Steklåt efter Per Persson Menlös
The Steklåt efter Per Persson Menlös is a type of tune not usually played by American Swedish fiddlers. A steklåt “meat tune” is a ceremonial piece that was used at feasts, usually wedding feasts.
A wedding in a small village was a major event, sometimes lasting as much as 3 days in celebration. Fiddle music was a large part of it, and not all just for dancing. There were tunes for gift-giving (skänklåt), wedding marches (brudmarsch & bröllopsmarsch), and tunes for the food when served. The steklåt was played when the meat was brought in at the wedding dinner.
The tune is the construct of a march, but played much more slowly, to emphasize the solemnity of the occasion.
Per Persson Menlös was a noted fiddler from Hedesunda, in the province of Gästrikland. It is very close to the border with Uppland, and many of his tunes are played there, too.
He was devoted to his music, even as a young boy. His musical talent inspired stories about him, having to do with magic and the supernatural.
Here is a YouTube recording of some fiddlers playing the Steklåt efter Per Persson Menlös.