What is Nordic Anyway?

Iceland, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, and Finland are all labeled as "Nordic" and are seen as one cultural unit. But why? Each nation, though similar, are as diverse as any neighboring countries. One way to point out the differences between these nations would be to simply take a look at the physical terrain of each country: Iceland is an island that mostly contains plateaus with a volcanic mountain range; Norway has high tundra and rugged mountains, the coast line cut by thousands of fjords; Denmark contains low rolling planes and endless swamps; Sweden is a heavily forested country that contains almost 100,000 lakes; and Finland is mostly made of plains with forests and massive tundra in the north. The area that I associate myself with most is the thistle fields and birch forests of southern Sweden. During the summer these fields and forests burst with color that is truly indescribable. I also have a special connection to this land (Skåne) because this is where my family originates from. Before a few generations back, this land has been home to my ancestors for as long as we have had our family name. My family has always been a part of the Geat tradition and location in the world. Just through the typography of each nation we can see that each nation is truly its own.

Lake in Borgsjö Ånge, Sweden
by Ola Berglund
http://www.fotopedia.com/ 

But what really divides the nations are the people that live in them and the languages that they speak. The dialects of Norway, Denmark, and Sweden are quite similar, though Finnish and Sami are more related to those spoken in western Russia (and let me tell you, that I have great difficulty speaking Icelandic most of the time). Along with language the people living in each nation are quite similar, but at the same time the diversity in culture, tradition, and customs is truly amazing. Each nation over time has also acquired a very diverse set of ethnicities that have become part of the population. Many of the same stories and customs cross the borders, but each region has altered these traditions to incorporate them into their own, creating a diverse similarity. An easy way to see this would be to look at the sagas of Iceland and other epics from around Scandinavia, because the similar religion that is shared amongst the people has been given different stories by the people living in their respected areas. Along with this, what has also changed the stories and views of people is what they have done within history: an example would be that the Vikings from the area of Sweden raided deep into Russia and even into the area around modern day Istanbul, which gave them the sights of such things as Islam and other aspects of the middle east. So even though each nation shares similar aspects and cultural backgrounds, each one has its own story to tell and in its own, unique way.

-Karl

Sailing the Seas of Our Heritage - Opening Reception

What a great turnout to the opening of the NHTC's first exhibit, Sailing the Seas of Our Heritage! Family, friends, visitors, and museum staff stopped by to see what the Council has been up to over the past couple months, and got a chance to talk with our knowledgeable exhibit creators. Visitors and NHTC members got a chance to mingle together over refreshments and talk about what the exhibit is all about.

This event was a great opportunity for NHTC members to show off what they have been working so hard to put together (even if it wasn't as hard as they thought). The conversations and questions revolved around the unique objects the NHTC selected for the exhibit. Lizette Gráden, our chief curator at the museum, pointed out that many of these objects have not been exhibited before.

Sailing the Seas of Our Heritage has giving the NHTC a voice in the museum's exhibits, and will give visitors a chance to reflect on the importance of objects of importance in their own lives. Want to see what all the buzz is about? Head up to the 3rd floor of the museum and look for our display case in the main hall.

-Dylan

First Thursday: After Hours

Earlier this month, our the Teen Council members put on the very first NHTC First Thursday:After Hours event. They gave tours throughout the Nordic Heritage Museum, highlighting their favorite objects and themes in our permanent exhibit galleries.
Tours ranged from a walk through the Dream of America exhibit, a objects that remind us of home, and a highlight of items inspired by Viking culture. These tours gave visitors a fresh look at some of our permanent exhibits.

Keep checking back to see more about what the NHTC is up to, and make sure to come to more of our First Thursday events!

What is Heritage?

What is heritage? It is a word that does not fit a specific set of rules, because it is something that each one of us defines in a different way. To be technical the actual definition is: “something that has been passed down from one generation to the next.” This seems like a very broad and unhelpful definition, so I’ll tell you what I think heritage is, because maybe what I believe is heritage, you might as well. Growing up with a family that still clings onto our Swedish past, I have experienced an Americanized version of what someone would deem as cultural heritage. I had always seen the Scandinavian objects that still adorn my walls, tasted the traditional food, and experienced holiday traditions that seemed alien to my friends, but never truly understood what they stood for. Then when I was tasked with writing about my ancestry I dove into the family records that yellowed in my grandmother’s house. That was when faces and stories started to appear behind all of the odd traditions that my family held dear. Through these records, I found out that my family had lived for generations near the city of Lund, Sweden in the county of Skåne. I took much pride in the fact that my family was the descendants of the Viking people known as the Geats. It was then that I understood what heritage meant. To me it meant having an identity in the land of one’s ancestors, having a link to your families’ past, and to have that culture envelop you as well as to take on new forms of it. So to answer the question concerning heritage; I say that what it is, is a molding of one’s cultural past into what works today, and to take pride in your ancestral identity.

-Karl

Norwegian Kniplinger



Image from: http://www.kvisten.kk.dk



Lace is one of the most delicate and time consuming fabrics to make, but the detail is fascinating. So when my grandma called me down to her house to look at old fabric that she had found in a dusty box that used to be her mothers, I was very exited. There were ten folded pieces of lace stacked on top of each other. I pulled them out one by one, admiring their beauty. I asked my grandma how they made lace. She brought me up stairs to show me these little odd looking pieces of wood. She began to show me how they worked. First, you would have to attach the string to the tips, then carefully weave them in and out, over and under each other. After long enough this begins to create the amazing designs that I had saw on the fabric earlier.

That day I had learned a lot about the art of lace-making, but what I didn't realize until now was how important these little things are to my heritage and culture. When I went home that night I went online and searched "Norwegian lace" to see the different ways that they used it. It was used for anything from table clothes to traditional dresses.

These little things such as lace effect our everyday life, changing who we are. When I go to my grandmothers house, I see lace everywhere: from the table runner to pillows. I used to be scared of spilling juice or tracking dirt inside from my busy day onto the clean white lace. To this day I hold my cup tight and wipe my shoes on my way in. Little things such as those teach you lessons that you will cary with you for the rest of your life, even if they are so small you don't notice.

-Sonja

Hardangersøm Embroidery

Hardangersom embroidery really fascinated me in my many trips to the Nordic Heritage Museum. Handangersom is weaved with either cotton or linen thread. In earlier centuries this type of needlework was named after the town in Norway in front of the Hardanger Fjord. The distinctive geographical location this embroidery came from really helped it create a unique style of its own: a more geometric inspired design. Hardangersom was first used on costumes and head coverings but soon became more common, appearing on pillows, curtains, tablecloths, napkins, and towels. This shows just how embedded Hardangersom is in the Nordic culture, through the production of this embroidery true to its original heritage and form.

My grandmother and great-grandmother are the people that make me interested in this type of embroidery and this part of my Nordic heritage. Both of them making wedding dresses, knitting, and doing beautiful needlepoint work has shown me that this is very important as well as beautiful to look at. Each culture/heritage has its own style. While they may be similar, they provide a sort of identity. That is why Hardangersom embroidery in the Nordic Heritage Museum interested me.

-Amanda

Rosemåling

Rosemaled Trunk by Marjory Johnson Wood
http://www.mnartists.org

Rosemåling, or decorative painting, is a Norwegian folk art form that arose in the mid-eighteenth century.  also exists in Sweden, where it is called kurbitsmålning. Inspired by European Baroque and Rococo art styles, it utilizes floral and flowing designs as well as an array of colors. It is commonly found on pots, pans, and trunks, among other things.

I've seen rosemåling on many of my grandma's pots and pans over the years. Although I found it pretty, I never regarded it as anything special. Upon further research, I've learned that I was wrong and that it once played a significant role in Norwegian morale.

When the Nazis occupied Norway in World War II, it was illegal to display a Norwegian flag or State Coat of Arms (the punishment was imprisonment or, occasionally, death). To combat this control, some Norwegians would paint hidden characters into their rosemåling. Often, these took the form of the letter "H" and the number "7," which paid respect to the exiled Norwegian king, Haakon VII. This way, the Germans could not see the letters, but the Norwegians knew they were there; they were symbols of Norwegian patriotism and hope in the face of subjugation.

Nowadays, rosemåling more commonly plays a purely decorative role. After resurfacing as a respected art form in the 20th century, rosemåled pieces have become more popular throughout the world. Museums and art studios across the country now offer rosemåling classes, where students can learn to paint in the old art form and create new pieces that reflect rosemåling's unique history.

-Lauren