Every once in a while, late-night television viewers might be lucky enough to harken back to the early days of film-making while enjoying snowy and lush Nordic panoramas, courtesy of the 1929 Norwegian silent film, Laila. Laila is the charming heroine and central character of the film. In addition to spectacular scenery (notably the extreme Northeastern mountains of Finnmark), the film [...]
Biri native Even Sigstad received his first pair of alpine skis at six years old. Today, he’s turned his passions of skiing and making films into a cool career. His award-winning production company, Field Productions specializes in outdoor movies. Check out Viking’s interview with Sigstad in the December issue and see more here. What’s one of your favorite memories from growing [...]
Did you see our 2017 Gift Guide in the November issue of Viking? Here are five additional gifts to inspire your Christmas shopping. For a short hike or trek around a new city, consider the Norrøna bitihorn Hip Pack 6L. Spots for a water bottle and multiple zip pockets keep you organized, wherever your adventure takes you. Swedish designer Estrid Ericson [...]
The name Doug Warne may sound familiar to many of you. After all, he serves on the Sons of Norway Foundation Board of Governors and is the voice behind the Seattle-based radio show “Scandinavian Hour,”which he has hosted for 55 years. Today, Warne is the proud holder of a St. Olav Medal, bestowed by His Majesty King Harald V in recognition [...]
The phenomenon known as “Northern Lights” is most commonly seen in the northern hemisphere of our planet between the months of October and March. The lights are described to be magical, dramatic and utterly dazzling. If you are fortunate enough to experience the display, you’ll see a ray of dancing greens, yellows, violets and reds; on a rare occurrence, you could [...]
Flashback: It’s the glory days between the World Wars, when King Haakon and Queen Maud maintained a handsome and complete royal stable of horses along with all the trappings of the day. Carriages, harnesses and other tack, a shoeing forge and even infirmary stalls were part of the state-of-the-art facility. The Royal Stables included an equestrian arena and viewing gallery. Thirteen [...]
Only a few tickets remain for this year’s Nordic American Thanksgiving Breakfast to be held on November 21. With an irresistible line-up of speakers, it’s not surprising! Where else, in one setting, can you enjoy the company of legendary author, storyteller and radio personality Garrison Keillor; professor of religion at Hamline University Deanna A. Thompson, writer on topics including being the [...]
Photo Credit: visitnorway.com Norway’s most famous play, Henrik Ibsen’s Peer Gynt, celebrates its 150 year anniversary in 2017. The drama, which paints the vibrant and outrageous adventures and misdeeds of Peer Gynt, was finished on October 14, 1867, while its stage premiere opened exactly one month later. To mark this milestone anniversary, Norway has been celebrating all year, both on and off [...]
Margaret H. O’Leary, Associate Dean for Humanities and King Olav V Chair of Scandinavian-American Studies at St. Olaf College, was awarded the rank of Office of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit on September 16. Norwegian Ambassador to the United States, Kare Åas, conferred the award. O’Leary received the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit due to her continuous commitment to strengthening [...]
Historical linguist Dr. Jackson Crawford has studied dozens of languages, but what captured his imagination early on was Old Norse, the language of the Vikings. His popular YouTube channel features videos about Norse gods and heroes. He also was a consultant on Old Norse for movie and television projects, including Disney’s “Frozen.” Check out Viking’s November issue and see more from [...]
