(Swedish: Polish), Scandinavian folk dance originating in the 16th century, possibly influenced by Polish courtly dances. Polska in Finland refers nonspecifically to many dances in 34 time, both for individual couples and for sets of several couples. In Sweden the polska is a turning dance in 34 time, usually for couples, who grasp each other firmly and pivot around and around with a smooth, carefully coordinated step. Among its varieties, the gammal polska, or old polska, is the simplest and probably the oldest. The lively and very popular hambo is a 19th-century offshoot of the gammal polska. The Norwegian dance analogous to the Swedish polska is the pols.