The Swedish North Star, continuously published since 1872. Price per copy $3.95 Volume 150 No. 10, June 15, 2022.
p/17
dashboard | june 15, 2022 SCANDINAVIAN QUIZ
much did they cost? A) 2¢ B) 6¢ C) free with Swedish ID D) two for 10¢ with a promise to pass it forward
Yes, some Nordics do this all year round, but it’s extra special during the late night hours of summer.
Making the most of summer
Nordic countries experience big differences in daylight. In the far north, there is darkness ’round the clock in January but the sun doesn’t set at all in June. During the summer months, Scandinavians do whatever they can to maximize their time in the long hours of daylight, with a vacation season that often lasts for weeks ... Swedes likely using as many as four or five consecutive weeks of vacation then. Summer means workplaces empty and even the government agencies are closed, and many places – except popular tourist areas – are closed and city streets deserted. No wonder Swedes are eager to celebrate the kräftpremier with good friends and all the fixings come August. Name’s Days of the Swedish Calendar Namnsdagar i Juni, juli
June 15 June 16 June 17 June 18 June 19 June 20 June 21 June 22 June 23 June 24 June 25 June 26 June 27 June 28 June 29 June 30 July 01 July 02 July 03 July 04 July 05 July 06 July 07 July 08 July 09 July 10 July 11 July 12 July 13 July 14 July 15 June 15
Margit/Margot Axel/Axelina Torborg/Torvald Björn/Bjarne Germund/Görel Linda Alf/Alvar Paulina/Paula Adolf/Alice Johannes Döparens dag David/Salomon Rakel/Lea Selma/Fingal Leo Peter/Petra Elof/Leif Aron/Mirjam Rosa/Rosita Aurora Ulrika/Ulla Laila/Ritva Esais/Jessika Klas Kjell Jörgen/Örjan André/Andrea Eleonora/Ellinor Herman/Hermine Joel/Judit Folke Ragnhild/Ragnvald |
New York Chicago Stockholm Kiruna Lund Los Angeles 2 NORDSTJERNAN
Sunrise & Sunset
5.24 am 8.28 pm 5.14 am 8.27 pm 3.31 am 10.05 pm above horizon 4.22 am 9.53 pm 5.41 am 8.06 pm
2 What has “Gruvfrun” done since the 1200s? A) last dance ’round the maypole B) kept cemetery candles lit C) warned miners of danger D) first to marry on Midsummer 3 What popular item—perhaps the only thing he could actually taste—did Swedish immigrant Carl Jeppson bring when he arrived in Chicago in the 1930s? A) Malört liquer B) black licorice C) surströmming D) Swedish fish 4 What is a “gärdsgård” in the Swedish countryside, reportedly present in the Stone Age? A) hand-built wood fence B) double flagpole C) drunk moose D) blue flower that blooms only during the summer solstice
CULTURE
Namnsdagar
5 What special guest visited for Nordstjernan’s 100th anniversary in 1972? A) Princess Christina B) ABBA C) Björn Borg D) Jenny Lind 6 What year was Sweden the first country in the world to introduce parental leave for both parents? A) 1955 B) 1974 C) 1981 D) 2006 7 What is the only country in the European Union where homelessness is decreasing thanks to new initiatives? A) Sweden B) Estonia C) Iceland D) Finland 8 Norway has 28 stave churches, and where is Sweden’s one preserved stave church, Hedared stavkyrkan? A) outside Stockholm B) on Gotland C) near Borås D) in Dalarna 9 What isn’t among the things that BritishNorwegian author Roald Dahl was known for? A) ace fighter pilot B) chocolate historian C) medical inventor D) sheep shearer Answers: 1:B, 2:C, 3:A, 4:A, 5:A, 6:B, 7:D, 8:C, 9:D
the first issues of Nordstjernan were sold in 1872–on Saturdays at 1 When noon on New York newsstands–how
Juni
June 15 - Margit, Margot Margit is a short form of Margareta that was first used in the 15th century (then pronounced Marjit) but which then fell into oblivion until the end of the 19th century, when it was picked up again (but now with a hard g) like several other old Nordic and Swedish names. Margot comes from the French name Marguerite which is derived from Margareta. In France, the name was used as early as the Middle Ages. The name began to be used in Sweden in the early 19th century. June 19 - Görel Görel is an Old Norse name made up of two Old Icelandic words for “spear” and “fight” and may mean “sheltering spear.” Since the 16th century, Görel has been used in noble families and has retained a touch of nobility. It has never been a common name.
founded in new york city in september 1872 Nordstjernan (ISSN 1059-7670), founded in New York City in September 1872, is published by Swedish News, 570 Lexington Ave, New York, NY 10022 • Readers services and editorial submissions: P.O. Box 680, Minneola, FL 34755 Periodicals Postage paid at New York, NY, and additional mailing offices. www.nordstjernan.com, Nordstjernan is published semimonthly, except for the months of January, February, July when it is monthly and August with no issue. POST MASTER: Please send address changes to Nordstjernan, P.O. Box 680, Minneola, FL 34755 Subscription rates: 1 yr. = $59, Two yr. = $106, Three yr. = $150.
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this week…
June TO DO 6.17 IN HISTORY: Ramlösa hälsobrunn located in Ramlösa in southeastern Helsingborg was founded on June 17, 1707 by Johan Jacob Döbelius. The well and spa was built around an iron well that Döbelius examined in 1701, 1705 and 1706. In the late 1890s, a new and more mineral-rich alkaline well was found, which became the start of today’s bottled water. The original operation of the health spa was finally closed down in 1973. 6.18 GO FOR A SWIM ... NAKED. NATURISMENS DAG / Henry David Thoreau did it, as did Carl Larsson, Albert Engström and many others. Enjoy skinny dipping, that is. This is the day of Naturism. As most born Swedes know, Scandinavians in general have a somewhat different opinion about showing skin than we do in the U.S. There are 75 nudist beaches in Sweden. (Truth be told, there are several also in the U.S.—check with the Naturist Society located in Wisconsin.) 6.21 THE SUMMER SOLSTICE, SOMMARSOLSTÅNDET / The sun reaches its northernmost point from the equator on this day at 5.43 p.m. EST. 6.21 MOVE SLOWLY ... LÅNGSAMHETENS DAG / International Day of Slowness created by the Slow Society. There’s also a World Institute of Slowness whose motto is simple yet powerful: “The fastest way to a good life is to slow down.” After all, who doesnt want a good life ...
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Midsummer, a feast for eye and palate /p16
Dashboard, p4-5
Ten best countries for U.S. expats / Second Palme d’Or for Östlund / Marcus Ericsson wins Indy 500 / Swedish PM visits Biden / The Swedish King on the NATO membership / Swedish craft on HBO
Nordstjernan and royalty, p11
06.24 MIDSOMMARAFTON MIDSUMMER’S EVE / Comments are superfluous here ... Glad Midsommar allesamman!
Remember, it takes a village...
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Forest bathing: not exactly what it sounds like. Putin’s war against Ukraine has caused thousands of deaths, major global economic damages and displaced millions of people. The invasion of Ukraine and the unthinkable war the Kremlin began on February 24 may have been to deter further expansion of Your next iss NATO but the opposite happened. Europe and the western world stand united against ue Russia. The formal decision by the Swedish government to submit the application for will be date d membership in the military alliance came on May 16, one day after the Social DemoJuly 15, 2022 cratic Party leadership decided to support membership. Swedish Parliament has rarely shown such consensus as when debating Sweden’s NATO membership. Several of the speakers in the parliamentary debate emphasized the historical aspects of what is now happening in Sweden. This is undeniably the case since the government’s decision marks the end of 200 years of freedom of alliance. The application for NATO membership for both Finland and Sweden was officially submitted on May 18. Proceedings have stalled a bit with Turkey vetoing the countries’ membership. Turkish President Recep Erdogan is not pleased with the Nordic countries’ welcoming of so many Kurdish immigrants and would like Sweden to lift its arms embargo on Turkey. Politics … in the end both Finland and Sweden will become full members of NATO. For sure. Atrocious events closer to home with recent weeks’ mass shootings leave us all speechless and fearful of the direction of our society. At times like these it seems a bit strange to write about summer celebrations, Midsummer and the many joys of the season. And yet, with everything going on, let’s allow ourselves a respite from darkness to celebrate the return of light, the sun and warmer times. Open your door to friends and family and create a village in your neighborhood wherever you are. A village where people know, respect and care for each other, where no one goes without being noticed. Page 20 It may sound like a return to a simpler time when the world was much smaller, but the world can be both; we all carry different identities—we are part of a village, part of a city, a country and the Arctic Highways at House of Sweden /p13. world. If no village is in sight around you, consider yourself invited to my, our, larger village of Swedish America. The Exchange Rate: Wishing everyone, wherever you are, a healthy, peaceful, $1.00 = SEK 9.56 Ulf Barslund Mårtensson happy and safe summer. (06.03.2022) Editor & Publisher JUNE 15, 2022 3
dashboard | june 15, 2022
The stories, the traditions, the people behind the news. founded in new york city in september 1872 executive editor
& publisher:
Ulf Barslund Mårtensson (editor@nordstjernan.com) copy editor:
Amanda Olson Robison (editor@nordstjernan.com) managing editor & production: Everett Martin graphic design: Nadia Wojcik (design@nordstjernan.com) contributors:
Ted Olsson - Leif Rosqvist - Martha Swanson Kitty Hughes - Ulf Kirchdorfer - Valorie Arrowsmith Bo Zaunders - Göran Rygert - James Kaplan - Gunilla Blixt publications director:
Mette Barslund Mårtensson (mette@nordstjernan.com; 800.827.9333, ext 12)
nordstjernan p.o. box 680 minneola fl 34755 contact us at 1.800.827.9333 ext 10 for reader services, email: subs@nordstjernan.com; ext 12 for advertising, email: advertising@nordstjernan.com www.nordstjernan.com Covering three worlds: Sweden, America and Swedish America. Order your own copy, $59.00 for a year (18 issues) Choose ‘subscribe’ at www.nordstjernan.com or call 1.800.827.9333, ext 10 4 NORDSTJERNAN
Charlbi Dean and Harris Dickinson in the Palme d’Or awarded ‘”Triangle of Sadness.”
Second Palme d’Or to Östlund
Ruben Östlund won his second Palme d’Or for “Triangle of Sadness,” a biting satire of the rich and (Insta-)famous at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival. Östlund’s new film takes a boat full of models, millionaires and their various trophy partners — and abandons them in deep water, forcing the survivors to reconstruct a desert island society where money holds no power. The Cannes crowd reportedly reacted with an eight-minute standing ovation after the screening of the film, which was far louder than the ovations earned by “Top Gun: Maverick” and other films at the festival. Triangle of Sadness is the sequel to The Square, the film that Ruben Östlund and Platform Production won the Palme d’Or with five years ago. It is an epic satire —periodically quite shocking according to reports —set against the world of fashion and the uber-rich with Hollywood star Woody Har-
relson and international actors Harris Dickinson and Charlbi Dean in the leading roles. Triangle of Sadness was filmed during the pandemic; the shooting started in Trollhättan, Sweden and ended on the luxury yacht Christina Onassis in the Ionian Sea be- Ruben Östlund tween Greece and Italy and on the island of Evia. The film had its world premiere in Cannes on May 17 and is expected to have its Swedish premiere on September 2, 2022. North American distribution rights to the film were acquired by New York based Neon, www.neonrated.com
How the Swede travels 2022 Spain is still at the top as the Swedes’ favorite travel destination, according to the travel magazine Vagabond’s annual travel barometer. The pandemic and the war in Ukraine continue to affect how Swedes will travel during the summer and the staycation seems to have become a mainstay. Travel has picked up speed again after two summers with a pandemic, but it still has a long way to go before travel reaches a pre COVID-19 level. Not unexpectedly, tourism is moving west, less toward Ukraine’s neighbors and more to well known, established destinations that feel safe. Spain is the country that Swedes go to most on holiday, which has been the case for many years. According to statistics from the travel site Momondo, the 10 most sought after destinations for the summer of 2022 are: Malaga, Spain Alicante, Spain
Istanbul, Turkey Palma de Mallorca, Spain Barcelona, Spain Beirut, Lebanon Bangkok, Thailand Antalya, Turkey Ankara, Turkey Split, Croatia The staycation (hemester in Swedish) is one phenomenon that will stay with us after the pandemic; and it will probably become a permanent part of the Swedish language. Hemester is a contraction of two words, home (hem) and holiday (semester) and is similar to words such as motel, smog and infodemic, the latter being another concept that gained momentum during the pandemic. It describes how disinformation with the help of social media can spread around the world like a virus.
Photo: Sina Östlund/Ekko Magazine
Travel & Leisure recently listed the ten best countries to move to for an American eager to live abroad. Factored in were a range of topics including safety, friendliness, quality of life, and access to culture and outdoor activities. Work-life balance aspects and the general cost of living were also considered and Sweden came in as one of the ten. According to the magazine: Scandi-fans in search of constant fresh air and a sense of space might want to consider moving to Sweden, with one of the lowest population densities in the world. The design-forward capital of Stockholm offers walkable access to the enchanting historic center, world-class museums, and impeccably stylish cafes. Those on a budget can check out Sweden’s more affordable second city of Gothenburg, which has been called the world’s most sustainable destination by the Global Destination Sustainability Index, for several consecutive years. Here you can browse ethical fashion shops and dine at zero-waste restaurants.
Photo: Fredrik Wenzel
Ten best countries for US expats
dashboard | june 15, 2022
Marcus Ericsson celebrates (with milk)) after winning the 106th running of the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, May 29, 2022. Mykal McEldowney/IndyStar
Örebro, Sweden native and former Formula 1 driver Marcus Ericsson won the 106th Indy 500 on may 29 in Indianapolis. He drives the No. 8 Honda for Chip Ganassi Racing and has been competing in the NTT IndyCar Series since 2019 after several earlier seasons as a Formula One driver. Ericsson took home $3.1 million, the highest payday for a 500 winner in the race’s history. He is the second Swedish driver to win the race. Kenny Bräck, who won in 1999, was the other. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway where the competition is held is the largest sports venue in the world, with permanent seating for more than 257,000 fans and even more space on the infield.
Photo: Sara Friberg/Kungl. Hovstaterna
Marcus Ericsson wins Indy 500
The King and Finnish president Niinistö at the inner courtyard of Stockholm Palace during the welcome ceremony.
The King on the NATO application King Carl XVI Gustaf received Finnish President Sauli Niinistö at Stockholm Castle in May. The two heads of state held a joint press conference prior to their joint applications to NATO. ”Sweden’s intention is to join the NATO defense alliance at the same time as and in agreement with Finland. This is a historic path that we are making
Swedish PM met Biden
Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson and Finnish President Sauli Niinistö traveled to Washington, DC on May 19 to meet with U.S. President Joe Biden. During the White House meeting, the prime minister and two presidents discussed Sweden’s and Finland’s applications for NATO membership, Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and transatlantic relations in the changing security policy situation.
Documentary on the King’s life Just in time for Carl XVI Gustaf’s 50th anniversary as King of Sweden next year, the documentary “The King - til death do us part” by Karin af Klintberg will be released. The driving force has been to get to know our monarch, she told the press at a meeting at the Cannes Film Festival. This is the first documentary about a Swedish king who is still alive. It will premiere in January 2023.
side by side with our brother country,” said the king, who hopes the two nations will stand “even stronger together.” The Finnish president emphasized the countries’ close relationship. “Our security policies have been similar for a long time. Even now, when the situation demands it, we take our steps together,” Niinistö said.
Swedish craft in House of the Dragon The swordsman Peter Johnsson in Storvreta, Sweden has previously made swords for the films about the crusader “Arn,” and now his creations will be visible to an even larger audience. He has made several swords for this autumn’s “Game of Thrones” sequel “House of the Dragon.” In a smithy just north of Uppsala, Johnsson has been making swords for several years. From the beginning he was an illustrator, but a class in blacksmithing made him Sweden’s only professional sword-smith, with medieval swords as his specialty. “It was interesting that the swords in the story of the House of the Dragon are almost like people, there is a mythology and history behind them. As a sword-smith and illustrator you can then make them feel credible in that world and at the same time let them convey a part of the culture that is otherwise not conveyed in the script,“ Johnsson said in an interview on Swedish TV. Making a sword according to the original is a time-consuming job and Johnsson puts a lot of work into the process so each sword is as similar to an old medieval sword as possible. Almost as much work as he puts into the sword itself, he spends on
The sword in the stone, right, is one of his more recognized swords. It is part of a fairytale path and playground called Händelseriket (“The realm of events”), a project led by the artist Ann-Charlott Fornhed at the Children’s Hospital, Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge just outside Stockholm. Johnsson made the special acidresistant and unsharpened (childproof) sword that, like Excalibur, is stuck in a rock some distance from the trail.
research in museums, looking for documentation and original swords, which he then copies. It was one of the authors of “House of the Dragon” who previously ordered swords privately from Peter Johnsson, who got in touch and wanted his swords to be included in the series. His craftsmanship and a selection of his swords were exhibited under the title “Dedication to the Goddess” at Holster Fine Art (www.holsterfineart. com) in New York City in 2020. JUNE 15, 2022 5
local events
California San Francisco June 23, 12:30 PM The annual Jenny Lind Concert: The beloved Yerba Buena Gardens Festival tradition showcases the most extraordinary young sopranos from Sweden, this year TessanMaria Lehmussaari, the (2020) recipient of the Jenny Lind Stipendium, performs with pianist Silja Inkeri Levander. Presented with the Consulate General of Sweden in San Francisco. Free. www.ybgfestival.org
Colorado Estes Park June 24-26 Midsummer Festival: Be inspired by 80+ artisans, organizations and performers who share our cultural heritage through food, crafts, demonstrations, and entertainment. Scandinavian Classic Car Show with the Rocky Mountain Volvo Club, raising the Midsummer Pole, Scandinavian Market, and Fjellborg Viking Village. www. estesmidsummer.com/midsummer-info
Connecticut Fairfield June 25 Midsommar: Scandinavian Club of Fairfield, 203.512.5229 / w w w. thescandinavianclub.com
Illinois Bishop Hill June 20 Rarely Seen Treasures from the Attic: Part Två (Part Two) - The new summer exhibit opens with various never-beforedisplayed objects from its collection, including an 18th century Swedish corner cabinet, Bishop Hill Colony papers, World War I memorabilia, and much more. Through Oct 28 at the Steeple Building Museum, 309.927.3899 / www. bishophillheritage.org
Swedish-Finnish soprano Tessan-Maria Lehmussari is the recipient of the prestigious Jenny Lind scholarship, awarded by the Royal Swedish Musical Academy and Folkets Hus & Parker in Sweden. Since 1965 a Jenny Lind Scholar has toured in Sweden and North America; it was re-launched in a new collaboration during the celebration of Jenny Lind’s 200th anniversary in 2020. Lehmussari won the scholarship that year but hasn’t been able to tour until now, but it was worth the wait: She possesses a rare ability to capture her audience, and with her beautiful voice and excellent technique she conveys both musicality and joy. The tour also includes pianist Silja Inkeri Levander. (www.svanholmartists.com/ June 18 @ New Orleans tessan-maria-lehmussaari-is-the-2020-jenny- June 23 @ San Francisco lind-scholar). For the remainder of June, she June 26 @ Chicago can be heard in these cities: June 25, 11 AM-8 PM Midsommar Music Festival: Highlights of this all-day event include Main Stage performances, a Scandinavian folk dance workshop, kubb, a Swedish Maypole celebration, and much more. Everyone is invited to decorate the Maypole and join the procession, which begins in the park and ends at the Colony School where visitors can join in the Maypole dancing. Free. Visit the Vasa National Archives, to view exhibits and enjoy light refreshments and a make-and-take clay sculpture station. Bishop Hill Heritage Association, 309.927.3899 / bhha@mymctc.net / www.visitbishophill.com Chicago June 26, 6 PM Jenny Lind Concert! Soprano TessanMaria Lehmussari is the Jenny Lind Scholar whose beautiful soprano voice
and excellent technique conveys both musicality and joy. Swedish American Museum, 773.728.8111 / museum@ samac.org June 30, 1-2 PM Walking Tour of Andersonville: Learn about the Swedish heritage in Andersonville with a guided tour led by the Swedish American Museum. Guided tours start and end at the Museum (on the last Thursday of June through September). Reservations are appreciated, 773.728.8111 / www. swedishamericanmuseum.org Geneva June 25-26 Swedish Days: Celebrating over 70 years, this “Granddaddy” of Illinois festivals features a host of family-friendly activities with live musical entertainment, a carnival, Kids’ Day fun, Grand Parade, Sweden Väst, multi-ethnic food plus great shopping in our historic downtown. Geneva’s train station is located just blocks from the festivities. Summer doesn’t get any Swedes! Geneva Chamber of Commerce. 630.232.6060 / www. genevachamber.com Rockford June 17-18, 10 AM-10 PM Midsommarfest: ABBA Salute, market, exhibits, dancing, food and more at this annual summer celebration organized by the Swedish Historical Society at the Erlander Home Museum, 815.963.5559 / www.swedishhistorical.org
Louisana While you are at Santa Fe’s Midsummer Magic on Museum Hill on June 21, visit the current exhibition, Dressing with Purpose: Belonging and Resistance in Scandinavia. The exhibition at the Museum of International Folk Art examines three Scandinavian dress traditions—Swedish folkdräkt, Norwegian bunad, and Sámi gákti—and traces their development during two centuries of social and political change across northern Europe. Through Feb 2023, www.moifa.org 6 NORDSTJERNAN
New Orleans June 18, 2-5 PM Celebrate the Swedish Nightingale: The Historic New Orleans Collection presents a recital with music performed by beloved singer Jenny Lind who visited New Orleans in 1851 to great acclaim. The
Photo: Svanholm Artist Managemet
Swedish Local Events A nightengale returns
Tessan-Maria Lehmussaari, winner of Sweden’s Jenny Lind Scholarship Competition, is touring in the U.S. this summer. program features soprano Tessan-Maria Lehmussaari and pianist Silja Levander, who are traveling to New Orleans especially for this performance. Free, registration required. Williams Research Center, https://my.hnoc.org/9741/10056
Maine New Sweden June 17-19 Traditional Swedish Festival: Special events all weekend include a Swedish supper and concert, breakfast, Maypole procession and folk dancing, Swedish dress competition, and more. New Sweden Historical Society www.facebook.com/ NewSwedenHistoricalSociety
Massachusetts Newburyport June 25, 2-4 PM Celebrate Swedish Midsummer: Swedish Folk Art in the Garden: Learn to paint in the style of Swedish “kurbits.” Paints and canvases provided; you take home your work. There will be festive beverages (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) and a garden to inspire your painting. Come with friends (or make new ones) and celebrate this magical day of summer! Museum of Old Newbury, www.newburyhistory.org Shrewsbury June 25, 10:30 AM - 4 PM 119th Scandinavian Midsummer Festival: Midsummer pole ceremony and ring dances, homemade Swedish meatball lunch, Llive music, Viking encampment, crafts and games, flower crowns, food and refreshments. Cash bar, Scandinavian gift shopping and baked goods, kids activities and crafts. On-site free parking. $5 or free/ages 12 and under. Scandinavian Athletic Club, 508.320.9198 / hjtberg@ gmail.com / w w w.facebook.com/ ScandinavianAthleticClub
local events Minnesota Minneapolis June 16, 5:30-7 PM CST Virtual discussion: Typiskt svenskt/ Typical American? What is assumed or generalized about Sweden and the United States? Compare and find out how different yet alike we are in this fun and open discussion. American Swedish Institute, 612.871.4907 / www.asimn.org
Midsummer in America, not just June 24! Check your local listings for events near year, all month long. Here is an example of what takes places in many communities, this particular one on June 17-18, this year on the grounds of the Erlander Home Museum in Rockford, IL. As is often the case, Swedish Ameircans will get to enjoy entertainment by ABBA Salute, shop a market, and of course dance around the maypole.
June 16, 1-3 PM CST Virtual Workshop: Knäckebröd Two Ways: Practice baking two different types of Swedish knäckebröd (crispbread) - a classic part of the Midsommar table but also a great snack to have on hand for light summer meals and picnics. Participants work in their own kitchens to make a batch of rye and oat-based crispbread and a gluten free seed-based crispbread in this live virtual class taught over Zoom; the recipe will be shared one week in advance. American Swedish Institute, 612.871.4907 / www.asimn.org June 18, 10 AM–4 PM Midsommar Celebration: Enjoy handcraft activities, festival food, popup performances, and live music from Swedish folk quintet JAERV who returns to the United States for the first time in over two years. This summer celebration is one of the largest in the Midwest. American Swedish Institute, 612.871.4907 / www. asimn.org June 23, 1-2 PM CST Virtual Nordic Table Event: Demo: Early Summer Foraged Flavors - From elderflowers to nettles to spruce tips, many Scandinavians make good use of fresh foraged flavors in spring and early summer. Erin will demonstrate a few recipes and discuss some common seasonal dishes making use of accessible wild ingredients you might be able to find in your backyard or at a local farmers market. This is a live virtual class taught over Zoom. Students need a strong internet connection and a device with video capabilities. American Swedish Institute, 612.871.4907 / www.asimn.org
Nebraska Stromsburg June 17-19 70th Annual Swedish Midsommar Festival: Enjoy food, a carnival and midway, crafts, parade, car show, 3-on-3 basketball, horseshoes, fun run and entertainment while the city of Stromsburg also celebrates its 150th anniversary. Bring your lawn chairs and enjoy. 402.764.5265 / polkcountynews@yahoo.com /www. theswedishfestival.com
New Mexico Santa Fe June 21, 6-8 PM Midsummer Magic on Museum Hill: Enjoy an enchanted evening of magic and music, spirits and savories, featuring Scandinavian songs and medieval ballads, Scandinavian-inspired hors d’oeuvres, an aquavit cocktail, flower crown decorations,
The 19th annual Scandinavian Folk Festival is finally scheduled for July 16 and 17, 2022 with a bold new setting but the same sense of a cultural celebration. Our plan is to restore downtown Jamestown into a “bit of Sweden.” We anticipate tthat Mayor Sundquist will dedicate the week by flying the Swedish flag next to City Hall with 30 Nordic flags lining the streets. A Midsummer celebration will take place outside at the Jamestown Public Market with ring dancing in the streets. The Viking ship Norseman will be moored at the boat landing and then travel up the Chadkoin River into Chautauqua Lake. Music, Swedish foods, lectures, vendors and folk dancing will occur inside the Northwest Arena along with opporunites for curling and ice bumper cars. Check out the entertainers, schedules and all the details at www.scandinavianjamestown.org or call 716-665-0883. JUNE 15, 2022 7
local events and Midsummer-related surprises. Presented in conjunction with the current exhibition, Dressing with Purpose: Belonging and Resistance in Scandinavia. The exhibition and the Museum Shop will be open. Museum of International Folk Art, www.moifa.org
New York New York Ongoing Wake Up, Daisy! This original story and marionette production, a take on “Sleeping Beauty,” is set on New York City’s Upper West Side. Produced by City Parks Foundation’s Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre, the production is recommended for families with children ages 3 - 8. Thursday through Sunday at Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre (in Central Park), www.cityparksfoundation. org/swedish-cottage-marionette-theatre Through the end of June A l a n d m a r k e x h i b i t r e t u r n s -T h e Experimental Self: Edvard Munch’s Photography. Munch’s photographic work returns with a newly conceived exhibit and a section including vintage
Scandinavian Music Festival in Fort Tryon Park, NYC The festival in Fort Tryon Park, now in its 18th season, is a unique series of three outdoor summer concerts performed by musicians of the Scandia Symphony and guest artists on Sundays in June. The concerts take place in a scenic and attractive venue, on Billings Lawn, below the Heather Gardens and with spectacular views of Hudson River. Musicians of the Scandia Symphony will perform their special repertoire and introduce our musical and cultural Scandinavian heritage to the audiences. Programs: June 5 at 2:00 PM: The Scandia Brass Quintet will perform their popular repertoire of contemporary and traditional compositions, folk tunes and arrangements, representing music from each of the five Scandinavian countries, including five national anthems. June 12 at 2:00 PM: The Scandia String Orchestra will perform works by Johan Helmich Roman, Edvard Grieg, Poul Schierbech and Asger Hamerik. Mayuki Fukuhara, Soloist Dorrit Matson, Music Director/Conductor June 19 at 2:00 PM: The Scandia String Quartet will perform a selection of grand and virtuosic string quartets by major composers, representing each of the Scandinavian countries. 8 NORDSTJERNAN
camera equipment alongside the 2020 illustrated book The Experimental Self: The Photography of Edvard Munch, awarded with diploma as one of The Year’s Most Beautiful Books, 2021. Free, through June. www.scandinaviahouse.org
June 24, 9:15-10:45 PM Outdoor Movie Night: Sit on the Fogelbo Lawn and watch Ingmar Bergman’s Wild Strawberries (1957). Doors open at 8:30 PM. $5-$15. Nordia House, 503.977.0275 / www.nordicnorthwest.org
June 16 & 23, 6:30-9 PM Nordic Summer Jazz: The popular music series returns with live concerts! This summer we’re presenting performances from some of Scandinavia’s most talented jazz musicians, composers, and singers on Thursday evenings in June. On June 16, come for a performance by the Joonas Haavisto Trio; on June 23, enjoy Sunna Gunnlaugs Trio with Icelandic pianist Sunna Gunnlaugs, an expatriot of Brooklyn. Tickets to must be purchased in advance online. Scandinavia House, 212.779.3587 / press@amscan.org / www.scandinaviahouse.org/events
Pennsylvania
June 25, 11 AM Family Midsummer Celebration: Celebrate the longest day of the year Scandinavian style! We’ll fashion flower wreathes, learn traditional Midsummer songs and decorate the maypole. The program will take place in Volvo Hall featuring the music of Finnish singer/songwriter Ida Metsberg, and stories from acclaimed folk storyteller Bill Gordh. RSVP to Scandinavia House, 212.779.3587 / www.scandinaviahouse. org/events/family-midsummercelebration-2022 June 29, 7 PM Film: See the comedic new Swedish coming-of-age film My Life as a Comedian /En komikers uppväxt (Sweden 2019). The class clown in the suburbs of 1970s Sävbyholm, Sweden just wants to fit in, then later in life gets an unexpected visit from an old friend and is forced to revisit his past. Screening in Victor Borge Hall at Scandinavia House, 212.779.3587 / press@amscan.org. www. scandinaviahouse.org/events
June 25, 4-7 PM Midsommarfest: Join us as we hoist the maypole, dance to traditional folk music, and enjoy Swedish summer foods. This family-friendly event includes lawn games, flower crowns for sale, and admission to the museum. $5/adults, free/under age 12. American Swedish Historical Museum. 215.389.1776 / www. americanswedish.org
South Dakota Vermillion June 24 Midsommar at Dalesburg: 152nd celebration, everyone is welcome. www. dalesburg.org
Washington Belleview June 18, 9 AM-8 PM Midsommar Festival: A favorite among generations of families! The day includes Viking demonstrations, live music, food, vintage Volvo cars and more. At Vasa Park, www.vasaparkresortmidsommar.com Seattle June 18, 4 PM Peer Gynt: The Northwest Edvard Grieg Society and the Thalia Symphony join forces to bring Edvard Grieg’s incidental music to Ibsen’s immortal play, reviving the larger-than-life characters and epic story of adventure and misadventure in the realms of the mystical and earthly. The music is sung in the original Norwegian. The National Nordic Museum. kated@nordicmuseum.org / www. nordicmuseum.org
Oregon Portland June 18, 10-11 AM The Odd Duck Puppet Show: A new spin on the Danish author Hans Christen Anderson’s The Ugly Duckling. Join Penny’s Puppets for this heartwarming musical puppet play and discover the beauty in each and every one of us. Nordia House, 503.977.0275 / www. nordicnorthwest.org June 24, 9:15 PM The Legacy of Ingmar Bergman Film Series: No summer is complete without an outdoor movie night! Sit under the stars and enjoy three films (one a month) from Sweden’s most famous filmmaker, Ingmar Bergman. Nordic Northwest opens its doors to the Fogelbo lawn one hour before the films begin. June 24 @ 9:15 PM - Wild Strawberries (1957); July 22 @ 9 PM - Autumn Sonata (1978); August 19 @ 8:30 - The Seventh Seal (1957). www. nordicnorthwest.org/summer-film-series
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Ongoing From Dawn to Dusk: Paintings by Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish artists from the 19th century, a period of radical development in art of the Nordic countries. Through July 17 at The National Nordic Museum. kated@nordicmuseum.org / www.nordicmuseum.org
Washington, DC June 17-22 2022 Nordic Jazz Festival: At sites around the city, this year’s Nordic Jazz Festival is a collaboration between DC Jazz Festival and the embassies of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden - for the first time in three years. www.dcjazzfest. org/events Ongoing Her rights! Money, power, autonomy: In this exhibition visitors learn about female pioneers, business leaders and entrepreneurs. It charts the history of Sweden’s efforts to strengthen gender equality through progressive policies and legal reforms and highlights the important role of the women’s movement in advancing women’s rights. On display at House of Sweden through March 2023. www.houseofsweden.com/exhibitions
Wisconsin Milwaukee June 26, 1-4 PM Scandinavian Midsommar Celebration: Help decorate the maypole with greens and flowers, join in the procession with singing and dancing around the maypole, learn traditional dances. Make a flower crown, play kubb and other family activities. The Norwegian Lykkeringen Folk Dancers join in. Bring flowers and your lawn chairs; a variety of foods (including Swedish items) available for purchase. Heidelberg Park, 262.781.6113 / swedishamericanhistoricalwisc@gmail. com / www.sahswi.org
local events
Midsummer Fest
with local vendors, traditional summer food samples, crafts and activities.
June 25, 10 am-2 pm
NORDSTJERNAN: 1.800.827.9333
Info: 860.872.0273
JUNE 15, 2022 9
language & culture
10 NORDSTJERNAN
language & culture
The relationship with royalty
Nordstjernan June 6, 1935: The page offers a photo feature from the wedding between the Swedish Princess Ingrid and Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark which took place on May 24, 1935. Several have marveled at how Nordstjernan, an American publication, often provided such glowing coverage of the symbols of the rigidity and pomposity of the Swedish royals. Although America has always had its own version of classes, it was also the land of opportunities. It offered — and offers — immigrants the promise of a better life, a fresh start without carrying the weight of a more rigid society. The relationship between modern Swedes and second and third generation Swedish-Americans and “their” royalty has been an interesting mix in the 20th and 21st centuries. Their ancestors signed their citizenship papers, which included the words: “… and that he doth absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to every foreign Prince, Potentate, State or Sovereignty whatsoever, and particularly to the King of Sweden of whom he was heretofore a subject.” They did this gladly. The generation that emigrated at the end of the 19th century left a feudal country where they were often oppressed by king, nobility and priests. People were starving, poor and miserable in Sweden but the early immigrants to America also sought freedom
of religion, freedom from a rigid class society, from poverty and serfdom under the then Swedish system. And yet, when people arrived, with little or no knowledge of the new language, with two spare dresses or pants and sometimes a few tools of trade, the king and the old country started meaning something else. It’s no wonder our very first issue, Nordstjernan of September 21, 1872, covered the illness and death of His Majesty King Carl XV. Today, 150 years later, when the king has become a mere symbol and no longer represents the ultimate power and the upper classes of society more than in name, it is precisely the ancestors of those who left to escape the “Kungl. Maj:t” (at present H.R.H. / His Royal Highness) that hold him highest. The royal family is a clear symbol of the “Swedish.” The King of Sweden today represents something else. He has become the face of Sweden. The Sweden of our dreams, the Sweden we may idolize in a way our forefathers never would have. We humans have always created symbols. And the royal family is a strong symbol of Sweden, of being Swedish and everything that means. And it’s seldom stronger than here in the diaspora. It would be useful for all the royal family’s detractors in Sweden to come to America’s Swedish communities to get a sense of just how strong a symbol and how important the royal
house is for the image of Sweden abroad. Our Swedish-American friends, who are often more fond of the Swedish than Swedes themselves, are the royal family’s biggest supporters. Let’s face it: It’s nowadays not always easy to find the right symbols and representatives for finding the common ground most of us share. When it comes to Sweden in America: Better friends of Sweden and the Swedish just do not exist! Ulf Barslund Martensson P.S. In the lower right corner is a brief about the King, Gustaf V, visiting the Palladium Cinema one day after the wedding ceremony. To view a newsreel with synchronized sound only one day after it happened was still a novelty, and the king was accompanied by other visiting dignitaries along with the crown prince. The movie theater on Kungsgatan in central Stockholm operated between 1918 and 1987 and was one of two Swedish theaters to start offering talkies only six years earlier. It was the largest in Sweden when it opened with over 1,200 seats. The site is now Casino Cosmopol.
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Pull Back and You Will See the High Atlantic Down North The Portland Museum of Art in Portland, Maine, a possible icecap-free North Pole would bring introduced Down Иorth, the first of a new in- within a few decades! Large areas of the polar ternational contemporary art exhibition series Atlantic regions have already disappeared, they responding to the growing interconnectivity of are no longer arctic. major coastal port cities, cultures, histories, and There are several notable artists included in current realities of these areas for the very first Down Иorth. Jordan Bennett, Newfoundland, time. Down Иorth presents 21st century art from lives and works on his ancestral territory of an unprecedented cross-section of artists living in Mi’kma’ki in Terence Bay, Nova Scotia. His Maine, the Canadian Maritimes, Greenland, Ice- neo-primitive indigenous painted and brightly land, Norway, Faroe Islands, Finland, Sweden, and colored quilt images using modern materials Denmark as well as indigenous nations throughout explore the Mi’kmaq and Beothuk visual culture the region. And it is unequivocal! of Ktaqamkuk, Newfoundland. To view Down Иorth with critical intent allows Superflex, Denmark, is an artists’ collective viewers to better understand this unique portion “reimagining environments and embracing the of the earth, the North Atlantic, and the most future of vertical fish immigration by designing significant impact it has on the planet. The exhi- new structures.” Their Vertical Migration is combition adopts the circumpolar north perspective posed of pink ceramic bricks that are functional, to position north as the center. The title Down giving fish living space, but with a clearer view of Иorth has a combined origin, norður og niður— a submerged future when ocean levels rise. Icelandic, norr—Swedish, down east Maine and Sweden’s Arch 2021, Gideonsson/Londre, implies a “shifting of perspective and seeing the Sweden, is an “exploration of how to trace time world in a new and different way.” within our biological structures, specifically the Thirty artists/craftsmen were chosen by three spine.” But in the context of this exhibition there curators, Markús Þór Andrésson of Rekyjavik Art is the ever present moveable circle, these in two Museum, Iceland | Jaime DeSimone of Portland rows of massive waxed wooden arches. They can Museum of Art | Anders Jansson of Bildmuseet, be viewed as a vaulted bridge or perhaps a human Sweden: Ragnar Axelsson | Jordan Bennett | backbone, both stabilized by their own weight. Jason Brown aka Firefly | Christopher Carroll | Isn’t the geographic area of Down Иorth an arc, Jóhan Martin Christiansen | Lauren Fensterstock defined by the Arctic Circle? | Gideonsson/Londré | Julie Edel Hardenberg | Maybe the most traditional is Ann Høbo, NorReggie Burrows Hodges | Ann Cathrin Novem- way. Her abstract tapestries, including “I know ber Høibo | Joan Jonas | Jessie Kleemann | Justin you less every day,” have large uneven surfaces, Levesque | Anna Líndal | Meagan Musseau | exposed knots, loose tangles and frayed hanging Mattias Olofsson | Frida Orupabo | Bita Razavi | mechanisms. Using locally sourced wool she Joshua Reiman Hans Rosenström | Máret Ánne acknowledges sheep, one of the oldest livestock Sara | Magnús Sigurdarson | Katarina Pirak Sikku animals in Norway and then the energy, scale and | Andreas Siqueland | Snæbjörnsdóttir/Wilson | physicality of Norway’s landscape. Peter Soriano | Anders Sunna | SUPERFLEX | Katarina Pirak Sikku, Sápmi/Sami (encomD’Arcy Wilson | Arngunnur Ýr. passing the most northern parts of Fennoscandia The Down Иorth artists’ works are innova- including Finland, Russia, Sweden and Norway) tive and encompassing. Common themes emerge quickly: environment, history, indigenous concerns, race, sustainability, change, oceanography, geography, ecosystem, politics and challenge. The high Atlantic region has seen an average of over 2.3 degrees rise in temperature since 1970, with warming three times more than the earth’s average warming. Imagine Vertical Migration, three cubic arrangements of stacked bricks, positioned on the consequences that moveable wooden pallets, by Danish artist collective SUPERFLEX 12 NORDSTJERNAN
Arch, 2021, waxed wood, steel banding, dimensions variable: four sculptures approx. 13 x 39 3/8 x 47 1/4 inches, each. Courtesy of the artists. The artistic duo Gideonsson/Londré, who lives and works in the village of Kallrör, not far from the Norwegian border in Jämtland, Sweden, examines the relationship with time and body through performances, installations and interventions.
combines drawing, photography, painting, installation, and text as a mode of activism and visual storytelling. Pirak’s and Klementsson’s hiking trails and ancestral reindeer marks, ink and watercolor on 57”x76” paper, guides viewers around important, secret Sami geographical locations that are personal and often inherited within a resident family. Drawings of unique markings applied to both ears of individual reindeer show their owner. Collectively, the drawings are a visual language of Sami record and familial history. Nils R. Caspersson Those of you planning to see the exhibition in Sweden have to be a bit patient. Down Иorth was on view in Portland until June 5, 2022 and opens at the Reykjavík Art Museum at the opening of Arctic Circle Assembly (www.arcticcircle.org), Iceland on October 13 and runs until January 29, 2023. It then moves to the Bildmuseet, Umeå University (www.bildmuseet.umu.se/en/) in Sweden where it is open from June 16 - October 15, 2023. For more info on Portland Art Museum, see www.portlandmuseum.org
The Scandinavian/Nordic spirit is hardy, colorful, honest, reflective, outdoor, traditional, creative, resourceful, independent and always with a view on sustaining life and lives. Scandinavian/Nordic art has always offered venerable points of reflection with sustained viability through visual, musical and hantverk art and craft. It can help us understand where we came from and offer reason of where we might be going.
Norwegian weaver Ann Cathrin November Høibo draws upon the pared- down aesthetic of her Nordic heritage to recraft landscapes in large-scale handwoven textiles.
Birds Shed Feathers-Peskewikús by Jordan Bennett, who lives and works on his ancestral territory of Mi’kma’ki in Terence Bay, Nova Scotia. He explores land, language, and familial histories in his art to challenge colonial perceptions of Indigenous histories.
Arctic Highways On May 25, 2022 the Swedish American Cultural Union (SACU) of Washington, D.C. enjoyed a tour of “Arctic Highways,” an art exhibition at the House of Sweden located at the Embassy in Washington. Helene Larsson Pousette, the cultural counselor of the Embassy of Sweden there, described the artwork and its significance to the group. She told us that Arctic highways were created by the indigenous people who existed among the movements of the wind, sun, and reindeer herds. The invisible highways were cultural and spiritual, and they continue to thrive. Helene guided us through the stirring exhibits that were the expression of 12 indigenous artists from Alaska, Canada, Norway and Sweden. The art remains at House of Sweden until mid July SACU offers their sincere gratitude to Jan Wejdmark. Funding patron of Arctic Highways, Jan was born and bred in Granö in Västerbotten, northeast Sweden. SACU was also very appreciative of the efforts of Helene Larsson Pousette and Jenny Mählqvist Cabezas at Embassy of Sweden, and Cecelia Browning at House of Sweden, for making this tour of a such a unique art collection possible. Most importantly, SACU wishes to offer special thanks and appreciation to the artists who created this vision of culture and life that stretches the past into the future, the Arctic Highway. Chester Taylor For more info, see www.houseofsweden.com “Dressed with heritage, crowned by foreign fate” by Máret Anne Sara, 2019, mixed media art. For more info, see www.maretannesara.com JUNE 15, 2022 13
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reverse migration
Driving in Sweden
In Sweden, not all roads are highways ... image from Österlen and a new book by friend/subscriber/ photographer par excellence Karin Seastone Stern (more on this in our next issue).
... my experience, my advice.
First things first. I’ve had to build my confidence in a traffic circle. The feared “rondellen” - the omnipresent roundabout. Some years ago, before the ease of Google maps on a smartphone, my daughters and I took a drive north from Gothenburg to Dalarna then southeast to Kalmar and on to Jönköping. A rented Mini Cooper sounded fun, and we covered over 925 miles in five days—as any true blooded Americans would on a short European adventure. In recent issues, Martha Swanson has shared some of the lessons she’s learned through what she lovingly refers to as Reverse Migration. Moving forward, she will examine what it feels like to engage in this experience. What does it take to jump aboard the train at the last minute with four large American suitcases, three backpacks and three kids? Where do we go to buy plants for the vegetable garden? “You gave me a citation – because I don’t have snow tires, really?” Martha will share the experiences of establishing a temporary home in the land of her ancestors that feels more permanent than most anything else. Martha is a frequent contributor to Nordstjernan, she and her husband, Don, reside in Michigan and visit their grown children, Allene in Sweden, Drew in Seattle, and Chloe in Holland, Michigan as frequently as they can. 14 NORDSTJERNAN
Tallying the number of roundabouts on our journey may alone have been a good challenge. I drove while Allene navigated from printed maps. In order to temper our frustration without becoming combative approaching said roundabouts, she would hold up the number of fingers corresponding to which exit to take: one, two or three. This was a good system, unless, of course, we were safely in the center lane and she was holding up one finger. In this case, we would proceed ALL the way around again slowly merging right to exit #1 (insert copious amounts of laughter). To my memory, we only encountered this challenge a handful of times during that five-day jaunt. And only one time did we loop around twice. If you’re making driving plans, get confident in the traffic circle. Do some research on the signage (Rules and Signs of the Swedish Road ). Sometimes people describe me as brave, but I’m here to say bravery is easily adjacent to foolishness. I’ve driven for years in Sweden and have just realized, after my latest trip, that the green signs are indeed the state highway signs, and if you notice a dotted white line on their border, this is an indication that you are on the most direct route toward the major highway depicted by the number. What to do about all these differently colored signs? They are often the same size and shape, printed in the same font. Do a little research to learn that green signs indicate state roads and highways, blue are used for smaller roads, yellow point toward a village, and brown, black and white ones indicate there’s something to visit: a business, hike or an historical marker. Generally. If you hap-
pen to drive in Småland, chances are you’ll find yourself on a narrow, stone wall bordered country road. Did I say narrow? Here you may encounter an “M” sign–this is a side of the road space, big enough for one vehicle, in which you can pull over, to let an oncoming car pass. “Mötesplats” means meeting place. So be brave, not foolish, learn a few signs. This tip will save you hours of frustration. Trust me on this. Speed limits. Swedes are generous. Should you choose to drive above the posted speed, which you will know from seeing the liberally placed round yellow signs with red borders, you will be alerted to an upcoming camera that will clock you and report your excessive speed to the authorities via identifying your license plate, yes even on a rented vehicle. So if you see that camera sign, slow way down. Consider yourself forewarned. There are penalties for speeding and reckless driving. And operating any motorized vehicle–or yes, even a bicycle, while under ANY influence of alcohol is not tolerated in Sweden. Be like a Swede, choose your designated driver early. Trains are easily accessible. Traveling by bus is common and easy. But, oh the beauty and challenge of the open road!! One of my favorite things to do, even when gas prices are high, is to just take off. North. South. East. West. I get on the narrow roads, stop often for photos of old red barns, stone walls or stugas near the water. I drive to the sea. Or to the city. Or to a favorite garden boutique that boasts of serving fika, which I discovered from a road sign aptly depicting a coffee cup. I can’t remember ever passing on a good fika. Learning to read the signs and symbols, perhaps actually a metaphor for life, is imperative. That’s it! Swedes assume we can figure out a few things on our own. Martha Swanson
ScanFest ‘22 invites This may be the world’s oldest painted Dalahäst, Falun, Sweden.
World’s oldest painted Dalahäst
While excavating in Falun in central Dalarna in July 2020, Swedish archaeologists accidentally found what may be the world’s oldest painted Dalahäst. Archaeologist Torbjörn Holback found it in the mud, and after cleaning it could see it was originally painted with a red color, typical for the town of Falun. Swedish National Archaeologist Mia Englund explained, “The wooden Dalahäst from Falun is currently in a conservation studio (it is a long process to save/stabilize wooden objects) in Stockholm. And work with the archeological report continues. The wooden horse is painted in a red color but also has details in a darker and a lighter color. We do not know what type of wood it is made of yet.” If you have a Dalahäst that you think is old, first look for bandsaw marks underneath and between the legs. Bandsaw marks indicate the use of a Swedish bandsaw, dating it after 1920. No marks indicates a much earlier Dalahäst that was perhaps cut out with a hand held crossbow saw and then hand carved. The recent Falun Dalahäst appears to have no bandsaw marks and has been estimated to originate in the early- to mid-19th century. The Dalahäst has a well documented history from about 1920 to the present, but its past is not as clear … here are some things most people will agree with: • A Dalecarlian horse or Dala horse (Dalahäst) is a symbol of Dalarna, a county or traditional province - a so-called “landskap” in the middle of Sweden. • The oldest unpainted Dalahäst is from 1560. Horse carving was thought to have started in the village of Bergkarlås in central Sweden, though the nearby “horse” villages of Risa, Vattnäs and Nusnäs were also centers of wood horse-making. • The earliest references to wooden horses for sale are from 1623. • In 1773, Swedish King Gustav III wrote a proclamation that allowed the Dalarna valley people to build and paint furniture without having to belong to a guild. • According to a local tale, a wandering painter using the style of kurbits came across one of these Dala horses at a farm he was decorating and painted it in the same style since the children wanted their horses painted, too. • The first preserved painted Dalahäst is painted in black and was found in a pantry in a mansion in Falun in 1820. • In the 19th century, Sitkå Erik Hansson (born 1823) from Risa in the parish of Mora, introduced the technique still used today: painting with two colors on the same brush. This famous Dala painter is buried in a small churchyard in Nebraska, USA, after having immigrated to the Midwest in 1887 at the age of 64. • The distinctive orange-red color originally came from Dalarna copper mine processing. • The New York 1939 World Exhibition made the Dalahäst a global celebrity. • Nils Olsson Dalahästar, Nusnäs, Sweden, currently produces 500 Dalahäst per day!
YOU! SUNDAY
SEPTEMBER 4, 2022 10 AM - 6 PM
Join the fun at ScanFest ‘22
JUNE 15, 2022 15
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Text, recipes and photos: Kristi Bissell Midsummer’s Day (Midsommardagen) is celebrated in Sweden each year on the Saturday falling between June 20th - 26th in honor of the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. Midsummer, both the eve leading up to Midsummer’s Day and the day itself is a time to gather with friends and family, make flower crowns, dance and sing around a maypole, and share a simple, seasonal meal. The traditional midsummer smörgåsbord is an easy and elegant one featuring crispbread and herring, the first tiny potatoes of the season tossed in sour cream and dill and cured salmon (gravlax) with mustard sauce. Dessert usually includes strawberries, either as part of a cake or other baked dessert or served simply with cream and sugar. If you are planning a Midsummer gathering for the first time or are looking to jazz up your traditional celebration with a new dish or two, I’ve got an easy Midsummer menu that is sure to become part of an unforgettable and festive evening: Rye and Oat Crispbread Store-bought Pickled Herring Creamy Cucumber Salad with Lemon and Dill Herbed New Potato Salad with Golden Pickled Beets and Capers Gravlax with Mustard Sauce Vanilla Cake with Strawberry Filling
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Gravlax with Mustard Sauce Serves 6
For the Gravlax: 1 tablespoon white peppercorns 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar 1/4 cup kosher salt 1 cup coarsely chopped fresh dill 1 2-pound skin on salmon filet, sushi-grade, pin bones removed 3 tablespoons aquavit (or gin, vodka or brandy) For the Mustard Sauce: 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon prepared mayonnaise 1 teaspoon honey 7 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil salt and freshly ground pepper 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh dill To serve: Thinly sliced rye bread or crispbread Fresh dill sprigs Make the Gravlax: Crush the peppercorns with a small heavy skillet or mortar and pestle. Combine the brown sugar, kosher salt and peppercorns in a small bowl. Set aside. Pat the salmon dry and lay it skin side down in a 9x13 glass baking dish. Drizzle with aquavit and rub it into the surface of the salmon with your fingers. Sprinkle the salmon with the salt, pepper and sugar mixture and rub to coat the surface evenly. Cover with chopped fresh dill. Place a layer of plastic wrap over the salmon and top with a cutting board, baking dish or pie plate. Place something on top to weigh down the salmon as it cures (such as a few cans of vegetables). Transfer the salmon to the refrigerator and let it sit for 12 hours. Remove from the fridge and discard any accumulated juices on the bottom of the dish. Flip over the salmon filet so it is skin side up. Cover with fresh plastic wrap and weigh down again with a cutting board baking dish or pie plate topped with cans. Let sit for another 12 hours. The salmon will be lightly cured after 24 For more inspired Scandinavian cooking, check Kristi Bissell’s True North hours. If you would like a firmer texture, conKitchen blog which offers a sampling of recipes with a true Nordic feel. tinue to cure for another 12-24 hours, repeating See www.true-north-kitchen.com the flipping process every 12 hours. Make the Mustard Sauce: Whisk together the vinegar, mustard, mayonnaise and honey in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in oil. Whisk in chopped dill and season to taste with salt and pepper. Mustard sauce can be made up to two days ahead. Cover tightly and store in the refrigerator until ready to use. Give it a brief whisk to re-combine just before serving. Scrape the dill off the salmon and pat dry with paper towels. Transfer to a serving platter and slice thin to serve with rye bread and/or crispbread, mustard sauce and dill sprigs for garnish. Gravlax will keep tightly wrapped in plastic for about three days in the refrigerator. For longer storage, thinly slice the gravlax and freeze in small portions inside small freezer safe bags for up to two months. 18 NORDSTJERNAN
Spicy Pickled Beets 12-16 ounces small to medium-sized beets extra virgin olive oil for drizzling 1 cup distilled white vinegar 1 cup water 1/4 cup sugar 1 teaspoon fine salt 5 allspice berries 10 juniper berries 10 peppercorns 1 bay leaf 1/2 teaspoon dried chili flakes
Herbed New Potato Salad
with Golden Pickled Beets and Capers Serves 4-6
Preheat oven to 400°F. Scrub and trim beets, place them on a large piece of foil and drizzle them with olive oil. Using your hands, rub oil onto the surface of the beets. Fold foil over and seal the edges, making a pouch. Place pouch on a baking sheet and transfer to oven. Roast beets for 45-60 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a knife. Smaller beets will take less time than larger ones. Remove beets from oven and open pouch. Let cool before handling. When the beets are cool enough to work with, rub off the skin with a paper towel and slice into 1/2-inch thick wedges. Transfer to a quart sized mason jar. Meanwhile, heat remaining ingredients over medium-low heat until simmering and sugar has dissolved. Pour mixture into the jar with the beets. Allow to cool at room temperature. Cover and place in the fridge. Consume beets within two weeks.
2 pounds small red new potatoes, skin on and cut into 1/4-inch thick slices Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 1-1/2 tablespoons white wine vinegar 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 1 small shallot, minced 1/2 cup diced Spicy Pickled Beets, made with golden beets 3 tablespoons capers, drained and rinsed 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley Place sliced potatoes in a large pot. Cover with cold water plus one inch. Add two teaspoons of salt and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Continue to cook for 5-9 minutes or until the potato slices are just tender. Keep a close eye on the potatoes as they cook and check them frequently for doneness. You want them to be just tender. If you overcook them they will start to fall apart and not be as beautiful in your salad. Carefully remove the potatoes from the boiling water with a slotted spoon and transfer them to a strainer to drain. Save ¼ cup of the cooking water. Lay the potato slices in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Whisk together olive oil, vinegar, mustard, shallot and reserved potato water in a medium bowl. Drizzle mixture over the warm potatoes and let sit for 10 minutes. Add pickled beets, capers and herbs. Stir gently with a rubber spatula, taking care not to break the potato slices. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a platter and serve. To make in advance, finish the recipe through step 3. Transfer the potatoes to a bowl and cover before refrigerating for up to eight hours. Bring the mixture to room temperature before continuing with step 4 of the recipe. Adapted from The America’s Test Kitchen Complete Vegetarian Cookbook
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Creamy Cucumber Salad with Lemon and Dill Serves 4
1 large English cucumber, or 2 small to medium garden cucumbers, skin on and sliced thin (see note below) 1-1/2 teaspoons coarse salt + more for seasoning 1 shallot, minced 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar 2 tablespoons sour cream 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil Finely grated zest of 1 lemon 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill Freshly ground pepper Transfer cucumber slices to a colander and sprinkle with salt. Toss to coat evenly, let sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, make the dressing. Combine the shallot and the white wine vinegar in a medium bowl. Let sit for about 10 minutes to mellow the shallot flavor. Add sour cream, extra-virgin olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice and dill and whisk in the bowl until combined. Transfer the cucumbers to a sheet pan lined with paper towels. Pat dry. Add the cucumbers to the vinaigrette and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and chill until ready to serve. This salad is best after it has had a chance to chill for 30 minutes or so. It can be made several hours or up to a day ahead of time. *English cucumbers are a nice choice here because they are seedless. If you are using garden cucumbers, particularly if they have large seeds, you might consider slicing them in half lengthwise and removing the seeds prior to continuing with the recipe.
Rye and Oat Crispbread 1 cup dark rye flour 1 cup all purpose flour 1/2 cup rolled oats 1/2 teaspoon fine salt 1 teaspoon sugar 2 teaspoons instant dry yeast 3/4 cup milk 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus more melted butter for brushing large sea salt crystals, such as Maldon, for sprinkling Whisk together flours, oats, salt, sugar and yeast in a large bowl. Stir in milk and butter. Knead briefly in the bowl with your hands until the dough comes together (dough will be quite stiff and a bit sticky). Cover and let rise at room temperature for one hour. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Divide dough into six pieces and cover with plastic wrap. Working with one piece of dough at a time, roll into a thin round on a sheet of parchment paper using a traditional rolling pin. Roll with a kruskavel a few times or poke all over with a skewer or fork. Cut a 1-inch hole in the center using a biscuit cutter. Brush with butter and sprinkle with sea salt crystals. Transfer parchment paper to a baking sheet. Bake until golden brown and crispy, about 12-15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Repeat with remaining pieces of dough. 20 NORDSTJERNAN
Vanilla Cake
with Strawberry Filling (as shown on cover) Elegant and bursting with true strawberry flavor, this Vanilla Cake with Strawberry Filling is the perfect way to celebrate any summer occasion. The summer strawberry cake is a Scandinavian classic and one that anyone interested in Nordic baking should have in their repertoire. Rich pastry cream and a luscious roasted strawberry filling are sandwiched between two layers of tender vanilla cake and topped with whipped cream and fresh strawberries ... it’s the perfect show-stopping dessert for any summer celebration, gathering or weekend dinner that you have in the next few months. Ingredients For the Roasted Strawberry Filling: 1 pound strawberries quartered 1/4 cup granulated sugar pinch of fine salt For the Cake Layers: 2 cups cake flour, spooned and leveled (240 grams) 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 1-1/2 cups granulated sugar 3 large eggs 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 1/4 teaspoon almond extract (optional) 1 cup whole milk 1/4 cup unsalted butter cut into tablespoons 1/3 cup canola or vegetable oil
Instructions - Make the Roasted Strawberry Filling: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Combine strawberries, sugar and salt in an 8-inch square baking dish. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and stir briefly. Return to the oven and roast for an additional 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool slightly. Mash mixture with the back of a fork until it is a jam-like texture. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Filling should be completely cool before assembling the cake. (Filling can be made up to a week in advance.) - Make the Cake Layers: Preheat the oven to 325°F. Butter two 9-inch cake rounds. Place a 9-inch circle of parchment paper on the bottom of each pan. Butter the parchment paper. Flour the inside of the pans. Set aside. - Whisk together the cake flour, salt and baking powder in a medium bowl. Set aside. - Combine sugar, eggs and extracts in the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment, mix on medium high until the mixture is light in color and fluffy, about three minutes. Reduce mixer speed to low and slowly add the dry ingredients. Mix on low until just combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. - Heat the milk in a saucepan over medium-low heat until just simmering. Turn off the heat and add the butter and oil and stir until the butter has melted completely. - Return the mixer to low speed and slowly pour the hot milk mixture into the batter. Mix until just
For the Pastry Cream Filling: 2 egg yolks 1-1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 tablespoon cornstarch 1 cup half and half 2 tablespoons sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract pinch of fine salt For the Whipped Cream: 2 cups heavy whipping cream 1/4 cup powdered sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract To Assemble the Cake: Roasted Strawberry Filling Cake Layers Pastry Cream Filling Whipped Cream 2-3 cups strawberries halved smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl and whisk as necessary. - Divide the cake batter equally between the prepared pans. Bake until golden brown and a tester poked into the center of each cake comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Set cakes aside to cool. - Meanwhile, make the Pastry Cream Filling: Whisk together the egg yolks, cornstarch, half and half and sugar in a medium saucepan. Add the butter. Place
the pan over medium low heat and whisk constantly until mixture is smooth and thick, about 3-5 minutes. Strain mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a clean bowl. Stir in vanilla. Place a piece of parchment paper directly on top of the pastry cream, followed by a layer of plastic wrap (this prevents the custard from forming a skin). Refrigerate until you are ready to use. Pastry cream should be completely cool before assembling the cake. (Pastry Cream Filling can be made up to 2 days in advance.) - When you are ready to assemble the cake, make the Whipped Cream: Place the cream, powdered sugar and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip on medium-high to high speed until the cream can hold relatively stiff medium peaks. Spoon half a cup of the whipped cream into the bowl with the cooled pastry cream. Whisk to combine. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a wide tip (or simply use a gallon storage bag with ½-inch sized hole cut at one corner) with the remaining whipped cream. - Assemble the cake: Place one cake layer on the bottom of a serving plate. Make a border of alternating dollops of whipped cream and halved strawberries, cut side down. Spread some pastry cream evenly in the center of the border (you will have some pastry cream leftover). Using a slotted spoon, top the pastry cream with some of the roasted strawberries, taking care to leave most of the juices behind in the bowl (again, you will have some roasted strawberries left over). - Place the second cake layer on top of the strawberry filling layer. Pipe dollops of whipped cream over the top of the cake and arrange fresh strawberries over the top, finishing with a whole strawberry for garnish. Serve immediately or cover carefully with plastic wrap and chill until ready to serve (up to a few hours ahead).
Notes • Be sure to gently spoon and level your cake flour when measuring. Or better yet, weigh the flour instead. Two cups of cake flour should weigh 240 grams. • Most of the cake components can be made in advance, but it’s best to assemble the cake no more than a few hours before serving. The pastry cream can be stored, tightly sealed, in the refrigerator for up to two days. The roasted strawberry filling can be stored, tightly sealed, in the refrigerator for up to a week. The cake layers can be wrapped tightly in plastic and stored at room temperature for up to 24 hours. The cake layers can also be frozen for up to six weeks (wrapped in plastic and tightly sealed inside a freezer bag). Wait to make the whipped cream at the time you assemble the cake. When the cake is assembled, lightly (and carefully) cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve. • Using a serrated knife will help make clean cake slices. Why this cake recipe works The vanilla cake layers are tender, moist and light in texture ... the perfect complement to the strawberries and cream. The simple strawberry filling is roasted in the oven to create a delicious jam-like concoction that tastes deeply of strawberries. In addition to the roasted strawberry filling, there is also a layer of rich vanilla pastry cream sandwiched between the cake layers, which provides a luxurious strawberries-and-cream flavor. The assembled cake is downright stunning and so easy to put together! JUNE 15, 2022 21
feature
22 NORDSTJERNAN
It sounds like a sushi dish and is the latest trend in nature. Nordstjernan’s Roger Borgelid tests a forest bath, and after two summers of anguish he finds unexpected insight: being (and not doing) is the answer. The last rays of light find their way between the treetops and the blackbirds’ beautiful symphony echoes across the forest. The early summer evening is full of life and greenery ... and here I am, hugging a tree. It is a stately pine, perhaps 100 years old. The bark smells of resin and feels unexpectedly soft against the cheek. But beyond that—nothing. I am waiting. And waiting. On some kind of sensation. A sign. Maybe the tree even sends out some kind of signal, speaks to me, about peace and security. I feel for a little more. Shouldn’t the heart beat a little slower now? Breathing. What about breathing? I wait a little longer. Now I feel something. Or. I press a little closer to the bark, hugging the trunk a little harder. Then it happens. A sensation on the back of my right leg. Something is happening now, something that touches me. “Hello! How are you? Is everything okay?” A woman with a dog has come by and it is the dog’s nose I felt. When I turn around, four eyes stare at me skeptically, the woman anxious and perhaps suspicious as she tries to determine if I’m sick, maybe dizzy—or just completely out of my mind rubbing against a tree trunk. I let go, smile and offer an embarrassed mumble that I’m “just stretching.” An explanation that is not very credible, I can clearly read in her face as she hurries away on the trail. I sigh. Once again, the work on this report has met resistance, once again it has made me ask the increasingly inevitable question: What on earth am I doing?
An “easy” assignment
The assignment sounded so easy and enticing: Get out into nature and test the new hot trend of forest baths. Or Shinrin Yoku as it is called in Japan, where the concept was born. It sounds like a good piece of Nigiri at the local sushi restaurant. But Shinrin means forest and yoku means swim. And contrary to what you may first think, forest swimming is not about swimming in a lake in the forest but about
taking in the forest and nature with all your senses. To land and swim in the atmosphere of the forest. For me, the forest has always been an obvious and natural part of my life. Even as a child, the forest was my playground, my adventure land. This is where we built huts, climbed trees and mountains, discovered new trails, built ski jumps and skated on small ponds in the winter. The forest was also my arena in youth sports through orienteering, cross-country running and skiing. As an adult, I have also had the privilege of having nature as a significant part of my workplace. I always felt at home in the forest, but this forest bath was completely new terrain for me. Another and more heartfelt way of approaching and connecting with nature —and which is also actually rooted in science. Continues on next page
JUNE 15, 2022 23
feature Continued from previous page
Healing power
Researchers have in recent years made groundbreaking discoveries about how time in nature has a scientifically measurable effect on us humans. The Japanese immunologist Qing Li has in extensive studies shown that forests and trees have a healing power and affect our immune system. In particular, one discovery takes hold in my mind, information that amazes me: “When you touch a tree, it automatically secretes aromatic substances to protect itself, substances that are health-promoting for humans. These substances enter us through the sense of smell and activate the body’s natural defense cells in our immune system, creating protection against diseases, including cancer.” Other research shows the forest and nature also have a measurable and immediate effect on our nervous system and state of mind. Yoshifumi Miyazami, professor of environmental science who has studied forest bathing for 25 years, says by measuring real-time activity in both the brain and the parasympathetic nervous system, it has been possible to show the physiological parameters that regulate calm and relaxation increase by as much as 50 percent in nature. Just looking at a picture of forest and nature causes blood pressure to drop. Fascinated and inspired by these new and sensational facts for me, something awakens inside me. What if there is another deeper way to experience nature? Filled with confidence, I set out to explore my new knowledge in practice—ready for sensual sensations. Since I consider myself a clearly intuitive and sensitive person, who in my creative job is already used to connecting with my surroundings, I am immediately convinced that forest bathing is “right up my alley,” that I
will simply master the phenomenon. But that self-image soon comes to shame.
Cracking the code
Almost immediately I encounter lots of unexpected problems, and it would take two summers of mental resistance and physical challenges before I crack the code. It starts with a few awkward attempts in the home forest, where I finally realize the constant noise from the nearby highway is too disturbing to allow for the right mood. Then follows two occasions when I photograph for the report, with my friends Mia and Ronnie, and then the focus is on that creative process. After that I return to those environments to bathe in the woods myself. But when I lie down in shorts and a T in the mosscovered crevice where I photographed Mia a few weeks earlier, the ground is full of fire ants that painfully put a stop to every conceivable sensuality. Then is the embarrassing incident with the dog owner. And a few more times where runners and walkers have passed by. But most of all, there is a great deal of mental resistance. It simply feels silly and contrived. The more I try, the worse it gets. Pain and frustration creep in and I almost start to fear that the trend will have time to pass before I get it and can report on it. Finally, somewhat desperate, I contact the nature guide Tiina Ravelin, who offers guided tours for forest baths. My thought and hope is she will give me practical guidance that can help me get into it. Maybe a manual, five tips, step by step, here’s how you do it. But when I reach her on the phone, that very question gets a solid no from Tiina. As it turns out, the question and my entire perspective are completely backward. “Forest bathing is not about doing or doing things in a certain way, it is not a performance that
should be measured in method, goals or results. I think a big part of our stress in life today is that we believe everything has to be done in a certain way. But the whole point of forest bathing is to let go and just be,” says Tiina Ravelin, and then she adds the redemptive words: “It’s about letting go and finding how to simply be. That’s the magic.” Now I see the light. Forest bathing is not an activity, it is rather a condition. By trying to do the right thing, it will by definition be wrong from the onset. How to do is not the question. Being is the answer. “Yes, exactly,” Tiina answers. “It’s actually as simple as just being, because we ARE already. It is enough to go out into the woods, find a rock or another spot and sit down and just be quiet. It’s really about presence, taking in the forest with all your senses. Listen, see, smell and feel. Forest bathing is a sensation, a kind of silent communication with nature and the natural calm surrounding you. As a meditative state,” says Tiina. It will be a long and nice conversation with many philosophical thoughts and wisdoms about man’s relationship to nature. But this very thing of being and not doing breaks the code for me.
Been there, done that
At this point, I realize that—for the past 25 years— I have already devoted myself to forest bathing without being aware of it. Every time I am at my little cottage secluded by a lake in the middle of the Dalsland wilderness. There is no electricity, running water or neighbors. It’s just me, the forContinues on next page 24 NORDSTJERNAN
JUNE 15, 2022 25
language & culture Continued from previous page est and the lake—and I can sit still and silent for hours alone on my porch or jetty and just take in the magic of nature. The birdsong over the treetops, of course, but also the faint humming of the flies in different layers of tones, which become clear in the noise-free silence that is part of being here. The wind playing in the leaves and the breeze caressing my skin, dragonflies landing on my chest and sometimes on my nose, the beaver swimming past, the clucking of the waves against the deck, the sun glistening in the water surface between the water lilies, the scent of trees and greenery, lukewarm baths in quiet sunsets and the owl’s suggestive hooting from inside the forest in the moonlit night. I’ve just been there, in the midst of the wonder of nature all around me. Taken in and received all sensations, breathed with nature, let it fill my senses and become a part of me, a part of my breathing. And now with the newfound insight, it will be easier to practice forest bathing more consciously and actively. Now I can appreciate nature with a completely different approach, more empathetic and present. I walk slowly and speechless, have nothing scheduled, no smartphone with me. I’m not going anywhere. I am aware of the elements of nature, the wind whistling in the leaves, water proliferating in a stream, the birds singing in the forest. And when something captures my senses, I give it time and my presence. I can lie down in the moss and let myself be enveloped by the soft bed with the moist scent, I can lean against a spruce root system, follow the sun’s rays playing in the branches, caress the structure of the pine bark and feel the smell of resin it emits.
Presence and time are crucial
It is important to realize that there is a significant difference between walking in the woods and actually being in the woods. Forest bathing is not an activity, such as hiking or jogging. It does not matter where and how far I go, what and how I do—without being there without being fully there, present and aware. Forest bathing is a state of mind. A kind of mindfulness in the forest. I think it’s about exploring nature with an open mind, as if I’ve never seen it before. Become aware of all the magic that nature holds in large and small. Take in and receive. Give me time to lose myself, land in the right mood and embrace the feeling of just being, of being in nature, of reconnecting with an environment that has been inherited in our genes for thousands of years. A vague feeling of being a part of something bigger, of finding home in the woods and breathing with it. When the moon glitters between the trees and the owl hoots from the other side of the lake on enchanting summer nights, it is that feeling that fills my mind. The feeling of being home, of belonging. Who knows, I might even dare to hug a tree again. Text & photo: Roger Borgelid 26 NORDSTJERNAN
language & culture
Lesson 47 Konjunktioner / Conjunctions Discover Swedish is not a regular language course. Teachers and other professionals in the language field may object to the fact that it leaves out bits and pieces, and simplifies language learning. That is a calculated move: These lessons are for regular readers, maybe even beginners, trying to get a grip on another language. Subscribers eager to look back at earlier lessons, numbers 1-23, please check our online digital content in issues 16-18, 2019 and 01-18, 2020, 2021 and 01-09, 2022: www.nordstjernan.com/digital_issues Apart from grammar and the overall structure of Swedish, these lessons also teach how to use your
own experience with vocabulary. Discover Swedish demonstrates shortcuts, mainly based on the influences of Latin and Greek—languages that are the foundation of English, Swedish and the Germanic languages. The lessons include crosswords, fill-in sections, personal questions, Odd Man Out, word groups, jokes, silly translations, short texts, all in a kind of Swedish atmosphere. By partaking in Discover Swedish you will no doubt get a grip on Swedish and you may even learn about svenska (the language) och svenskarna (the people of Sweden).
Konjunktioner är ord eller fraser som binder samman satsdelar eller satser. Det finns många kategorier av konjunktioner men vi nöjer oss med en kort övning. / Conjunctions are words or phrases that connect clauses or sentences. There are many categories but we will settle with a few examples only. antingen … eller: either … or It’s either me or him. och: and
You and me
men: but
I love dogs but not wolves.
1 Jag är mer sympatisk ________ John.
om: if
If you can make it, I’d be happy.
2 ________ Sarah vill kan hon spela tennis.
än: than
He is older than me.
3 ________ går vi på teatern ________ så går vi på puben.
därför (att): because
Can’t make it be cause I’m late.
Christer Amnéus
Övning 1 / Exercise 1: Ju fler desto bättre / The more the better Bestäm rätt ord, konjunkt som binder ihop fraserna / Find the right word, conjunct to connect phrases
4 Du kan spela gitarr ________ inte jag. 5 Du ________ jag är en duo. Övning 2 / Exercise 2: En värld/One world Både engelskan och svenskan har lånord från många språk. Här är några exempel: / Both English and Swedish have loanwords from many languages. Here are a few examples: window: Icelandic (fönster in Swedish) ombudsman: Swedish (an official represeentative who investigates complaints) anorak: Innuit pyjamas: Hindi safari: Swahili dingo: an Aboriginal language
cockatoo: Malaysian tsunami: Japanese mammoth: Russian admiral: Arabic dinosaur: Greek coconut: Portuguese kayak: Greenlandic
Titanic Sailing Again by Lilly Setterdahl The passengers dress in period clothing, dance, flirt and fall in love on the maiden voyage of the newly-built Titanic Princess sailing from Jiangsu, China to Dubai, United Arab Emirates in 2018. But will the ship reach Southampton, England and New York without serious threats? True to her tradition, the author creates Scandinavian characters and fits them into the story. Whether or not you are a Titanic fan, you will love reading about the surprise onboard meeting of the grandsons of two Titanic survivors, the lady’s maid Anna and her rescuer, Roberto, both featured in Setterdahl’s previous Titanic novels. Mail to: Nordstjernan, P.O. Box 680, Minneola FL 34755
Sammanfattning/Conclusion: Konjunktioner är viktiga småord som binder ihop ord, fraser eller meningar. / Conjunctions are important language bricks, “little” words that connect words, phrases, or clauses. Silly translation: “I’ve ben kicked by my boss!”
Fler övningar på sidan 23 / More exercises on page 23
Please send me ____ book(s) “Titanic Sailing Again” x $20.90 = _______ Including S&H (in the continental U.S.) Total: _________ 6” x 9” soft cover, 319 pages
Name Address City State Zip Tel. m Check enclosed payable to Nordstjernan m Please charge my credit card: Card# Signature
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SSC Code: JUNE 15, 2022 27
language & culture
DID YOU KNOW?
Early “start ups” The Swedish scientific establishment is often said to have been born in 1739, when the Royal Academy of Sciences was founded. In fact, scientific research had taken place earlier in Sweden, but for the first time this research became systematically organized. The Swedish scientists of the period were often broadly knowledgeable “universalists” who made vital contributions to scientific and technological progress. Olof Rudbeck the Elder (1630-1702) was a teacher, university principal, scientist, archaeologist and more. Arriving at the University of Uppsala in 1648, he pursued his medical studies so successfully that in 1652 he unveiled an epoch-making discovery: the human lymphatic system. In 1654 he laid out Sweden’s first botanical garden at Uppsala. Rudbeck was one of the most versatile men that Sweden has ever produced. He urged the establishment of secondary schools focusing on technology and science, built bridges, planned water systems and taught many subjects including mathematics, astronomy and architecture. Early adopters. In 1885 Stockholm was the city with the highest telephone density in the world, both per capita and in absolute numbers. The name Nobel became world famous due to blasting projects such as the Gotthard railroad tunnel in Switzerland, the Hell’s Gate shallows in New York and the Panama Canal. Victor Hasselblad’s camera has been used both in outer space and inside the human body, for example in Lennart Nilsson’s famous photographic documentation of the origins of life. Every day, more than a million injections of Xylocaine are given throughout the Lars Magnus Ericsson’s 1926 phone. world. The zipper was admittedly invented by an American, but in 1900 Sweden’s Gideon Sundbäck was the first to introduce a well- functioning design.
Two years in a nutshell
celebrating 28 NORDSTJERNAN
150 years in 2022
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language & culture Öving 3 / Exercise 3: Amiraler och kokosnötter / Admirals and coconuts Läs texten. / Read the text. En svensk ombudsman satt vid ett fönster i sin pyjamas. I sin mobiltelefon hade han foton på dinosaurer, mammutar och kakaduor. Han har rest mycket, varit på safari i Sahara och Kenya, sett en tsunami i Japan och en dingo och kängurur i Australien. I Alaska bodde han i en igloo och bar en anorak i sin kajak. Nu tänker han på svenskans längsta ord enligt Guinness Book of Records “nordvästersjökustartilleriflygspaningssimulatoranläggningsmateriel-underhållsuppföljningssystemdiskussionsinläggsförberedelsearbeten.”
Ordförråd /Vocabulary rest: traveled, mycket: a lot, bodde: lived, bar: was wearing, tänker på: think about, längsta: longest, ord: word, enligt: according to
Övning 4 / Exercise 4: Safari och tsunami Rätt eller fel? / Right or wrong. officer
civil servant
KEY 1: Ju fler desto bättre/The more the better 1 än / than, 2 om / if, 3 antingen ... eller / either … or, 4 men / but, 5 och / and KEY 4: Safari och tsunami 1B, 2C, 3B, 4A, 5C, 6B, 7C
A B C 1 ombudsman
Continued from page 19
KEY 5: Ha, ha Women call me ugly before they know how much money I make/what I earn
businessman
2 kakadua fish flower bird 3 fönster fin window roof
Then they call me ugly and poor.
4 kokosnöt nut hut cut 5 igloo boat animal dwelling 6 mammut boat animal dwelling 7 känguru fish bird animal Öving 5 / Exercise 5: Ha, ha Ha, ha
Kvinnor kallar mig ful innan de vet vad jag tjänar. Sen kallar de mig ful och fattig.
Ordförråd /Vocabulary - kvinnor: women (kvinna: woman), kalla: call, ful: ugly, innan: before, veta: know, tjäna: make money, sen: then, fattig: poor
Övning 6 / Exercise 6: En hund är en hund och en katt en katt. / A dog is a dog and a cat a cat. Sätt rätt siffra framför motsvarande engelskt ord. / Insert the correct number in front of the corresponding English word. Inget facit/No key. 1 kalv, 2 rum, 3 rund, 4 ål, 5 mobil, 6 teater, 7 ingenjör, 8plan, 9 morgon, 10 ek, 11 svan, 12 kung, 13 kust, 14 stol, 15 lungor ___morning ___room
___calf
___eel
___king
___engineer
___oak
___coast
___cell phone
___lungs
___round
___swan
___theater
___plane
___chair
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KEY for silly translation: “I’ve been kicked by my boss ...” Not really. It’s a direct translation of “I’ve been sacked/laid off by my boss,” in other words “Jag har sparkats av min boss.” “Sparka” in a direct translation means “kick” but is also used when someone gets sacked (usually in a somewhat negative connotation, i.e., laid off for reaason). Välkommen till nästa övning / Welcome to the next exercise: Mera konjunktioner / More conjunctions in No.11, 2022. Please send me ____ Dala Horse dish cloth(s) x $5.95 = ______
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news in brief
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news in brief
Swedish News GDP fell more than expected
According to Statistics Sweden, Sweden’s GDP decreased 0.8 percent during the first quarter of 2022 compared with the fourth quarter of 2021. Analysts had expected an average reduction of 0.4 percent. In the corresponding quarter in 2021, GDP rose 3 percent. The negative net export was the one factor that affected the most, but other parts of the economy including household consumption decreased as well.
Housing prices keep falling
For a second month prices fell for condos in Stockholm, according to a housing price indicator from Danske Bank. The fall was almost three percent compared to April. The decline was evenly distributed across condominiums of all sizes. Falling wages, the uncertain stock market and the Riksbank’s plans for higher interest rates are factors that affect the market.
More support for Ukraine
Sweden will send a naval robot called Robot 17 and additional armor shots and automatic rifles to Ukraine and provide more financial support. The new support package amounts to about $100 million and is in line with what Ukraine has requested, according to Defense Minister Peter Hultqvist.
Trouble for Stockholm eBikes
The City of Stockholm is demanding compensation from Citybike for not delivering in accordance with agreement. According to the original agreement with the City of Stockholm, Citybike was to deliver at least 1,000 electric bicycles at launch, which was planned for April 1. According to Citybike, the service as a whole was delayed by 40 days. Not until May 10 was it up and running and then with just under half the thousand promised bikes. Problems in manufacturing and a design error have meant that few bicycles have been delivered and many now need to be taken out of service. In early June, there were only about 100 bicycles available in Stockholm and the city’s demand on compensation from Citybike was reportedly close to SEK six million.
Male CEOs earn more
Women who are CEOs of listed companies earn on average close to a quarter less than men in the same position, new statistics from the consulting company Novare Pay show. The average salary is SEK 12.5 million for men and SEK 9.1 million for women. One explanation is that women generally have a lower salary when they step into the CEO job.
Bruce Springsteen planned two concerts in Swe-
den during next year’s European tour, but the demand was so great that another was scheduled. Springsteen and E Street Band will play at Ullevi in Gothenburg on June 24, 26 and 28, 2023.
Electric taxi boat in the Stockholm archipelago The first electric taxi boat for the Stockholm archipelago will be launched within a year. The boat taxi owner Leif Eriksson will be the first buyer of the hydrofoil boat, a purchase that is made possible thanks to the government investment support initiative Klimatklivet (The Climate Step). The boats are called P-8, will have room for up to 10 passengers, and are based on the same platform as the boat model C-8 from the same manufacturer. The boats run on a hydrofoil, which saves energy. Eriksson has been in the taxi boat business since 1965; during his 57 years on the Baltic Sea, the experienced captain has seen how the environment is affected by the increasing traffic, and this was mainly what made him decide to buy electric. Candela P-8 does not make any waves and can get around quickly in sensitive bays and along piers where other boats have to drive slowly. Klimatklivet offers all types of organizations—from companies to co-ops or
HOAs—and can receive up to 70 percent in support of hands on climate investments. Candela’s focus on passenger boats for public transportation does not stop at taxi boats. They will also release P-12, formerly called P-30, a 12-meter-long passenger ferry that takes 30 passengers. Stockholmers will be the first to test the ferry through a project between the electric boat manufacturer and the Stockholm Region. Estimated launch for test traffic with paying passengers is in January 2023. Length: 8.5 meters Width: 2.5 meters Range: 50 nautical miles Passengers: up to 10 For more info on Candela, see www.candela.com and to find out more about Klimatklivet, which is administered through Naturvårdsverket, the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, see www. naturvardsverket.se/bidrag/klimatklivet/
Uncertainty in Swedish e-commerce industry
Swedish Pricerunner’s e-retailer index, which reads the expectations in the e-commerce industry, was started in 2018. The index is based on how the surveyed e-retailers assess that sales have developed in comparison with the last quarter, how the sales situation is experienced today and how they think sales will develop for one year to come. After a strong 2020, the index fell in 2021, affected by an uncertain pandemic situation, component shortages and logistical chaos. During the last quarter of 2021, the index went below 60 for the first time, and the
first quarter of 2022 lands at a record low of 52.15. The concern is partly due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine - half the e-retailers surveyed say the war had a negative effect on operations during the first three months of the year. But the shipping crisis has an even greater impact. The lack of components, which has sharply reduced the supply of consumer electronics, among other things, also continues to be a headache. Over a third of e-retailers say this affects their business. And almost a third answer that high inflation has had a negative effect on them.
NATO warships in Sweden
Warships from 13 nations were moored in the Stockholm area in early June. The reason was a conference held before the NATO exercise Baltops in which Sweden participates. The presence in Sweden was
more than an opportunity to practice together, said the Minister of Defense, who considered it a clear indication of the support for Sweden and Finland.
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Swedish design with a green soul
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