nordstjernan The Swedish Newspaper of America
Published by Swedish News. Volume 144 No. 12, June 30, 2016. Price per copy $2.50
More royal celebrations than usual in June.
A traditional Swedish Midsummer celebration isn’t complete without authentic folk music on the fiddle (and, of course, in ethnic costume). Even in the U.S., Swedish Americans have been singing and dancing around the maypole to the accompaniment of live Swedish folk music. / Page 6, 16
Photo from the Lindsborg Kansas Midsummer celebration
Sweden, Page 2, 3
Scandinavian Airlines pilots get a raise / Swedish government agencies agree on energy plans / Inflation slowed more than expected / New Swedish citizens celebrate National Day / ABBA performs together for the first time in 30 years / Better trend for babies with Down syndrome.
Feature, Page 4
Swedish nuns attend Swedish Saint Elizabeth Hasselblad’s canonization in Vatican City.
Feature, Page 7
Seven Swedish drängar (guys, lit. farmhands) celebrate 20 years of singing together
Nordic rowing goes Hollywood
Page 4
by Göran R Buckhorn guest@nordstjernan.com
In the mid-1950s there was a renewed interest in Vikings in both Great Britain and the United States. One reason was likely due to the Swedish author Frans G. Bengtsson’s novel about Röde Orm we wrote about in issue 9/2016. Bengtsson’s highly acclaimed, two-volume Viking novel published in 1941 and 1945 in Sweden was marvelously translated into English by the English scholar Michael Meyer, who later became wellknown for translations of works by Strindberg and Ibsen. The novel about Röde Orm, published under the title The Long Ships, hit British and American bookshelves in 1954. As a tremendous success on both sides of the pond, there was also immediate interest from Hollywood to make a movie based on Bengtsson’s Viking. Unfortunately, with the
Continued on page 8
Dashboard, Page 10, 11
Women-only swim hours / Swedish archaeologist works to uncover ancient mystery / June 30 in Swedish history / Royal anniversaries / rent a longboat to row in Stockholm.
Food, Page 14
A dish so good every season of the year! Page 2
No, no fierceful Vikings are present in this image from Sognefjord where The Vikings filmed.
Travel the rails to Seattle
Many of the personal stories in our collective Swedish American history are often similar in some ways — and always irresistible, perhaps in part for that reason. Ted Olsson, a third generation Swede in America, has taken us along trips down memory lane a few times, sharing stories of his immigrant grandparents, and especially his farfar (father’s father), Alexander Olsson. Ted’s farfar was a writer himself, the editor of Vestkusten in San Francisco. And like him, Ted has written about his travel experiences — this time a train trip on the same route Farfar once took a century ago. The story of the first part of that trip appeared in the previous issue / Page 12, 13 of Nordstjernan, and here is the second part.
Perspectives, Page 11
Living between Russia and the USA...
Photo: Anna Lena Ahlström/Kungahuset.se
This Week, Page 11
news in brief. page 2
Swedish News Resedrömmar krossas Natten mot måndagen strandade förhandlingarna återigen. ArbetsgivarsiSydsvenska Dagbladet dan accepterade medlarbudet, men inte 13 juni, 2016 Svensk Pilotförening. Då krävs mer än en ursäkt. “Vi kan inte acceptera ett avtal som En resa kan vara så mycket. Den kan befäster de kraftiga försämringar våra vara rutin och en del av jobbet, eller en medlemmar fått utstå under de senaste av livets stora upplevelser. Och när den åren”, skrev Peter Larsson, ordförande blir inställd krossas drömmar – som att för SAS-piloterna i ett pressmeddelande. på plats i Frankrike få se landslaget spela Totalt omfattar strejken 400 SASEM-match, som att hålla bröllop på en piloter med Arlanda som bas, men flyg strand eller åka på den där semesterveck- har fått ställas in även från Kastrup, från an som familjen sparat till så länge. Malmö och från Ängelholms flygplats. Över 50 000 resenärer har hittills Konflikten gäller lönenivåer och arbets(06.13.2016) drabbats av konflikten villkor, bland annat när piloter hyrs in mellan SAS och Svensk Pilotförening från andra bolag. Enligt facket är lägsta och bara under måndagen ställdes 230 lönen för en SAS-anställd pilot 29 000 flyg in. Under tisdagen beräknar SAS att kronor, enligt företaget är den 32 000 240 flyg får ställas in, vilket berör ytter- kronor och topplönerna ligger på drygt ligare 25 000 passagerare. Som få andra 90 000 kronor i månaden. strejker slår en pilotstrejk mot tredje “Piloterna är redan en högavlönad part och både företaget och facket har grupp i mångas ögon och därför har de ett ansvar för att med medlarnas hjälp svårare att få sympatisörer”, konstaterar lösa konflikten. Christer Thörnkvist, docent i arbetsMen ansvaret mot kunderna vilar vetenskap. på SAS. Det är företaget som ska Piloterna har fått kritik på sociala meinformera och kompensera. När detta dier och många jämför med betydligt misslyckas drabbas resenärerna, men mer lågavlönade grupper. Men som alla också företaget självt. Konkurrensen är fackliga organisationer följer Svensk hård från lågprisbolagen och SAS vill Pilotförening principen att företräda just förknippas med kvalitet och pålitlighet. sina medlemmars intressen. I det borde Ett sådant varumärkesbygge måste vara rimligen också ingå en avvägning utifrån långsiktigt, men kan snabbt raseras. vad som är realistiska krav. Gästledare
Financials are improving enough that pilots went on strike - and negotiated a slight raise. And even after a troublesome period for SAS, it was recently named the Best European Airline.
SAS pilots strike a deal
After four days of botched travel plans for its customers, Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) and Swedish Pilot’s Association came to an agreement and ended the pilot strike which began just before a busy travel weekend. On Tuesday, June 14, the Pilot Union accepted a 2.2 percent raise after their demand for a pay raise of 3.5 percent inspired much negotiation. The strike meant the cancellation of 1,000 flights during this busy time of year with close to 100,000 passengers affected, but the airline is returning to normal as quickly as possible. “I really regret that so many of our customers have been affected by this strike,” said Richard Gustafson, CEO of SAS. The new agreement is backdated to April 1 and will be valid through April 1, 2017. SAS, which is 50 percent owned by the Swedish, Danish and Norwegian states, has said it is too early to calculate how much money it has lost because of the strike, but financial analysts have estimated it was costing the airline at least $1.2 million a day. The airline did return to profit in 2015 but it managed net earnings of only 171 million kronor ($20.6 million) in the second quarter of this year despite low fuel costs due to fierce competition and exchange rate swings.
Agreement over energy consumption
On June 10, 2016 the bodies of the Swedish government reached a monumental agreement: While setting a date by which Sweden’s energy production will be 100 percent renewable, they also have a plan for more efficient nuclear power production. The new, broad agreement aims for 100 percent of Swedish energy consumption to come from renewable energy sources by 2040. Naturskyddsföreningen and Greenpeace Sverige are pleased that the politicians finally agreed in energy and hope that new nuclear plants won’t actually be needed, especially since “it is not possible to build nuclear power plants that are renewable,” according to Annica Jacobson, director of Greenpeace in Sweden. Svante Axelsson, Secretary General of Nature Conservation, sees the deal as a major victory for the environmental movement. “What made everything easy for politicians is that it is expensive to build new nuclear power plants and renewable energy is getting cheaper by the day. Conditions have changed dramatically.”
Swedish inflation will not take off
Swedish inflation slowed more than estimated in May, adding pressure on the central bank to expand its unprecedented stimulus measures at its next meeting. Consumer prices rose an annual 0.6 percent in May, compared with 0.8 percent the prior month, Statistics Sweden said in a statement. The central bank in April eased up on the pace of stimulus and predicted it will meet its 2 percent inflation goal next year after years of below target price growth. Policy makers have cut rates deep below zero and unleashed a bond buying program to pump money into the economy.
Nordstjernan, June 30, 2016
SAS har ännu inte velat lämna ut några uppgifter om hur mycket strejken hittills har kostat bolaget. Men för varje strejkdag minskar resenärernas förtroende för SAS och under måndagen rasade aktien på Stockholmsbörsen. Kritiken var de första strejkdagarna hård från resenärer som inte fått tillräcklig information via nätet och inte kommit fram trots timmar i telefonkö. På SAS sajt på nätet kan den som söker information klicka sig vidare. Otydligt och otillräckligt, ansåg exempelvis kommunikationsstrateg Paul Ronge i en artikel i Aftonbladet på söndagen. Under måndagen meddelade SAS att alla kunder som drabbas får ett sms, att telefonerna nu bemannats med extrapersonal och att fler anställda finns på plats på flygplatserna. Men möjligheterna till ombokning är begränsade. SAS ber kunderna om ursäkt. Men ett minimikrav är att information och kommunikation till resenärerna ska fungera fullt ut under hela konflikten.
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News in brief. page 3
Walmart remains an easy target — in America and in Sweden. Consumers of media relish the condemnation of the company’s practices of squeezing suppliers and exploiting workers. Even more so, spotting customers and commenting on their uncouth appearance is a hobby among elite southern shoppers, for example featuring extreme stereotypes of rednecks and blacks who do not appear to abide by even the most basic hygiene-, exercise- or nutrition practices. But “polite” society is even more ready to condemn violent behavior among shoppers during the holidays, where fist fights, trampling and stampeding by “human beings” make for headline material that trumps the tamer ones by Swedish daily Expressen, such as “Walmarts åsnekött innehöll räv i stället” (“Walmart’s donkey meat contained fox instead”). I am not a fan of Walmart and enter the store very few times a year. While traveling I recently visited Walmarts in more affluent areas, hoping to spot some of the Whole Foods Market crowd buying batteries because they couldn’t find organic ones among the products that are not exploiting farmers and workers in faraway nations. But there is something to be said for “crowd behavior,” and until recently, I would have assigned Sweden an orderly and peaceful three and a half gold stars and America one and a half gold stars. As much as I hate to say it, many Americans are not very good at standing in line, and their behavior is much like the obligatory fight scene in the saloon in a western movie, when you know fists will fly, men will land in all sorts of places, fall off the railing upstairs and through the glass window, and the bar will be smashed, the legs of the furniture disassembled, a guy or two will have his head pushed through the seat of a chair. Whereas we know everything is make believe and will turn out fine in the westerns, behavior in American consumers is a different story altogether. Our small southern city, like most American cities now, has about one church per person and one national pharmacy per person, and very few liquor stores to be shared by all, this being the Bible Belt where anyone knows good Baptists don’t drink or dance or watch PG-rated movies. For a year or so I have studied crowd behavior using the drive-thru of a pharmacy. I am not going to say I have been using the drive-thru simply as part of an experiment. The American part of
me loves a drive-thru; I even get, as I call it, my “Christian chicken” that way, from a franchise that annoyingly is not open on Sundays when I seem to crave chicken most (I am sure that is the Viking in me, and Vikings were manly enough to eat chicken). My pharmacy drive-thru study has convinced me that berserkers have indeed traveled across the wide waters, though I do not wish to blame Leif Ericsson and his longship for the behavior I am witnessing once a month: Several huge pickup trucks and SUVs are lining up so most drivers, if they are not on their smartphones, can only see NRA stickers or Jesus-fish or “my church is the best” kind of sheep placards on bumpers and windows of the gas guzzler ahead. Inevitably, someone manages to suddenly maneuver his way out of line, having had to wait five, maybe 10 minutes, and an angry revving roar and screeching tires are heard as a truck accelerates out of the parking lot, disregarding traffic that could come from the left, before the angry customer disappears without his medication. Do I like to wait in line? Not particularly (after all, I was not conditioned long enough by the habits put upon Swedes by the Swedish government). But would I engage in such rude and dangerous behavior? I think not. Would Swedes? I think not (unless I have missed headlines about Swedes going berserk having to wait for months for their “free” medical care heart- or cancer surgery). I cannot say that I have much experience waiting in line and observing behavior in churches, though when I first moved to Albany, the race was on to recruit my wife and me to join God’s team among the plentiful churches worshipping one God, I think. The few times I went to break bread — actually one occasion was at a church well known for its excellent chicken dinner, others were the usual buffets, with the occasional cake that was very good and not too sweet — the persons in line were more orderly, and a number of “bless you” comments were made, which here in the South means that someone feels sorry for another person or hates that person’s guts, or as we say here in our more candid moments, Southerners will say “bless you” to your face and stab you in the back. By contrast, Yankees thankfully take care of business immediately. Having escaped the bless you moments of impatience at the buffet under
the church
A not-so-scientific (albeit sarcastic) study of the inexplicable crowd behavior in the American south (and how it compares to Swedish habits). spire, my other “social experiment” of crowd behavior has involved the liquor store. We do have a few to choose from, and some even have a drive-thru — the kind where you have to pay for your purchases. I have not tried the liquor store drive-thru experience, perhaps because I don’t want to turn a visit to the liquor store into a kind of Swedish Systembolaget experience, which means you really don’t get the full Disney World treatment of walking among different-shaped bottles with enticing cardboard mockups and all sorts of incentives making you feel that not only is drinking acceptable but it is a wonderful thing and everyone should wear a T-shirt advertising one’s favorite hard liquor brand just like wearing some Mickey Mouse-land gear. The liquor store experience has been awkward for me. The mob and stampede mentality of America is totally absent here. Perhaps the “here” is particular to the Bible Belt, where many people really don’t want to be seen in liquor stores. I have run into people who have been embarrassed as I loudly and cheerfully greeted them. The liquor store has a strange air of tip-toeing about and getting out. If the behavior of most Southerners in the liquor store could be replicated in most areas of life across America, the nation might be a kinder, but also strangely shy United States. It just might be like Sweden, or the Sweden as I remember it, but that Sweden existed a long time ago, for drinkers and nondrinkers alike. Ulf Kirchdorfer ulf.kirchdorfer@nordstjernan.com
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Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel distribute royal greetings to new Swedes at a citizenship ceremony in Nacka on Nationaldagen 2016.
New Swedes celebrate Nationaldagen
Every National Day, citizenship ceremonies are held in Sweden to both initiate new Swedes and to celebrate those who earned their Swedish citizenship within the last year. Ima Elias, from Syria, and her husband Elias, from Iraq, have been in Sweden for five years, citing similar hopes and dreams as new Swedes from the U.S., Peru, Thailand and other countries of origin. Ima wept during the Nationaldagen ceremony. “I’m so happy, I love Sweden,” she said in Swedish after the national anthem was sung. “I do not complain about the weather as many others. I’m so glad I get to live here with my family, I have friends and I have a business,” she added. Members of the royal family greeted new Swedes at a ceremony in Nacka, and at City Hall, Stockholm mayor Karin Wanngård thanked and encouraged the newest Swedes: “You are needed and helping to grow Stockholm. Our city is a proud city where you can love whoever you want and be who you are. It is a city to be proud of,” she said. And to thunderous applause, she added, “Thank you for choosing Stockholm.”
ABBA reunited for a rare performance
June 5 marked a 50th anniversary for a renowned group of Swedish singers. That date in 1966 was the first time Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson met, eventually forming the group ABBA with Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid (Frida) Lyngstad. This year on June 5, for the first time in 30 years, all four of them were back together at a private music event in Stockholm, singing an unprecedented performance of “You and I.” Though the members of ABBA thought their popularity would wane after they split up, the Swedish band continues to be one of the most successful musical acts in history, having sold over 380 million albums worldwide and even making a destination of their musical history: The ABBA Museum opened in Stockholm in 2013.
New research on Down syndrome
A new study from Karolinska Institute in Stockholm shows newborns with Down syndrome have significantly lower risks of serious heart defects than they did just 20 years ago. The average number of babies born with Down syndrome remains fairly steady in Sweden — about 120 each year — although prenatal diagnoses have advanced and fetuses with severe complications from Down syndrome may be aborted; this can affect the data, but the number of mothers over the age of 35 has increased (older maternal age is the strongest risk factor for having a baby with Down syndrome). Among the 2600 babies born with Down syndrome in 1992 to 2012, about half had a congenital heart disease, and the need for surgery was 40 percent lower at the end of the period. The developmental disorder is caused by an extra chromosome that can affect brain development and other organs.
The Exchange Rate: $1.00 = SEK 8.30 06.15.2016
June 30, 2016 Nordstjernan
Photo: Pelle Nilsson T / Stella Pictures / Kungahuset.se
Swedish News
Drive-thru observations
feature. page 4
A Swedish modern day saint June 4 was Maria Elizabeth Hesselblad’s birthday, and the very next day in Vatican City, Pope Francis proclaimed her a saint: On June 5, Elizabeth Hesselblad, who died in Rome in 1957 at age 87, was canonized as a saint at a mass in St. Peter’s Square. Two miracles are needed to achieve full sainthood, and St. Elizabeth’s miracles were originally recognized by Pope John Paul II who beatified her in 2000. The otherwise unexplained healing of a woman was believed to be Hesselblad’s work as was the healing of a Cuban boy who had a brain tumor. That boy — who is now a grown man — carried Hesselblad’s relics in the canonization ceremony, which took place at 11 a.m. before thousands of spectators. Relatives were also in attendance, as were the Swedish archbishop and Sweden’s minister of culture and democracy. Hesselblad has also posthumously received the “Righteous Among the Nations” award by the State of Israel for her efforts to protect Jews in a convent in Rome during World War II. A Polish priest was also sainted in the June 5 canonization ceremony. The two new saints “stayed tightly linked to the passion of Christ,” the Pope said. He is scheduled to travel to both Poland and Sweden this year; he’ll be in Sweden in October to mark the 500th anniversary of the start of the Protestant Reformation. Maria Elisabeth Hesselblad was born in Fåglavik in Västergötland on June 4, 1870 and died in Rome in 1957, where she is buried at the House of St. Bridget. She worked as a nurse in the United States when she converted to Catholicism in 1902, then moved to Rome and became a nun.
Sweden’s Maria Elizabeth Hesselblad (1870-1957), canonized by the pope on June 5, 2016, had a life filled with poverty, struggles, successes, faith, glory ... and miracles. Many people still alive today knew her and were blessed by her grace.
Believers gathered at the steps of St. Peter’s Basilica, the Vatican, Rome, adorned with a portrait of the new Saint, Swedish born Mother Elizabeth Hasselblad.
The most extraordinary woman in Rome
She gave Jewish people a hiding place during WWII, was good friends with Ingrid Bergman, and plays a crucial role in the Birgittine’s storyline. Sister Elizabeth Hasselblad was known for rescuing several Jews in Rome during WWII and organizing a makeshift synagogue. After a life of service, getting venerated in 1991 and beatified in 2000, Pope Francis is now
cannonizing her a saint. To become a saint requires a miracle to be linked to the person, a healing through prayer that can not otherwise be explained medically. Elizabeth Hasselblad’s sainthood can be linked to, among other things, aiding Jews in WWII and at least two miracles. “It is a powerful woman who has done something big and important not just here in Sweden but also in many other parts of the world,”Anders Arborelius, Bishop of the Catholic Church in Sweden has said. After Pope Francis began December’s
Catholic Church’s jubilee in Rome, his representatives announced the plans on Dec. 17 to canonize Elisabeth Hesselblad, whose portrait already hangs in St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican. “She is truly an example of concrete mercy. The State of Israel has recognized her — as one of few Swedes — awarded the Righteous Among the Nations,” writes the Catholic Church in Sweden. Her branch of Birgittines exists today in Sweden, England, Switzerland, Mexico, the Philippines, India and the U.S.
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feature. page 5
Swedish food culture in Minnesota When the American Swedish Institute in Minneapolis hosted a program on Scandinavian food, Stockholm University was there. Richard Tellström is an associate professor and senior lecturer in meal science and guest lecturer at the Department of Ethnology, History of Religions and Gender Studies (ERG). He was one of the event’s presenters, meeting Americans who had vivid memories of Swedish food culture. Tellström wrote the foreword for “The Nordic Cookbook,” a book with recipes and pictures from across Scandinavia, written by master chef Magnus Nilsson from Fäviken in Jämtland. The book has captured the imagination of many Americans, and the American Swedish Institute arranged a multi-day conference to celebrate Nordic food traditions. Both Magnus Nilsson and Richard Tellström gave presentations, and restaurants and local food producers threw events that attracted the many SwedishAmericans of Minneapolis.
A full house
Richard Tellström gave a lecture on Swedish food culture in front of a packed house, with many people excited to discuss their own family traditions. Lutfisk, in particular, is an important dish in Minnesota, but Tellström explained that Minnesotans probably ate more lutfisk than Swedes these days. He also said that meatballs, which many Americans consider the most Swedish thing ever, would quite possibly not even be on the top-five list of most popular dishes in Sweden.
L-R: Scott Pollock, Director of Programs, invited Chef Magnus Nilsson and Associate Professor and Senior Lecturer in Meal Science Richard Tellström from Stockholm University
Recipes from home
The audience was encouraged to bring their traditional recipes with them so the institute could scan and upload them to the archive. “The food culture in Minnesota is like a moment from late-1800s Sweden frozen in time,” said Tellström. “It’s survived in an older form, not unlike how we preserve our own traditions with the julbord (Christmas dinner).”
Richard Tellström’s “Helan går”-playing music box amuses his dinner companions.
People wanted to discuss their own Swedish traditions with Stockholm University’s Richard Tellstöm.
Kjerstin Moody showed Richard Tellström around Gustavus Adolfus College campus, which features a bust of Carl Linné.
Conversations on food research
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Deborah Miller from the Minnesota Historical Society was one of many who brought with her a recipe that had passed through generations.
Richard Tellström also held a round-table discussion with about a dozen local researchers and historians, with representatives from the University of Minnesota and Gustavus Adolfus College, among others. They discussed the possibility of a joint research project that would bring together food traditions with Swedish migration to the United States and today’s migration.
June 30, 2016 Nordstjernan
feature. page 6
Scandinavian Festival in Jamestown Chautauqua Lake with six crew members on Friday before arriving at the festival grounds. The crew will answer questions about Viking ships and Viking history. Visitors can step aboard the ship and see what travel in such a vessel was like for the bold and adventurous Vikings. A new feature at the festival is the Finnish Wife Carrying Contest. Culturally speaking, it relates to a Viking idea of being strong and vigorous enough to carry one’s wife and all the responsibilities Toronto folk dancers at Scandinavian Festival, Jamestown of life. According to Northwestern Pennsylvania and south- festival coordinator Don Sandy, the contest western New York are home to generations is based on a 19th century Finnish legend of Swedish families. Those with Viking “Ronkainen the Robber” whose men had to blood respect and cherish all things Scan- prove their worth by completing a difficult dinavian. We have colorful wooden Dala course carrying something heavy on their horses on our bookshelves and a sky blue backs. Other contests will include the Kubb and yellow Swedish flag flying somewhere tournament, pepparkakor cookie baking and in or on the house. We frequent the Ecklof dance routines. Bakery and remember holiday dinners of korv, lutfisk and pickled herring as well as Workshops, demonstrations other delights like pepparkakor and almond In the Culture Tent are exhibits, demtarts. onstrations and workshops. Visitors can It’s fitting that in the heart of summer, observe chip carving, Swedish weaving, area residents and visitors are treated to the rosemaling, knitting and spinning. (Durannual Scandinavian Folk Festival. The ing the winter months from October to festival honors and preserves the Nordic May, the Scandinavian Studies Program at heritage of those who settled this area in the Jamestown Community College conducts a 19th and 20th centuries. number of similar workshops that are free The headline music at this year’s festival and open to the public on the first Saturday is a dance band from Sweden, named Don- of each month from 10 a.m. to noon.) nez. Donnez has had three CDs in the top The Scandinavian Studies Program passes 10 in Sweden. This performance will be along traditions from generation to generathe American debut for this group of five tion and shares valuable cultural and histalented musicians, coming to Jamestown torical information. The 2016 Scandinavian — just for the festival — before they re- Folk Festival Lecture Series features 14 turn to Sweden for 30 more performances lectures ranging in topics from a discussion scheduled this summer. We appreciate that about Isak Dinesen to language lessons. they chose our 15th Annual Festival for their The lecture series contributes to preserving American premier. the rich Scandinavian heritage by offering opportunities to learn about tracing lineage, Entertainment, vendors, food folk costumes and contributions to world art and literature. and children’s activities Performances in addition to Donnez inThis year’s festival, which will be at Jamestown’s Gerry Rodeo Grounds on July clude Svenska Spelmän and the Jamestown 15-17, includes a variety of educational and municipal band with a concert of Scandiwhimsical events with vendors, lectures, navian compositions, the Toronto Swedish Scandinavian foods of all kinds, and a Folkdancers and the local Thule Lodge traditional Midsummer celebration at 11 Swedish adult and children folk dancers. a.m. on Saturday that opens with a parade Dancers dress in traditional folk costumes of Scandinavian flags, festival musicians and offer skilled performances that honor and folk dancers. Celebrants may join in to Swedish dance and music traditions. New dance around the Maypole after it is raised. to the festival this year is Sini and Anita, This year’s festival is rich with entertain- a Finnish duo that performs Scandinavian ment, a petting zoo will offer children an songs and plays accordion and fiddle. The festival will be open for fun and enjoyopportunity to pet and learn about pygmy goats, rabbits, lambs and ducks, and ev- ment Friday, July 15 at 1 -10 p.m., Saturday, eryone can see the 40-foot-long Leif Er- July 16 at 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., and Sunday, ickson Viking Ship replica, which will sail July 17 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Nordstjernan, June 30, 2016
Parking is free and the ticket prices are modest. The 15th Anniversary Special Gate prices will be $5 for Friday and Saturday and $1 on Sunday, and if you wear a Scandinavian outfit, you will be admitted free of charge. Children under 12 are admitted free. There are no additional charges for any events. Maps and contact information can be found online: www.scandinavianjamestown.org. Interested in volunteering? Contact Gale Svenson at 716-753-6319. More information at dsandy@netsync.net or on Facebook / Scandinavian Jamestown The dance band Donnez have their American debut at this year’s festival in Jamestown.
SWEDE AMONG THE REDNECKS Loved by Rednecks, Bluenecks, Swedes and Americans: “..something any Swedish American will enjoy” … “A humorous look at Swedes and Swedishness” … “[written with] the gift of clarity, humor, pathos, and joy” A book from Nordstjernan, also available on Amazon. A humorous collection of essays about growing up, reaching adulthood and maturity on two continents and in two separate cultures. Mail order form to: NORDSTJERNAN P.O. Box 1710 New Canaan CT 06840 Or call 1.800.827.9333
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The circumstance was Vasa Drängar’s 20th anniversary celebration and concert on May 22. The pomp was kept up by Dean Gottschalk’s proud snare drum in some of the rhythmic songs at the concert, and by the choir, singing its roaring Swedish snaps songs at the party later in the evening. But let’s start from the beginning. In 1996 seven guys, members of the Nordic Lodge #708 in Atlanta, met to practice a few songs. They were asked to sing at the upcoming crawfish party. So they did. And after singing a couple Swedish folk songs and a few snaps songs (that included the drinking of a snaps or two) they felt they wanted more — singing. So they continued practicing, took the name “Vasa Drängar,” and started to sing at every possible Swedish and Scandinavian event. At first they sang in Atlanta only, but later on they traveled and sang out of town, such as in Thorsby, Alabama. Thorsby was founded by Swedes from Värmland. They eventually established their own Swedish festival — to which the Vasa Drängar were invited to entertain. For 10 consecutive years the group performed in Raleigh, North Carolina, at its annual Scandinavian Christmas Fair. The Vasa Drängar always looked forward to this first Saturday in December — and they had a lot to do: the opening ceremony with national anthems, a concert of their own and the Lucia celebration. And most of all, they were full of expectation for the Christmas party in the evening with their hosts, Rae and Jim Gulick. Four years ago the Vasa Drängar went up to New Haven, Connecticut, to participate in the AUSS’s (American Union of Swedish Singers) convention together with singers from all over the United States. The men were specially invited to perform at the first night’s gathering. They did pretty well, reinforced
Photography: Pam Minton
Pomp and circumstance in Atlanta
Vasa Drängar in action (L-R): Adrian Popescu, William Nestor, Jay Lutz, Erik Kind, Sten Ekberg, Dale Nordin, Hans Hörnfeldt, Jim Gulick, Sven Lovegren, Magnus Edlund and Kirill Chernoff. Göran Rygert conducts, Gabe Granitz is at the piano.
when they over heard a singer in the audience say, “Now I have to go home and practice …” Twice the group has been chosen to sing the Swedish national anthem at the openings of new IKEA stores, first in Atlanta and later also in Charlotte. Now, 20 years later, three of us who started Vasa Drängar are still with the choir: Sten Ekberg, Dale Nordin and myself. Our repertoire
has grown from about 10 songs in 1996 to 216, in 10 languages. As we thought about how to celebrate our 20th anniversary, we decided to give a concert and then travel to Chicago to attend another AUSS convention. We soon realized we could not afford this so we started to look around for sponsors.
Left: The Atlanta Balalaika Ensemble (R-L) as they sit: David Cooper, Kirill Chernoff, Dean Gottschalk (percussion), Alla Melnik, David McCullough, Irene McCullough, Jan Rygert and Angelina Galashenkova-Reed. At left on contrabass, Göran Rygert.
Vi har öppet måndag till fredag kl 9:30 till 15:00 Den mobila passtationen är i Fort Lauderdale den 13 - 15 september. Kontakta konsulatet för mera information.
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Soloists Niklas Björling Rygert (right) and Jim Gulick in the Russian song Smuglyanka.
Vasa Drängar’s president Sten Ekberg presents a plaque to conductor and Vasa Drängar founder Göran Rygert.
And thanks to Scandinavian Festival, Nordic Lodge, SWEA and private donors we were able to go ahead with our planning. We engaged a nine-piece ensemble from our Atlanta Balalaika Society, including the maestro himself, David C. Cooper on the balalaika, Angelina Galashenkova-Reed on domra and Alla Melnik on the Russian buttoned accordion called bayan. From the Royal Swedish Opera in Stockholm, we brought over tenor Niklas Björling Rygert to sing with the choir and perform a number of solos accompanied by pianist Gabe Granitz. Niklas got international attention for roles in Wagner operas and has been singing regularly with renowned conductor Zubin Mehta. Yes, if you wonder, Niklas is my son! The concert included Swedish, Russian, Italian, Norwegian and American songs as well as balalaika ensemble solos and it all went extremely well. We enjoyed a standing ovation and had to sing two encores. I am very proud of the singers! At the party afterward, we could all relax and enjoy good food and drinks. With lots of snaps songs! n June 30, 2016 Nordstjernan
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Nordic rowing goes Hollywood Continued from page 1
death of Frans G. Bengtsson in December that year, a copyright problem arose.
The making of a movie
It is not known if the American movie star Kirk Douglas had an interest in Röde Orm, but around 1956 he began thinking about making a movie about the Norsemen, a “western set in the days of the Vikings” as he later would say. He contacted Richard Fleischer whom he had worked with in the film 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Fleischer immediately agreed to direct Douglas’s new film which was basted on Edison Marshall’s novel The Viking. Douglas slightly altered the title of the film to be in plural, The Vikings. Both Douglas and Fleischer decided that it should, as far as possible, be an accurate film about the Vikings. (So for example, there are no horns on the helmets in the film.) While Fleischer flew to Oslo to do some research at the Viking museums there, and later continued his research in London, Douglas stayed in the USA to put together the film crew and the cast. Douglas himself was going to play Einar, the hot-blooded son of the Viking chief Ragnar, played by Ernest Borgnine (who was actually two years Douglas’s junior). When Charlton Heston turned down the role as the Viking slave Eric, the offer went to Tony Curtis who accepted the part. Curtis’s wife at this time, Janet Leigh, was picked to play the ravishing Welsh princess Morgana. In the film, Einar sails to the British Islands where he kidnaps Morgana to claim a huge ransom for her. He, of course, falls in love with her, but she is rescued by Eric, who was taken as a slave when he was a young boy. Neither of the men have knowledge that Eric is actually Einar’s half brother and the heir to the English throne. At the end of the film they fight each other, to win the hand of Morgana. The film’s indoor scenes were going to be shot in a studio near Munich, Germany, some outdoor scenes in France where the Vikings were going to storm a castle, and in Norway where a Viking village was built along a fjord. Two replicas of a Viking ship were under construction at a Norwegian shipyard, and many extras were needed to play the people in the Viking village. But where on earth was Douglas going to find the people who would be able to row the two Viking ships?
Hollywood’s Viking requirements
In 1949, Erik Kiersgaard in his capacity as chieftain of the Viking ship Hugin, sailed and rowed with a Danish crew to England. Kirk Douglas’s company Bryna Productions contacted Kiersgaard to ask if he could round up his old crew and maybe
Nordstjernan, June 30, 2016
Kirk Douglas on set. /MGM Studios.
Janet Leigh and Kirk Douglas in a scene from The Vikings, 1958. /MGM Studios.
Largest sign in the world at the time—New York premiere at Times Square in June 1958.
some other good men who could act on the Viking ships. The production company had three demands of the crew: they had to be at least 6 feet (180 centimeters) tall, have a large beard, and be skilled oarsmen. Kiersgaard, who was an old rower, got in touch with his friends at the rowing club Danske Studenters Roklub in Copenhagen. He also put in ads in major Danish newspapers, looking for capable rowers. The news likewise found its way to the papers in the town of Malmö, in the south of Sweden. Being just across from Copenhagen, the local rowing club, Malmö Roddklubb, had several crews racing at Danish regattas through the years. The club’s ‘star’ in the 1950s, Tore Persson, was a multitudinous Swedish rowing champion and had many friends among the Danish rowers. He saw the articles and contacted some friends at Danske Studenters Roklub. “Sure,” they said, “come over to the audition. You will be just fine.” At this time, Persson did not have a beard; he had more of a handsome
mustache a la Errol Flynn. For the audition at the rowing club in Copenhagen, about 700 hundred bearded and unshaved men had assembled, all showing great eagerness to be candidates for a rowing seat in a Hollywood movie. After some tests, 65 oarsmen were picked out, among them Tore Persson. When they signed the film contract, the rowers promised to continue to be in rowing trim, grow a real Viking beard, and get a tan. When the film rehearsals began at the Sogne fjord outside of Bergen in mid-May 1957, 125 top Nordic oarsmen were gathered: 60 Norwegians, 64 Danes, and one Swede. “None of us rowers had any experience acting in front of a film camera,” Tore Persson said in telephone interview from his home in Malmö in 2002. “We rowed up and down the 87 mile long fjord day after day. At the end of the first week, after being filmed endlessly, the film crew told us that they now had two minutes of film that
they could use.” Persson sighed deeply in the phone. “It was take after take, again and again. ‘Very good you Scandinavian boys, but we will take it again.’” The oarsmen sat on small benches and rowed. Everything was a perfect replica of a Viking ship. “Well, except for some things,” Persson said: “The sails were made of light nylon, not the heavy cloth the Vikings used.” He continued, “This actually made my work much easier. One of my tasks was to lash one of the halliards for the sail around a cleat when the sail was either to be set or hauled down. A cordial task with a nylon sail.” Persson laughed when more recollections pop up in his mind. “Yes, then they had installed inboard engines on the ships. The engines were used if we quickly had to move from one location to another. And we rowed a lot, of course. Our boat with the Danish crew was superior to the Norwegians,” he recalled contentedly. After a couple days of filming, the rolls of film were sent to London to be developed. When this was done, they were sent back to Norway by courier. “I particularly remember some shots we did. A camera was placed up on a high bridge and with the help of a gigantic airplane, propeller smoke was blown over the ships which would give the image of thick fog,” Persson said. “We rowed and rowed, back and forth, take after take. Finally, the film crew said ‘Great, thank you!’ We all breathed freely again.” Persson laughed and added, “When the film came back from being developed in London, you could clearly see how a cigarette packet and some other rubbish were floating by our boat ... ‘Let’s take that all over again.’”
Real Vikings
In his memoirs The Ragman’s Son, Kirk Douglas reviles other problems that emerged during the production in Norway. The weather was the worst ever, it rained and rained. The time for the shooting of the film in Norway was set to be a month for Douglas, Tony Curtis and the other stars.
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The rain extended the time there costing Douglas’s production company an extra million dollars. In an interview several years ago, the director Richard Fleischer especially recalled one classic scene from the movie. Through laborious research about the Vikings, he had found a Viking game that probably had not been played in a thousand years. For “Run the Oars” Fleischer hired a couple stuntmen to perform the hazardous act: Rowers were to hold their oars straight out from the boat. Kirk Douglas’s character Einar was to climb out on an oar and then walk or jump from one oar to another, without falling into the ice cold water. When Douglas saw the stunt men exercising this, he immediately insisted on dong it himself, much to the horror of Fleischer. But Douglas performed it impeccably. “You needed to get a rhythm going, keep the momentum from oar to oar. If you slowed down, you had time to lose your balance,” Douglas writes in his autobiography. “When I had been in Norway for five weeks, the stars Kirk Douglas, Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh, arrived to the film set,” Tore Persson recalls. “Both Curtis and Douglas were in good physical trim, and they would do a lot of different stunts like jumping over some of the horses that were used in the film.” “We who rowed had very little to do with the stars,” said Persson. “When they arrived, they walked around looking at the properties and the Viking ships. The actors and parts of the film crew lodged aboard the luxurious ship Flying Clipper, while we extras stayed aboard Soma, a run-down old ferry. Although, the vessels were docked side by side, we never dealt with each other.” After six weeks of filming, Tore Persson and most of the rowers went home. “Some of the sharpest characters — that is, the tallest oarsmen with the largest beards — went with the film crew to France to shoot the storming of a castle. Some of them also went to Munich to shoot some indoor scenes,” Persson remembered.
But Douglas felt betrayed. “I was angry and hurt,” he writes. So the film crew left for Munich. When I asked Persson about the party and the strike, he said it must have happened after the oarsmen had gone home. “While we were there, some representatives for the Norwegian extras told us that we ought to have higher salaries, but we were satisfied with what we got, and we had already signed our contracts.” How was the pay? “Very good,” Tore Persson says. “I received 500 Danish kronor a week, free board and lodging, and the trips back and forth to Norway all paid. I had to bring my wife with me to Copenhagen to collect my salary,” Persson laughed. “With the 3,000 kronor (approximately $400), which was a lot of money at the time, we paid the down payment for a house in Malmö.”
Above: Tore Persson ready for his stint as Viking oarsman. Above left: On the set at Sognefjord. Photos courtesy of Tore Persson/Malmö Roddklubb.
films about the Vikings than the one Kirk Douglas produced. Persson seemed relieved when I told him the film based on Frans G. Bengtsson’s The Long Ships, with Richard Widmark and Sidney Poitier, that was released in 1964, received very poor reviews. In a January 2000 letter to me, the book’s English translator Michael Meyer wrote that “The film, of course, was one of the worst that ever came out of Hollywood.” So did Tore Persson get the taste for acting? Did he ever consider a film career? Laconically he said, “No, too much waiting and too many re-takes.” He shared one more lasting memory, though: He never shaved off his Viking beard.
Act three
In The Ragman’s Son, Kirk Douglas tells the story of how he organized a big party for the film crew and the Norwegian extras with a lot of food and drink. He and Tony Curtis entertained them and did some juggling. The audience went crazy and wanted more. What Douglas and Curtis did not know was that Janet Leigh was behind them doing a striptease act. “The next morning,” Douglas writes in his autobiography, “The entire Norwegian crew went on strike. They wanted more money.” Douglas was shocked. How could they do this after such a wonderful party the night before? Furious, Douglas called for a meeting of his film team. They went through the shots that remained to be taken in Norway. Can we do this scene on stage? And this one? It seemed that everything left could be done in Munich. Douglas decided, “It’s a wrap! Get everything together. We’re leaving.” The Norwegians were startled and immediately changed their minds and were willing to work for their original salaries.
Kirk Douglas in a scene from The Vikings, 1958. /MGM Studios.
Memoirs of a Viking
Kirk Douglas writes in his memoirs that The Vikings was a tremendous success when it premiered in American movie theaters on May 9, 1958. “Did he really write that?” Persson asked, astonished. “When the film came to Malmö and Sweden it was a total
flop.” He continues, “The Swedish film critics gave it unfavorable reviews. Of course, it is still a memory for life to have been in the movie.” Before the telephone interview came to an end, I was able to comfort Tore Persson by saying that there are de facto worse
The author, Göran R. Buckhorn is an amateur rowing historian who in the 1970s had Tore Persson as a coach at Malmö Roddklubb. Persson died in 2014 at age 84. Göran Buckhorn lives in Mystic, Connecticut, and still rows, reads and writes. His latest book, A Yank at Cambridge – B.H. Howell: The Forgotten Champion was released in 2015. It’s about Benjamin Hunting Howell, an American who rowed and sculled in England in the late 1890s, first for Trinity Hall, Cambridge, and later for Thames RC. 152 pages. ISBN: 978-0-578-16289-8. Available at Mystic Seaport Bookstore, Mystic, Connecticut 1.860.572.5386 or at www. amazon.com
June 30, 2016 Nordstjernan
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Sweden
Sweden enforces women-only swim hours . In an effort to adapt to a growing Muslim population, the historically egalitarian Sweden is now offering women-only hours at 13 of its 100 largest municipal swimming pools. In the traditionally Christian country’s attempt to respect different religious practices, the debate lies primarily with Sweden’s work toward gender equality. In cities with high multicultural populations, more pools are expected to adjust their swimmers’ hours as the swim season progresses. The heated debate also brings education into the discussion as girls and boys alike need to learn to swim in Sweden: All children must have the opportunity to learn to swim to get a passing grade in physical education — so they can advance to high school.
June 30 in Swedish History
A maid in Sweden in the 1930s. Image: Nordiska Museet, Stockholm
June 30, 1944: The Swedish Parliament, “Riksdagen,” approves a new law, Hembiträdeslagen, to regulate the relationship
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Nordstjernan, June 30, 2016
between maids and their employers. The law allowed maids a bit more freedom and live-in maids minimum housing requirements in accordance with prevalent health standards. Work had to be concluded no later than 7 p.m. unless agreed differently. (Not valid for child care personnel.) A free day every third Sunday and on May First after 1 p.m. + one decided upon free afternoon after 2 p.m. every week. The law was replaced by a new law in 1970.
Right: The last execution in Sweden took place on November 23 in 1910, and was carried out through guillotine.
Athens, Greece
A Swedish archaeologist is working on a site in Athens, Greece where skeletons traced to the year 630 BC were found. Several factors, including the fact that their arms are raised above their heads, may link them to Cylons conspiracy, a famous rebellion. Photo source archaeology.org
Swedish archeologist hopes to reveal ancient truth
An excavation in Athens started in 2012 with the construction of a new opera house and national library. In February 2016, when a mass grave was discovered, Sweden was consulted for participation in the excavations. Now Anne Ingvarsson-Sundström of Uppsala, is one of only two archeaologists on the project after most funding was pulled from the excavation, a victim of Greece’s economy crisis. Ingvarsson-Sundström examines skeleton after skeleton in a shallow mass grave at the site about six kilometers from the Acropolis, which was standing in 630 BC when the 80 men were buried there. She believes this may be evidence of the 2600-year-old Olympic history of Cylon, a young aristocrat who became an Olympic champion – but probably used his influence to stage a coup against elected leaders; the bodies are likely those of the young men he rallied together to create an army. “I do not want to get ahead before I finish my report,” said Ingvarsson-Sundstrom. “But surely this is something very unusual, after a very tragic event.” And what happened to Cylon himself? According to Thucydides, he managed to escape, but that may soon — finally — be known for sure.
Anne IngvarssonSundström in a photo from an earlier dig in Sweden, at the Sala Silver mine 2008. Photo courtesy Societas Archaeologica Upsaliensis/www.sau.se
June 30, 1921: A new law regarding capital punishment in Sweden takes effect. Law 1921:288 abolishes capital punishment at peace times. The final execution in Sweden was in 1910 when Johan Alfred Ander was executed at the prison Långholmen in Stockholm for murder November 23, 1910. Capital punishment at times of war was not abolished until a more recent law went into effect, in 1973.
Photo: Brigitte Grenfeldt/Kungahuset
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Stockholm, Sweden
Happy 1st birthday to Prince Nicolas Paul Gustaf, who was born June 15, 2015 to Princess Madeleine and Christopher O’Neill. He is seventh in line to the Swedish throne, behind his big sister, Princess Leonore, 2. Prince Nicolas spends a lot of time with his royal cousins in Stockholm but his family lives primarily in London, where his father’s business is based.
A royal June
Photo: Brigitte Grenfeldt/Kungahuset
It’s a popular month: Prince Nicolas and his mother, Princess Madeleine, both celebrate birthdays in June, and other royal family members are also celebrating special anniversaries. 8 June: Princess Madeleine and Chris O’Neill wedding anniversary (3 years) 10 June: Princess Madeleine’s birthday (34) 13 June: Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia’s wedding anniversary (1) 15 June: Prince Nicolas’s birthday (1) 19 June: wedding anniversaries of King Carl Gustaf and Queen Silvia (40 years) as well as Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel (6)
It may not be exactly Viking rowing but you can now tour Stockholm on the water while getting a decent workout: Big Boat Rowing, www.bigboatrowing.com, offers boats or a seat in big rowing boats, not unlike the Siljan church boats. The tours normally start from central Stockholm but other launch points can be agreed upon. The shorter tours of about an hour are normally around central Stockholm waterways. The longer tours of 2-4 hours can, for example, go to Birka / Björkö or around the inner city and Djurgården. All rowers have to be on location 15 minutes prior to departure when there will be a review of the day’s rowing and instructions for a successful tour. Cost is between $40 and $200 pp depending on time and amount of rowers—the boats will take anywhere between 8 and 15 oarsmen.
Herr & Fru | Mr. & Mrs.
Photo: Mattias Edwall/Kungahuset
Royalty
Stockholm, Sweden
Clockwise from top left: Christopher O’Neill and son Prince Nicolas; Princess Madeleine’s wedding to Chris O’Neill; official wedding photo of HRH Prince Carl Philip and HRH Princess Sofia of Sweden; On June 19, 1977, King Carl XVI Gustaf marries Silvia Sommerlath.
Happy Midsummer! Him: “I may have forgotten my swimming trunks.” Her: “Oh, yeah...”
Him: “Unfortunately, no Her: “... I packed them. I swimming for me today, I was just wondering what guess” they were doing behind the Her: “What a blessing then ...” freezer.”
‘Name’s days’ of the Swedish Calendar: /Kommande två veckors namnsdagar
In New York In Stockholm In Kiruna Lund In Los Angeles
June 30 Sunrise Sunset 5.28 a.m. 8.31 p.m. 3.38 a.m. 10.05 p.m. Over the horizon 4.28 a.m. 9.53 p.m. 5.46 a.m. 8.09 p.m.
July 01 Aron/Mirjam July 02 Rosa/Rosita July 03 Aurora July 04 Ulrika/Ulla July 05 Laila/Ritva July 06 Esais/Jessika July 07 Klas July 08 Kjell July 09 Jörgen/Örjan July 10 André/Andrea July 11 Eleonora/Ellinor July 12 Herman/Hermine July 13 Joel/Judit July 14 Folke July 15 Ragnhild/Ragnvald July 16 Reinhold/Reine
Ellen Lindstrom & The Swedish Meatballs (917) 968-2926 www.The SwedishMeatballs.com June 30, 2016 Nordstjernan
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Retracing Farfar’s journey, part II
The Swedish Club
This was the building and the concerns that Kristine inherited when she joined the club and was immediately invited on the board in the 1960s (as is so often the case when a club discovers a new member who is a leader). At that time the club was still located downtown, where in 1902 the Swedish Club erected its first building at Eighth Avenue and Olive Street in a large three story stone and brick faced-building. She is, therefore, one of the visionary leaders who in the early ‘60s
Nordstjernan, June 30, 2016
2016 Swedish Council of America laureates.
SCA members and guests streamed into the Swedish Club of Seattle.
The Swedish Club’s young folk fiddlers serenaded SCA guests with Swedish folk melodies.
now plan to build basement rooms to accommodate to new circumstances.” Early on, the club had hundreds of members and even today it is extremely active, serving all of Seattle. The lesson and significance of their success is that they have always offered many activities each month. Now they are open to all Scandinavians and anyone with an interest in Scandinavia, particularly Sweden. Equally important was the fact that they became a 501(c)3 nonprofit, accepting tax-deductible donations to continue their
mission as they promote a better understanding between the U.S. and the Scandinavian countries and cultures, especially Sweden. Today in that same spirit the club offers weekly Swedish language classes. And every Friday visitors come to the club at lunchtime for a smörgås, an open-faced sandwich (publicized by most of Seattle’s media). This is followed by an English-subtitled Swedish film matinee for a small donation. Afterward, Swedish entrees and delicious desserts continue during Happy Hour, and the evening
begins at 5:45 p.m. with their “Vikings to Volvo” film series of documentaries on Swedish history from ancient times through modern Sweden. More visitors come for the club’s Pea Soup Challenge and Swedish Meatball Cook-off. The monthly (first Sunday) Swedish Pancake Breakfasts for under $10 are simply legendary, drawing hundreds of neighbors who enjoy the food while listening to Swedish folk music, watching Swedish folk dancing by young kids, and sipping real Swedish coffee (in Starbuck’s backyard)! On most Wednesdays, the club hosts Lilla Fredag (little Friday) with Swedish pea soup at the bar; Kafferep is their monthly coffee party (fika) with homemade goodies. The Continues on next page
You deserve a Sweder Life: Call 1.800.827.9333 ext. 10 for your own subscription. NORDSTJERNAN
Photo: Ted Olsson
Like my Swedish immigrant grandfather who wrote about his travel experiences, I did as well. I traveled by train on the same route he once took, and I saw many of the same things more than a century later. Here is the second installment of my trip that mimicked his in so many ways. As one of San Francisco’s two delegates sent to thank His Majesty King Gustav V for the financial assistance he extended to Swedish survivors of San Francisco’s 1906 earthquake and fire, Farfar traveled by train back across the U.S. and across the ocean to his homeland – and to give the King an engraved loving cup as a token of appreciation for his generosity to our Swedish Colony on the Pacific. After a 15-minute audience with the King, he and his companion, Dr. A. O. Lundström, were invited to attend that evening’s gala banquet at the castle in celebration of the King’s 50th birthday. The irony of the occasion was that the loving cup did not arrive in time to be personally handed to the king by Farfar, but it arrived shortly thereafter. Back in Seattle, like Farfar, I experienced the allure of the Swedish Club. Executive Director Kristine Leander greeted my group of Swedish Council of America’s members and guests at the front door. We all felt immediately at home and were even more impressed when Kristine explained the history and purpose of the club: Unlike many other Swedish clubs in the United States, Seattle’s club began in 1892 strictly as a social club; the founders simultaneously but separately created a sick and death benefits organization. So, at their site downtown, members met to eat and drink, read Swedish newspapers and books, they could learn of job opportunities, make new friends, and celebrate old traditions and new anniversaries all in their native language. Farfar wrote about the Swedish Club: “The local Swedish Club owns a spacious reading room, billiard parlor, fitness center with a couple of smaller rooms and a large meeting hall, all quite appropriately furnished. The banquet hall is only slightly larger than ours in San Francisco, but it has a stage.”
decided to sell the club’s original building as developers began clamoring to buy land before Seattle’s 1962 world’s fair. With that money in 1961, they built their modern, large three-story new home at 1920 Dexter Avenue NW, with magnificent views of Lake Union and its wooded hills, as well as a parking lot for two dozen cars. Many Swedes worried about this move to the outskirts of town: would it be too far away? Would people trek out to the new location? The same construction that motivated the original sale and new building boom was repeated over the decades as the city grew and incorporated the outlying districts. Now the club’s center has become a superb resource for Swedes and Scandinavians throughout the city as well as for local residents. By exercising their original founding spirit, by celebrating ancestral and US holidays, and by offering many occasions for neighbors, the Club has increased its vitality. During his trip Farfar also commented on Seattle’s flurry of building activity: “Now we must see the city’s sights and ‘how every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain be laid low’ in Seattle … Houses abound on the hills, already 20-30 feet high and soon those living there may need to acquire flying machines to commute. A funicular tram runs on tall pillars while the street is being excavated, but when the track is laid the tram will again run down the street. A huge house, undermined during construction, needed to be raised by two extra basement levels until it once again was at street level. The Swedish Club also had originally obstructed this smoothing process, but now it gained another 17 feet below ground to raise its building to street level. So, the Swedes
Photo: Ted Olsson
by Ted Olsson, San Francisco ted@nordstjernan.com
Photo: Astrid Olsson
Traveling the rails
Local Consul Lars Jonsson’s yacht ‘Golden Eagle’ hosted the group from SCA.
annual Valborgsmässoafton (the medieval Walburgis bonfire on April 30) celebrates the coming of summer with the Swedish Women’s Chorus and the Svea Male Chorus in their student caps, leading all in traditional songs. The Svea Male Chorus also greeted Farfar on his arrival to Seattle in 1908; they sang at banquets in his honor and again before he left. The secret is a full calendar of events. There are also regular genealogy research sessions, a book club, Swedish weaving, folk dancing and folk dance musician groups that meet each week. As Kristine said, they are and remain a social club. All Swedish/Scandinavian clubs should view online their exemplary calendar of events -- imagine what other clubs could also do for members, guests and neighbors. With only four employees, the Swedish Club of Seattle manages all these programs with volunteers. It is simply an amazing, exemplary club. http://swedishclubnw.org
Swedish Council of America
On Thursday evening, our time with the SCA began. Lars Jonsson, Honorary Swedish Consul General in Seattle had hoped to entertain us at his home, but he and his consular colleagues were called to a meeting at the Swedish Embassy, so he put his 84-foot yacht, crew, caterers and staff at the disposal of the SCA and guests for the evening. We cruised leisurely across Lake Washington and Lake Union and back during several hours in the evening, leaving the dock before sunset and seeing on the horizon the tall, lighted skyscrapers of downtown Seattle under a full moon. The trip itself was delicious and delightful. The captain provided us a running commentary on the trip as we passed Consul General Jonsson’s estate, and the estates of other esteemed figures, including Bill and Melinda Gates. The catered dinner of salmon, asparagus and potatoes with dill was very Swedish and we left enough room for glasses of wine, which never ran dry. The next morning we joined the SCA Board for breakfast but then skipped out for a tour of downtown with my sister and her husband. That evening a bus picked us up at our hotel
and brought us to the Swedish Club for SCA’s awards banquet. After our initial introduction and tour of the facility, and as we lined up first at the bar and then in the dining hall, we were serenaded twice during the evening by an ensemble of young fiddlers, dressed in the Swedish provincial costumes and regaling us with familiar, toe-tapping tunes. The dinner was quite remarkable, for normally the club serves about 40 people for dinner; tonight they hosted 120 diners. Gregg White, executive director of the Swedish Council of America, welcomed everyone and thanked the Swedish Club for hosting us. He spoke of the work of the Council. Founded in 1972 as a national umbrella organization for all of the many Swedish groups in the USA, they began simply as a coordinating body, headquartered in the Turnblad mansion in Minneapolis, MN. As a number of Swedish groups declined, SCA’s focus moved to supporting the preservation of Swedish heritage and promoting the understanding of Swedish culture in North America while strengthening connections between contemporary Sweden, USA and Canada. In the 1990s, SCA established the Swedish Heritage Fund as a permanent endowment (now worth more than $1,000,000) for 1) projects to preserve Swedish heritage in North America; 2) to provide two significant scholarships — one for Swedish students to study in America; the other for Americans studying in Sweden; 3) founding and publishing their Sweden & America magazine, a journal of record for Swedish heritage in North America; and 4) awarding notable persons who have furthered Swedish culture in their own locations, recognizing organizations on special anniversaries or occasions, and appreciating those who have furthered SCA’s recognition nationally or internationally. Gregg spoke of the challenges this board has undertaken. They reassessed the needs of Swedish North America and are now focusing on Swedish language, culture and creativity in the new global economy. To further their efforts, and with the new motto “SCA: Supporting, Connecting, Awarding,” the Council is primarily focused on these four critical programs: 1) Grants to organizations; 2) Scholarships to youth; 3) Awards to leaders;
We glided back to downtown Seattle on the Golden Eagle at sunset.
Photography: Astrid Olsson
The Pacific states. page 13
All along the Seattle waterways are yacht harbors.
4) Communications to the whole community. Gregg noted that to date they have awarded about $1 million in grants to the SwedishAmerican Community, making SCA the largest donor for local projects for Swedish America in North America. So now, in an effort to expand their grant-making capacities to at least $100,000 per year, they are soliciting donations to the Heritage Fund for general grants, as well as for four special interest endowments designated for: genealogy; historic building preservation; international exchange; and Swedish language instruction. The Heritage Fund currently provides about $40,000 in grants annually and as soon as the special interest funds achieve a sustainable threshold, they, too, will be awarded. For three decades SCA offered only two annual scholarships, but after a needsassessment, SCA is now determined to help many more young North American undergraduates study in Sweden. Emulating the Nobel Awards, SCA has conceived of plans for six new scholarships in 1) Physiology or Medicine : Medicine or Public Health; 2) Physics: Science; 3) Chemistry : Humanities; 4) Literature : Swedish Language; 5) Peace
: Peace and Conflict Resolution Studies; and 6) Economics : Economics and Entrepreneurialism. The council’s quarterly magazine, Sweden & America, serves their affiliate member organizations. But even greater communication results from their electronic newsletter, SCA e-UPDATE, which also has a popular presence on Facebook. After Gregg’s remarks, he called upon board member David Baker, head of the Awards Committee, and Professor John Hasselberg, SCA Chairman, to distribute awards, but due to an unforeseen snafu, the awards had not arrived in time and the laureates would receive an interim diploma. I joked with Gregg, that although Murphy was not a Swede, we’re still subjects to his law of unforeseeable events happening when least expected … and I reminded him of Farfar’s attempt to present a similarly delayed token to Sweden’s king during their audience.
Best way to a Sweder life? NORDSTJERNAN Call 1.800.827.9333 ext. 10 June 30, 2016 Nordstjernan
feature. page 14 perspectives.
Olle Wijkström olle.wijkstrom@nordstjernan.com
Om Donald Trump bodde i Sverige och ställde upp i valet att bli statsminister i Sverige är jag övertygad om att han inte ens skulle ha skuggan av en chans att vinna. Tanken, att han skulle ställa upp, är givetvis orimlig. Framför allt på grund av det faktum, att Donald inte bor i Sverige. Jag är övertygad om, att även om han vore, skulle han säkert inte ha en tanke på politisk karriär här. I Sverige följer vi dock med viss spänning, att Donald ligger väl framme bland de republikanska kandidaterna, som siktar på att bli presidenter i Amerika. Donald skjuter från höften. Han säger de mest häpnadsväckande saker. Muslimer bör ej tolereras. Män från Mexico är potentiella våldtäktsmän. Moskéer bör brännas. Uttalanden av det slaget skulle definitivt inte gå hem bland godhjärtade svenskar. Därför undrar många i detta land, hur det kan komma sig, att Donald i Amerika nått sådan popularitet, att han leder bland de republikanska kandidaterna. Donald Trump tycks uppskattas på andra sidan Atlanten, även om han framför de mest befängda åsikter. Det tycks inte spela någon roll om påståendena är både tarvliga och osanna. I politiska sammanhang är det inte ovanligt, att personer, som framför djärva och halvt om halvt omoraliska åsikter vunnit stor popularitet. Donald Trump är i gott sällskap. Många i samma gäng betraktas ofta som djärva sanningssägare. Orädda sanningssägare ger stämning. Trötta gamla politiker tuggar ofta om saker och ting. Det blir inga flammande eldar i vad de pratar om. Det kan därför kännas befriande, när typer som Donald dyker upp och säger oförskämda saker, som får många att släppa motståndet mot dem. Även om det mesta de påstår är förkastligt så finns i budskapen små roande korn av sanning i budskapen. Som många minns var Ross Perot en kvickögd talare. När han ställde upp i presi-
A natural addition for the Motvals vinner Swedish summer table dentvalet i Amerika, vann han framgångar. Ross kom från Texas och blev ordentligt förmögen på att sälja kyckling. Egendomligt nog lyckades han till och med likna en kyckling, när han talade och blev i gasen. Även Ross Perot älskade, att säga drastiska och förödande sanningar. Han gav sig dock aldrig på religions- eller hudfärgsfrågor. Förmodligen var det honom främmande att framföra den typen av argument som Trump ägnar sig åt. Vad han framför allt ogillade var slöseri. Hans återkommande fras löd. ”Om ni vill ha en resultatintresserad person bör ni rösta på mig. Men om ni vill har en långsam dansare är jag inte er man”. Sverige drabbades för något decennium sedan av två andra personer, som snabbt blev så populära politiker, att det parti de bildat, Ny Demokrati, kom in i riksdagen. En stor del av deras framgångar byggde på deras personligheter. Ian Wachtmeister var förnämlig greve och högadlig. Bert Karlsson var frilansare och kom från Skara. Just kombinationen av dessa två personligheter väckte intresse. De turnerade runt landet. De underhöll människor på gator och torg och illustrerade sina påståenden med ölbackar. Partiet, Ny Demokrati, existerar ej längre. Bert Karlsson är numera ledare av Jokaro, landets största företag vad gäller omhändertagandet av asylflyktingar. Ian skriver böcker och lever vidare i fina salonger I Frankrike seglar en dam vid namn Marine Le Pen i god politisk medvind. Hon håller på att vinna det ena regionala valet efter det andra. Partiet har slutat på första plats i sex av Frankrikes 14 regioner. Hennes parti National Front, NF, är såväl nationalistiskt som främlingsfientligt. På flera punkter ligger hon inte långt från Trump. Dock tror jag ej, tt hon vill bränna moskéer.
“ Olle Wijkströms nyutkomna och rikt illustrerade bok - Min Historia - handlar om hans minnen och möten med alla slags folk från tre kontinenter. Boken innehåller stämningar och möten. Stamhövdingar, presidenter och vanligt folk. Boken kan beställas och betalas via Nordstjernan”
The First Temptation of the Swedes and a staple for the Swedish smorgasbord: Jansson’s Temptation. One of the traditional Scandinavian dishes we receive the most questions about is Janssons frestelse, or Jansson’s Temptation, which is a staple of nearly every Swedish smörgåsbord, and a popular late-night nosh, or vickning, as the Swedes would refer to it. Nothing beats a small serving of the salty dish with a knäckebröd with cheese and a cold drink after a day of work or play in the summer.
Janssons frestelse
(Jansson’s temptation) Serves 4-6 1 kg (2 1/4 lb.) potatoes (Do not use new potatoes) 2 onions Butter 100 g (3 1/2 oz.) Swedish-style anchovy fillets and brine 4 dl (1 2/3 cups) heavy cream 2 tbsp. breadcrumbs
The Scandinavian style anchovy fillets can in the East be bought at Sweden’s Best, www.swedensbest.com, Scandinavian Butik, www.scandinavianbutik.com, in the west at Scandinavian Specialties, www. scanspecialties.com among others - they all do mail order. Instruction: Preheat oven to 250ºC (425ºF). Peel and cut potatoes into strips. Peel onions and cut into thin slices. Sauté the onions in 1 tbsp. butter until soft. Generously grease a deep, straight-sided ovenproof dish with butter. Layer potatoes, onion and anchovies, ending with potatoes. Press down lightly to even out surface. Pour cream over the casserole, almost to top of potatoes. Sprinkle with anchovy brine. Finally, sprinkle with breadcrumbs and dot with butter. Bake about 45 minutes. This recipe comes from Served from the Swedish Kitchen, published by ICAFörlaget Sweden.
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feature. page 15
Kitchen visit: Melt Bar
WEAR OUR HERITAGE
A bar and restaurant speakeasy is not what you’d expect to find in Stockholm, but on the other hand maybe it’s a sign of the times. Stockholm has a real, old-fashioned speakeasy. Entering will make you feel as if you’re moved to prohibition-era Chicago or New York City (1920-1933). Behind an anonymous door is a restaurant where people sit and drink tea —or at least they drink from teacups. On closer examination we find that what they drink is a lovely champagne drink, but tsss! Don’t say anything! In the phone booth, sneak behind the curtain where you find stairs leading down into the restaurant’s interior. Suddenly there’s light and you are in a lovely bar where an eclectic group of people have gathered. Talk and laughter blends with vintage music and activity. You’re at Melt Bar, a restaurant and nightclub a mere block from Stockholm’s busy shopping district. Most days have jazz and burlesque performances, Tuesdays offer burlesque bingo (no, we can’t say) and Thursdays could be your own debut during the open stage program.
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O • T-Shirt, “Mormors Älskling” 3T, 4T, 5T (..daughter’s child) $16.95 x __ Bartender Robin has prepared the chocolate fondue for Gunilla Blixt.
In true speakeasy fashion, some evenings feature burlesque and vaudeville.
Bartender Robin rules the bar. He’ll mix any of the classic cocktails for you in no time; the old-fashioned Old Fashioned, French 75 or Southside. Melt, however, specializes in cocktails with a twist. For example, Old Rocky, which is a modern twist on an Old Fashioned with rock candy syrup, or the Love Note, which is a modern twist on the classic drink Air Mail, laced with passion fruit. When I was visiting I was allowed behind the bar to watch as Robin mixed, shook and squeezed citruses. “When you make a cocktail, it is important to squeeze the lemons above the surface so that the essential oils linger and enhance the experience of the drink,” he says. When you mix a classic Air Mail, shake together rum, freshly squeezed lime juice and a little honey with crushed ice in a chilled cocktail shaker. Then pour the mixture into a Collins glass without straining it, top it off with champagne and decorate with a lime wedge. “Here at Melt we add passion fruit juice and replace the lime wedge with a clove of
fresh passion fruit to enhance the fruitiness and sweetness of the drink,” the nimblehanded bartender says. And presto, you’ve got a refreshing Melt favorite: a Love Note.
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local events. page 16
Midsummer events 2016 California San Pedro, (Norwegian Church) 25 Jun 2016 SWEA Los Angeles, SACC-LA’s & The Swedish Church’s Midsummer celebration. Maypole decorating, dance and food. More info www.losangeles.swea.org or www.svenskakyrkan.se/losangeles Email: losangeles@ swea.org or losangeles@svenskakyrkan.se or call 310-292-7080 House of Sweden, San Diego 26 Jun 2016 8:00 AM–4:30 PM Midsummer celebration. Swedish food, a Swedish choir, folk dancing and dance around the Maypole. Swedish Meatballs and pastries. More info www.houseofsweden.us Email: houseofswedensd@gmail.com or suzanhagstrom@yahoo.com or pat.coffey@ cox.net or call 619-300-1738 or 619-2868293 Rolling Hills Estates, Los Angeles 27 Jul 2016 5:00 PM Annual Midsummer Shrimp Feast at Nansen Field. All you can eat of you- peel shrimp and other delicious food will be offered. Dancing around the maypole. Reservations! For more info www.nansenfield.org or midsummer@ nansenfield.com or or NansenField@yahoo. com or southbaybookkeeping@roadrunner. com or 310-546-6680 Vasa Park Agoura 26 Jun 2016 8:30 AM –6:00 PM The Swedish American Central Association Annual Midsummer Festival. Maypole, dancing, singing, Children’s Games, Spelmanslag and Folk Dancing. Info www.vasapark.org, email: info@vasapark.org or lkosvic@gmail. com call 563-923-5828 or 818-894-2836
Colorado Estes Park 24 Jun 2016 4:00 PM – 9:00 PM 25 Jun 2016 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM 26 Jun 2016 9:30 AM – 4:00 PM Scandinavian midsummer celebration with Maypole, Scandinavian food, crafts, dancing, music, Scandinavian Folkdancers, Viking reenactors and Vintage Volvo and Saab auto show. More info www.estesmidsummer. com, email: info@estesmidsummer.com or bouldercathy46@gmail.com or call 303449-9596
Connecticut Fairfield 25 Jun 2016 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM Annual Midsummer Fest at The Scandinavian Club. Maypole, music and dance. More info www.thescandinavianclub.com or scanclubnews@hotmail.com or carinak2010@ hotmail.com or 203-259-1571
Vasa Park, Meriden 26 Jun 2016 11:30 AM – 6:00 PM Traditional Swedish Midsommarfest. Maypole, music, dance, entertainment and food. More info on Facebook: Vasa-Park-SouthMeriden-Connecticut or steinmillerl@gmail. com or call 203-238-7829 or 860-563-0040
Washington D.C Carderock Park, MD 26 Jun 2016 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM Midsummer Celebration hosted by ASA, Drott Lodge, and SWEA DC. Maypole, dancing, activities for children and Potluck dinner. For more info www.scandinavian-dc.org or www.swea.org/washingtondc or www. drott-lodge.org or email: gerry@schueman. com or washingtondc@swea.org
Illinois
Geneva 21 Jun 2016 – 26 Jun 2016 Annual Midsummer Festival - Swedish Days. Singing and Dancing around the Maypole, Parade, great food, lutfisk tasting, carnival rides, live music, a craft show, Swedish entertainment and many children’s games. More info: Ph 630-232-6060 or www.genevachamber. com Lake Forest 25 Jun 2016 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM SWEA Chicago Midsummer Celebration. Dancing around the maypole, games and smörgåsbord. More info: http://chicago.swea.org/events/midsommar-2/ or sweachicagoprogram@gmail.com
Maryland Carderock Park, MD 26 Jun 2016 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM Midsummer Celebration hosted by ASA, Drott Lodge, and SWEA DC. Maypole, dancing, activities for children and Potluck dinner. For more info www.scandinavian-dc.org or www.swea.org/washingtondc or www. drott-lodge.org or email: gerry@schueman. com or washingtondc@swea.org
Michigan Alaska, Grand Rapids 25 Jun 2016 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM SAHS/WM Midsummer Fest. Dancing around the maypole, music, food, games, Kubb game and Kubb demonstration and more. For info call 616-530-1842 or 616-458-0420 or www.sahswm.org or info@sahswm.org or cairener@sbcglobal.net
Minnesota
Minnehaha Falls Park, Minneapolis 26 Jun 2016 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM Scandinavian summer fest celebration by Svenskarnas Dag and Norway Day. Midsommar Loppet. Entertainment, Folk Dancing, Choruses, Maypole, singing, dancing and
food, More info www.facebook.com/SvenskarnasDag/events?key=events&ref=page_ internal or teddiane@mac.com or 612-8258808 or 612-861-4793 Moorhead 24 Jun 2016 – 25 Jun 2016 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM The 38th Annual Scandinavian Hjemkomst & Annual Midwest Viking Festivals. Music, Food, Crafts & Dance, Scandinavian entertainment, Viking Village, children’s activities. More info www.NordicCultureClubs.org or www.hcscconline.org, email nordiccultureclubsoffice@gmail.com or call 218-2995452 or 218-299-5952 Scandia 25 Jun 2016 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM Gammelgården Museum Midsommar Dag Celebration. Majstång, dance, children’s activities & food. Info www.gammelgardenmuseum.org, email: museum@gammelgardenmuseum.org or 651-433-5053 Vining 25 Jun 2016 3:00 PM – 8:00 PM Leif Erikson, Sons of Norways Midsommar Celebration with Maypole, dancing, music and Potluck dinner. More Info Facebook: Leif Erikson, Sons of Norway, Vining MN, email: cbolsons@aol.com or 218-769-4296
New Jersey Vasa Park, Budd Lake, Hackettstown 25 Jun 2016 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM Swedish Midsummer Celebration by Vasa New Jersey District 6. Scandinavian Vendors, Food, Maypole, Folkdancing, entertainment by Smorgasbandet and Ed Hendela. Musical entertainment, Children’s Activities. More info, see http://www.vasaorder.net/eventnj/ or www.vasaparknj.com or Email: laurenmaxx229@yahoo.com . For other districts and clubs of the Vasa Order of America, see www.vasorder.org
New York
Robert F. Wagner, Jr. Park, Battery Park City, New York 24 Jun 2016 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM Swedish Midsummer Festival. Swedish delicacies, traditional music, folk dancing, decorating of May pole and wreath making. For more info www.bpcparks.org or www.swedenabroad.com Melville, Long Island, New York 4 June 2016 1:00 PM Swedish Midsummer by Vasa Lodge Lindbergh of Long Island. dancing around the “Majstång,” Live music, food, kids games. For more info email: dragspel@aol.com or www. vasanewyork.com or call 718-415-0602
Jamestown 15 Jul 2016 1:00 PM – 10:00 PM 16 Jul 2016 10:00 AM – 10:00 PM 17 Jul 2016 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM 15th Annual Scandinavian Folk festival – Swedish Folk Dancers, Viking ship. Midsommar SUNDAY, JUNE 26, 2016 celebration on Saturday VASA PARK with maypole and ring dances. More info: scan358 Main St. Meriden, CT Games, Crafts and Sale of Swedish foods dinavianjamestown. org or email: dsandy@ Park Opens 11:00 Scholarship Presentation 3:30 netsync.net or Call 716Opening ceremonies 12:00 Raffle and Final 20 Week Club drawing 665-0883
MIDSOMMAR IN CONNECTICUT Traditional Swedish Meatball Dinner served 1:00 p.m. - 3:00
Nordstjernan, June 30, 2016
Music and Dancing with Wivan
Pennsylvania Philadelphia 25 Jun 2016 4:00 PM –7:00 PM ASHM’s annual Midsommar Fest. Music, dancing, traditional maypole, Swedish food, games and more! Info: www.americanswedish.org, info@americanswedish.org or 215389-1776
South Dakota Vermillion 24 Jun 2016 2:00 PM – 9:00 PM Dalesburg Scandinavian Association Annual Midsommar celebration. Scandinavian smorgasbord, entertainment, arts and crafts, games, music, vikings, raising of the midsummer pole and ring dances. Info: www. dalesburg.org/midsommar-2016/ More info call 605-253-2575, Email: ron@dalesburg. org
Utah Salt Lake City 25 Jun 2016 3:00 PM –7:30 PM Swedish Heritage Society of Utah annual Midsommar Fest. Music, dancing, traditional maypole and Smorgasbord. Info: www.swedishheritagesociety.com or Email: swedishheritage2@aol.com
Vermont Landgrove Inn, Landgrove 11 July 2016 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM Nordic Harmoni’s annual Midsummer Festival. Mini Smorgasbord, wreath making, decorating of May pole, songs by the chorus. For more info call the Inn 802-824-6673 or CarlEric Westberg 802-824-6578 or email vartland@comcast.net
Washington Saint Edward State Park, Kenmore 26 Jun 2016 11:00 AM– 6:00 PM Midsommar Fest by Skandia Folkdance Society, Majstång and Långdans, music, dancing, Hemslöjdsmarknad, food, craft and kids activities. Info www.skandia-folkdance.org, email: publicity@skandia-folkdance.org or call 425-954-5262
Wisconsin Old World, Eagle 19 Jun 2016 10:00 AM– 3:00 PM Swedish American Historical Society of Wiscons Midsummer celebration. Decorating and Raising of the Maypole, wreath making for Kids, Scandinavian Folk Dancers and Musicians. Info www.sahswi.org, email: swedishamericanhistoricalwisc@gmail.com or call 414-352-7890 or 262-781-6113. IKEA - USA 24 Jun 2016 A Swedish Traditional Midsummer Smörgåsbord, US wide with all you can eat Buffet. Each store has different seatings. Call your local store for details. Some of the stores have live Swedish entertainment. www.ikea.com. No Celebration listed close to you? For continuous info from all the U.S., see events at www.nordstjernan.com. Also, find your local SWEA chapter by going to www.swea. org - almost every SWEA organization will celebrate this day.
Ohio Alum Creek, Lewis Cntr 25 Jun 2016 6:00 PM Scandinavian Club of Columbus, Ohio Nordic Midsummer fest. For more info www.scandiclub.com email: ScandiClubInfo@gmail.com
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local events. page 17
More events and list your own, at www.nordstjernan.com-EVENTS
l Florida
Continuously The Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce of Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach promotes trade, commerce and investment opportunities between Sweden, Fort Lauderdale - Palm Beach and members. See www.sacc-sfl.org
l Illinois
06.24.2016 04:00 PM - 06:00 PM American Union of Swedish Singers Concert Over 200 singers, representing choruses from across the USA and Sweden, will join in song at the 2016 A.U.S.S. 2016 National Convention in Lombard, IL at the Westin Lombard Hotel, June 21-25. The Chicago Swedish Glee Club, celebrating a history of over 145 years, will be the host chorus. The Grand Concert on Friday, June 24 at 8:00 p.m. in the Edman Chapel on the campus of Wheaton College, Wheaton, IL will be the highlight event of the week. Concert tickets are $8.00 Contact j.lagerhausen@yahoo.com for more information and Grand Concert tickets.. AUSS/Chicago Swedish Glee Club. 847-840-7102. j.lagershausen@yahoo.com. Continuously Step back in time in historic Bishop Hill. Utopia on the Prairie, then and now. For information call 309-927-3899 or email heritage@bishophill. com. Visit our Website at: www.bishophill.com
l Minnesota
06.02.2016 - 08.14.2016 Exhibition— Magnus Nilsson’s Nordic: A Photographic Essay of Landscapes, Food and People. Nilsson, who was just awarded two Michelin stars for his restaurant in northern Sweden,
Fäviken, has his first museum exhibition in the U.S. American Swedish Institute 2600 Park Avenue Minneapolis MN 55407. 612-871-4907 | www. asimn.org 06.24.2016 06:00 AM - 06.25.2016 01:00 PM Scandinavian Hjemkomst Festival The 39th Annual Scandinavian Hjemkomst Festival will take place June 24 and June 25 - Finns, Saami, Icelanders, Norwegians, Swedes and Danes are all celebrated at the festival! Mouthwatering food, music every hour, and a variety of vendors and craftspeople all make the festival lively. This year is the year of the Icelanders! That means more Icelandic food and presentations. We are once again partnering with the Midwest Viking Festival! There will be a Viking Village located outdoors filled with Viking reenactors.. Nordic Culture Clubs. 2182995452. nordiccultureclubsoffice@gmail.com. nordiccultureclubs.org
l New Jersey
09.04.2016 06:00 AM - 09.04.2016 02:00 PM 32nd annual Scandinavian Fest ScanFest ‘16 Heritage festival celebrating the cultures and contributions of Denmark, Estonia, FInland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden with a full day of foods, gifts and handcrafts, entertainment on 6 stages, special kids’ activities, organizations, music, dancing, reenactors, demonstrating artisans, talks, presentations, encampments, vikings (sorry, only limited pillage & ravagging), ... and the 8th annual all-Jersey wife carry contest finals. 1 Wolfe Road, Budd Lake is near Hackettstown & Somerville -discounted early-sale tickets at www.ScanFest.org . Scandinavian Fest, Inc.. 610-417-1483. Info@ScanFest.org. www.ScanFest.org
l South Carolina
05.21.2016 11:00 AM - 10.31.2016 12:00 PM Charleston Kubb Club season has started! Every Saturday from 11 a.m.- noon. This is a free, fam-
Singing runs deep in the Swedish psyche, and singing is what these two books are about.
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mdv xnqj Öppettider 26 jun - 9 jul
3/7 Högmässa 11.00
06.23.2016 09:00 AM - 06.25.2016 05:00 PM Three-Day Rosemaling Class Take a rosemaling class from a true expert, Marilyn Hansen! Gain a new depth of knowledge into the traditional Scandinavian craft and better understand the culture which is behind the various specialty styles. The class will be limited so sign up and mark your calendars! You’ll learn, laugh and come away with a beautiful rosemaled plate and a first-class experience. The class is three days, June 23-25, from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. in the Scandinavian Cultural Center at Pacific Lutheran University and costs $75.00 (accepted upon arrival). Bring your own paint, brushes and wood item or buy them on site. Sign up at www.
07.08.2016 06:00 PM - 09.24.2016 08:00 PM Runes Revealed New exhibit opening at the Scandinavian Cultural Center: “Runes Revealed” This contemporary artwork by Nordic Bay Area artists is inspired by the ancient Norse runes, a distinctive form of writing that developed before the Viking Age. Now comprising 30 professional artists, the group has presented many exhibitions during the past twenty years, showing their work in museums, galleries, educational institutions and corporate and public spaces. Join us in the Scandinavian Cultural Center on July 8 from 6-8 p.m. for the exhibit opening or stop in through September 24. Scandinavian Cultural Center at Pacific Lutheran University. 253-535-7322. scancntr@plu.edu. www.plu.edu/scancenter/exhibitions
One of The Largest Selections of Scandinavian Foods in the US
Garanterat!
SÖNDAG
l Washington
plu.edu/scancenter/classes. . Scandinavian Cultural Center at Pacific Lutheran University. 253.535.7322. scancntr@plu.edu. www.plu. edu/scancenter/classes
Nordic House
Billigaste Priset Till Sverige.
Caféet öppet 12-16 26/6 Högmässa 11.00
ily event. COME AND TRY THIS GREAT SPORT! Our kick off event was May 21, 2016. Like us on Facebook:/www.facebook.com/CharlestonKubb-Club-1588613441460426. Charleston Kubb Club. 843.324.8076. wcui2@aol.com. http://tinyurl.com/jy97vpy
MÅNDAG SOMMARSTÄNGT
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Caféet öppet 12-18 12.15 Middagsbön 18.00 Aftonbön
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June 30, 2016 Nordstjernan
local events. page 18
Border ID and check extension Eva C. Eriksson DDS General Dentistry for Adults and Children Prevention Minimally Invasive Dentistry
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Sweden, together with Denmark, Germany, Austria and France, announced on June 1 an extension of their border controls, in an ongoing effort to limit the number of migrants sweeping into their nations. “We have to take care of our own borders until a joint solution within the EU has been found,” said Danish Integration Minister Inger Stojberg. The five countries requested an extension until November 12 because Greece still isn’t managing its border with Turkey, where more than one million people
have entered Europe before making their way north. The border controls, which were introduced as a temporary measure in Sweden in November 2015 during a record influx of migrants and asylum seekers, will now run at least through November 2016, Swedish Interior Minister Anders Ygeman confirmed. The number of people seeking asylum in Sweden has dropped significantly since the border controls were introduced in November, averaging fewer than 500 a week, compared to almost 10,000 last fall.
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Göran Rygert’s collection of Swedish traditional schnapps songs, in English and Swedish $8.95 + S&H.
Gifts
1465 Draper Street Kingsburg, California 93631 (559) 897-5119
Keep your heritage “afloat”
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A selection of new funny, and old classic Swedish snapsvisor (schnapps songs) One third of 130 songs is in English. Indispensable! Call 1.800.827.9333 x10
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Specializing in Scandinavian Pastries 133 Gold Star Blvd.
(1 block after Super Shaws)
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Open Daily 6-6. Fri till 7. Closed Sunday
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sports. page 19
Euro 2016 provides good, bad and ugly Iceland’s Swedish coach is ecstatic, the Swedes are glum and Malmö FF could be the biggest loser at Euro 2016.
Concerned fans were watching the game on big screens all over Sweden. Photos: Erik Simander/Bildbyrån Chipp Reid, Sports Editor chipp@nordstjernan.com
The UEFA European Champion came at just the right time for some — former Sweden head coach Lars Lagerbäck and rampaging Russian hooligans among them — and at the wrong time for others, including the Swedish national team and Allsvenskan frontrunners Malmö FF. Lagerbäck, who led Sweden from 20032009, is now coach of Iceland; he helped guide his Nordic warriors to their first-ever appearance in the finals of the European Championships. Iceland made its debut on the big stage June 14 and picked up a point in a 1-1 draw with powerful Portugal. Lagerbäck’s squad has a distinctly Swedish element as six of his players call the Allsvenskan home. Still, it was a British-based player, Birkir Bjarnasson, who ignited an Icelandic uproar when he scored his second-half equalizer to give Iceland a share of the points in Saint Entienne. Iceland’s performance in the match left none other than Portuguese and Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo whining after the match. “Iceland didn’t try anything,” Ronaldo said. “They were just defend, defend, defend and playing on the counterattack. It was a lucky night for them. We should have three points but we are OK. I thought they’d won the Euros the way they celebrated at the end. It was unbelievable. When they don’t try to play and just defend, defend, defend, this in my opinion shows a small mentality and they are not going to do anything in the competition.” Iceland shrugged off the criticism, with co-coach Heimir Hallgrimsson remaining
defiantly jubilant after the match. “So many things are happening for the first time for Icelandic football,” he said. “This was our first time on this stage and it was fantastic, it was just like playing at home because our fans were unbelievable and that made us feel better when we were tired toward the end. It is another milestone for Icelandic football.” Sweden was not quite in the same mood after their opening match June 13 against Ireland. The boys in green staged a display of counterattacking football that if not for the heroics of defender Martin Olsson, who excelled at both ends of the pitch and some key saves from goalkeeper Andreas Isaksson, the blue and yellow might just have been left crying into their whiskey.
Zlatan failed to deliver
Swedish “legend” Zlatan Ibrahimovic, looked only slightly interested in the match, spending long stretches dropping deep into the middle to defend and try to pick up the ball. With reports linking the outgoing Paris St. Germain striker to storied England club Manchester United, Zlatan is THE guy for Sweden, but against Ireland he failed to deliver. Instead, it was substitute John Giudetti, who left Manchester City for Celta La Vigo in Spain, who delivered the saving move for Sweden when he craftily darted along the left side and expertly back heeled a ball to Zlatan, who tried to sling a low cross in front of the Irish goal. Luckily for Sweden, Ireland defender Ciaran Clark put his foot out to clear the cross only to knock the ball into his net. The own goal cancelled an earlier from Wes Houlihan, who put Ireland in front just after the break.
The point kept Sweden’s chances in the group alive, but only barely, and is a result the Swedes could come to regret. The blue and yellow will have to show marked improvement in both tactics and motivation as they face group favorite Italy on June 17. Italy knocked off Belgium 2-0 on June 13 and appears to be a new favorite to win the tournament. Ireland represented Sweden’s best chance to grab three points but Sweden’s poor form in the Euros continued. With the draw, Sweden has won just three of their last 15 matches in the European Championship and is winless in their last 10 (5 draws, 5 losses). The European Championships are also a source of concern for a team not even in the tournament: Allsvenskan leaders Malmö FF. The preseason title favorites were on a tear throughout May and June, winning six straight matches after losing two of their first three to open the season. Malmö went into the league break with a three-point lead over secondplace IFK Norrköping. Publicly, the players at Malmö are all saying the same thing — that the five-week break for the European Championship will give them the opportunity to prepare for a long fall season. Privately, however, the Swedish press has speculated that some players, especially team captain Markus Rosenberg, think the break could hurt Malmö’s form. The break has given the club the chance to deal with fan favorite Guillermo Molins, whose
contract expires at the end of June. Despite two injury-plagued seasons, Molins is immensely popular with his teammates and has proven to be an impact player off the bench. Both sides have expressed their willingness to continue talks, but there is speculation Malmö could let Molins walk if it means hanging onto Rosenberg, whose contract expires next season. Finally, the real attention at Euro 2016 has not been on the field but in the streets of Marseilles and Paris, where thousands of French police have battled what the press is calling a large cadre of “professional Russian hooligans.” French officials have limited alcohol sales and Russia is playing under threat of a ban from UEFA if its fans cause more violence. Police arrested dozens of fans before the England-Russia match June 11 and used tear gas and water cannons to suppress more violence following the game. Russian fans have also caused havoc in the stands, setting off flares and other pyrotechnics and hurling objects toward the field.
June 30, 2016 Nordstjernan
Explore Europe in your new volvo THE ALL- NEW VOLVO XC90
When you pick up the Volvo of your dreams in Sweden, you’re in for the adventure of a lifetime. The roads of Europe beckon and you’re free to discover anything from breathtaking natural beauty and historic heritage, to fabulous shopping and vibrant cities. And best of all: the Volvo Overseas Delivery Program takes care of everything. There are savings off your U.S. MSRP, complimentary round trip tickets for two, European car insurance and registration as well as home shipment services, all included. Order your new Volvo from your local dealer and pick it up at the home of Volvo in Sweden – or anywhere else in Europe. Then experience the continent at your own pace, in your own personalized car and on a dream vacation in first class. And back home, you’ll enjoy your Volvo as the ultimate souvenir of Scandinavian luxury.
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VOLVO OVERSEAS DELIVERY Visit your Volvo retailer and ask about the Volvo Overseas Delivery program or call (800)631-1667.