What is yodelling and why does the Swiss government want it recognised?

The Swiss government wants the tradition of yodelling to be added to The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's (Unesco) cultural heritage list.

The unique style of singing goes back centuries and originated in the Central Alps, the mountain range which is part of Switzerland, Italy and France.

Unesco set up Intangible Cultural Heritage lists to better protect important intangible cultural heritages.

These include things like traditions or living expressions, rather than objects.

What is yodelling and where does it come from?

A yodelling group performed at the opening ceremony of the FEI World Cup Finals 2025 in Switzerland

Yodelling is a singing style known for its quick and frequent changes between low and high-pitched notes, known as falsetto.

It is believed to have originated from the Central Alps and was started by herders calling their flocks or communicating between villages.

The earliest mention in one record puts it back to the 1500s and described it as the call of a cowherd.

Now yodelling is far from the mountain cries where it originated and Switzerland has a number of yodelling clubs.

While it used to involve chants of wordless vowel sounds, with melodies but no lyrics, more recently, "yodelling song" has included words.

The Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts became the first Swiss university to teach a degree in yodelling in 2018.

"For me, actually, in Switzerland we have four languages but I think really we have five languages.

We have a fifth: The yodel," said professor of yodelling Nadja Räss, referring to the official German, French, Italian and Romansh languages in Switzerland.

Why does the Swiss government want it recognised?

Could yodelling be taught in primary schools in Switzerland?

Yodelling exists in next door countries Austria, Germany and Italy, but Professor Nadja Räss says Swiss yodelling is distinctive because of its vocal technique.

The classification by the UN body aims to raise public awareness of arts, rituals, knowledge and traditions that are passed down over generations.

Submissions also need to show how the cultural traditions will continue in the future Professor Nadja Räss says.

As part of this they put together a plan to bring yodelling to primary schools.

Professor Nadja Räss said 20 Swiss school teachers know how to yodel and are trying it out with their classes.

Unesco will decide in mid-December whether yodelling can be classified as a cultural heritage in Switzerland or not.