The Fjords to the Flatlands
In the spring of 1893, Martin Finseth, Nels Jevning, Andrew Malmberg and John Wallerbeck travelled north from Minnesota to inspect Canadian farmland.
How Halloween Found Its Way to Norway
In 1993, the brothers Espen and Henning Hagerup were translating a Donald Duck story when they encountered a problem: what should Norwegian children say in place of “trick or treat”?
From Norwegian Folklore to Alberta Ballet: The Long Life of Peer Gynt
When Henrik Ibsen published Peer Gynt in 1867, he gave Norway a protagonist who was difficult to admire.
The Huldra: The Beautiful Stranger in the Norwegian Forest
In a legend published by the Norwegian collector Andreas Faye in 1833, a beautiful stranger arrives at a dance.
Three Nordic Ghost Stories to Tell on Halloween Night
In a Norwegian folktale, a bridegroom has promised his closest friend a place at his wedding. There is one complication: his friend is dead.
Nøkken: The Terrifying Spirit of Nordic Lakes and Rivers
In a legend published in 1844, a priest is travelling with four sturdy men when they reach Sundfossen in Gjerrestad, southern Norway.
Koselig: The Norwegian Art of Feeling at Home on the Canadian Prairies
Some words carry an entire way of life within them. The Norwegian word koselig is one of them.
It is often translated as "cozy," but that simple definition only captures part of its meaning. Koselig describes the feeling of comfort, warmth, hospitality, and connection that comes from spending time with people you enjoy or finding contentment in familiar surroundings. It can describe a room, a conversation, a family gathering, or even an afternoon spent outdoors.
Friluftsliv: The Norwegian Idea of Belonging to the Land on the Canadian Prairies
Some places become home the day you arrive. Others take time.
The Norwegian word friluftsliv is often translated as "open-air life" or "life in the outdoors," but those definitions only tell part of the story.
The History of Scandinavian Migration to the Canadian Prairies
Nearly five centuries before Christopher Columbus crossed the Atlantic, another group of Europeans had already reached North America.
Around the year 1000 CE, Norse sailors from Greenland steered their longships west across the North Atlantic and landed on the northern tip of what is now Newfoundland. Led by Leif Erikson, son of Erik the Red, they established a small settlement that modern archaeology identifies as L'Anse aux Meadows.