THE FESTIVAL OF THE FISH
THE NORTH ATLANTIC NIGHTS IN HANSTHOLM
PHOTOS: KIRSTEN KLEIN
In the 1980s, a vision emerged in Hanstholm
of a festival where
art, nature, and myth would merge –
and where the fishing town would turn its gaze
toward the greater North Atlantic community.
Here, artists, musicians, poets, and locals
met in a shared narrative about the sea.
Not a festival for fishermen
– but for the fish.
The North Atlantic Nights
primarily took place in the area
by Roshagevej, today known
as Hawhaven, in 1985 and 1988.
These panels gather words and images
from the two festivals,
where the ceiling was high
and the horizon wide.
Perhaps you remember something
from the nights yourself?
_There is strength, vitality, and inspiration in the North Atlantic nights,
and this must be linked to the fact
that night and sea – symbols of the unknown and the mysterious –
are used in connection with celebration.
We celebrate and grapple with
fairies and fauns, with the mysterious within ourselves,
the unknown.
That is what celebration is essentially about,
and what we must try to bring back to life.
Mind and nature must merge.
The celebration is a beautiful and joyful gathering,
but it is also a journey into the unknown night.
Down to the depths of the sea floor.
Here in Hanstholm, at this ancient meeting place,
where land meets sea in a collaboration of life and death –
here lies the new centre for powerful culture,
a point of rebirth and triumph for a North Atlantic network
of strong impulses and energies._
(Unknown author)
THORKILD JAKOBSEN
A WILL IN THE WIND
Behind the North Atlantic Nights
stood a local driving force:
Thorkild Jakobsen.
His ambition reached far beyond the festival –
towards a North Atlantic House
in Hanstholm.
The festival became a temporary answer
to a permanent dream.
Thorkild succeeded in bringing artists
from across the Nordic countries to Thy.
He cultivated the old myths, the sea,
and the arts.
PHOTOS: KIRSTEN KLEIN
The festival unfolded
at the edge of the land – on the hill
above the harbour.
Tents, fires, music, and art
arose in the midst of the wind.
Between lighthouse, dune grass, and sea,
the place itself became part of the work.
The large tent was erected and
several smaller tents
in all kinds of forms –
all in the sign of the fish.
AT THE EDGE OF THE SEA
PHOTOS: KIRSTEN KLEIN
A FESTIVAL FOR THE SEA & NORDIC COMMUNITY
POSTERS: PER KRAMER 1985 / KIRSTEN KLEIN 1988
BOTH TIMES,
AUTHOR AND DEBATER
EBBE KLØVEDAL REICH
WAS ONE OF THE MAIN SPEAKERS
PHOTOS: KIRSTEN KLEIN
“Let us use this solstice
to promise one another
that we will not betray the sea
or the longing within ourselves,
no matter how dark the times may become.
And let us promise to call upon
all the powers of the sea and eternity,
both the dead and the living,
so that Hanstholm from now on may
live up to its deepest purpose:
to become a friendship town for the northern sea peoples,
and thereby save Denmark
from being suffocated in stale calculations,
speculation and decimal fractions.”
— Ebbe Kløvedal Reich
The programme was both
overwhelming and open.
One could plan
– or surrender
to chance.
PROGRAMME
The programme followed the rhythm of the day.
The most important moments occurred at sunset,
midnight, and sunrise.
The celebration continued into the bright morning.
THREE NIGHTS
FROM SUNSET
TO SUNRISE
FOOD AS RITUAL
Food was not merely sustenance,
but part of the narrative.
The sea, the animal, the fire
– everything was staged
with spit-roasted bull,
ray wings, cockscomb, and wild herbs.
THE MERMAID’S SEA BULL
BY THORKILD JAKOBSEN
[The full text describes the feast, the sea bull as a mythical creature, and details of preparation, marinade, herbs, and serving. It includes details such as: “The sea bull fed 500 people that evening …”]
From the publication The North Atlantic Fish Kitchen – on fantastical fish (limited edition)
THE FIRE, THE TABLE
AND WHAT ARISES
BETWEEN US
The community unfolded
around the meal.
Long tables, fire, and conversation
brought participants together.
The chef Søren Gericke
was assisted by many locals
and visitors.
PHOTOS: KIRSTEN KLEIN
THE SEA AS CENTRE
The festival took its starting point
in what Hanstholm is
– a fishing town shaped by the sea –
and everything was reimagined
through poetry, myth, and art.
PHOTOS: KIRSTEN KLEIN
THE STAGE
The landscape was not merely a setting
– but a co-creator.
Wind, light, and sea were part of the experience.
PHOTOS: KIRSTEN KLEIN
ART IN THE OPEN
The exhibitions spread throughout the town, from
the art building to the town hall and the free school.
On the festival grounds, artworks were created
that still remain on site today. The art building,
a barrack from the time of harbour construction,
was decorated by the participating artists.
Nature and art merged into a higher unity.
PHOTOS: KIRSTEN KLEIN
PHOTOS: KIRSTEN KLEIN
The artists Per Kramer and Arne Granberg
built the Sea Bull Boat, from which
fireworks were launched
at the festival’s conclusion in 1988.
The iron sculpture Sea Bull was subsequently
displayed for many years in Hawhaven
alongside the Wind Harp (artist Bror Westman).
Due to the poor preservation of the iron,
the sculpture was dismantled in 2023.
“Both participants and organisers
were floating
– and toward the end
lost all sense of grounding.”
Tom Kirk, chairman
Folk High School in Thy
PHOTOS: KIRSTEN KLEIN
RITUAL
BURNING
IN BOTH ’85 AND ’88
_“At first it mostly looked
as if the bird Gam had merely
singed its tail feathers,
but then the flames took hold.
After three days and nights
as a symbol of the ‘North Atlantic Nights’,
Gam became the prey of the flames
on Sunday evening.
The burning took place on
the Eastern Pier, but was observed
from the slope above Hanstholm harbour
by the festival participants.
The bird was burned,
but at the same time there is the prospect
that a new one will rise from the ashes.”_
– Thisted Dagblad, 17 June 1985
The bird was at least 2 metres tall
and had a wingspan of
a full 6 metres.
PHOTOS: KIRSTEN KLEIN
A TRANSGRESSIVE CULTURAL GATHERING
_“North Atlantic Nights
– the weekend’s boundary-crossing cultural gathering.
A three-day weave of words, sounds,
images, and myths gave nearly
1,000 participants a shared
experience of the interplay between
nature and humanity, myth and reality,
past, present, and future.
After 1,000 years with an imported religion,
the longing for the ancient Nordic
world of legend can no longer
be held back.”_
– Jacob Ludvigsen
Ekstrabladet, 19 June 1985
PHOTOS: KIRSTEN KLEIN
THIS IS A FESTIVAL THE FISH CAN TRULY APPRECIATE
METTE FASTRUP, THISTED DAGBLAD, 6 JUNE 1988
The North Atlantic Nights became
a sea-bound celebration for the fish.
………
[long review text incl. critique, audience evaluation, and description of the event, concluded with:]
Poetry and beauty have surpassed
the mythological fantasising
by far. This is a festival
the fish can truly appreciate!
Det
Nordatlantiske
Fyr i
Hanstholm
Tårnvej 7
7730 Hanstholm
Cvr.nr. 37603295
Mobile Pay: 93250
Tlf. +45 9272 7730
simon@hanstholmfyr.dk
English