be a popular and proud feature of Bergen, excepting the odd complaint about noise.

Lørdagskorps and Søndagskorps

Lørdagskorps and Søndagskorps are historically the two main types of buekorps. These terms originate from the day the brigades marched on.
Saturday-brigades were composed of the sons of those who could afford to take a day off on Saturday to march. The three surviving Saturday-brigades are Nordnæs Bataillon, Nygaards Bataljon and Dræggens Buekorps.
Sunday-brigades were the ones from working-class neighbourhoods where the children had to work on Saturdays, and thus could not march on any other day. Most of the brigades were Sunday-brigades. Some of these brigades came from such poor families that they could not afford real uniforms, wearing instead ornate shirts. Today, Laksevågs Bueskyttere and Løvstakkens Jægerkorps still march in these shirts.

The current brigades

Dræggens Buekorps, - Dræggens Archery Company, boys brigade
Eidsvaags Kompani "Eidsvaags Værve Kompani", Boys brigade.
Fjeldets Bataljon, Fjeldets Battalion, boys brigade
Laksevågs Bueskyttere, Laksevåg's Archerers, boys brigade
Lungegaardens Buekorps, Lungegaarden's Archery Company, girls brigade
Løvstakkens Jægerkorps, Løvstakken's Jeger Company, mixed brigade
Markens Bataljon, Marken's Battalion, boys brigade
Mathismarkens Bataljon, Mathismarken's Battalion, boys brigade
Nordnæs Bataillon, Nordnæs' Battalion, boys brigade
Nygaards Bataljon, Nygaard's Battalion, boys brigade
Sandvikens Bataljon, Sandviken's Battalion, boys brigade
Skansens Bataljon, Skansen's Battalion, boys brigade
Skutevikens Buekorps, Skuteviken's Archery Company, boys brigade
Sydnæs Bataljon, Sydnæs' Battalion, boys brigade
Wesselengens Bataljon, Wesselengen's Battalion, boys brigade
Former brigades in Bergen

Since the 1850s there may have existed more than 200 different brigades overall. Dates of foundation and discontinuation are often unknown. Known brigades are listed here:

Allegatens Bataljon
Asylplass Bataljon
Baglergatens Kompani
Baneveiens Bataljon
Bingen Hellebardkorps
Bingen Jegerkorps
Blauengens Kompani
Blekebakkens Kompani
Bispengens Kompani
Bjørgvin Compagni
Bjørgvins Kompani
Boligens Kordekorps
Boligens Kårdekorps
Borgerskolens
Breistølsveiens Kompani
Bødkergadens Kompagni
Bønes Batalion
Christinegaard Bataljon
Damsgårds Batalion
Det raske Fjellkorps
Dokkens Kompagni
Dragefjellskorpset
Eidemarkens
Ekrenbakkens Kompani
Elvegatens Kompagni
Engens Buekorps
Fastings Buekorps
Fjeldets Kompani
Fjellborgs Kompani
Fjøsanger Kompani
Fredrikbergsgatens Kompani
Fridalens Kompani
Fæstningens Buekorps
Granbakken Jægerkorps
Granesmugets Kompani
Grønnevoldgatens Kompagni
Grønnevolds Kompagni
Gyldenpris Kompani
Gørbitzgatens Kompani
Hans Haugesgate Kompani
Haugens Bataljon
Haugens Buekorps
Haugesmugets Kompani
Haugeveiens Kompani
Heiens Kompani
Holmens Kompani
Hop Bataljon
Høggeblokkens Kompani
Isdalens Kårdekorps
Jektevikens Kompani
Kalmarhavens Compagni
Kippersmauets Bataljon
Kirkegatens Jægerkorps
Kleivens Buekorps
Klokkerhagens Kompani
Korskirkealmeningens Kompani
Krohnengens Bataljon
Krohnvikens Bataljon
Kronstad Bataljon
Ladegaardens Bataljon
Ladegårdens Compagni
Laksevåg Bataljon
Langeveiens Kompani
Langhauens Kompani
Legdenes Kompani
Lille Markens Kompagni
Lille Dræggens Buekorps
Løvstakkveien Kompani
Markeveiens Compagni
Markeveiens Jægerkorps
Martin Vahlsgates Kompani
Meyermarkens Kompani
Minde Bataljon
Mulelvens Bataljon
Mulens Bataljon
Muralmendingens Companie
Møhlenpris Kompani
Natland Bataljon
Nedre Stølens Kompani
Nessets Bataljon
Nordnes Lekeplads Kompani
Nordre Møhlenpris Kompani
Nordre Skutevikens Kompani
Nordre Skuteviksveiens Kompani
Nye Sandviksvei Kompani
Nykirkealmeningens Kompani
Nymarks Kompani
Nøstets Batalion
Nøstets Kårdekorps
Olav Rustiesgates Kompani
Paaschemarkens Bataljon
Paradis Bataljon
Parkens Compagni
Persenbakkens Kompani
Planens Kompani
Rennebanens Kompani
Repslagersgatens Jægerkompani
Rosenbergsgatens Bataljon
Rothaugens Kompani
Sandviksveiens Buekorps
Scjadenbergshavens Kompani
Skanseliens Kompani
Skivens Kårdekorps
Skytterbanens bataljon
Slettens Bataljon
Slottsgatens Kompani
Smaa-Skansens Bataljon
Smørsalmendingens Companie
Solheims Bataljon
Storemøllens Compani
Strandveiens Bataillon
Strandgatens Jægerkorps
Strangehagens Kompani
Stupets Bataljon
Stølens Kompani
Svanevikens Kompani
Sverresborg Jegerkorps
Sverresgatens Jægerkorps
Sydnæskleivens Kårdekorps
Tamburengens Jægerkorps
Teatergatens
Toldbodalmendingens Compagni
Trangesmauets Kompani
Tverrgatens Kompani
Utsiktens Kompani
Vardens Kompagni
Vaskerelvssmugets Compagnie
Verftets Kompani
Verftets Kompani II
Verftets Kårdekorps
Victor Müllers
Vognstølbakken Bataljon
Vågens Bataljon
Ytre Sandvikens Bataljon
Øvregadens Buekorps
Former brigades in other cities

In the past there have also existed buekorps in other cities. However, they were mostly defunct by the early 20th century. It is somewhat uncertain to what degree all of these were to the original tradition of buekorps. They did anyway start after inspiration of the buekorps of Bergen. Known ones are listed here:
Arendal