Nordic on Tap - the podcast

Nordic society seems to be governed by a set of unspoken rules on how to behave around others. These rules or "laws" were first articulated by the Danish author, Aksel Sandemose in a novel that described life in a fictional town called Jante, ruled by a set of ten laws. The laws dictated that no one was to be boastful, to think they are more special than anyone else, not to imagine themselves as better than anyone else. They were known as Janteloven, or the Laws of Jante. Sound familiar? Have any relatives that strictly mind their own business, don't gossip, and don't bother anyone else while passing on the street? If Nordic people all behave this way (and they don't), how does that affect society innovation and initiative, especially in business? One person who has thought about Nordic society is Fiona McKinna, an immigrant from England who produces the podcast and blog, Living a Nordic Life. Join us as we talk about the ramifications of Janteloven, delve into Nordic sociology, and about the way people behave in Nordic countries today. Special thanks to her for sharing her perspectives. LINKS A nice summary of Jante's Laws, including a list of all 10. From the Scandinavian Standard, Feb. 2023. Fiona McKinna's Living a Nordic Life website contains a plethora of delights, from the podcast to recipes, blog, ecourses, with associated Facebook group (for which you need to sign up). Paul Anderson, a Lutheran pastor ("Lutheran Renewal"), wrote an essay called Breaking the Stronghold of Jante that I found interesting. I'm not explicitly supporting nor disagreeing with his ideas, but I found his perspecitve from "inside" the Lutheran church interesting. The Knitting Cruise from Kragerø among the islands of the SE Norwegian Coast (Telemark), mentioned by Fiona. They advertise that you can "enjoy the view of the beautiful archipelago, knit and have a good time". M. Michael Brady wrote a short article, Rules that Restrain, in the November 2018 issue of the Norwegian American. If you are blocked from viewing the article, you may be encouraged to subscribe to the paper (both paper and digital versions) at very reasonable prices, in my opinion: $70/year for the print + digital subscription, or $30/year for digital/online only. The Norwegian American has articles about all of the Nordic countries (not just Norway) as well as Scandinavians abroad. Full disclosure: I am a contributing author for the Norwegian American. If you're so inclined, a translation of Sandemose's A Fugitive Crosses His Tracks (Internet Archive, open source) can be read online. I've heard it described as bitter and unhappy. Oddly, there's a Forward ("A Note") by Sigrid Undset at the beginning which is rather sobering about how far reaching Jante's Laws are. She is an author I respect (e.g. Kristin Lavransdatter), and she was very keen on observing how society works. A plaque of Aksel Sandemose and his 10 Janteloven (above), based on his book A Fugitive Crosses His Tracks (En flyktning krysser sitt spor), 1933. The plaque is displayed in the Danish town of Nykøbing Mors where Sandemose grew up, upon which he modeled his fictional town of Jante. Rather ominous to have these ten laws posted right there in the the town....unless of course everyone agrees with them! A couple of English expressions. In this podcast, Fiona uses a couple of expressions that I think are more common in the UK than in the USA, so I thought I'd explain them. 1) Fiona says "they looked at me as if I were a nutter". This isn't that far from Amercian English expressions like a nutcase or completely nuts. My British dictionary says nutter means someone who is silly, strange, or crazy; synonyms include whacko, flake, oddball, or lunatic. An excellent word! 2) Fiona mentioned "living an A-four life", suggesting this was a fairly bland and uneventful type of life. I learned she was referring to "A4", a standard, paper size (210 x 297 mm) used in almost every printer and copy...

Join us for a journey into Nordic crime fiction or noir with Dr. Jerry Holt as our guide. Fiction has the ability to transport us into worlds, cultures, geography, and the thoughts of heroes and villains that non-fiction just can't touch. And we are changed by those stories. At a time when we are home-bound due to social distancing, catching up on your reading has never been better. In Norway, this is the time of påskekrim, that spate of dedicated crime fiction reading that occurs around Easter. Really, it's a thing. Dr. Holt is a professor at Purdue University NW who led a trip of Norwegian noir readers to Bergen, Norway, where they had the once-in-a-lifetime chance to walk the streets and visit the crime scenes with the authors who created private detective Varg Veum, and Inspector Konrad Sejer, among others. What would it be like to meet your favorite authors and pick their brain about what the characters were really thinking? What life experiences did these authors draw upon? What is special about certain parts of the city and surrounding areas? For myself, I would love to visit Restaurant Schroder in Oslo, the favorite hangout of Jo Nesbø's famous police detective, Harry Hole. To wrap up, we catch a "driveway concert" by a trio in a neighborhood of Mukilteo, Washington. They decided to perform for the neighborhood at large during this time of quarantine, and they've cleverly named themselves Six Feet Back. We also have some Nordic noir reading recommendations for you, as does the April 3rd edition (2020) of the Norwegian-American News at norwegianamerican.com. Check them out! Links Nordic Noir: Scandinavian Crime Fiction website with bios on Gunnar Staalesen, Karin Fossum, Trude Teige, and Alex Dahl among many others (I'm a Jo Nesbø fan, myself). "Crime time: Norwegian Easter equals brutal murders" (sounds grim, but it's tongue in cheek) the Visit Norway website's explanation for this extremely popular pastime. The Noir Connection, article by Jerry Holt in the Norwegian American News, about Dr. Holt's class that travelled to Bergen to meet local authors. You may be invited to subscribe if you viewed other articles already. Jerry Holt's Nordic Nordic noir picks for winter reading, in the Norwegian American News.You may be invited to subscribe if you viewed other articles already. A Journey into Norwegian Noir, by Jerry Holt, (Norwegian American News) also describes Bergen's noir scene. The Youtube channel of the Six Feet Back Band from Mukilteo, WA, with Nick Ericson, Jared McFarlane (at left) on toreador button accordion and fiddle, and with others on flute and bass. These are the great folks who played in this Nordic on Tap podcast.

An ocean-going ship has long been a metaphor for a journey, literal or spiritual, and model ships are still found in some Scandinavian Churches today. It was on a tall ship that immigrants from Scandinavia came to America, carrying their prized possessions in storage trunks, adorned with colorful flowers and vines - an art form called rosemaling. In this episode (see website ) we trace the origins of rosemaling in Norway and then in the United States, and learn about a group of rosemalers and parishioners to renovate the Glendale Lutheran Church chapel with rosemaling paintings. But after 25 years, the congregation, largely of Scandinavian descent, moved away or passed away, leading eventually to the sale of the church property in Burien, Washington State (USA) in 2023. The rosemaled panels and decorations, which included a model ship, were given away or returned to their owners - one church received and hung up the ship in their building. In this podcast, we talk to a handful of people who used to call Glendale Lutheran their spiritual home, and ask what that church life meant to them. We also meet someone from Prince of Peace Lutheran, who received the ship, and consider what "community" means in today's world. Given the reduction in membership of churches, synagogues, mosques, fraternal orders, and other groups where we traditionally found a place to belong, we consider where our spiritual ship will travel next in today's world to find "community".

In 1959, twenty-year-old Doug Warne and Ron Olsen agreed to produce the Scandinavian Hour, in order to keep this cherished radio program going. Olsen chose the music and Doug handled the guest list and sold the advertising. Thus began this remarkable story lasting for 48 years, and when Olsen passed away in 2008, Warne continued on himself. But in 2017, he solicited additional cohosts to share responsibility for the program. No one would be paid, and to remain a co-host, you had to demonstrate you could sell commercials to area businesses. Yours truly, Eric Stavney, was a co-host for a couple years, and eventually Warne sought to retire after the program suffered through the dark years of COVID, when businesses withdrew their ads. Now, in July 2023, the program continues with renewed vigor every weekend (as it has for the last 64 years) with host Seth Tufteland and Doug Warne as "co-host emeritus". Tune in to hear this remarkable journey of the Scandinavian radio show in Seattle. Continue listening after the closing song to hear bonus content! Check out the links to a Norwegian TV broadcast and see images of the production crew at https://nordicontap.com/seattles-scandinavian-hour-radio-show/.

The Norwegian fjord horse or fjording is one of the oldest breeds of domesticated horses known from 4000 years ago. "Fjords" are masters the mountainous terrain on farms in Norway - surefooted, and pound for pound, the strongest breed of horse in the world. In this podcast, we meet Rory and Kristin Miller of Strawberry Hills Fjords in Chehalis, Washington, who train their horses in driving carriages or carts and in performing challenging routines in what's called "dressage" riding. Come along with us as we learn about these gentle and extremely intelligent horses, tour the Millers' stables, and discover how the humans relationship with a horse must become deeply personal to succeed in riding and driving. Finally, we investigate the poem Rida, Rida, Ranka, which some Nordic parents still use to take their young children for a horse ride, on their knee. Be sure to visit https://nordicontap.com/relating-to-fjord-horses-rory-and-kristin-miller/ to see images of Rory and Kristin's dressage, pictures of their stables, and various versions of Ride Ride Ranka, including a video.

Have you ever looked out over a lake at night, wondering if that splash you heard was something to worry about? Or the shriek and moan of the wind during a storm on the coast? Nordic folk have long had explanations for unexplainable things through folktales of strange and sometimes creepy supernatural creatures. In this podcast we look at the folktales that describe the mosekone and lygtemænd (bog woman and lantern men) of Danish marshes, the fearsome draug and sjøorm (sea spirit and sea serpent) of the northern coast of Norway, the musical fossegrim (water sprite) that inhabits Swedish waterfalls, and the treacherous horse-like nykur (nixie or nøkk) in the lakes of the Faroe Islands and Iceland. We include a tale by Hans Christian Andersen along the way. Please navigate to nordicontap.com to read the complete show notes, see pictures of these creatures, find links to more stories; nd while you're there, take our listener survey to help us make podcasts that you want to hear. So....pull up a chair for 40 minutes of stories we tell around the hearth late at night! Links Troll Magic: Hidden Folk from the Mountains and Forests of Norway, is a fantastic book of drawings and stories by Theodor Kittelsen with depictions of all the creatures in this podcast and many more. Of all the folktale illustrators of the late 1800s and early 1900s, Kittelsen, more than any other, showed us what Nordic supernatural creatures looked like. Most illustrators then contributed pictures to collections of Asbjørnson and Moe folktales, as did this artist, but in Troll Magic, Kittelsen writes his own stories to go with his illustrations. I wrote a review of the book for the Norwegian American. Folktale sources for this podcast include Scandinavian Folk Belief and Legend (Reimund Kvideland and Henning Sehmsdorf, ed.), Icelandic Folktales and Legends (Jacqueline Simpson), Swedish Legends and Folktales (John Lindow, contrib.), Folktales of Norway (Reidar Christiansen ed, Pat Shaw Iversen trans.), Danish Folk Tales (Svend Grundtvig, et. al., ed.; J Christian Bay, trans.), and The Girl Who Trod on the Loaf (Hans Christian Andersen, trans. Jean Hersholt). My other go-to folktale collection is Scandinavian Folk and Fairy Tales (Clair Booss, ed.), the source for stories in many of my other podcasts. Rachel Nesvig, the accomplished hardanger fiddler and violinist, has a website at rachelnesvig.com. The brief snippets of her work played in this podcast (in the section about the fossegrim) came from this recording of a home concert on May 17, 2021 in honor of Norwegian Constitution Day. A special opportunity to hear her describe and play the hardanger fiddle is in our in our podcast, The Hardanger Fiddle: Lynn Berg and Rachel Nesvig. In our opinion, Rachel could give the fossegrim a few pointers on how to play the fiddle. Images This version of Sjöormen i Aalesund (The Sea Serpent in Ålesund) was included in Troldskab (Troll Magic) and shows fishers preparing for the huge wave caused by the sea serpent, 1877. Kittelsen drew at least one other version of this picture. https://www.nasjonalmuseet.no/samlingen/objekt/NG.K_H.B.06922 At the top, above, is Næken (The stream man or fossegrim) by Johan Tiren [Wikipedia Commons], hanging in a Stockholm art museum.Can you imagine what the young fiddler is listening to? You can barely see it, just to the right of the small bush. Curiously, Johan Tiren also painted at least one other version of this scene. That one is called Jämtlands Sagen (Folktale from the Jämtland Region) and features a much older fiddler and an even less visible næk/fossegrim. Which version fits your mental image of the fossegrim best? The lower picture is Theodor Kittelsen's Fossegrimen (The Water Sprite)pen and ink sketch , 1887, Wikimedia Commons. The fossegrim was often depicted as a naked man playing under a waterfall. The fossegrim (sometimes considered a nøkk) is sometimes depicted as a harpist, as in Johan Zacharias...

The Seattle Aquarium is expanding to include sharks from Indonesia. Is this for the entertainment value or is there an educational component as well? What is the role of aquariums regarding public education, anyway? Is it to appreciate and have empathy for the fish, otters, seals, penguins, etc. or motivate conservation and sustainable behavior? At the same time, Seattle's sister city in Norway (Bergen) is planning to completely rebuild the National Aquarium in a new location. Join us as we visit the Bergen Aquarium to ask these questions about the role of the aquariums today. First we take a tour with zookeeper Joachim Ekeli to hear about flatfish, the national fish, penguins, the "flowers of the sea", and the tall ship, Statsraad Lemkuhl, sailing the world on the One Ocean Expedition. Then we meet the aquarium's CEO, Aslak Sverdrup, to learn the history of the aquarium and its connection to the Institute of Marine Research. Who owns the aquarium now, how will a new one get built, and where will it be? What will it take to get all the various jurisdictions, including business, industry, academia, and the public onboard, to build the World Ocean Center known simply as "O"? This podcast is a combination of fascinating marine biology, a study in how humans affect their environment, and the political will and fortitude necessary to create an even better National Aquarium in the future. Check out our links and photos at our episode website at nordicontap.com so see Joachim, Aslak, the Lemkuhl, and other neat things.

The lur is one of the great folk instruments of Scandinavia and was traditionally used by women at mountain farms, or sæters, in the summertime to gather the herds of cows, sheep, or goats. Less well known is the role of the lur in the story of Prillar Guri, who saved Norway from invaders at the Battle of Kringen in August of 1612. Join me as I interview the marvelous storyteller, musician, and player of the lur, Dr. Joan Haaland Paddock of Linfield University, who explains the features of the instrument, the natural scale that it plays, the origins of the Kalmar War, and the legend of the heroine, Prillar Guri. History has failed to record the great contributions of women in peacetime as well as wartime, so we celebrate the story as they do in Sel Municipality in Gudbrandsdalen, Norway. As part of this discussion, you'll learn why the bunads, or festive folk dress of Gudbrandsdalen today, are include the tartan of the Scottish clan Sinclair. Visit us at nordicontap.com to learn more about the arquebus, budstikke, Dr. Paddocks other videos, and info about the Battle of Kringen.

The celebrated hero who sailed the Kon-Tiki across the Pacific, wrote several best-selling books, who inspired a whole generation of archeologists is one of Norway's most celebrated heroes. But Heyerdahl's ideas about Polynesian migration (among others) were not embraced by the scientific community and we set off to understand why. Was Heyerdahl a "fringe scientist"? Join us as we interview Polynesian archeologist Dr. Matthew Spriggs and examine what Jo Ann Van Tilburg wrote about Heyerdahl. It's a lesson on how we gain knowledge through scientific evidence. Visit our episode website at nordicontap.com to read biographies of Thor Heyerdahl, watch the Kon-Tiki Expedition video, find links to pages about the research of archeologists Dr. Matthew Spriggs and Dr. Jo Ann Van Tilburg, and learn how you can join the ranks of citizen scientists (even without a college degree) to help researchers collect valuable scientific data.

Have you ever wondered what Norwegian folktales sound like in Norwegian, as they were written in the late 1800s by Asbjørnson and Moe? Join us for this telling of the classic De Tre Bukene Bruse or The Three Billy Boats Gruff and Småguttene Som Traff Trollene i Hedalskogen or The Boys Who Met the Trolls in Hedal Woods, in both Norwegian and English. We also hear the well-known Scandinavian favorite (song), Pål Sine Høner, played by Seattles Winter Band. Be sure to stop by nordicontap.com to find illustrations that go with the stories and links to where you can read the stories yourself, sample Winter Band favorites, and order the sheet music for Ingela's Waltz (our intro song). Help us make the programs you want to hear by completing our listener survey.

In 1923, a young Norwegian named Peter Sundness emigrated to the Seattle Area and, after several years, brought his wife and children over too. Pete’s daughter Ruthi Sundness Winter, later born in Seattle, fondly remembers playing Scandinavian music together with her family, a tradition that has continued after marrying Mike Winter, whose own family had a similar tradition. The result is the present day Winter Band that plays Scandinavian favorites that celebrate both life in America as well as "back home". In this podcast you’ll meet Ruthi, and hear about her discovery of writings and tapes made by her father long ago, detailing his adventures as a fisherman, logger, trapper, and whaler - a life that Ruthi had never known about him. Join us as we talk about her father’s dangerous occupations as a young immigrant, about growing up Norwegian-American, and about how music and the stories they convey bind a culture -- and all of us -- together. The band plays Søstrene Fra Flatholmen Fyr, a song about a daring rescue in 1894 of a shipwreck near Flatholmen Lighthouse near Stavangar, Norway. Please see this podcast's episode webpage at nordicontap.com for more information about this song, about the band, and audio clips and videos.

Laura Loge, Nordic operatic soprano. Edvard Grieg, Norway's greatest composer. Henrik Ibsen, Norway's greatest playwright. A trio that comes together through Ibsen's play, Peer Gynt, and Grieg's incidental music for that play. Laura sings the role of Gynt's long and abiding love, Solveig. Join us as we learn how Laura first sang Solveig's song at the age of 14, and how this music followed her as she studied Norwegian, Italian, and classical music to become a talented, accomplished classical singer, sharing her love of Greig through concertizing and school outreach. In this podcast Laura gives a brief summary of Ibsen's Peer Gynt, originally a hero from Norwegian folklore, who became the basis of Ibsen's anti-hero in his legendary Norwegian play. We also learn more about Grieg's music in general and the magic and images it creates of the Norwegian landscape, nature, and folklore. We finish the podcast with Laura's performance of Solveig's song (from Grieg's Peer Gynt Suite #2) in 2017. Check out the episode website for links to more of Laura's recordings, websites, photos etc. at nordicontap.com/laura-loge-grieg-ibsen-and-solveigs-song .

Perhaps the most portable instrument in the world that can play almost any musical genre is the accordion. As a “free reed instrument” how does it really work? And there are many kinds including the concertina, torader, and piano accordion. Join us as we meet Birgit and Phil Ages from the Seattle Area who explain how accordions work, show what a mazurka, hambo, and schottische sound like, and explain how they formed the Folk Voice Band. This popular group plays in annual venues such as Seattle’s Folklife Festival, Naselle’s Finnfest, Leavenworth’s Octoberfest, and the Skandia Midsummer Festival. Long associated with polkas and the instrument of choice for the Scandinavian-Americans Myron Floren and Stan Boreson, the accordion has become an essential part of the sound in folk music from many different cultures. Join us!

Every year before the pandemic, the Bothell Sons of Norway lodge members marched in Seattle's 17th of May Parade, as well as Bothell's Fourth of July Parade. In addition to a Viking ship float and a convertible sports car with the princess waving from the back, is a 7 foot tall, imposing, ugly, but goofy troll. This elaborate costume was created by Mike Nelson and has delighted parade-goers, especially children, for years. Then Carl Stavney was invited to inhabit the troll costume and discovered the magic that the costume imparts. Join us for the story of how the troll was first envisioned, how it was built, what it's like to skitter back and forth along the parade route to shake hands and give high-fives, and how the Parade Troll has become a beloved part of the Seattle and Bothell parades for over 20 years. Now in 2022, the troll returns. We finish with a rousing rendition of the Norwegian national anthem, "Ja, Vi Elsker Dette Landet" in honor of Syttende Mai, or Norwegian Constitution Day, on May 17th every year. See extras (photos, video) about the troll on our website, The Parade Troll – Nordic on Tap – The Podcast Website.

Don "Jerry" Pugnetti Jr, a long-time journalist, has written a fictional account of a Norwegian man and his compatriots who join the Norwegian Resistance during World War II. Jerry based the book on real stories he collected from his won relatives who were there in the early 1940s, and in the Resistance themselves. In this podcast we interview Jerry about his writing the book and learn about the true events that are mentioned in it. We finish up with a reinlender called "Holingen", played by the Nordahl Grieg Spelemanslag. See extra material and links on our website at A Coat Dyed Black and the Norwegian Resistance – Don ”Jerry” Pugnetti Jr. – Nordic on Tap – The Podcast Website.

Elizabeth Person from Everett, Washington designs and creates infographic illustrations that are right at home on your wall or in your hand, to identify the name of a berry bush, a Washington ferry, an apple variety, or a Washington lighthouse. Her sketches of her adopted town capture the beauty and detail in the commonplace. Her maps of islands, nations, and mountain ranges go beyond the USA, but are especially focused on the Pacific Northwest. We like her recipes for Scandinavian-American classics like lefse, krumkake, and kransekake which are as delightful as they are frameable. Join us, as we meet this talented and generous artist, to learn about her passion, her part in the thriving Everett art scene, and her willingness to share how she has become a successful artist and businesswoman. Be sure to visit this episode's page to hear more audio from our interview, links to her website, and a video tour of her studio.

It is difficult to talk about the indigenous people of northern Norway, Sweden, Finland, and the Russian Kola Peninsula without talking about the Sami musician and activist, Mari Boine. Born into a strict religious family, where speaking Sami and expressing oneself by traditional singing or joiking was considered "wrong", Boine struggled with being assimilated as a Norwegian and being ashamed of her heritage. Fortunately, she later embraced her heritage and began combining her joiking with other Western styles like pop, jazz, and rock. She has become extremely popular among the Sami as well as loved by audiences around the world. In her concerts, Boine talks about Sami culture and the struggles of indigenous peoples. Join us for this rare interview with Mari Boine, a behind-the-scenes look at who she is and what matters most to her. We also play a recording of a yoik from a man from Karasjok, Norway.

Join me for a tale of adventure with a very unlikely hero - a little tailor who dreams big but has trouble with the reality of dangerous situations. This Grimm Brothers folktale was collected in Denmark in the late 1800s and features hungry giants, a not so friendly unicorn, and a ferocious wild boar. Why do the people he meets think he’s heroic material? How does our hero even survive, let alone succeed? And how do you define success, anyway? We also hear a hardanger “quartet” with instruments built by Lynn Berg (see our previous podcast) - with the nearly one-of-a-kind hardanger viola and cello. They play the rousing Ulrik Polka….which has a secret song hidden within it. Can you help us figure out what that is? Please check out the nordicontap.com website where extra links, photos, and recordings are available for each of our podcasts. Take our Listener Survey to help us make what you you’d like to hear. You get two screen backgrounds for mobile or desktop as a reward for completing the survey.

The hardanger fiddle (hardingfele) is the national folk instrument of Norway. What makes this unique instrument different from a standard violin, in construction and sound? Join me as Lynn Berg, one of the best hardanger fiddle luthiers (violin makers) in the USA, walks us through what it takes to make a fiddle and how he came to be a luthier. Then Rachel Nesvig, the talented and accomplished musician who plays a Berg fiddle, tells us her story in becoming a freelance hardanger fiddler and much more. Rachel plays the tune "Gamle Erik" for us. Other music in this show includes a tune played by Petter Eide of Sandane, Norway, and the opening measures of Grieg's Morning Mood, which was inspired by the hardanger fiddle. Be sure to visit our nordicontap.com website for extras and links about this episode.

Who is that unseen elf that takes care of the animals on the farm? Join me as I interview Dr. Lotta Gavel Adams to understand the origins of the Swedish tomte, learn about Viktor Rydberg's classic poem, and identify the major artists who have contributed to our picture of the tomte. We owe the concept of the jolly American Santa Claus to a Swedish illustrator too. We conclude the show with a 2020 recording of the Gustavus Adolphus College Lucia Singers performing the Sankta Lucia song accompanied by the Christ Chapel organ. A great way to celebrate by candlelight on long and dark winter nights.