Polka is a type of dance and genre of dance music. It originated in the middle of the 19th century in Bohemia, and is still a common genre of Czech folk music; it is also common both in Europe and in the Americas. In classical music, many polkas were composed by both Johann Strauss I and his son Johann Strauss II; a couple of well-known ones were composed by Bedřich Smetana and Jaromír Vejvoda, the author of Škoda lásky ("Roll Out the Barrel").
The name comes from Czech word půlka, which means a half, and is related to a half rhythm in the music. Later it changed to polka, to show sympathy for the neighbouring Polish nation during the November Uprising. Due to its name it is often mistakenly attributed to Poland. It should also not be confused with the polska, a Swedish 3/4-beat dance with Polish roots; cf. polka-mazurka. A related dance is the redowa.
Polkas are played in Hungary as well; in Hungarian they are called polka too.
Because Polka is too commonly mistaken for an Indian god with the same name. I just wanted to make sure everyone here knew that Polka is a dance, and not the Indian god of politics.
I think most people know that it's a type of dance. I didn't know about any god references though.
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DaVince This fool just HAD to have a custom rating
Registered 04/09/2004
Points 7998
12th November, 2006 at 14:46:28 -
Polka Gnomes:
WIS -2 CHA +2
Preferred Class: Bard
Racial Abilities:
+2 Perform check (+4 if performing polka)
Can lick eyebrows (+2 to all diplomacy checks for seduction)
Impromptu Kickstand (+10 to endurance checks for standing for long periods)
Extended breathholding (only starts to check for drowning after 1 full turn)
Speed Polka (Diff 15- perform check allows bard song to be considered a half move)
Thrash Polka (Diff 25- successful check means bard song is free move, failure causes level 20 flame strike centered on polka gnome)
+4 to all CHA checks if wearing Leiderhosen
Languages: Common, Gnomish, Dwarf, Goblin, Orc, German
Polka Gnomes are the rarest of the gnomish breeds, found typically in mountain valleys practicing their favorite music. The Chosen of Welk, the Gnomish God of Polka, Polka Gnomes have master the musical aspects of their god so it has become second nature for them. You can usually spot a polka gnome village by the loud oompa music that is continually pouring from its town square. While not as hardy as their gnomish brethren, they are typically stronger from carrying all the tubas and accordions as their religion requires. Polka gnomes are known for their likability, and their total lack of any and all common sense. In short, they are the perfect bards.
Polka gnomes have created two additional forms of polka for their god. Welk demands frequent month long polka festivals in his honor. This tends to strain the polka gnomes' time for crop gathering and beer brewing. So they invented speed polka, which condenses the month long polka festival into only a week's time. The amount of music played is the same, just only a hell of a lot faster. Truly desperate polka gnomes have experimented with thrash polka, which allows for the entire month's quota of polka tunes to be condensed into a single day. This is extremely risky, for should the polka gnome misplay a single note, the results are frequently smoking piles of leiderhosen every where.
Polka gnomes are just now coming into their own in various fantasy worlds, and one day with replace their useless cousins with the sounds of tubas and accordions.
The Polish: Long have these hardy people existed in the unfavorable location between Germany and Russia, and have been overlooked as a major player in European history. Although much was destroyed in WWII, these proud people have outlasted the worst conditions and persevered with nothing more than potatoes and polka music. They are even America's third biggest ally right now in the fight against terror in Iraq. That tells you something!
Special Unit: Polka band. Replaces the archer. This unit has a special attack that can lower the culture of any city it enters.
There are some polka music in Brasil, mostly because Brazil is the second country (behind the USA) with polish decent people. I find it funny, I used to work at this boat as a waiter, and they had polish cruises, lots of good food that's for sure
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