July-Aug 2007 / Scandinavian Cultural Center

"Time for Olle i Skratthult”

A Wonderful Mix of Swedish-American Comedy and Music

Olle i Skratthult, a mason from Munkfors, Sweden, whose real name was Hjalmar Pettersson, became one of the greatest Swedish entertainers in North America in the early 20th century. The Olle i Skratthult Ensemble will perform at the Scandinavian Cultural Center on Sunday, September 9, 7:00 pm. Their performance brings back memories of Olle i Skratthult and his greatest hits. The show is a wonderful mix of Swedish-American comedy and music.

The ensemble will tell the story of Hjalmar Pettersson, from the day he was born in Munkfors until he died in Minneapolis, MN, in 1960. The show will include songs from “the old days,” such as “Nicolina,” Barndomshemmet,” and “Hälsa dom därhemma.”

Ove “Clapson” Carlsson is a singer and musician, whose performances are based on material from “Olle i Skratthult” and the prominent Swedish film actor Fridolf Rhudin. Actor/director Carina Ekman plays Olle’s wife, Olga. Rounding out the ensemble are Robert Lunde accordion, Peter de Maré (fiddle), and Peter Ingmarsson (base guitar—not pictured).

Coming Exhibition Reveals

Century of Change in Norwegian Landscape

The Scandinavian Cultural Center, in partnership with the Royal Norwegian Consulate, San Francisco, will present an outstanding exhibition entitled, “Flashback: Norwegian Landscapes in Retrospect,” from September 23 through November 27. An opening reception is scheduled for Sunday, September 23, 2:00 pm. Admission is free. Public viewing hours are Sundays, 1:00-4:00 pm, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 11:00 am-3:00 pm. Free admission.

The exhibition originates from the Norwegian Forest and Landscape Institute, an autonomous institute under the Ministry of Agriculture and Food. It is a national center of expertise on land-based resources and is a leading Norwegian scientific institution regarding use of forest resources, forest ecology, and the environment. The institute is an advanced user of geographic information technology, and contributes to the Norwegian geo-spatial data infrastructure.

From the Director General, Norwegian Forest and Landscape Institute:

The Norwegian landscape is an important part of the identity shared by all Norwegians. The landscape also reveals traces of former generations. The landscape changes naturally and changing times mark the landscape. Our surroundings reflect the impacts of political priorities and strong economic driving forces. Agriculture plays a key role in the development of landscapes, and it is of great importance to understand the interaction between agricultural policies and landscape changes. One of our tasks at the Norwegian Forest and Landscape Institute is to provide stakeholders and society with scientifically based, statistical information about landscape changes through a national monitoring program.

Hellesylt 2004 hellesylt 1890

1880-1890: Hellesylt, Stranda kommune, 2004: Hellesylt, Stranda kommune
in Møre og Romsdal

We have also recognized a need for visualization of landscape changes. This photographic exhibition will remind us of the landscapes of the 19th and the 20th centuries. Using a method based on finding old photographs and then comparing these with photos from today, taken from exactly the same spot, we can provide a visual demonstration of change that has taken place. The photographs span 125 years of landscape history. We must acknowledge that landscape changes occur ever faster and are often more extensive than before, making new and bigger challenges for today’s politicians. The changes may be considered as positive or negative, depending on the observer’s personal point of view.

Our intention with this exhibition is to stimulate debate about landscape changes in Norway. The landscape is an important part of the nation’s identity and holds aesthetic, biological and cultural qualities. The landscape is also of value in both traditional and new businesses. By visualizing landscape changes over a period of 125 years, we hope that those who influence landscape development will become more conscious of the consequences of their actions and choices. We hope that you will find our stories about landscape changes in Norway interesting and thought-provoking or just simply enjoy the photographs! ~ Arne Bardalen, Director General

Smuler fra Presidenten

From time to time we receive comments from our readers concerning ‘Scandinavia’ and what countries Scandinavia does and does not include. Recently a reader referred us to articles in Wikipedia which, it was claimed, make it clear that Scandinavia includes three countries and three countries only. The reader believed we overstep proper bounds when at the Scandinavian Cultural Center we embrace Finns, Icelanders and even Faroese in addition to Danes, Norwegians, and Swedes. So, I thought in my ‘smule’ this time I might attempt to shed some light on ‘Scandinavia.’

When you ‘google’ the word ‘Scandinavia', you do find that Scandinavia Tourist Boards are the boards of all the five countries. You find that Scandinavia Now offers business news from all five countries as well. When you look up the WorldAtlas.com map of Scandinavia, you see all five countries, as well as the Faroe Islands. When you buy a Scandinavian Railpass, you can travel in Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden, though, for obvious reasons, not in Iceland. And should you visit the website of the American-Scandinavian Foundation, you again find that all five countries are included. This suffices, perhaps, to establish that for practical purposes, at least, ‘Scandinavia’ really does refer to all five countries.

But, what of the origins of ‘Scandinavia?” In earliest usage, ‘Scandinavia’ referred only to the countries of the Scandinavian peninsula, i.e., Norway and Sweden. So how did the Denmark, Finland, and Iceland come to be included under the umbrella concept ‘Scandinavia?’ The word itself comes from the older ‘Scania’ (skåne), which geographically referred to the lowlands of southern Sweden and southeastern Norway. But the word also seems to have referred to a linguistic group speaking a particular variant of Germanic language, the variant now known as Old Norse. If to be Scandinavian, then, is to be a member of this linguistic community, clearly it includes Danes, in addition to Norwegians and Swedes—as well as Icelanders and Faroese.

In the 19^th century, romantic political ambitions also focused on the concept Scandinavia. Hans Christian Andersen, for example, championed the notion of ‘Scandinavism,’ which sought to unify all of Scandinavia into a single political entity. “We are one people,” he claimed, “we are all Scandinavians.” This romantic notion of unification did not gain much traction, however, not at a time when Norwegians in particular were trying to forge a sense of unique national identity distinct from that of the Danes—under whose rule Norway had ‘suffered’ for centuries. Norwegians at the time were not especially happy about being subject to the Swedish crown either. Finland, furthermore, after having been part of Sweden for centuries, had been annexed to Russia in 1809—to become the Russian Grand Duchy of Finland. So the Finns, too, sought to forge a unique identity that would specifically distinguish them from Russia. Forging that identity in part involved looking west for cultural ties. A significant number of Finns, in fact, spoke Swedish and typically affirmed the Swedish part of their heritage. Swedish today is one of the official languages of bilingual Finland. Linguistically, of course, Finnish, as well as the language of the Sámis (the Lapplanders), is unrelated to Old Norse. It belongs to the Finno-Ugric group of languages, which is more closely related to Hungarian than to any of the other Scandinavian languages.

Today, then, with all the Scandinavian countries having achieved independence and imperial hegemony being a thing of the past, an awareness and affirmation of shared cultural traditions and a sense of common identity prevails. A spirit emphasizing commonalities predominates rather than a rancorous trumpeting of differences. And it is with this sense of being part of a highly valued commonality that the Scandinavian Cultural Center embraces all Scandinavians as we celebrate their rich cultural and intellectual traditions. Equally importantly, we champion with them common projects in today’s world that seek to bring about a more compassionate and more excellent world community. ~ Gunnulf Myrbo

From the Scandinavian Studies Program

The document PLU 2010 reports three distinctive areas of focus for the PLU academic community: purposeful learning, global education and collaborative student-faculty research. In the Scandinavian Studies Program, these three marks of distinction are incorporated into the intellectual life of the classroom, co-curricular programming, and research. While the fall, January and spring terms center primarily on our courses in language, literature and culture and our co-curricular events such as film nights and roundtable discussions of current events in Scandinavia, the end of the academic year and the beginning of summer allow us to turn our attention more fully to research.

For advanced students, study in the major of Scandinavian Studies or Norwegian culminates in the research, writing and presentation of a senior capstone. Four students completed capstone projects this year. The topics—multicultural Scandinavia, Black Metal music and its links to Viking paganism, existentialism in the writing of Pär Lagerkvist, and the meaning of dugnad in Norwegian society and culture—demonstrate the breadth and depth of study in the program! We congratulate these students on their original research, and wish our graduating seniors Pam Dearinger, Megan Getman and Audrey Knutson well.

For faculty, summer offers the time for particular focus on research and writing. Professor Troy Storfjell continues his work on postcolonial criticism and representations of the Sámi and the Inuit, and Professor Claudia Berguson continues her research and writing on interpretation of multivoiced narrative and Sigrid Undset’s authorship.

ClaudiaTroy
We as faculty are especially pleased to have received support for collaborative student-faculty research from the Division of Humanities. Kelmer Roe Fellowships were awarded to faculty members Troy Storfjell and Kathy Breazeale and student Britta Helm for research into connections between witchcraft and the Sámi in northern European religious imaginations. Claudia Berguson and student Christy Olsen were awarded a Kelmer Roe Fellowship for research on the relationship between Norwegian cultural values and the Norwegian approach to international peace building. These projects begin this summer and will continue through the next academic year. We look forward to the publishing and presentation of our research findings. ~ Claudia Berguson and Troy Storfjell

Permanent Artifact Collection Continues to Grow

The pieces shown here were recently added to the Permanent Artifact Collection. We are grateful for the generosity of our donors and sincerely appreciate their support of the Scandinavian Cultural Center

Verona Bekkedal, Sumner, WA

This Danish Bing and Grondahl "Christmas Eve in America" collector's plate appeared in the last issue of our newsletter. We inadvertently listed Marren Johnson as the donor. We apologize for the discrepancy.

Esther Ellickson, Gig Harbor, WA

Framed lithograph, hand-colored from the oil painting by German artist Erich Correns (1821-1877). "Southern Belle" is a standing portrait study of the coloratura soprano Jenny Lind (Madam Johanna Maria Lind Goldschmidt) painted circa 1855, when she was 35 years old. She is wearing a beige satin off-the-shoulder, pouf-sleeved, full skirted formal gown with a floral bouquet at the bodice. She is wearing her famous "serpent bracelet", and a golden locket around her neck.

Mercedes Lickfelt, Puyallup, WA

Set of seven wooden plates depicting the well-known Norwegian folk tune about

Per0

Per2

Match box Per Spelemann (Peter the Fiddler) who traded his cow for a fiddle. The donation also included a small wooden box is designed to store matches, as well as a wooden bowl inscribed De ensomme gamle (not shown).

Message from the SCC Director:

Recently, you received a letter from SCC President Myrbo telling you that my husband Ben had been diagnosed with a serious illness. Since then he has been receiving chemotherapy and is responding well to the treatment. We have every reason to hope that he will enjoy many years in remission. I will be going ahead with my plans to travel to London for the sale of the Nicolai Astrup painting, and will provide a full report in the next issue of our newsletter. — Susan Young, Director

Welcome New SCC Members!

June Lane (Wauna, WA)

Ethel and William Peterson (Tacoma, WA)

Calendar of Events

Exhibits

Flashback: Norwegian Landscapes in Retrospect,” September 23 through November 21

SCC Public Hours: Sun 1-4 pm, Tue/Wed 11am-3 pm Admission is free.

Meetings

Danish Sisterhood, September (No meeting), October 3, November 7, December 5, 9:30 am, 253-843-2249

Hardanger Embroidery Group, September (No meeting), October 10, November 14, December 12, 9:30 am, 253-759-7292

Danish Sangaften, September (No meeting), October 21, November 18, December 16 (No meeting in SCC) 6:00 pm, 253-984-6700

Norwegian Rosemalers Group, September 26, October 17, 24, 31, November 21, 28, December 19, 9:30 am, 253-841-3392

Executive Board, September 17, October 15, November 19, December 17, 4:45 pm, UC 214

SCC Council, September 17, October 15, November 19, December (No meeting), 5:30 pm, SCC

Classes

Norwegian Cooking Classes, October 9, 20, 25, 10 am—1 pm, $5 per person per class. Reservations not required. Contact: Kathrina Jaech: 253-584-2690 or <LydiaJay@hotmail.com>

Intermediate Norwegian Language Classes, Mondays, 6-9 pm. Contact: Audun Toven (253-536-8392)

Beginning Norwegian Language Classes, Tuesdays, 6-9 pm. Contact: Audun Toven (253-536-8392)

Swedish Language Classes, Mondays, 6-9 pm. Contact: Kerstin Ringdahl (253-535-7586)

Major Events

“Time for Olle i Skratthult,” Sunday, September 9, 7:00 pm. Admission: $10 (General); $8 (SCC Members); PLU Students Free. Reservations not required. Contact: 253-582-9360

Exhibit Opening Reception (Flashback: Norwegian Landscapes in Retrospect), Sunday, September 23, 2-3 pm. Admission is free; reservations are not required.

Annual “Spring” Banquet & Membership Meeting, Saturday, September 29, 6:30 pm. Reservations required. Admission to be determined.

Upcoming Annual Holiday Events

(More information will be provided in the November/December issue of the Scandinavian Scene.)

Christmas in Scandinavia Exhibit, November 28 through December 19

Norwegian Christmas Service, Wednesday, December 5, 7:00 pm

Sankta Lucia Fest, Friday, December 7, 7:30 pm

Nordic Christmas Fest and Buffet, Saturday, December 15, 6:30 pm

Reminder:

The University Center, where the SCC is located, is currently being renovated. The work began on April 1st with a scheduled completion date of September 1st. The Scandinavian Cultural Center will officially reopen Sunday, September 9, with a special program entitled “Time for Olle i Skratthult,” a program of classic Swedish-American entertainment. Regular public hours will resume on Sunday, September 23, when we will present the opening reception for our newest exhibit, “Flashback: Norwegian Landscapes in Retrospect.” (See P. 1 for more info.)

Annual Spring Banquet “Falls” Forward

Save the date, Saturday, September 29, for a wonderful evening in the Scandinavian Cultural Center! Due to the renovation of the University Center, we were unable to host our Spring Banquet in May, so we are combining the Spring Banquet and Fall Membership Meeting into one memorable evening. You will receive a copy of the Center’s 2006-07 annual report, meet members of the Council and Executive Board, and enjoy a delicious meal and superb entertainment. The recipient of this year's Outstanding Service Award will be announced, and we are honored to host once again the presentation of the Greater Tacoma Peace Prize. This year's laureate is Pastor Ron Vignec, whom many of you know as "Pastor Ron" of the Salishan Mission. You’ll also have time to view the outstanding and thought-provoking exhibit "Tilbakeblikk - norske landskap i endring" (Flashback: Norwegian Landscapes in Retrospect). Invitations for the September 29 event will be arriving in the mail.

The Danish Chamber Orchestra “Amadeus Ensemblet”

Provides an Evening to Remember

Members of the Danish Chamber Orchestra “Amadeus Ensemblet” received rave reviews following their performance on Friday, June 15, in Lagerquist Hall. The ensemble from Copenhagen, Denmark, was founded in 1993, and features woodwind instruments, French horns and double bass. The group performed a broad range of classic and contemporary music, under the direction of conductor Henrik Goldschmit. Goldschmit is a well-known Danish professional oboist, and is a solo oboist in the Copenhagen Royal Theatre orchestra.

Among the selections performed that evening were “Aus der Werkstatt eines Invaliden” (1943), by German composer Richard Strauss; “Danish Rhapsody” (1998), by Danish composer Leif Kayser; “Gran Partita” (circa mid-1700), by German composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart; and “Music for a Tiny Kingdom” (2005), by Danish composer Søren Hyldgård. To strike a popular note, the Ensemble played a Suite from “Carmen” (1875), by French composer Georges Bizet.

The SCC is pleased to have partnered with the NW Danish Foundation in presenting the Amadeus Ensemblet in its premier tour of the United States, thus broadening relations between Denmark and the Pacific Northwest.

Henrik Goldschmit, Ensemble Conductor (L), Bodil Brovik, NW Danish Foundation (C), and Gunnulf Myrbo, SCC Council President (R)

Scandinavian Immigrant Experience Collection

Kerstin Ringdahl The SEIC is a depository of historical materials relating to immigrants to the Pacific Northwest from Scandinavia. The collection includes items that support the academic, educational, and research programs of the University and the research needs of scholars and other researchers beyond the immediate University constituency. Visit our website <www.plu.edu/~archives> to review our guidelines for using the Archives.

Kerstin Ringdahl, Archivist

Scandinavian Cultural Center

July-Aug 2007