Nordic on Tap

Anthropologist Dimitris Xygalatas said in his book, Rituals: How Seemingly Senseless Acts Make Life Worth Living, that rituals often have no physical result when performed. Instead, rituals are symbolic, and perform a very essential function in the roles of community building, cooperation, and trust. In this Nordic on Tap episode, we delve into the Saint Lucia ritual, which coincides with the old winter solstice date (Dec 13th) on the Julian calendar.  What happens during the St. Lucia ritual? Who participates?  Traditionally in Sweden, Lucia was depicted as a blue-eyed, blonde girl with fair skin. However, in modern times, as the population becomes more diverse, the St. Lucia ritual has evolved to reflect a broader range of backgrounds, promoting greater inclusivity. This highlights how traditions can evolve to reflect societal changes while still maintaining their cultural significance. Join me as we try to make sense of this with Stina Cowan, the Cultural Director at the Swedish Club Northwest, in Seattle, Washington USA.  We also listen to  3 traditional and lovely Lucia Day songs associated with the ritual. See extras and links on our website episode page on Nordic on Tap.

I remember when I first saw 7 people line up at a table, pick up two bells with each hand, and proceed to make music unlike anything I've heard before or since.  Not a single one of them played the melody. They created the melody and chords by coordinated movements and exquisite timing.  They played hymns, popular songs, you name it. And the sound of bells was magical and enchanting. Imagine being in a choir without having to sing a single note. But you sure have to be able to concentrate, and read music. Join me as we dive into the world of a handbell choir, how the bells work (more complicated than you'd think), and how with lots of practice they learn to play together.  You'll get to meet Matt Weed, a long-time handbell player who really knows his way around the bells. Like Matt, many of those in the Faith Lutheran Church Handbell Choir of Redmond, Washington, have been playing in the choir for 40-50 years. What is it that motivates these people to take time out at the end of their workdays to play bells?  They say it's a lot of fun. And they invite anyone to experience handbell playing, including with digital bells online or on your phone. But it's more fun with a group of people! Please see for links, videos, and photos at https://nordicontap.com/making-joyful-music-the-handbell-choir/.      

Did you know that the forbidden fruit in the Biblical Garden of Paradise, that tempted Adam and Eve, was once thought to be a banana instead of an apple? That's why Carl Linnaeus gave it the scientific name, Musa paradasiaca. Who was this fellow anyway, the Swedish botanist and doctor whose concept of naming living things and grouping them by similarity established a coherent way to talk about and understand the diversity of life? Linnaeus' system of binomial nomenclature using genera and species adjectives is still used today.  In this unconventional biography of the ”King of Flowers” we visit a tropical greenhouse at Central Washington University to understand how Linneaus got a banana "tree"  in the Netherlands to produce the first banana fruit grown in Europe. We also talk with science historian Dr. Tamara Caulkins about Linnaeus, the time when he was working (1700s), his rival George LeClerc du Bufon, and the book he worked on throughout his life: Systeme Naturae.  Finally, we hear two delightful classical guitar pieces played by our Tamara and Neil Caulkins, from their Grand March album. 

In this podcast we listen to the tales “Big Peter and Little Peter” from Norway and “The Merchant” from Denmark. We talk about how greedy people may acquire riches and become quite wealthy. Then there are wealthy people who come to be rich through hard work and dealing fairly with others. We look at how these folktales differentiate between wealth gained through greed and wealth acquired honestly, and the responsibility they have in spending their riches. But what about ourselves? — we may be talented and skilled, rich in compassion and understanding…shouldn't we consider these part of “personal” wealth? Everyone is rich in many ways. What responsibility do we have in “spending” that wealth? Links Big Peter and Little Peter, Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe, Store Per og Vesle Per, Norske Folkeeventyr (Christiania [Oslo], 1842-1852), translated by George Webb Dasent (1859)on Wikimedia. The Merchant, Danish Fairy and Folk Tales, Jens Christian Bay,  Svend Hersleb Grundtvig and others, translated by Jens Christian Bay, on Wikimedia

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 machine outside of Canada and the USA. In the USA, the sheets of paper are usually slightly larger at  8.5 x 11 inches (215.9 mm x 279.4 mm), called US letter size. So an A4 life is one neither extravagant nor lackluster, but regular and common. Perhaps meets the definition of lagom, neither too big nor too small?  Is this a new expression for you? It sure was for me.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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 nordicontap.com 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. 

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.

I met Tove Dahl at a language camp in Norway in 1981. She was the staff troubadour who taught us to sing Norwegian songs and thereby learn Norwegian language and culture.  She was a such a people magnet back then, a natural leader, and I wondered what ever happened to this quintessential summer camp "counselor" who we all loved.  Forty years later, both she and I grew up, as people do, and I tracked her down in her home in Tromsø, Norway to talk about her long tenure as Dean of the Norwegian language camp Skogfjorden in northern Minnesota. Join me as I learn about her travels, her fascinating research as an educational psychology professir at the University of the Arctic, and how she came to be knighted by the King with the Norwegian Order of Merit in 2009.  At the end of the show, Dr. Dahl consents to play and sing (over Zoom) the camp song I learned from her in 1981, now 40 years later:  Fideli Bom Bom.  Join us and sing along!

Come along with us to the world's first open air museum - the Norsk Folkmuseum in Oslo!  We interview Inger Jensen and Siv Ringdal, both first curators at the museum about the oldest buildings, such as the Gol Stave Church from the 1200s, as well as more contemporary history in farm buildings of the 1950s, a Trekking Association (DNT) hytte, and an apartment building from downtown Oslo.  Living history museums are relevant and important to us today. Listen to this podcast to learn why.

Have you struggled at home with recipes for Nordic dishes or in creating Scandinavian Christmas cookies like krumkake? I sure have. In this program I interview Kristi Bissell of the True North Kitchen Blog, whose recipes are found in the Taste of Norway section of the Norwegian American News, and who teaches cooking in the Folk Art School at the Vesterheim Museum.  We explore how preparing "ethnic" food teaches you about a culture, then about Kristi's journey to become a chef and food blogger, creating "simple, seasonal, Nordic-inspired recipes tailored especially for the American home cook". After finishing and posting this podcast, I thought back about my own six-year search for a reliable krumkake recipe - six years of humiliation making limp, greasy krumkake that wouldn't stay rolled.  Then I found yet another recipe in a newspaper last year that I'd not tried - I had nothing to loose in trying one more time.  And finally, for the first time, I made crisp, nutty, and crunchy krumkake. My reputation as a Scandinavian-American was saved!  In looking at my recipe card after completing this podcast, I found my notation: "This is a winner!!", followed by, in my tiny writing, "a recipe from Kristi Bissell of Nebraska". So I can personally attest that Kristi can teach even me to reliably make this challenging cookie. She's for real! Check out her blog at true-north-kitchen.com.

The Sami, formerly called Lapps, live in the far north of Norway, Sweden, and Finland in a land where the sun never sets.  Storytelling has a strong tradition among the Sami, with tales that are a little different from other Nordic folktales.  Join us as we read story translations from the first collectors, J. A. Friis and J. K. Qvigstad, and from ethnographer Emilie Demant Hatt.  We read from the 2019 translation of Demant Hatt's  "By the Fire: Sami Folktales and Legends" (translated by Barbara Sjoholm).  We also hear Nick Ericson of The Six Feet Back Band playing "The Dwight Lamb Polka" on his button accordion. Join us for the unusual stories about reindeer, sheep, Stallo the troll, and a shaman!

Sven Lindauer is an accomplished historical artist who worked for National Geographic and museums.  Now Lindauer has set his artistic eye on the Norse of the Viking Age -- the non-Viking Vikings" who weren't the warriors, but the farmers, blacksmiths, Skaldic poets, musicians, sail-makers, among others.  He published The Art and Crafts of Ancient Scandinavia in 2020 with scenes of everyday life and explanations of these scenes.  Join me as I interview Mr. Lindauer about his career as an artist, his historical research, and the 7 year journey to these historically-accurate and fascinating scenes of ancient Scandinavia.

In this Winter Solstice/Christmas podcast we hear two stories and an interview about "trees" - the krumkake, the noble fir, and the lingonberry.  That is, the challenge of making a functional krumkake, the odyssey of cutting our own ragged Christmas tree, and a special on-site interview with Pacific Northwest lingonberry farmer, Leslie Lindskog.  We also investigate the origins of the beautiful Ave Marias of Bach/Gounod and Franz Schubert. Join us!

The centerpiece of every farm in Norway was always the storehouse, or stabbur. The food stored during summer and fall in this humble log and stave building was what got people through the long, cold winters every year.  They were built so well, many are still standing 300 years later. Join us as we l hear the story from a man who built his own version in the mountains of Montana, and learned to carve the portals just like the stave churches of old.  We also hear a song played by the Nordahl Grieg Spelemannslag.

Our first folktale podcast was so popular, we thought we’d bring you another!  This time we hear a tale from Finland called The Mighty Mikko, and my son Carl Stavney is the featured guest reading the classic Norwegian folktale, The Lad Who Went to the Northwind.  We also bring you a lovely accordion, mandolin, and guitar piece by the Folk Voice Band out of the Seattle Area.  So take a load off and listen to some storytelling and Finnish music from old Scandinavia.

In the early 1900s, there were hundreds of Scandinavian immigrant newspapers. Meet Lori Ann Reinhall, the Editor of the last remaining Norwegian newspaper in the USA, the Norwegian American. You'll hear how this amazing and talented woman keeps this excellent paper alive in a time of quarantine, unemployment, decreased popularity of print media, the "noise" of the internet, and biased opinions and interpretations masquerading as "news". She affirms the importance of bringing people together as a community rather than seeking to divide them. We'll also hear cuts from Lori Ann's CD, Duo Scandinavica, featuring songs that were favorites of immigrants in the early 1900s.

By day he works in the computer learning industry, but by night he puts on his sunglasses, pulls out his instruments, and creates amazing CD-quality music in his studio. He is lead and bass guitarists, lead vocalist and harmonizer, drummer, and keyboardist.  Who would suspect this mild-mannered man to have arisen out of a musical family, to have started his own recording studio, "played Vegas" with a number of bands....to later in life devote all his spare time to making music in his own studio, now available only online?  Join me as we visit the talented Darryl Jackson in his recording studio south of Seattle to see what kind of musical chops it takes to create such a wide range of genres: classical, new age, rock, and electronica. A video version of our interview will be available soon on https://www.facebook.com/NordicOnTap/ too.  

Join us for an exploration of Nordic folktales, why we value them, and how they define the cultures from which they come. We hear two of  the most beloved tales of Norway and Sweden, and finish with a haunting, duet of a traditional folksong from the Nordahl Grieg Spelmanslag, and one arranged by yours truly.  This podcast for all story lovers, from 4 to 104. So grab your sippy cup, latte, or hip flask and prepare to escape into the realm of adventure.

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!  

With the full or partial closure of many businesses, institutions, and organizations in Seattle in late March 2020 due to COVID-19, we wonder how are our cherished Nordic haunts, restaurants, museums, and fraternal organizations making it through in Seattle. We talk with Erik Pihl of the National Nordic Museum, Bjørn Ruud of Scandinavian Specialties, Rachel Antalek of Byen Bakeri, and report on the Scandinavian Hour, Nordic Roots and Branches, the Swedish Club, The Dane Restaurant, Nordiska (Poulsbo), the 17th of May (Syttende Mai) Parade, and the Norwegian-American News, among others. If we value these outfits, how can we support them so they survive?

Beyond keeping us warm and preventing public embarrassment, why do we wear clothes?  What does our dress say about us, who and what we are, and where we come from? Join Nordic on Tap for this dive into the world of fashion design with Seattle-based designer, Madison Leiren of Leiren Designs (https://leirendesigns.com/).  We sit down with Madison to discuss her path into fashion design and the influence of her Norwegian heritage and Norwegian culture in what she creates.  Madison talks about how she custom makes unique clothes such as wedding gowns as well as clothing for men. Finally, we talk about Madison’s experience as a designer in the greater Nordic community, especially in Seattle, and mention a few of our favorite haunts.  We conclude the show by listening to excerpts of songs and hymns derived from classic music, highlighting the inspirational hymn derived from Finlandia, the symphony written by Finnish composer Jean Sebelius.

Join us as we travel to Oslo, Norway to talk to a barnehage (literally: kindergarden) teacher named Torhild to learn how Norwegian kids have it differently and the same as us in the USA.  We also examine Norwegian folk costumes, or bunads...and what it takes to get one. We meet Hanne at Heimen Husfliden in Oslo as she tells us about her job selling bunads. We finish the show with some foot-stomping fiddle and guitar tunes by Ruthie Dornfeld and Alfred Morten Høirup. Check out Darryl Jackson's music too at darryljacksonmusic.com. If you enjoy our show you'll soon be able to visit us on Facebook and at our website, NordicOnTap.com! Vi sees!

Join us for an interview of Danish composer, musician, and journalist, Morten Alfred Høirup. We find out what the folk music scene is like in Denmark and how state-sponsored radio funding is somewhat dependent on the political views of the current government. Morten also describes his work as a composer for film, especially on esoteric topics like animals (he's composed for Animal Planet, for example). What kind of music does he write to accompany a squirming snake or a jumping frog? Listen and find out! We finish with a live recording of the guitar-duo, Høirup and Dornfeld, playing a delightful medley of Ingela's Vals (by Morten Alfred) and Meget Gammel Vals fra Vendsyssel (traditional).