WHAT THE GREENLAND VIKINGS CAN TEACH US ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE.

SPRING 2009 Volume 16: Issue 2 www.nordicway.com $395 Nordic Wildlife. Norwegian Seattle. A Filmmaker In Iceland.

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NORWEGIAN SEATTLE

Norwegian Seattle (2008) published by Arcadia Publishing and authored by Kristine Leander, is more than a community’s private scrapbook. Like all Arcadia books, it is filled with historical photographs, but Norwegian Seattle also explains what makes the community tick. The author lived in Norway for nearly two years and came to appreciate the harsh environment and rugged landscape that formed those who came to America. The author traces traditions—such as expectation of cooperation and mutual aid, acceptance of hard work and physical danger, appreciation for building construction and architecture, respect for cleanliness, approval of strong, independent women, and love of nature —to what they learned on the land they left behind. Early Norwegian immigrants formed clubs for emotional and financial support and to learn American culture. The last chapter in the book traces the transition of those clubs and traditions to opportunities for modern Norwegian Americans to celebrate and learn about Norwegian history, language and culture. In between chapters and photos highlight important Norwegian American citizens and how the Second World War affected the community. This treasury is a proud tribute to all the Norwegians who settled the Pacific Northwest and their descendents. ­­­

Scandinavian Spring 2009 3 Many Norwegians were loggers in the Laura Christoffersen and her daughter early 1900s. In the construction boom in Lillian, along with Laura’s sister Gulla Seattle after the Great Fire of 1889, many Anderson and her son Floyd, are NORWEGIAN buildings needed to be replaced. This, pretending to be on an outing for a together with the subsequent influx of photographer. Photographs of SEATTLE population, created a need for housing immigrants were serious business and and, therefore, lumber. Norwegians and an effective way to show the folks at other Scandinavians were eager to work home how well they were doing. in logging, just as they had before they (Photo courtesy Margaret Anderson) left home. (Photo courtesy Ron Olsen)

Ole Hanson was mayor of Seattle in 1919, Olive Svendsen learned to play the when local unions went out on a large accordion as an adult after Gerke;s general strike and shut the city down for Appliance and Music Store in Ballard three days. The strike ended quickly and told her they needed an accordion peacefully. The war-weary nation was teacher. Although she had never ready for heroes, so the media gave played accordion, she practiced and Hanson credit. He was catapulted into became accomplished at it. She also a brief moment of fame. But after an conducted a children’s chorus that electoral defeat, he moved to California practiced in the family home in the and founded the town of San Clemente. 1950s. (Photo from 1948 courtesy Julie (Photo courtesy Nordic Heritage Museum) Svendsen)

4 Scandinavian Spring 2009 The Norwegian ski legends Olav Ulland, There were many Norwegian skiers Foss Maritime Company was started Gustav Ulland, Alf Engen, and Gus in Seattle. The Seattle Ski Club was by Thea and Andrew Foss. In 1889, Raaum are jumping at Ruud Mountain organized in 1928 by first-generation when Andrew left to work in another at Sun Valley, Idaho. Olav grew up in Norwegians to promote skiing in the part of the state, Thea purchased a Kongsberg, Norway, then the ski jumping Northwest. Sixty skiers hiked up to rowboat for $5, painted it green and capital of Norway. He opened Osborn Camp Muir, lined up one yard apart, white, and rented it out.When Andrew & Ulland in Seattle in 1941 with a partner and with a simultaneous start, raced four returned and discovered she had after their friend Eddie Bauer - founder miles down to Paradise. It was America’s made more money than he had, of the outdoor-clothing retailer - loaned wildest ski race, both elegant and insane, he began constructing rowboats. them about $1,000 each. Olav took his and it put the Northwest on the map for In 1920, the business moved to last jump at age 60. (Photo from 1948 skiing. Seattle. (Nordic Heritage Museum) courtesy Mina Larsen.)

A group of mostly Norwegian young Picnics, enjoying nature, and being On an SAS flight to Bergen in1967, Leif women from Seattle's Alpine Hiking Club together outside were all important to Eie and other locals came up with the are taking a Dip in the Woods, ca. 1915. the Norwegian American community. idea of a Sister-City relationship They walked the three-day Wonderland Families with cars would drive out of between Bergen and Seattle. Seattle Trail around the base of Mt. Rainer. Two town for picnics and camping, but many gave Bergen's Nordness Park a totem of the women were Laura and Emilie Ballard families spent their time in nature pole and in 1975 King Olav V of Norway Brekke, daughters of early Ballard's - even camping - in locations close dedicated a mini-park in Ballard, here Norwegian blacksmith, Lars Brekke. enough to walk. photographed with Bergen's mayor Unlike other picnics in this era when Eilert Eilertsen and Seattle's Mayor everyone dressed up to be out in Wes Uhlman.When the King spoke at nature, for a short while, these young Ballard First Lutheran Church he also women went in the other direction. shook hands with every person there. (Photo courtesy Lynn Moen) (Courtesy Nordic Heritage Museum)

Scandinavian Spring 2009 5 NOW IN FULL COLOR! Starting with this Spring 2009 issue, the electronic edition of Scandinavian Press is now in full color! So if you want to be environmental and save paper you can now subscribe to the paperless electronic edi- tion for only $12 a year. You receive it quick and will no longer have to rely on the postal service! If you want to check out the Spring edition you can purchase it right in your computer at www.nordicway.com. AND FAST WHEREVER IN THE WORLD YOU ARE

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8 Winter Contents:

1 ON THE COVER Brown bear, Lynx and Moose in hotos by Håkan Vargas S. at his hide in Hälsingland, courtesy and © ImageBankSweden.se Scandinavian Press (ISSN 1201- 3447) is published quarterly in 2- 5 GALLERY Norwegian Seattle captured through the times March, July, September and Decem- ber by Swedish Press Inc., 270-288 Martin St., Blaine, WA 98230 for $14 7 OPINIONS From the North American horse to Gold Dust memories per year. Periodicals postage paid at Blaine, WA 98230 (No. USPS 0012- 995). US POSTMASTER: Send ad- 10 NORDIC PICKS Mao’s Little Red Book and Pots n’Pans dress changes to Scandinavian Press, Box 4302, Blaine, WA 98231. 13 FIRST PAGE NEWS First Female Prime Minister in Iceland PUBLICATIONS MAIL Agreement 40010214 (09201). Return undeliver- able addresses to Scandinavian 14 NEWS AT A GLANCE Finland considers NATO Press, 1294 West 7th Avenue, Van- couver BC V6H 1B6. We acknowl- 16 IN FOCUS Nordic Security edge the financial support of the Go- vernment of Canada, through the Publications Assistance Program 18, 19 IN FOCUS Currency Woes, What Greenland Vikings Can Teach Us toward our Canadian mailing costs. 16 COMPANYFILE Evinrude and Johnson outboard engines centennial 20 FEATURE Nordic Wildlife Make your next Nordic trip a safari! 24 INTERVIEW Icelandic filmmaker Ágúst Gudmundsson OFFICE 27, 29 SCANDINAVIANS IN THE NEWS From Nobel Prize to Cocaine Scandinavian Press 1294 West 7th Avenue Vancouver BC 30 SCAN NOW From South Pole Champs to a Bocuse D’Or Winner V6H 1B6 Canada 32 CALENDAR Victor Borge Exhibit in New York US MAILING ADDRESS (for subscriptions only) 34 TREATS A la “Norway’s chef in America” Willy Hansen Scandinavian Press Box 4302, Blaine, WA 98231, USA. The Finnish- American architects, EMAIL offi[email protected] Eliel Saarinen and SITE www.nordicway.com FAX (604) 731-2292 Eero Saarinen have PHONE (604) 731-6381 been inducted into the Scandinavian ADVERTISING rates at www.nordicway.com or American Hall of call Anders Neumuller Fame, a programme at 604-731-6381 of the Scandinavian SUBSCRIBE Toll Free at American Cultural 1-886-882-0088 or at My good friend and former and Historical Foun- www.nordicway.com sister-in-law, Marianne Bursett sent me a copy of an dation that is head- EDITORIAL TEAM: article in your Scandinavian Press Autumn 2002 quartered at the Anders Neumuller issue called “Who Brought the Horse to America?” Scandinavian Center, affiliated Editor & Swedish News with California Lutheran University in Thousand [email protected] She knew of my deep interest in everything to do Oaks. Eliel Saarinen was featured in Scandinavian Robert Asgeirsson with horses and thought I would like reading this. Assoc. Editor Icelandic News Over the past several years I have thought of this Press in an article about the Cranbrook Educational (604) 536-9377 article often. I have never come across any other ref- Community north of Detroit (Fall03) and his son Kristine Leander erence to this possibility [that the Vikings brought the Eero Saarinen in an article about his TWA Terminal Assoc. Editor Norwegian News horses to North America well before the Spaniards in at Kennedy airport (Fall05, above). The first Hall of (206) 778-1081 the 15th century]. I also just finished reading a new Fame inductee was Leif Erikson. Lars Kristensen Associate Editor Danish News book called 1491 by Charles C. Mann, Vintage Books. (905) 549-4107 It is a compilation of studies of what North and South I was born in Denmark Norman Westerberg America was like before the first contact with early in 1924, emigrated to Canada Assoc. Editor Finnish News Spanish and their Iberian horses. There is nothing in with my mother in 1928 to join (206) 232-3612 this book about the northern Indians having small my father who came here in © All Rights Reserved. Unsolicited horses, many of them spotted. (We own a Kiger 1926. So you see, I must have a materal is welcome, but never the Mustang mare. There have been DNA studies done publishers responsibility. Enclose Danish cookbook [by chef Stig SASE for return. Statements and that show the Kiger's close ties to the Iberian Horse.) Hansen featured in a ‘Treats’ opinions expressed by the writers Connie Baugher White Salmon, WA and claims in the advertising are their and advertising his Cooking Danish cookery own and do not necessarily represent The author of the article argued that the “Indian horse” book in the Winter09 issue] so that I can make all those of the publisher. (above) has much more in common with the small those Danish dishes that Mamma used to make. PRINTED IN CANADA Scandinavian horses than the stately Spanish horses. Ed. Geo Whitefield Thunder Bay, ON ­­­

Scandinavian Spring 2009 7 Suggestions are always welcome, I have spent like the one “How about an article about Verner E the last two days with Irene Suomi (left), the Satellite engineer who invented the Howard’s family. I have cov- spin scan camera which captured photos of the ered many years, 150 to be earth. He got a national medal of science 1977 from exact, and traveled from north- President Carter. Radiation sensors; founder of UW ern Sweden to the coast of Space Science & engineering Center at University Norway to eastern Canada and of Wisconsin, Madison. to its West Coast. And I have He was a Swedish Finn. His son Stephen J Suomi been visiting places in BC’s is also a very famous. primatologist all over the interior that have taken me off world.” Thank you, we will se what we can do, Ed. my familiar BC highways. As I did this, all these places have taken on new and spe- cial meaning. This is because once I started reading the book Gold Dust on his Shirt: The true story of an immigrant mining family by Irene Howard, (2008, above), I could not put it down. I have met some wonderful people, Irene’s Swedish grandmother, who she had to get to know through archival research, and her Norwegian mother, whose words, songs, gentle touch and hard work in the home were there for her during her early childhood. The author takes you into her life, which starts in Prince Rupert or rather in Port Essington and contin- ues in mining camps, which become for her and for her family, the centre of the world with the very important people who lived there with them. Some things stand out for me from this book like Swedish parish records indicating in strange symbols the moral standing of the parishioners – was this just the mind product of an imaginative vicar, or a more widely used system? Irene’s mother, Ingeborg, cuts there are still people who do not Surprise, surprise ... her beautiful long hair because there would not be know that you can get the latest from the Nordic countries for just $14! enough water to keep it clean in the log cabin where they were moving. The Wet’suwet’en woman Emily Count me in! who made a rabbit foot blanket for baby Irene and walked through slush and sleet and ice to get to a cow K K Yes please send me Scandinavian 3 years $39 2 years $26 and bring some milk for the sick baby. The Eaton’s K K K 1 year $14 1 year abroad $26 1 year electronically in full china cabinet that was moved from place to place, K K color only $12 or monthly Swedish Press for 3 years $79 2 including log house and tent to house the wedding K K K years $55 1 year $29 1 year abroad $65 1 year electronical- silver. Irene’s father who constructed a water flume $ Kly in full color Konly 25 or bothK Scandinavian + SwedishK Press from logs for his wife at the mining camp. And so 2 years $78 1 year $40 1 year abroad $85 1 year elec- many other touching stories, all set in the economy $ tronically in full color only 35 and politics of the times, from the “America fever” of K I enclose a check or the late 1800s to Alfred’s fight for compensation for K Charge my VISA or M/C his silicosis in the 1940s. # The book has something for everybody: for those ...... interested in how gold mining was done a hundred years ago, or in the history of Canada or Sweden or Exp.Date ...... Signature ...... Norway as well for those who enjoy detailed accounts of subjects like labour strife, social conditions, schools, daily life in town and in forest mining camps. NAME...... This is a very generous and inspiring book. Irene Howard herself says that she “... had to find the ...... ADDRESS words to tell their historic and significant griefs and joys…” And she certainly has. She inspires you to look at your own family history, to realize how mem- CITY...... ZIP/POSTAL CODE .... ory is kept alive with words and images. Reading the Mail coupon with check, VISA or M/C card information to Scandinavian book gives you ideas on how to pursue this, what Press, Box 4302, Blaine, WA 98230, USA or 1294 West 7th Avenue, sources to use. I hope to see Ingeborg and Alfred’s Vancouver BC V6H 1B6 Canada or fax to 604-731-2292. You can also subscribe at www.nordicway.com or call us Toll Free 1-866-882-0088. 8 Scandinavian Spring 2009 story on film. In the meantime I would like to re-read the book, slower this time, to savour it properly. Anna-Stina Kjellström Irene Howard will read from her book at the Scandi- navian Center in Vancouver on April 4. (See Calendar). I began reading up on ancient history years ago and what got me at a very early age was the book written by Farley Mowat Curse of the Viking Grave (right)! I was in grade six or seven in the mid-sev- enties when I first read this book and even though it was fictional in nature I began to think about it more. Right around that period of time, I had been given the honor of watching over my late great grandmother. I would stay at her house each night just to be there in case she needed assistance or care. She was in her late nineties. I had the pleas- ure of listening to her many stories and recollections of events gone by in her time and the stories she had heard from her parents and grandparents. Back then I You can follow Swedish Press’ virtual trip “Around Swedish America” every day at www.nordicway.com had thought her stories were nonsense and it was because of her age. In celebration of its 80th One story she related to me was these white people anniversary, the Swedish Press magazine has from a long time ago who had came ashore and con- taken off on a virtual trip through Swedish America. tinued on up the Albany River. She described them The journey started on New Year's Day on the as having armory and horns. As you can imagine, I West Coast of Canada, in the little town of was probably around the age of 10, 11 and 12 and I Lund, that was founded in 1889 by Karl and did not really pay attention. Fredrik Thulin from the university town of Years later, after settling down and being married Lund in southern Sweden. For the rest of and raising children, I began to read ancient history January you can follow the trip primarily through books. The one book in particular I recently read is Alaska and find out, among other things, how Charlie a book about the Holy Grail and its trail in North Anderson, the Three Lucky Swedes and John Nord- America. I cannot recall the exact title at this ström of the Nordstrom stores, made their fortunes. moment but I can get that later. The 365 current and historic points of Swedish What interests me now is the knowledge in now interest will pop up on a Google map (above) at the knowing that there have been actual armory caches www.NordicWay.com web site. Each day a new dis- discovered here on the coast of James Bay and fur- patch will be posted from places like Ann-Margret's ther inland along a river leading to Lake Superior. handprints outside the Mann Chinese theatre in West This one is documented to have been discovered in 1937 Hollywood to L'Anse aux Meadows in Newfound- in Beardmore Ontario. The one in James Bay is again land where the Vikings established their first base stories passed on through the ages. I recently asked camp. When completed the "travel blog" will form two elders if they had heard stories about Vikings and the most complete and fun documentation of the they did. One of the elder’s talks about it in his book most important Swedish points of interest in the and the other was from stories he had heard. U.S.A. and Canada. Best of all, "Around Swedish I notice in your publication of Fall 2008 Volume 15: America in 365 Days" is free and will remain at Anders Neumuller wanted Issue 4 of books written on the subject matter of NordicWay.com long after the trip is completed. The to drive to all the places Vikings taking on or living with the tribes. I will popular site also contains a lot of other information of Swedish significance in pick these up in time but I wanted to know if there is about the Nordic countries, a calendar with Swedish North America, but as he more information you can forward or direct me to American events and lots of material from Swedish did not have the time, he had to do it virtually any historian who can collaborate with me or provide Press and its sister publication Scandinavian Press. instead. Join him at me the facts on the journey of these ancient adventur- This trip of a lifetime was really the dream of editor www.nordicway.com! ers and discoverers who are not in our history books. Anders Neumuller. He had planned to complete it in My personal journey has led me to you in my quest 80 days, but realized that he would not have time this to learn more about our collective histories. year when Swedish Press celebrates its anniversary, Mike Metatawabin Fort Albany, B.C. so he would instead have to do it as a virtual trip.

Scandinavian Spring 2009 9 NordicPicks

Port of choice DK Copenhagen has been voted Europe’s Leading Cruise Port for the fifth year in a row. Around 170 000 representatives from the global travel industry get to vote on which destina- tions, hotels and airlines should win World Travel Awards, the travel industry’s Oscar. The Danish capital had a record year with 580 000 cruise- passenger-visits in 2008. In total 301 ships will have called into port last year, half of which are turnaround ships where passengers begin or end their trip in Copenhagen.

Bring us your pots! Chairman Mao’s IS The National Museum of Iceland and BUSINESS SCHOOL Reykjavík City Museum – Árbaejarsafn are interested in acquiring objects used N When the Norwegian businessman during the recent series of protests against Lars Kleivan visited China in the mid-90s the government in Reykjavík, dubbed he was struck by how much of the content “The Pots and Pans Revolution” (above). of Chairman Mao's Little Red Book “The old pot that you grabbed with applied to business management. If you you to demonstrate on Austurvöllur adapt the quotations of The Little Red square has become historically significant Book to today's business world by for and hopefully a collector’s item,” says example changing words like soldiers, Gerdur Róbertsdóttir, manager of HOLY SHIP! generals, masses, cadres and enemies to Árbaejarsafn’s preservation division. N FIN Cruise ship afficionados are employees, managers, presidents, markets The museums are also interested in eagerly awaiting news of just when the and customers, you get an excellent guide other objects used during the protests, first of Royal Caribbean Cruises’ Genesis for all levels of management, public like signs. Árbaejarsafn already ships will go on its maiden tour. Aker Yards servants, trade union leaders and even has a collection of objects related to in Turku, Finland has denied reports that politicians with reference to the way protests, for example a sign used the ships are behind schedule. Delays modern business organizations are in a demonstration for increased would trigger millions in late fees. The managed on a daily basis. Lars Kleivan electoral rights in 1923. first ship (below) is to be delivered in late has combined the practice of leading 2009 and the second in 2010. The two western companies and his own passionate During the last two Genesis ships will be 43 percent larger belief in Control, Profitability and Growth IS decades, one third of all mar - than Freedom of the Seas that was as a basic prerequisite for long-term riages in Iceland have ended in divorce. delivered two years ago and is presently success with Chairman Mao’s brilliant While break-ups are most common the largest Cruise ship ever built. insight into the areas of organizational after less than 2 years of living together The new ships will be 360 meters long and management science. outside of wedlock, divorce usually and 45 meters wide and even include a Just like Mao Zedong, successful occurs after 3-4 years of marriage. “Central Park” (above). Towering 65 business managers are often meters above the waterline, they will revolutionaries themselves. accommodate 5 400 passengers each.

10 Scandinavian Spring 2009 NordicPicks

N A T I O N A L P A R K BRIBES Mojakka! DK Denmark finally has a national park. DK Danish Post spent over Thy was officially opened last year and 370 000 kronor in bribes in 2008. will be followed by Mols Bjerge, The letter carriers think this is Skjern Å, the Wadden Sea and money well spent because the 25 tonnes Kongernes Nordsjælland that are of dog biscuits it bought meant that they considered to contain some of the most could deliver the mail without having to unique and valuable nature areas and face scary bared canines. But bribes to landscapes in the country and include men’s best friend don’t always do the job. areas which have already been nominated In 2008 335 postal workers were attacked as international nature protection areas FIN and bitten by dogs resulting in 45 having To many Finnish-Americans who (NATURA 2000 areas). The aim is to to take time off work, 18 of them for have grown up with mojakka, it comes as have Danish national parks cover the most more than three days. a huge surprise that modern day Finns in important types of nature in the country. the old country have no idea what this is. Forests and the open countryside with The hearty economical soup, made with cultivated fields, grazing and hedgerows beef or fish, potatoes, carrots, and other will be included together with small vegetables, onions and spices, was and villages and urban communities. A national still is a mainstay in Finnish-American park thereby is definitely not a museum homes. Made with fish the soup is called but rather a place where people live, work kalamojakka instead of lihamojakka and stay in a unique environment. which is the version with beef. The word mojakka has its roots in northern Bothnia where it translated into Coffee Lovers Rejoice! “good tasting” as well as fish soup. These "Middle-aged people who drank two translations somehow got merged between three and five cups of coffee a day into one as mojakka was brought over to lowered their risk of developing dementia North America by the Finnish emigrants. and Alzheimer's disease by between 60 and 65 percent later in life," says Miia Kivipelto, a professor at the University of Kuopio in Finland and at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, and lead researcher of a study on Alzheimer’s, based on repeated interviews with 1 409 people in Finland over more than two decades. The subjects were first asked about their coffee- drinking habits when they were in IcelandicIS The Iceland Sheepdog Sheepdog is one of the their 50s and their memory was rarest and oldest pure breeds in the world, tested again in 1998, when they originating from the dogs brought to were between 65 and 79 years of Iceland by the Vikings. It very much age. A total of 61 people had by resembles dogs found in graves in then developed dementia, 48 of whom Denmark and Sweden from about 8000 had Alzheimer's. B.C. Plague and canine distemper The Scandinavian countries are nearly destroyed over 75 percent of the breed in all at the top of the coffee-drinking the late 19th century, leading to a ban on cohort. The Finns average an amazing the importation of dogs to Iceland. 11 kilograms of coffee per person This has resulted in the Iceland Sheepdog per year, but the Norwegians and the maintaining a very distinctive character. Swedes are not far behind, with just Epidemics, hunger periods and natural under 11 and just about 10 kilograms disasters have also contributed to making per coffee per year each. The Danes are the breed tough and enduring. also up on the list with about 10 kilograms of coffee per year.

Scandinavian Spring 2009 11 80 On the Occasion Guest of Honour: of the 80th Anniversary H. E. Ingrid Iremark Swedish Press invites Sweden’s Ambassador to Canada You. Dear Reader to a Dinner Performance by Maestro at the Scandinavian Centre Magnus Mårtensson 6540 Thomas St., Vancouver (Burnaby) on Saturday May 9 at 6 pm

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Name ...... K I enclose my Visa or Address ...... Master Card information K ...... Phone ...... I enclose a cheque Johanna Sigurdardottir, a former flight attendant and union organizer, has been sworn in as Iceland's first female prime minister - and the world’s first openly gay leader. She succeeds Geir Haarde whose conser- vative-led government failed in the wake of the country’s banks collapsing last fall. Earlier this year Haarde had already been forced to call an early election and he was attempting to form a new coalition for an interim government which he had hoped to lead until then. However, the Social Democratic Alliance, which Geir Haarde’s Independence Party had been ruling in coalition with, demanded the premiership and the leadership of the government. Haarde, who is also suffering from cancer, chose simply to resign rather than accept. After the SDA and the opposition Left- Green had managed to secure the necessary backing to form an interim government, FIRST FEMALE PRIME MINISTER IN ICELAND Johanna Sigurdardottir was proposed as the previous marriage. According to Ingo The Prime Minister of Iceland, Johanna next prime minister by SDA leader Sigfusson of Iceland's public broadcaster, Sigurdadottir, meets with the President of Ingibjorg Gisladottir who herself is taking a RUV, Sigurdardottir's emergence as the Iceland, Olafur Grimsson leave of absence to recover from treatment world's first openly gay leader has barely affairs minister and in November 2008, for a benign brain tumour. rated a mention among Icelanders. despite the collapse of the Icelandic finan- The 66-year-old Sigurdardottir is a former "It's by no means a big deal. It's been cial system, had an approval rating of 73%, social affairs minister and one of Iceland's reported, but it's not something the public is according to one opinion poll. She has even most popular politicians. Her appeal has focusing on," he told the BBC. been nicknamed "Saint Johanna" in praise held up even as confidence in the govern- Johanna Sigurdardottir was first elected to of her work for the rights of the handi- ment itself has plummeted, amid an eco- Iceland's parliament, the Althingi, in 1978 capped, elderly and disadvantaged. nomic crash, soaring unemployment and and was given her first ministerial office - Sigurdardottir will now lead the govern- street protests. She is seen by many as a social affairs - in 1987. In 1994, she left ment until new elections are held in April. salve to the bubbling tensions in Iceland. government and unsuccessfully stood for But analysts say she’s unlikely to remain in Thousands joined anti-government the leadership of the Social Democratic office chiefly because her center-left Social protests outside parliament during the fall Party. “My time will come,” she predicted Democratic Alliance isn’t expected to rank and in the beginning of this year, calling for in her concession speech. She then went on among the major parties after the election. Geir Haarde's resignation and later cheering to form her own party, the National In opinion polls, it trails the Left-Green his downfall. Mass demonstrations had Movement, which won four parliamentary movement, a junior partner in the new become daily events in Reykjavik and seats in the general election the following coalition. police even had to use tear gas for the first year. Five years later, however, the party In the meantime Johanna Sigurdardottir time in about 50 years to disperse crowds. merged with the Social Democratic Party has her work cut out for her. Iceland has Conservative critics say Sigurdardottir’s and two other centre-left groups to form the negotiated about $10 billion in bailout leftist leanings and lack of business experi- Social Democratic Alliance (SDA), to loans from the International Monetary Fund ence won’t help her fix the economy. counter the dominance of the right-wing and individual countries. The loans are cur- Born in Reykjavik in 1942, Johanna Independence Party. rently being held as foreign currency Sigurdardottir studied commerce before It was not until after the 2007 election, reserves. Banks that were nationalized last becoming a flight attendant for Loftleidir however, that the SDA got a chance to gov- year are once again open and trading but Airlines in 1962. She lives with journalist ern, albeit in a left-right coalition with the Iceland still owes millions of dollars to for- Jonina Leosdottir, who became her civil Independence Party. Johanna Sigurdardottir eign depositors. The country’s currency has partner in 2002, and has two sons from a was re-appointed to her old post of social plummeted while inflation is soaring.

Scandinavian Spring 2009 13 INews at a Glance FINLAND CONSIDERING NATO FIN Finland “continues to have strong rea- sons to consider membership” in the NATO military alliance, according to the Finnish government’s report on security and defence policy. But according to Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb, Finns are unlikely to apply RISING SEAS THREATEN BERGEN Parts of Bryggen (above) are endangered for membership until 2011 at the earliest. N Climate change and rising sea levels “The government and are potentially huge threats to the historic president need to be unani- city of Bergen on Norway's west coast. mous, and public opinion has Large areas of downtown could face sub- to be much more positive in DENMARK MOVES TO COMBAT GANGS mersion, and the ancient wharf known as order for NATO member- In response to increased gang violence, Bryggen is especially vulnerable. Melting ship to come about,” says the Danish government is proposing to ice in the Arctic may raise sea levels to such Stubb in an interview with double the penalty for illegal gun pos- a point that within 50 years, water could be the Swedish daily Dagens session and other measures. Opposition spilling into the ground floors of Bryggen's Nyheter. A former member parties have pledged support for the cen- buildings. A sudden fall in groundwater lev- Alexander of the European Parliament, ter-right government's measures, which els under Bryggen, years of settling and fre- Stubbs Stubb has been a strong sup- need parliamentary approval. quent flooding are endangering the structur- porter of NATO membership. He shares The violence started in August last year al stability of the complex, which dates back that stance with other members of the con- when Hells Angels, a gang of mostly to Viking times. Parts of Bryggen are sink- servative National Coalition Party, one of ethnic Danes, accused the Black Cobras, ing at a rate of eight millimeters a year, and four parties in Prime Minister Matti comprising mainly immigrants of Middle some geologists fear that large parts of the Vanhanen's ruling coalition. Eastern origin, of killing one of their structure will collapse. The wharf's current President Tarja Halonen, a former foreign members. According to police, besides buildings stem from the early 1700s, rooted minister, has, on the other hand, opposed personal vendettas the background to in the latter days of the Hanseatic League. NATO membership. A survey conducted the violence is drug dealers' turf wars. Long-term forecasts predict that Bergen's last year after the August conflict between Residents of Copenhagen, used to railroad tracks at the central station, its Russia and Georgia suggested 57 per cent Hells Angels-linked gang clashes in the inner harbour area and the first floors of of Finns opposed joining NATO, 23 per 1990s, are feeling increasingly unsafe in harbour-side buildings will eventually also cent were in favour while the remaining 20 suburbs after shooting sprees have killed be flooded. per cent were undecided. three men and wounded 25, and there is Finland cooperates with NATO within the widespread horror in the country at the Partnership for Peace (PFP) framework. escalating violence. There are fears that it will ignite racial conflict. Copenhagen police have reported increased criminal activity in the neighborhood of Nørrebro, including vigilante groups obstructing ambulances and frisking pedestrians. STUDY ON BLADDER CONTROL The Justice Ministry intends to increase A recent study involving a record- police powers including more wire tap- breaking 15 000 Norwegians carried out ping rights for officers and enabling by scientists from the University of courts to deport foreigners found guilty Bergen has determined a link between CROWN PRINCESS MARRIES GYM OWNER of firearms crimes. Human rights groups vaginal births and bladder control. Crown Princess Victoria and her fiancé say the legislation will discriminate The study, published in the New Daniel Westling (above) announced against immigrants. England Journal of Medicine, has found their engagement at the Royal Palace in " (This) discriminatory legislation will that women who have Ceasarian sec- Stockholm. Victoria, 31, is first in line to provide different measures for you de- tions rather than normal deliveries run a succeed her father, King Carl XVI pending on whether you are a Danish significantly lower risk of incontinence Gustaf, to the Swedish throne. She and national or not," said Claus Juul, spokes- later in life. Of the women included in Westling, a 35-year-old gym owner, man for Amnesty International. "A the study who had delivered babies became a couple in 2002. The court said young immigrant who has lived here all through a Ceasarian section, only 16 Westling would assume the title Prince his life convicted of illegal possession of percent developed incontinence. The Daniel, Duke of Västergötland, after the arms would be jailed and then deported, similar figure for women who had given wedding, which will take place in the while a Hells Angels' member would birth vaginally was 21 percent. early summer of 2010. only serve six months in prison."

14 Scandinavian Spring 2009 YOUNG OFFENDERS IN ADULT PRISONS NORWAY PULLS OUT OF CANADIAN COMPANY DK Last year saw a fifty percent increase N The Norwegian government has pulled in young criminals in Denmark being sent the plug on a $200-million investment in to adult prisons due to lack of places in Toronto-based Barrick Gold Corp. follow- young offenders institutions ing environmental concerns at a Canadian- National institutions for young offenders owned gold mine in Papua New Guinea. were operating at full capacity in 2008 The decision to sell Norway's stake in the resulting in 243 young criminals being sent firm comes in the wake of an ethical review to adult prisons instead, according to fig- of the country’s public pension fund. ures from the association of Danish regions, Whalers with endangered minke whale Danske Regioner. USA CONDEMNS ICELAND’S WHALING There are seven secure institutions around IS Denmark with a capacity to hold 121 young The Icelandic Minister of Fisheries BAGUR FILES FOR BANKRUPTCY offenders. The numbers of young people Steingrímur J. Sigfússon has confirmed the being assigned to the institutions has steadi- decision of his predecessor Einar K. Gud- The Icelandic investment company, ly risen since 2001. Local authorities are finnsson on a new quota for minkes and fin Baugur, has filed for "moratorium", obliged to ensure that criminals between the whales this year. Sigfússon, who had con- a.k.a. bankruptcy protection, in a district ages of 15 and 17 serve their time in secure sidered revoking the decision, said his court in Reykjavik. The once-mighty institutions and not in adult prisons. hands were tied. retail empire of Icelandic millionaire “It is decidedly harmful to send those The confirmed quota was received with Jon Asgeir Johannesson was left with between the ages of 15 and 17 to prison. great relief by whalers and labour unions. little choice after discussions with Our duty is to re-socialize the young people Environmentalists, however, were disap- lender Landsbanki, a "substantial" cred- and you can’t do that in a prison,” says the pointed at Sigfússon’s decision. Árni Finn- itor to Baugur, failed to reach an agree- head of the Danske Regioner’s social and sson, chairman of the Nature Protection ment. Landsbanki in turn went to court psychiatry committee, Bent Normann Olsen. Association of Iceland, expressed his sad- in Britain to have several of Baugur's ness at the first fisheries minister who is British assets, which had been put up as both “left” and “green” allowing commer- collateral, placed under administration. cial whaling to take place. Baugur's burgeoning headaches come Some whale watching companies are also as Iceland struggles to dig itself out of a FINNISH LANGUAGE COURSES not happy about the whaling quota fearing deep economic crisis after its once- COULD EXPEDITE CITIZENSHIP strong reactions from the international com- booming financial sector crumbled last munity and a boycott of whale watching. October. The government was forced to Quick and successful studies of Finnish American authorities have condemned the nationalize the major banks as the cur- could shorten the minimum period a for- Icelandic decision to increase the commer- rency nosedived. eign resident is required to have lived in cial whaling quota, expressing concern that Over the past two decades, Baugur has Finland before citizenship is granted. An the minke and fin whale stocks in Icelandic invested heavily in the retail sector over- amendment to the citizenship law aimed waters might not be able to sustain whaling seas. Its assets have included stakes in at more flexibility in the naturalization of this caliber. the American department store Saks, of foreign residents is under preparation Furthermore, the US Ministry for Foreign British department stores like Hamleys at the Ministry of the Interior and a pro- Affairs has expressed concern that Iceland’s and House of Fraser, French Connection, posal is to be submitted to Parliament decision on continued commercial whaling British clothing company Debenhams, this fall. If it is passed, the new law might jeopardize discussions on the future as well as department stores across would take effect in 2010. of the International Whaling Commission Scandinavia, like Magasin in Copenhagen. One measure under consideration is re- (IWC). Its main focus has been British retail. ducing the minimum number of years of Steingrímur J. Sigfússon wants the basis Companies in which Baugur has residence to five or four. Especially those for commercial whaling to be reevaluated investments employ 50 000 people who have completed an academic degree and this process to be completed before a worldwide. Now Baugur is closing its in Finland are to be encouraged to stay decision on a whaling quota for 2010 is Reykjavik head office, laying off all in the country. Currently foreign residents made. He wants to assign the reevaluation employees there, and cutting staff in are required to have a “satisfactory” to the University of Iceland’s Institute of Britain. knowledge of Finnish (or Swedish) in Economics. Furthermore Sigfússon has In December, the heads of Baugur were order to become citizens of the country. appointed a three-person committee to charged with tax evasion amounting to Language and orientation education is review the whaling law from 1949 and the 2.4 million dollars from 1998 to 2003. to be intensified as a part of the integra- issuing of minke whale hunting licenses to The charges marked the third time since tion training of all immigrants who ensure that they are based on equality. 2002 that they and the company had come to Finland for more than a year. The Minister also wants the Icelandic been pursued by Icelandic authorities on Finland's foreign community, only 1.99 Marine Research Institute to mark special suspicion of embezzlement as well as per cent of the population, is very small areas for whale watching where whaling accounting irregularities, although many in comparison with other European will be banned. Whale watching is becom- of the charges had previously been countries but it is growing. ing very popular with toursts to Iceland. thrown out by the Supreme Court.

Scandinavian Spring 2009 15 siderably activities, including new shipping In Focus routes.routes This[…] makesThis makes it interesting it interesting with Nordic with CompanyFile cooperationNordic cooperation in the sea in areasthe sea and areas the Arctic.”and the NORDIC SECURITY Although not openly stated, the Russian Many people out boating this summer Former Norwegian for- question still lures in the back of the report should be sending a thankful thought to the eign and defence minister writers’ heads. All the Nordic countries will Scandinavian Americans who brought Thorvald Stoltenberg (left) inevitably have to handle cooperation with them the outboard, and thereby changed has presented a list of 13 Russia when looking towards the Arctic. the entire concept of boating. With their proposals aimed at closer The Nordic cooperation in foreign and love of the sea and their inventive spirit, Nordic foreign and securi- security policy report was commissioned by the Evinrudes and the Johnsons, first sepa- ty policy cooperation. the foreign ministers of the Nordic coun- rately, and later together, laid the founda- The report looks towards tries last June. The backdrop is the coun- tion for the marine propulsion industry. the next 10-15 years with recommenda- tries’ increasing problems to keep pace with It was in the spring of 1909 that Ole tions for the five Nordic countries to have the mounting costs of maintaining Evinrude presented the first commercial a closer co-operation in areas like peace- modern armed forces. The "Detachable Row Boat Motor." This cen- building, air-policing and maritime Nordic countries are seeking tennial year Evinrude E-TEC outboard monitoring, security in ways to efficiently engines have been ranked highest in the the High North, cyber- cut costs and meet J.D. Power and Associates 2009 Marine security, foreign services and new regional challenges. Engine Competitive Information Study in defence. The report also recom- Sweden’s Gripen fighter plane “None of the Nordic coun- the two-stroke outboard engine category, mends enhanced coordination of defence tries will over the next 15-20 years be able for customer satisfaction in the U.S. training and education and the establish- to uphold the quality of their armed forces Ole Evinrude was not really first. It was ment of a joint military medical unit and without engaging in a closer Nordic cooper- actually The American Motor Company of transport capacities. The proposals include ation,” writes Stoltenberg. He has had the Long Island City that was first, in 1896, to the idea of air surveillance cooperation in assistance of a group of ten experts from all produce a "portable boat motor with a re- Iceland and an initiative for Nordic mutual the countries in the preparation of the report. versible propeller", but only 25 were sold. solidarity if one of the countries were to be The five Nordic countries still have a long Yale law student Cameron B Waterman targets from an external attack or pressure. way to go before Thorvald Stoltenberg’s was more successful with his invention, in Much attention is paid in the report to the proposals are materialized. The commis- 1903, of what he called an "outboard" that Arctic. “It is widely believed that the Nordic sioning of the report is itself seen as a mile- he had constructed by applying a propeller area will have an increasing geopolitical stone in Nordic cooperation. to a small air-cooled motorcycle engine. and strategic importance, following the Nordic Although close neighbors and partners, the Ole Evinrude got the idea for his outboard waters’ role as production and transit area five countries have over the last decades on a hot summer day in 1906. He was row- for oil and gas to the European markets and failed to bring the Nordic cooperation to ing back to shore because his fiancee, Bess the development of the Arctic,” the report new key sectors. And with regard to securi- Cary had a craving for ice cream and it struck reads. “With climate change and ice melt- ty focus and geopolitics the countries each him that this trip would have been a lot ing, these [Arctic] waters are opened for con- have different interests. quicker if his rowboat had had a motor. A mechanical tinkerer, he immediately got down to designing his first outboard motor. The first breakthrough came when a shop employee took the model engine for a spin on Pewaukee Lake and returned with 10 orders. The real break came two years later when a Scandinavian importer placed an order for 1 000 engines. Ole Evinrude testing an ELTO outboard engine

16 Scandinavian Spring 2009 in Indiana. The father of Lou, Harry, Julius and Clarence Johnson was a highly skilled Danish blacksmith artisan. Their mother was born in Chicago of Swedish and Nor- wegian parents. When the oldest of the red-haired brothers was 19, they built an 18-foot rowboat and in 1903 fitted it with a single-cylinder outboard motor that gen- erated 3-horse-power. They started selling the motor after they had made it stronger Evinrude celebrates 100 years of propulsion and it was not long before they had expanded their line with very easily start- ration with Ole Evinrude as president. The man who pioneered marine propul- ed motors with both two and four cylin- When the Great Depression put a dent on sion was born on a small farm called Evin- ders. Light marine engines became the pri- sales of outboard motors, OMC, under the rude near Oslo. Ole Evinrude emigrated mary business of the Johnson Brothers leadership of Ralph Evinrude, was able to from Norway with his family when he was Motor Company, but they also designed an buy up its fiercest competitor, the Johnson 5. During the Atlantic crossing, his mother airplane engine and flew the first American Motor Company, for a mere $800 000, an had a hard time keeping him away from monoplane in 1905, just seven years after amount that OMC recovered in one year. the engine room of the steamer. Ole built the flight of Orville and Wilbur Wright. Just like General Motors, OMC let its his first boat, an 18-foot day-sailer, when The Johnson Company was a great suc- brands compete with each other (although he was barely 16. When he was 23, he built cess until a tornado ripped its plant off its it dropped the ELTO brand). At the time of his own horse-less carriage with an internal foundation and destroyed everything inside. Ralph Evinrude’s death in 1986, OMC had combustion engine. This was three years before Uninsured, the Johnson brothers could only a model line-up of 94 outboard motors in the Ford motor company was started! afford to tool up for a bike engine at first. 31 different horsepower engines. Striving Although Evinrude’s ingenuity was wide- By 1921, they were back on track with an for vertical integration, OMC also became ly recognized, he was not successful in outboard motor. Made largely of alumi- the world's third largest boat-builder with business. When the shy giant got married num alloys and weighing only 35 pounds, some 21 brands, including Chris-Craft and in 1909 at the age of 30, he was running his the Johnson outboard, with full pivot reverse Donzi. The company had become a global own pattern-making shop, after four failed and a nice design, was superior to every- manufacturer with 18 industries in the partnerships to develop his motor car. thing offered by the more than 30 other United States and another ten in the rest of outboard companies now in the market. the world, in addition to the world's largest In the meantime Ole and Bess Evinrude network of marine dealers. were back in business with the ELTO (Evin- But then the company started experienc- rude Light Twin Outboard) company. ing problems and at the turn of the last Their partner in the original Evinrude com- century OMC declared bankruptcy and pany initially did not want to have any- was taken over by the Bombardier compa- thing to do with them. But after a period of ny, famous for airplanes, very tough competition, Evinrude, ELTO trains and snowmobiles. and the smaller company, Lockwood merged Today Evinrude sports a into the OMC Outboard Motor Corpo- program of 38 outboard motors and is part of BRP, Clarence Johnson with a young outboard fan The ad that changed Evinrude’s fortune Bombardier Recreational BRP logo It was his wife Bess who saw the poten- Products Inc., that has moth- tial in the "motor to run a rowboat" that balled the Johnson brand for now. Ole had invented and later sold as a side- BRP is a privately-held company, that is line to his other business. Bess came up a world leader in the design, development, with, what was to become, the famous slo- manufacturing, distribution and marketing gan "Don't Row! Throw the oars away! of motorized recreational vehicles. Its Use an Evinrude motor" and used it to portfolio of brands and products includes: advertise her husband’s invention in a Ski-Doo and Lynx snowmobiles, Sea-Doo Milwaukee paper, and sales took off. With watercraft and sport boats, and direct a partner to finance production and with injection technologies such as E-TEC, sales reaching the thousand mark within a Can-Am all-terrain vehicles and roadsters, year, the Evinrude company was firmly and Rotax engines and karts. established. When annual production The power sports industry, with some 5 reached 10 000, Ole sold out in 1913 and 000 retail dealers in the US for boats alone took off with Bess and their son Ralph on and a combined annual revenue of about an extended road trip around America. $12 billion, has recently been hard hit by Evinrude’s biggest competitor was the the recession and is eliminating jobs and Johnson company, located in Terre Haute cutting production by at least 20%. Scandinavian Spring 2009 17 DK In Denmark Prime Minister Anders CURRENCY WOES Fogh Rasmussen says the crisis under- The global credit crunch has given scores the disadvantages of staying outside the euro a shinier gloss in Nordic the euro, renewing his pledge for a refer- nations that have so far resisted endum on the issue before 2011. Europe's common currency. The finan- Among non-euro nations, the case cial turmoil has highlighted the vulner- for joining may be the strongest in ability of small economies with minor Denmark, which has pegged its currencies and the perils of being left out currency to the euro and where when key decisions are made in the 15- interest rate decisions routinely member euro-zone club. Nevertheless mirror those of the Eurozone. euroskeptics are still easy to find in the However Danes are increasingly wary Nordic capitals. of swapping the Danish krone for the euro. IS After Iceland's meltdown, the country Over the past three months, support has has been split on whether to join the European plummeted from 51 percent to 42 percent, Union and adopt the euro. As an example, and has not been lower since 2001. In a ref- former foreign minister Ingibjorg Solrun erendum in September 2000, Danish voters Gisladottir felt that the financial meltdown The global economic crises has renewed rejected the euro with 53.9 percent against had bolstered the case for "a new begin- discussions in Denmark, Iceland, Sweden and 46.9 percent in favour. ning," starting with International Monetary and Norway whether they should adopt the The Liberal-Conservative minority gov- Fund loans and followed by membership in Euro currency (above). Finland already has. ernment’s euro-skeptical support party, the Europe's political and monetary communi- tive towards Iceland adopting the euro Danish People’s Party, hopes the new poll ties, while former prime minister Geir H. without joining the European Union. will make Prime Minister Anders Fogh Haarde countered "it's perfectly ridiculous" Former minister of finance Steingrímur J. Rasmussen drop his plans for a euro-refer- to believe EU and euro membership would Sigfússon had also expressed interest in endum. have solved Iceland's current woes. pegging the Icelandic króna to the Nor- “Now that the worst turmoil in connection The Social Democrats, who took over wegian króna. However the Prime Minister with the financial crisis has subsided more power earlier this year after the conserva- of Norway Jens Stoltenberg has ruled out a people can see that the krone is a highly sta- tive-led government collapsed, have gener- monetary union between Iceland and Nor- ble project,” said DPP EU-spokesman ally been favorable towards Iceland’s mem- way, pointing out that the Norwegian króna Morten Messerschmidt. “It is a good idea to bership in the EU while their partners in the is Norway’s national currency and it could stay away from changing a country’s cur- coalition government, the Left-Greens have therefore not be adopted by other rency policy if it is only possible remained opposed to membership through- nations. However, Norway is pre- to find support in half of the pop- out the crisis. New prime minister Johanna pared to help its Icelandic cousins ulation.” Sigurdardottir has declared her intention to to strengthen their currency, bank- Messerschmidt believes the gov- ask a parliamentary committee to look into ing system and economy. It will ernment is to blame for the popu- joining the European Union. then be in the hands of Icelanders lation’s reaction because the prime If the EU matter were to be put to nation- whether or not to adopt the euro through minister and the rest of the government led al referendum, recent polling data indicates EU membership, Stoltenberg added. a scare campaign, while the central bank that, the vote would be very close. 38.3 per- N “It would naturally have an impact on Nationalbanken raised the interest rate in cent of Icelanders would like their country us. Then the European Union would be order to defend the krone. At the time Fogh to join the EU while 37.7 percent are against. even larger with Norway and Liechtenstein Rasmussen maintained that it would be EU officials have announced that Iceland’s being the only EFTA members left,” Stol- expensive for the Danes to stay outside the application for membership could be expe- tenberg said. Eurozone. Since then the interest rate gap dited in an effort to save the nation from He pointed out that Norway is the only has been reduced to one single percentage point. financial ruin. In a process that normally country in Europe that had launched nego- The opposition Socialist People’s Party takes years or even decades, Iceland could tiations with the EU, been accepted as a also believes it was wrong of the prime become the 29th member of the EU as early member state and then rejected member- minister to use the financial crisis as a step- as 2011. ship twice in a referendum. ping stone for a campaign to replace the "The EU prefers two countries joining at “So Norway joining the EU is not on krone with euro. the same time rather than individually,” Olli today’s agenda.” S In Sweden the krona has dropped Rehn, EU commissioner in charge of enlarge- Stoltenberg himself supports EU member- against the euro and the dollar, triggering ment, told the Guardian. “If Iceland applies ship for Norway. But so far, the financial headlines in financial newspapers but little shortly and the negotiations are rapid, meltdown hasn't triggered any euro-phoria concern on the street. Croatia and Iceland could join the EU in in the oil-rich country. "When it's a little bit unsafe out there, it's parallel. On Iceland, I hope I will be busier. "However, if Iceland jumps off the band- better to be in a big currency like the euro," It is one of the oldest democracies in the wagon, and moved to join the EU, then that says Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik world and its strategic and economic posi- could cause a new debate in Norway about Reinfeldt. Unfortunately he does not have tions would be an asset to the EU." its relationship to the EU," says University the support of a majority of Swedes on this At the same time Olli Rehn remains nega- of Oslo researcher Ulf Svedrup. issue.

18 Scandinavian Spring 2009 WHY THE MEDIEVAL GREENLAND VIKINGS CAN TEACH US ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE The Northern Hemisphere of this planet is in a normal warming cycle. It began to manifest itself as the preceding cycle, the Mini-Ice Age (1300-1800), wound down about the mid-19th century. Nothing in global climate happens overnight. Each cycle is of about 500-years duration. With that assumption, we can say that the midpoint of this warming cycle that we are enjoying will be about 2100. In other words, historically speaking, we can now. Perhaps the Vikings, the Greenland A Greenland farm on an old Viking site expect the climate to gradually trend toward Norse people whom I write about caused it warmer and dryer for the next 92-years. with their peat fires, flatulent livestock, and points to the fact that the melting Arctic and Then it might get worse, historically whatnot. Sounds ridiculous, huh? It is Antarctic ice is diluting the salt water of the speaking that is. ridiculous. They had nothing more to do Arctic and Antarctic Oceans. The dynamic The advent of the Medieval Warm Period with their natural planetary climate cycle of circulation dependent on sinking cold (800-1300) gave rise to the Viking Age then, than we do with ours today. water flowing south from the North Pole, or (793-1150). The warmer weather increased Remember, all of this climate stuff has hap- north from the South Pole, to bring the production of everything the Vikings ate. pened before. It has been happening for warm water of the equatorial seas north and Populations among the Viking tribes bur- 18,000-years that we know about. south, is stalling as a result. This fact will geoned dramatically. This eventually led to The sun and the oceans working in con- make the northern and southern hemisphere thoughts of expansion and conquest; the cert control the weather on this planet. much colder within the next 50-100 years. norm throughout human history. The ice- Without this synergy, much of the inhabited Now there are six billion of us, give or locked fjords began to clear earlier in the areas of the northern and southern hemi- take. The fastest growing populations have season than normal. The length of the raid- spheres would be uninhabitable. Simplis- the least: they are deficit societies. People ing and trading season continued to tically speaking, the sun transmits most of in Africa--all of the continent--the Indian increase over the 500-year period of the its solar radiation to the earth along the sub-continent, much of continental Asia, Medieval Warm Period. The Vikings equatorial belt, heating the oceans of the Asia Minor, much of South and Central exploded out over the north and western world and setting up out flowing currents America, all of Mexico, every island in the Atlantic Ocean, settling Iceland, Greenland, that emanate north and south from the equa- Caribbean--well, you get the picture. Like and areas of northeastern North America. tor. At the same time, cold water from the rats or lemmings, we are positioning our- The five hundred years of comparatively Polar Regions sinks to the ocean floor selves for disaster on a scale that defies benign weather during the Medieval Warm establishing a flow pattern in the direction comprehension. Can we feed the world, Period fostered the Viking Age. Earth's next of the equator as they under ride the warm save the disenfranchised? NO! In the final weather cycle, the Mini-Ice Age (1300- water flowing on the surface. Therefore, analysis why would we? Our survival 1800), played a major roll in ending it, under ideal conditions a massive exchange would be compromised. Shortages are like especially for isolated--from the homeland- of hot water from the equator and cold a snowball rolling down a hill, they are -Norse Greenland. The Greenland Norse water from the poles occurs, giving us cumulative. Food shortages will translate to lifestyle could not be maintained in the face hominids the benign weather conditions less food to send to feed the populations of of Climate Change and a changing envi- that we enjoy over much of this planet. all the undeveloped countries that we ronment--starvation loomed. Of all the sin- All of this circulation occurs automatical- already support, because they cannot feed gle-cause explanations for the death of ly because of the forces at play, hydrody- themselves; we will keep what we have for Norse Greenland, Climate Change has namics in other words. With Climate Change, ourselves; and nature will take its course been the most durable. (Thomas McGovern, the dynamics change. British scientists with them-they will begin to starve. Vikings, The North Atlantic Saga, The have reported that the warm water currents Entrepreneurs and scientists are playing Demise of Norse Greenland, 2000- flowing toward northwestern Europe have the well-meaning, misinformed, easily Smithsonian Institution, 330-331) declined by 30% since the 1950's. manipulated, masses of earthlings like the Now, if the present global Climate There also appears to be a 50% reduction proverbial banjo. Why, you might ask? Change cycle - Global Warming - is our in the amount of cold water flowing from Because the politics of human-caused glob- responsibility, you know carbon offsets, the poles. Computer models of this dynam- al warming offer enormous profit potential. CO2, and whatnot, if we caused this ic predict that the North Atlantic current J.A. Hunsinger lives in Colorado, USA, with calamity, how do you explain the Medieval will cease to exist in 50-100 years. his wife Phyllis. His novel series, Axe of Iron, Warm Period (800-1300)? It was warmer in National Geographic News, James Owen, represents his first serious effort to craft the the Northern Hemisphere then than it is November 30, 2005. The same article story of a lifelong interest in the Viking Age.

Scandinavian Spring 2009 19 NORDIC WILDLIFE

Make your next trip to the Nordic countries a safari!

inland is the best and most accessible place to see the A large moose photographed in the dusk wildlife of the circumpolar region," said Dr. Steve grown. The huge white animals can quickly overrun a human. Banner after a trip last summer to Kuhmo, close to the Scientists in the Arctic region of Norway have warned that polar “RussianF border. His British nature tour company organizes trips for bears are endangered because of high levels of chemical pollution, tourists to see northern Europe's Big Five: bears, wolves, wolver- and the species could be extinct in 50 years. Polar bear birthrates ine, lynx and elk. According to Banner, "bear watching is the most are already falling. The Norwegian Polar Institute has detected exciting nature experience in Europe right now." high levels of PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), that damages hor- "We arrived at the hide in the forest at 5.30 pm, by 6 we had two monal systems and leads to infertility and sexual deformities, in the bears and for the rest of the night it continued. Talking of night, it bears' blood. Polar bears have been found with both male and does not get dark at this time of the year; you could read a book in female sexual organs. the hide all night long except that there was so much action outside The gray wolf (Canis lupus) was believed to be extinct in Sweden that you would not want to! The most bears at any one time was 9 until an isolated population of just 10 individuals was discovered and they were everywhere you looked – even with cubs running up in the 1980s. All the wolves were closely related, but vital new the trees! I saw 18 different bears, from large 300 kg males to sub- blood was introduced when a lone wolf from Russia migrated into adults and females with playful young cubs. They came as close as their territory in the southern forests. Of the 73 pups born between 20 feet (7meters) away. At 6.30 in the morning 3 large males were 1993 and 2001, as many as 68 were related to this one lone still running around and eventually we had to make some noise so migrant. Recently a Finnish wolf was also found to have made its that they would go off, and we could return to our lodge. A good way down the country to join the Swedish wolves in Dalarna, so if breakfast and nice sauna later and we were refreshed and buzzing A Swedish brown bear weighing 281 kilos was shot in the province with the excitement of what we had just seen." of Dalarna right in the middle of the moose hunt last autumn. There are around a thousand brown bears (Ursus arctos) in Finland and another 2 500 in Sweden. Norway, that historically had about two thirds of the Nordic brown bear population, only identi- fied 71 individual bears at the last count in 2006 in the Sør- Trøndelag county and in the northern areas of Norway. The brown bears are reclusive and the population is not large enough for any spontaneous spotting. The best chance of seeing a bear is at one of the photo- or tourist-hides in Finland or Sweden. The brown bear can be as big as 2.3 meters in length, 1.25 in height and weigh in at up to 350 kilograms. It eats mainly berries, ants and shrubs, but may also hunt wolves and feast on salmon. It hibernates during the winter, and cubs are born every two or three years. Although Norway is short on brown bears, it still has a lot of polar (Ursus maritimus) "ice bears" on its island of Spitsbergen, and they are not shy. While schools around the world impose a strict ban on weapons, students on this, the northernmost human habitation, are taught to carry guns and be prepared to shoot as hungry polar bears are frequently encountered. Hunting polar bears has been banned since 1973 and the population has consequently rebounded from a low of about 1 000 to roughly 3 000. Five people have been killed by polar bears on the islands of Svalbard as the population has

20 Scandinavian Spring 2009 the inevitable conflicts between the animals and human interests can be managed successfully, the gene pool of the Swedish wolf may once more have a future. It is very rare to see a wolf, but if you go to certain places in Värmland on the Swedish-Norwegian border, you can hear them howl at night. The wolf is a social animal, with family packs consisting of 10- 15 wolves. During summer wolves generally hunt by themselves or in pairs, while in fall and winter they hunt together in packs to be able to target bigger animals like the elk. "There are no howling wolves in Iceland," concluded the Havamal around the year 800 when wolves were common in Scandinavia. There is even a urinating wolf on the very first map of the Nordic countries, the Carta Marina from 1539. The popula- tion of wolves in Sweden is now estimated to be around 130, while there were only eight to ten wolves in Norway in 2008, thanks to government hunting licenses and poaching. Even though Finland is regarded as the last stronghold for grey wolves in Europe, there are presently only about 200 wolves living in Finland with a large pop- ulation on the Russian side of the border. There have recently even been wolf sightings in Denmark and footprints have confirmed that it is likely gray wolves from northern Germany making their way The flexibility of lynxes and their ability to move stealthily make north. This is exciting news for those few in favour of a return of them very hard to detect. Thanks to their large paws, they move the wolf, the last official wolf sighting in Denmark being in 1813. easily over the snow. Photo by Håkan Vargas S. © ImageBankSweden.se The wolverine (Gulo gulo) is the largest of the mustelids, the group of animals that includes the badger and the otter. In the year Sweden's only feline, the lynx (Lynx lynx ) weighs 15-30kg, with 2000 it was estimated that there were 265 wolverines in Sweden, males being larger than females. The lynx is a large cat, approxi- 150 in Norway and 115 in Finland. It is quite rare to see the ani- mately 1.3 meters long, with a short tail and characteristically mal, that looks like a little bear with a long tail, although pyramidal ears shaped with tuft. It is a very skilful hunter you may see its tracks when you are skiing in the north. that catches hare and wildfowl as well as larger animals During the summer the wolverine feeds mainly on birds such as roe-deer and reindeer. Just like a cat, it crawls and mammals, but in winter it will kill and eat reindeer close to its prey and jumps the last bit, as much as 6 or eat from carcasses left by other predators. It can weigh meters. However the lynx is not a good sprinter and most up to 30 kg and is remarkably strong for its size. of its prey can outrun it. Sometimes the lynx can make the Wolverines in Scandinavia are more active hunters than hunt for hare more effective by hunting together as a fam- their North American cousins. Armed with powerful ily. In that way the young ones also learn the hunting jaws, sharp claws, and a very thick hide, they have been technics. A lynx can move as long as 20 km during the known to harass and attempt to intimidate wolves and night. The lynx itself has no natural enemies other than bears. There is at least one account of a 27-pound wol- humans and can get as old as 17 years in the wild. It verine's attempt to steal a kill from a 450-pound black mates in March and gives birth to 1-2 young ones, but bear. All mustelids have a special upper molar in the back A rarely seen Wolf sometimes as many as 3-4, in May. The young ones open of the mouth that allows them to tear off meat from prey that has their eyes when they are 2 weeks old. been frozen solid and also to crush bones to get at the marrow. In Sweden the lynx has been protected since 1991, and the wild The wolverine's questionable reputation as an insatiable glutton population is now around 1 300, with the largest populations found may be in part due to a false etymology, according to Wikipedia. in the northern provinces of Jämtland, Gästrikland, Hälsingland The animal's name in old Swedish, Fjellfräs, meaning "fell and Ångermanland. (mountain) cat", worked its way into German as Vielfraß, During certain years the government of Norway has paid which means roughly "devours much". Its name in other compensation for nearly 10 000 sheep killed by lynx. Local West Germanic languages is similar (e.g. Dutch Veelvraat). counties set hunting quotas for the season, based on the size The name in Old Norse, Jarfr, lives on in the regular of the lynx population in the county, but the World Wildlife Icelandic name jarfi, regular Norwegian name jerv, regular Fund wants to see less hunting and to safeguard the popula- Swedish name järv and regular Danish name jærv. The tion, now estimated at about 400, to reach about a thousand ahma Finnish name is , which is derived from "ahmatti" and Wolverine animals. The Sami and farmers have always demanded a is also translated as "glutton". wolf and lynx cull to protect their animals, The wolverine is the “crown jewel” of the mustelids, being a Sweden's warrior king Charles XII dreamed of an army mounted member of the exclusive Big Five group. However your chances of on moose, but all experiments were futile. The moose (Alces alces) seeing other animals in the group like badger (Meles meles), otter is the largest deer animal in the world, 2 meters in height, and the (Lutra lutra), ermine (Mustela erminea), mink (Mustela vison), male can weigh up to 700 kg. Alces alces, is known as a "moose" marten (Martes martes), ferret (Mustela putorius) and even the in North America and an "elk" in Sweden. The “elk” in North small least weasel (Mustela nivalis) are bigger. America, is a deer-like animal otherwise known as a "Wapiti". ­­­

Scandinavian Spring 2009 21 ­­ The Scandinavian moose is a close relative of the North their coat-of-arms. The historic province of Västerbotten in Sweden American, but usually does not reach quite the same size. has a reindeer in its coat of arms. The present Västerbotten County Scandinavia's largest mammal has brown to greyish-black fur has very different borders but still has the reindeer, combined with greyish-white legs, a perfect camouflage that sometimes with other symbols, in its coat-of-arms. The city of Piteå also makes it hard to discover a moose in the forests. has a reindeer. The logo for Umeå University features three Sweden has a very large population, 250 000, making it reindeer. These are all areas where the Sami live and they the country with the highest moose density in the world. have long before recorded history developed an almost About 100 000 moose are shot during the hunting sea- symbiotic relationship with reindeer. Apart from the use son every year. The animal is common all over Sweden, of the reindeer as a transport animal, the Sami used to milk with the exception of the island of Gotland and the the animal, and all parts of a butchered animal were eaten. very north. Visitors have a very good chance of seeing one in the Whether the common reindeer you come across in northern wild, and some areas in Sweden have guided tours. There are now Norway, Sweden and Finland is wild is up for discussion. These also moose farms around Scandinavia where you come close to the reindeer are not considered fully domesticated, as they generally animals and where you can also buy cheese made from moose milk, roam free on pasture grounds. In traditional nomadic herding, rein- As the moose is very common you must take the warning road deer herders migrate with their herds between coast and inland signs (usually collected by German tourists) very seriously, as areas according to an annual migration route, and herds are keenly these large animals can cross un-fenced roads very unexpectedly. tended. However, reindeer have never been bred in captivity, There are only seven species of wild mammals in Iceland: fox, though they have through the years been tamed for milking as well reindeer, mink, brown rats, black rats, field mice and house mice. as for use as draught animals or beasts of burden. The reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) were introduced from Norway in Both the reindeer bulls and the cows have antlers, the bulls use the 18th century and now live in the wild in herds in the northeast theirs when they compete for the cows during the fall while the cows parts of Iceland. There are still small flocks of wild reindeer in por- have theirs for protection, especially to keep predators away from tions of southern Norway. There are also wild reindeer on the the calves. If a calf is too weak to avoid a threat, the cows form a islands of Svalbard, and in Finland the smaller forest reindeer is circle around it with their horns outward against the danger. found in good numbers in both Finnish and Russian Karelia. There are a variety of predators that prey heavily on reindeer. Several Norwegian municipalities, Eidfjord, Porsanger, Rendalen, Golden Eagles prey on calves and are the most prolific hunter on Tromsø, Vadsø, and Vågå, have one or more reindeer depicted in calving grounds. Wolverine will take newborn calves or birthing You would be hard pressed not to see reindeer above the arctic circle cows, as well as infirm adults. Brown bears and polar bears prey on Photo by Wolfgang Greiner © ImageBankSweden.se reindeer of all ages. The gray wolf is the most effective natural predator of adult reindeer, especially during the winter. As carrion, caribou are fed on by foxes, ravens and hawks. The entire body of a reindeer was found in a Greenland shark, the only shark typical- ly found near the North Pole. The red fox (Vulpes vulpes ) is very common in the Scandinavian forests and one of the animals most strongly associated with Swedish nature. It is a popular animal among hunters but the pop- ulation has been diminished during the last few years by the pest. The arctic fox (Alopex lagopus) is very rare and only lives in the mountain regions above the timber line. These foxes do not hiber- nate and can withstand temperatures of minus 50˚C. They are pure white in winter and generally greyish-brown in summer. They may be over a metre long, including the tail, and weigh up to 8kg. Although they are omnivores, they prefer small mammals such as lemmings, eggs, carrion as well as berries. The lack of wolves leaves little offal to eat and therefore the arctic fox The rare arctic fox struggles to remain a part of the Swedish fauna. With a European mainland population of only around 150, a small cluster of arctic fox in the Vindelfjällen Nature Reserve in northern Sweden is sig- nificant. Since 1985, conservationists in the 2 100 square kilome- ter reserve have been working to monitor and conserve this popu- lation in an important stronghold for this critically endangered species. The work involves den inventories, radio telemetry and feeding programmes aimed at decreasing the mortality of young pups. The populations are showing signs of recovery, with at least 23 litters born in Sweden and 13 in Norway, in 2007. Thousands of years ago the mammoth and the musk ox (Ovibos moschatus) roamed almost the whole of Scandinavia. Today the

22 Scandinavian Spring 2009 mammoth are extinct, but you can still follow a small flock of arc- nearly as many of them as the moose or the roe deer in Sweden. tic musk ox at Dovrefjell near the village of Dombas in northern Among the "other" road-kill species in the Nordic countries there Norway. You can go there by train or car and a local guide will will likely be hares (Lepus timidus), squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris) take you close to the "unkempt half-ton beasts that look like a and hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus) as well as mice and rats cross between a sheep and an untidy ox". During the summer like bank vole (Clethrionomys glareolus), grey red-backed vole, walking safaris are organized from Dombas and you are (Clethrionomys rufocanus), northern red-backed vole (Clethrio- virtually guaranteed to see musk oxen, but with luck you nomys rutilus), wood mouse (Apodemus sp), house mouse also have a chance of spotting wolverine, the polar fox (Mus musculus) and "Norwegian" rat (Rattus norvegicus). and many kinds of birds. The Dovrefjell-Sunndals- But hopefully you will see more animals alive and fjella National Park is today one of only four places in well out in the Nordic wilderness. There is so much to the world where the arctic musk ox can be viewed in the wild. see that we have not even touched on like snakes, water mammals The musk ox got its name from the special secretion gland on the and all the birds, that would warrant an article of their own. We forehead that emits a strong scent when it rubs its muzzle against have concentrated on the most important of the larger animals in this something. Musk oxen may look slow and serene and they are cer- article and there are obviously many wild animals we have omitted. tainly not aggressive, but you must keep your distance as an One last example of a wild animal that you may encounter, close enraged musk ox can run at a speed of 60 kilometers an hour. to the Finnish capital, is the Siberian flying squirrel (Pteromys The European musk ox became extinct because of climate change volans). There are an estimated 143 000 female flying squirrels liv- and an intensive hunt. In 1931, ten musk- ing in 200 places in Finland according to the Ministry of the oxen were brought from Greenland to Environment. The flying squirrel is smaller than the ordinary red Dovrefjell in a first stocking attempt but squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris), weighing only about 130-160 grams. they disappeared again during WWII. The little body is about 15-20 cm and the tail 9-14 cm long. It Between 1947 and 1953, another 23 calves mostly moves about by gliding from trees, using a flap of loose were brought from Greenland to Dovrefjell skin that connects its back and front The flying but there were only 10 living animals left in limbs. It can glide up to 75 meters. squirrel 1953 when a first calf was born. There are The flying squirrel usually has A Norwegian musk ox now some 70 animals in the healthy herd. several nests at the same time, on The wild boar (Sus scrofa) is not an animal you usually associate average four woodpecker holes with Sweden, but it has now become so common that road signs are and 1-2 twig nests, which it uses put up to warn drivers. There have been large populations of wild for storing food, sleeping and nesting. boar in Sweden and Denmark historically, but they were hunted to In the winter the flying squirrel spends most extinction in the 18th century. They started turning up once again of its time in the nest, but it still moves around daily. The moth- in Denmark and Sweden in the 1970s. These were captive animals er and the young often live in an old woodpecker hole, but some- that had escaped and survived in the wild. In 2006 some 25 000 times even in a twig nest or a bird house. The flying squirrel lives wild boars were killed by hunters in Sweden alone and the popula- for about 5 years, and uses the same forest and the same tree cavi- tion is now estimated to be more than 100 000. ties for sleeping and nesting all its life. It is a versatile herbivore, Wild boars favour deciduous woods, preferably near farmland. always eating in the trees and concentrating on tree leaves in the They are omnivorous, eating mainly parts of plants but also snails, summer. The favourites in the beginning of the summer are the worms and almost anything they come across. They are social ani- new, soft leaves of the aspens and the alders while in the fall, the mals that typically live in groups of some 20 animals of sows and flying squirrel eats mostly alder and birch catkins. their offspring. The male boars generally live alone except during The flying squirrel has big, black eyes, and that is why it can see the mating season. Piglets are born with brown, stripy fur in a nest well in the dark. It usually moves about in twilight, so it is sadly built by the sow. Adult boars weigh about 80 kilos and average not very often seen. The most common sign of the flying squirrel 120–180 cm in length and have a height at the shoulder of almost are small droppings about the size of rice grains under the tree. a meter. Wild boars are most active at dawn and dusk and are sel- Wild boars are now so common that warning signs (top) are posted dom seen in daylight. The continuously growing tusks serve as weapons as well as tools when they are digging for food. If sur- prised or cornered, a boar can and will defend itself and its young with intense vigor. The male lowers its head, charges, and then slashes upward with his tusks. The female, whose tusks are not vis- ible, charges with her head up, mouth wide, and bites. When Danish statisticians added up road-kills during a recent three-year period they came up with some interesting numbers. Killed on Danish roads were 11 711 roe deer, 361 red deer, 57 sika deer, 499 fallow deer, 321 foxes, 143 badgers and some 215 other species. Roe deer (Capreouls capreolus) was the most frequent traf- fic victim (88%) probably due to its large population. This small dear that seldom weighs more than 35 kilos is also very common in Sweden where the population is estimated to be a million. Other deer such as the red deer (Cervus elaphus atlanticus) and fallow deer (Cervus dama) have populations spread out but there are not

Scandinavian Spring 2009 23 Icelandic filmmaker and cultural personality Ágúst Gudmundsson: “What is a commercial success is a different math altogether..”

Ágúst Gudmundsson is an Icelandic Tell us about your next film project filmmaker whose films like Land and Sons called Spooks and Spirits. (1980), The Saga of Gisli (1981), On Top Interview: I hope it will be a humorous look at modern (1982), Golden Sands (1984), The Dance day superstition. I read in a newspaper, that show it with visual means, with costumes (1998), The Seagull's Laughter (2001), there was a survey made two years ago in and sets. Of course it is part of this and one and In Tune with the Time (2004), have Iceland which revealed that more than 70 really has to set the period correctly. But for also been translated into other languages. percent of Icelanders believe in ghosts. I me it was mainly necessary in order to The Seagull’s Laughter was a great suc- found this quite interesting and I started show the situation of women at that time. cess, receiving many awards, on the film looking around. For example I went to seances. That this was after the Second World War festival circuit in Europe and in North I have really looked into every thing and the but before the advent of feminism. In between America. The film is about Freya, a result was this screenplay. I wrote it. It is that. For a working class girl, which is real- beautiful recently widowed woman who mainly fiction but I also make use of some ly what Freya, the main character, is at the returns from America to settle down with ideas that I got from my research. But I did- beginning of the film, the only way to get a distant relatives in a small fishing village n’t dabble in the heathen religion. It is quite step up in society is to get married. That outside Reykjavik and turns their lives interesting to see how there has been a was the only way and this she of course upside down. With her slim figure, chic revival of the old Norse religion. And it is does. This is very much a film about the clothes, and movie star good looks, she is interesting to see how it has been turned into women. The men are the side issues. a bit of a mystery to the women of the a proper religion which is accepted by all household, including the inquisitive The film has been shown at many festivals and sundry. The congregation is more than eleven year old Agga, and even more so and has won many prizes, but was it one thousand now, if you can talk about a to the men of the community. But who is a commercial success? congregation. The so-called bishop is quite Freya? A Viking heroine? A fairy queen? Yes it was. It was a very expensive film on a character and he started it all up and it was A murderess? The goddess of love? These an Icelandic scale, about two and a half mil- a good thing. My story is that people are are questions little Agga, the young spy, lion dollars. My insistence on shooting in coming back from another dimension. Two would very much like to have answered. cinemascope cost an extra amount. What is of the characters in the film are not of this This interview with Ágúst Gudmunds- a commercial success is a different math world. We have not really got into how we son was done in March 2009. altogether. Some of our partners, especially are going to solve this technically. What is in Germany, had difficulties and it wasn’t happening with this script is that it has been What are the main themes in your film totally a financial success story although approved by the Icelandic Film Center which The Seagull’s Laughter? the film got a fairly wide circulation, for means that I will eventually get a grant from America and the growing American influ- example, especially in America. We still them if they accept my business model which ence on life in Iceland is what we wanted to have not seen the money from it. I think they will. Then we will start think- make apparent in the film. In the novel that ing about these technical details that have to it is based on, there is more about the social Are you a fan of the avant-garde film- be worked out. There will be quite a lot of and the political aspects and it is connected making movement Dogme 95? special effects that you can do in computers with the grandfather who is quite active in For example The Seagull’s Laughter was now and this technology is open to all sorts the political life of this little town. And there very far from Dogme. Dogme is fine where of new and exciting things. We would like is a bit of it in the film but I felt we didn’t it fits. This film is based on a novel which to try something new. I don’t quite know really need it that much because it said simply did not fit. There was absolutely no how that will be. I am hoping to shoot it in something about the period of the time and reason to use the budget Dogme formula on August and September and if I am success- we show the period by other means. We the film-making. ful in that it will be ready next spring.

24 Scandinavian Spring 2009 How can you produce during what the of making it less painful than it otherwise Do you remember the first film you saw? Sundance Festival calls a ‘film collapse’? would be and to safeguard the institutions, I vaguely remember a song and dance Lately we have been very dependent on like for example, the symphony orchestra movie that I saw with my parents and I outside support. We need support from, for or the national theatre so that they won’t remember that a man was standing by a example, the Nordic Film and TV Fund, and have to shut down. We want to make sure lamppost and singing a very sad song. It the European fund, Eurimages that we can that people go and we are trying to find was an American film. There was no televi- also apply to. We need help and it is a bit of ways of giving them more projects. It seems sion when I was young so I definitely went a struggle every time to get people interest- that the present government is on our side. to the cinema before seeing anything on tel- ed in a production we want to do in Icelandic. It is going to be very hard on many people evision. I was in my teens when I first saw The Icelandic language is obviously a prob- but it is difficult to say now and I don’t have television. I lived in Reykjavik and I lived lem in some cases. But this is just the kind any figures to put forward. quite close to two cinemas and I went there of work that I am involved in doing now. frequently because we liked to see the so- How did you get into film-making? called cowboy movies. I remember Roy What is your personal experience I started as an actor actually. When I was at Rogers. I did see a lot of those movies. of the Icelandic economic collapse? university I took part in some plays that The most immediate thing I can say is that were being staged by the student theatre. At different stages of your life have you many of my friends are now living in hous- That got me interested in theatre so I went ever been tempted to move from Iceland? es that are worth less than what they owe to drama school alongside my university I have lived for a few years at a time in for them. And that is when the debt is high- training. After a year of being a profession- England and I have done a bit of work er than the actual worth of the property. al actor I went to a film school in England. there. I have directed two television series That is a serious situation. I am fortunate By then my interest in films had started. in English. I have also worked on a German enough not to owe too much money but I One of the roles I had as an actor was a series Nonni und Manni. But I always knew think this is a really serious situation which leading role in a television play in Iceland. for certain that I would go back to Iceland. has to be corrected in some ways. There are Then I decided to do my own films and the I remember going to an accountant in people who are not paying their debts but in first one was Land and Sons which is based London and I told him that I was thinking practice it does not work. There are so on an Icelandic novel set in the 30s. So it is of paying my taxes there and he said I have many people who feel that they are losing in the depression years, at a time when a lot one question for you - where will you be their freedom in some way. The property of people moved from the country to buried. I said it will be in Iceland and he market has collapsed. For an Icelander to Reykjavik and built up this new capital and said I think you should pay your taxes own his flat or his house has always been that is really what the film is about. there. And that I have done ever since. very important. It has been the policy of all the political parties that you should own your house. Houses have been very expen- sive in Iceland because they have to be insulated and we have to use reinforced concrete because of the earthquake risk. And in general people don’t rent their homes, they own them. Now so many people are in difficult situations because the payments on their loans have risen drastically, especially for loans in foreign currencies which is something that started in the past four or five years which was really a bad thing. People made all sorts of mistakes, believing that everything would be okay in the future. You can’t see poverty in the streets, not yet at least, but there was news the other day that the government doled out 2 billion Icelandic crowns for unemployment bene- fits which is the highest figure ever. There are things like that that are striking.

How will the economic collapse affect the cultural structure? I am director of BÍL, The Federation of Icelandic Artists. I also happen to be on a committee that is trying to work out ways to deal with the new situation. We know that there will be cuts by 10 or 20 percent to the sector as a whole. We are looking into ways

Scandinavian Spring 2009 25 N O R T H A M E R I C A N D I R E C T O R Y

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Just when it seemed that DK the Stein Bagger case couldn't get any stranger, SCANDI- the former IT Factory chief executive was attacked in the prison yard at Venstre Fængsel Prison, where he is being held in custody until his trial for alleged NAVIANS fraud. He refused to co-operate with police when questioned about possible motives. In a case that has taken more bizarre twists and turns IN THE than a David Lynch film, the 41 year-old Bagger, who reportedly has links to the Danish branch of the NEWS Hell's Angels, is also being investigated for his pos- sible involvement in the brutal attack on his business Stian Aker and Rune Malterud beat the Brits partner, Allan Vestergaard. According to Jyllands-Posten NORWAY FIRST AT SOUTH POLE AGAIN A two-man numerous documents confiscated as part of the fraud N team from Norway has beaten British rivals in investigation revealed that he had a vested interest in a ski race to the South Pole, nearly a century after keeping Vestergaard's mouth shut. The attack took S Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen outpaced place just days before the IT Factory fraud was Britain's Robert Scott to reach it. The grueling con- brought to light. If Bagger is directly connected to test that began on January 4 with six teams was billed the attack, he could be charged for attempted murder. as the first race to the South Pole since Amundsen Last November the Norwegian-Danish businessman conquered it in December 1911. Norwegians Rune turned himself in to Los Angeles police a week after Malterud and Stian Aker covered the 770-kilome- disappearing while on a trip to Dubai with his wife ters (478.5 miles) route across the and some business colleagues. He was later extradit- Antarctic icecap in 17 days and 11 ed to Denmark. Bagger stands accused of fraud totalling hours to reach the Pole a day over $205 million kroner, although investigators before the three Brits. The com- believe that figure could be much higher, making this petitors camped out in tents and the biggest financial fraud case in Denmark in recent pulled 70 kg (154 pounds) sledges decades. He allegedly employed a so-called Ponzi behind them. The route did not scheme bearing some similarities to the one created Is the IT Factory replicate those taken by Scott and Roald Amundsen by American business magnate Bernard Madoff. CEO and “Danish Amundsen, but the racers faced the same timeless Bagger has reportedly told family members he was Entrepreneur of the dangers of frostbite, temperatures of minus 50 centi- blackmailed into committing fraud, claims that Year” Stein Bagger also a fraudster and grade and hundreds of miles of icy crevasses. Danish police have thus far been unable to verify. IT Factory started life in the 1990s as a privately a murderer with links to the Hell’s Angels? UNLUCKY IN LOVE AND BUSINESS Susan Ruusunen, held, Boston-based IT solution provider. The compa- a former partner of Finnish prime minister Matti ny once billed itself as the largest Lotus Domino ISV Vanhanen says she will file a petition for leave to in the world. It enjoyed huge success in the late 1990s appeal a Helsinki appeals court ruling that fined her and acquired eight companies that were later sold Chef Geir Skeie from for violating Vanhanen’s privacy in her book Päämi- when IT Factory fell on hard times. CEO Stein Bagger Sandefjord won the nisterin morsian (“The Prime Minister’s Bride”). was named "Danish Entrepreneur of the Year" by Bocuse d’Or 2009 “This is a personal bankruptcy. I cannot pay it. I am Ernst & Young, and his company was named championships with living 100 per cent hand to mouth,” Ruusunen told "Denmark's best IT-company" two years in a row. Norwegian scallops, the gossip magazine Seiska. The court also fined cod and prawns. Ruusunen's publisher and reversed an earlier decision NORWEGIAN CHEF WORLD CHAMPION A 15-year- to acquit both defendants. N S long dream became reality for Geir Skeie, Susan Ruusunen’s brief affair with Vanhanen ren- 28 when he won the Bocuse d’Or 2009. Chefs from dered her many column-inches in the Finnish tabloid 24 countries came to Lyon to take part in the Bocuse press. The couple met through an internet dating serv- d’Or competition that is held every two years and is ice after Vanhanen's 20-year marriage broke down in considered to be the world championship for chefs. 2005. Her “kiss-and-tell” was the first of its kind to They had a total of five hours to produce their fish appear in Finland, causing both uproar and intrigue and meat dishes. The set ingredients for the fish dish were Norwegian scallops, cod and prawns and for the Susan Ruusunen and the Prime Minister of Finland meat dish Angus Aberdeen beef. Apart from this the competitors had a free hand. Normally there is just a few points’ difference in the competitors’ scores, but Skeie was awarded 26 points more than Jonas Lundgren from Sweden who took the silver. This was the fourth time a Norwegian has won the Bocuse d’Or. Geir Skeie is chef at Mathuset Solvold, in Sande- fjord. Last year he trained for over 50 hours a week in a similar kitchen to the competition one. ­­­

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(604) 731-6381 BC Reg #2624-66 1 877 926 4304 1 877 871 7799 [email protected] GRAMMY FOR SALONEN Conductor be best remembered for the last, and FIN Esa-Pekka Salonen and American slowest, marathon she ever ran. The year MORE violinist Hilary Hahn received Grammy was 1992, and her running partner was awards in the Best Instrumental Soloist the race founder and visionary, Fred Lebow. Performance with Orchestra category, in He had been diagnosed with brain can- SCANDI- which the award is given both to the cer, and vowed to run his own race instrumental soloist and to the conductor. before it was too late. Waitz decided to The orchestra was the Swedish Radio run with him and it produced the most NAVIANS Symphony Orchestra. Esa-Pekka Salonen poignant moment in race history, was also mentioned as a composer in the Lebow and Waitz running, walking, Best Instrumental Soloist Performance trudging through 26.2 miles. "We both IN THE category, when Gloria Cheng received a ran the last two miles crying," Waitz Grammy award for her recording of piano said. They finished in 5:32:34, and NEWS music by Salonen, Lutoslawski, and Stucky. Conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen Lebow fell into her arms. The race was Salonen is the second Finn to receive a Grammy. voted the second most memorable event in the 50- Opera singer Karita Mattila won in 1997 and 2004. year history of New York Road Runners. Besides her victories in New York, Grete Waitz also HOT TO TROT Danish Finance Minister Lars Løkke won the London Marathon in 1983 and 1986 (the lat- DK Rasmussen (left) has ordered 10 ter in a personal best of 2:24:54). She enjoyed much new suits, adding to speculation that he is success on the road at non-marathon distances as well. close to becoming prime minister. The She further demonstrated her versatility by success- story comes in the wake of increasing fully competing in cross country, winning the IAAF speculation and rumour that current Prime Minister World Cross Country Championships five times, tying Anders Fogh Rasmussen is a firm candidate for the her with Doris Brown Heritage for most wins in the top political post in the NATO alliance, and follow- history of women's International/World Cross Country Grete Waitz made New York Marathon history ing statements in Brussels by Fogh, that it is impor- Championships. Waitz also won a silver medal at the tant to place Danes in top international posts. 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles and a gold medal at the 1983 World Championships in Helsinki. AID TO ICELAND Icelandic Today Grete Waitz has an annual race named after IS singer Björk (left) is her in Norway. The New York Road Runner's Club the front figure for a fund also annually sponsors "Grete's Great Gallop", a half- set up by the Icelandic ven- marathon, in her honor. There is a statue of Waitz in ture capital company Audur the Norway pavilion in EPCOT at the Walt Disney Capital intended to help World Resort. There is also a statue of her outside the the domestic economy re- Bislett Stadium in Oslo, and she has been featured on cover by providing capital a set of stamps. Last year Waitz had the Royal Nor- for early stage businesses. wegian Order of St. Olav, First Class, bestowed upon The fund focuses on sus- her by King Harald V of Norway. tainability in the environ- Grete Waitz was diagnosed with cancer four years ment, the economy or the ago and now raises funds for research through her Rúnar Júlíusson was society. Portfolio compa- foundation, Active Against Cancer. reaching for his guitar nies could operate in sectors and segments such as when he suffered green technology, tourism, well-being, healthcare. ROCKER DIES Legendary rocker Rúnar Júlíusson has a heart attack. Audur was founded by two Icelandic business- IS passed away at age 63. He was a bassist and women, Halla Tomasdottir and Kristin Petursdottir. vocalist best known for his membership with the Philosopher Arne Naess Icelandic rock band Thor’s Hammer. He had also been led two expeditions to conquer the roughly THE GREATEST FEMALE MARATHON RUNNER a member of the groups Trúbrot and Lónlí Blú Bojs Every 15 230-foot mountain N and founded his own record label, Geimsteinn, in 1976. runner who finished last year’s New York City Tirich Mir in Pakistan Marathon received a special medal. On one side there was a depiction of a woman, on the other an inscrip- PHILOSOPHER DIES Norwegian philosopher, writer, tion reading "Grete Waitz - The Greatest Champion N and mountaineer Arne Naess, best known for in New York City Marathon History." launching the concept of "deep ecology," has died. It was in 1978 that a pony-tailed middle-school teacher He was 96. Arne Naess is credited with promoting from Oslo first showed up at the starting line in New the idea that Earth as a planet has as much right as its York. She not only won but took a full two minutes inhabitants, such as humans, to survive and flourish. off the women's world record time. Grete Waitz went Naess was born in 1912 in Oslo, the son of banker on to win the race nine times and broke the world and businessman Ragnar Naess. He earned a doctor- record three years in a row. In all, she lowered the ate at the University of Oslo and, at age 27, became women's world record by an astonishing nine min- its youngest professor. He wrote numerous books and utes. This was a championship run that in all likeli- articles, including what the University of Oslo called hood will never be duplicated. However Waitz may his key work, Interpretation and Preciseness.

Scandinavian Spring 2009 29 ScanNow OsloMust N The Oslo Pass was launched already in 1984, as one of the first city cards in Europe. It provides free entrance to 35 museums, free public transportation, free parking in municipal car parks around town, free guided walks, free entry to swimming MustSvalbard pools and special offers in restaurants, N The travel guide company Lonely shops, entertainment and leisure venues Planet has ranked Svalbard (above), Nor- (from NOK 220 for 24 hours) with the slo- way’s northernmost territory, as one of the gan “Save Time and Money”. world’s most exciting travel destinations for 2009. Most people who know about the archipelago, halfway between Norway and MustSurrealism the North Pole, have heard about its polar DK Statens Museum for Kunst in Copen- bears, this being the only place in Europe hagen celebrates the life and work of one where they roam freely. But the experts of Denmark's most iconoclastic sons, the have also been seduced by Svalbard’s dark surrealist Wilhelm Freddie (1909-1995). fjords, exotic mining towns, glaciers and Marking the 100th anniversary of his birth, purest white snow, rendering it a place the exhibition showcases Freddie's irrever- ReykjavikMust among the ten must-see regions for 2009. ent, sometimes offensive, always provoca- I S DK It’s a big world out there, There is also The Global Seed Vault, nick- tive paintings, collages and sculptures (like for sure. But around the globe there are named the “doomsday vault”, safeguard- Sexparalysappeal below). It also introduces just 44 places that the New York Times rec- ing the world’s crops against a catastro- visitors to his lesser-known works includ- ommends people to visit in 2009. Three of phy. Over the last decade, the number of ing films, ballets, haute couture, window them are the Nordic capitals, Copenhagen, tourists visiting the archipelago has almost dressing and live "happenings," Reykjavik and Stockholm. The fourth doubled. This has left its mark, and vari- which demonstrate how he Nordic destination to make it on the list is ous regulations protecting the vulner- breaks down barriers between Fjällnäs (fjallnasreserve.com), Sweden's able natural environment and art and the commercial field, oldest mountain hotel that received its first cultural heritage from the neg- and remind the world why guests in 1881, and now has a brand new ative effects of tourism have Wilhelm Freddie was consid- luxury Sami Spa called Mii Gullo (which therefore been introduced. With ered by many to be Scandi- means How Do You Feel?). Reykjavik is its unspoiled nature and low navia's leading surrealist and particularly attractive this year because this levels of local pollution, Sval- one of the most radical previously prohibitively expensive city is bard is also a Mecca for polar Danish artists of the 20th now more affordable for visitors with the and climate researchers century. Many of his exhibi- exchange rate at record lows, meaning your from all over the world. tions were closed down by dollar goes almost twice as far. Reykjavik The measurements made the police and his art was im- is also special in the way that Iceland’s here reveal climate change pounded more than once. He capital is so small (202,000 inhabitants) that influences people and even ended up in jail because that you quickly get your bearings and feel nature globally. of his art. Headlines in newspapers at home. The best way to get a feel for the not withstanding, Freddie became a city before embarking on serious sightsee- MustFilm pivotal figure in Danish art ing is to take a walk. Start with a refresh- DK Copenhagen's top history thanks to his ing hike up to the Hallgrimskirkja (above), two feature film uncompromising work the church that is visible from all angles of festivals have been with surrealism and his the city. Take the elevator up to the 83 meter combined into one experiments with vari- high steeple and if the weather is good, dynamic 11-day film ous artistic media. you have an incredible view of the whole fest that will this year take The exhibition Wilhelm city and its surrounding areas. From here place April 16-26. CPH:PIX Freddie. Stick the Fork in make your way down to Laekjargata and (www.myspace.com/cphpix) will Your Eye! (on until June 1) take a stroll in the old town before you present 170 exciting feature films shows more than 150 of Freddie’s make your way to the Tourist Information and select documentaries from works displayed in 13 smaller Centre at Adalstraeti 2 for your maps and around the world at several ven- thematic groups which cut guides. Wherever you go there are nice ues throughout Copenhagen. across the chronology. cafés that become fun bars in the evening.

30 Scandinavian Spring 2009 ScanNow

Svalbard Islands, Sexparalysappeal, Kaisma Exhibition & Åsne Seierstad’s new book on Chechnya GreenMust DK Eating organic in Copenhagen is in- credibly easy with organic produce widely MustIslands available at supermarkets and restaurants. DK A good way to get the soul of the Top organic spots include the casual café Faroe Islands is to read a book by its most BioM where even the paint on the walls is famous writer, William Heinesen (1900- eco-friendly, and Gourmandiet, both in 1991, right). The Faroese the Østerbro section of town, as well as capital Tórshavn is always Cap Horn, arguably Copenhagen's first the centre of Heinesen's organic restaurant, located prominently on writing which focuses on Nyhavn, the alluring historic canal district. MustExhibit contrasts between darkness FIN At the Kiasma Museum of Contem- and light, between destruc- porary Art (Mannerheiminaukio 2) in Hel- tion and creativity. and the MustRead sinki you can see the award-winning artist N DK existential struggle of man In The Angel of Grozny: Inside Marita Liulia’s most recent multimedia Chechnya, Åsne Seierstad, author of the to take sides, something project Choosing my Religion, that views that is not always easy. Heinesen, who was non-fiction, international bestseller The the major religions of the world from mul- Bookseller of Kabul, reports on the lies and also a painter and composer, started off as tiple perspectives, particularly the female one. a poet, with his first collection of poems misinformation that surround the war in Liulia’s work (above) juxtaposes Judaism, Chechnya. The Norwegian journalist first that was published when he was only 21. Christianity, Islam, Sikhism, Hinduism, Three more collections were published visited the country as a 24-year-old rookie Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, and reporter in 1994 and, having made her name before he wrote his first novel Blæsende Shinto. The exhibition (until April 19) is a gry - Stormy Dawn - in 1934. It was fol- with the Kabul book, decided to return in visual and experiential whole comprising 2006 and 2007 to see what had become of it. lowed by Noatún (1938) that has a strong photographs, paintings, objects and media political message. Heinesen’s next book The book's title refers to Hadijat, a woman works, that has attracted much attention re- who runs a centre for homeless The Black Cauldron (1949) deals with the cently because of protest action by Hindu aftermath of decadent living combined children. Some of the book's activists who are upset at their religion most haunting stories come from with religious hysteria. In The Lost being depicted with a photograph of a Musicians (1950) he leaves the social real- her and her charges but the text nude man with visible genitals. Besides swiftly veers away from the ism of his earlier works behind, instead Marita Liulia’s exhibit, the internationally giving himself over to straightforward sto- orphanage and on to stories of acclaimed Kiasma (top) offers exciting con- torture, honour killings and mi- rytelling. Mother Pleiades (1952) is an ode temporary art in all its versatile form in a to his imagination. In the fifties Heinesen litary debacles. Seierstad (below) stunning setting and with a good gift store. even manages to get an audi- began writing short stories most of which ence with Chechnya's infamous President have been published in three collections Ramzan Kadyrov. Unlike the Kabul book, MustExchange entitled The Enchanted Light, Gamaliel's this is not a compelling “personal meets Danish Kroner DKR 1= CAD 0.22 Bewitchment and Cure Against Evil Spirits political” narrative. Instead, it is a meander- Approx. Rates DKR 1 = USD 0.17 (1969). He received The Nordic Council's Literature Prize in 1964 for his best novel ing collection of disparate stories. Seierstad Finland Euro EUR 1 = CAD 1.63 Det gode håb (The Good Hope), where he has a real eye for detail Approx. Rates EUR 1 = USD 1.26 and the human heart of had the difficult task of reproducing 17th Icelandic Kroner IKR 1 = CAD 0.01 a story and as a crash century Danish. As William Heinesen was Approx. Rates IKR 1 = USD 0.01 course on recent born and raised before the Faroese lan- Chechen and Russian Norwegian Kroner NKR1 =CAD 0.18 guage was taught in schools, he wrote history, this ambi- Approx. Rates NKR 1 = USD 0.14 mainly in Danish even though his spoken tious account is Swedish Kroner SEK1 = CAD 0.15 language was Faroese, to which most of invaluable. Approx. SEK 1 = USD 0.11 his books were ironically later translated.

Scandinavian Spring 2009 31 and sale of rosemaling, weaving, wood- Apr 15 6.30pm, Apr 18 3pm - Film Dancers SEATTLE working, and knifemaking by contemporary (Dansen in Danish with English subtitles at Mar 18 11.30am - Lunch with Author Linda Calendar artists at Vesterheim. 563-382-9681. Scandinavia House. 212-847-9740. Olsson at Swedish Cultural Center, 1920 Jul 24-25 - Annual Nordic Fest at Vester- Apr 16 7:30pm - Bite-sized musical gems Dexter Ave. $20. Info 283-1090. ALBERTA heim. www.nordicfest.com, 563-382-9681. and jewels. Music of Sibelius, Nielsen, Brahms, Mar 18 2pm - Kafferep & Royal Engagement and Grieg at Scand. House. 212-847-9740. Party at Swedish Cultural Center. 283-1090. May 21-24 - 28th Danish Canadian Con- MINNEAPOLIS April 18 11.30am - Children’s story A Mar 18 7pm, 20 2pm - Swedish Film. ference at Black Knight Inn, 2929 50 Ave, Mar17 11am-1pm - Open House, lunch and Mother’s Yarn from Lappland and other sto- "Wonderful and Loved by All" (Underbar Red Deer. Info 403-728-3027. lecture at Mindenkirken, 924 E 21st St. 612- ries at Scand. House. Free. 212-847-9740. och älskad av alla) at Swedish Cultural May 25-30 - Danish Heritage Seminar at 874-0716. Apr 20 7.30pm, Apr 23 7.30pm - The Scan- Center. English subtitles. $5 donation. Info: Canmore Mountain Lodge, 1602-2nd Ave, Mar 24 11am-1pm - Open house, lunch and dinavian Chamber Orchestra - Stenhammar 206-465-9381. Canmore. $699. Info 613-747-9764. lecture Daniel Nelson: Norwegian Missio- & His Time. Concert at Scand. House. Each Mar 20 7pm - Dinner and concert by Lise nary in China at Mindenkirken. 612-874-0716 ATLANTA $25, ($17 ASF members). 212-847-9740. Olden from Norway at Swedish Cultural Mar 27 7.30pm - Norwegian film Et lite Mar 20 8pm - Norwegian pianist Knut Erik Apr 21 6.30pm - Lecture on Sustainable Center. $18. 283-1090. stykke Thailand at Mindenkirken. English Jensen in concert at Emory University in Engineering & Danish Architecture at Mar 21 - Concert by Lise Olden at Swedish subtitles. Free. 612-874-0716. White Hall 208, 301 Dowman Dr with a Scandinavia House. Free. 212-847-9740. Cultural Center. 283-1090. Mar 31 11am-1pm - Open House and lecture reception to follow. Info 404-384-3998. Apr 22 6.30pm, Apr 25 3pm - Film Go With Mar 22 4pm - Mostly Nordic Chamber Faith of our Mothers: The Ladies of Lyng- Mar 22 6pm - Landscape Dinner, featuring Peace Jamil (Gå med fred Jamil) in Danish Music concert featuring Iceland at Nordic blomsten at Mindenkirken. 612-874-0715. Gotland at St. Luke Lutheran Church, 3264 with English subtitles at Scandinavia Heritage Museum, 3104 NW 67th St. Northside Pkwy. $10/person or $20/family. MINNESOTA House. 212-847-9740. Smörgåsbord. $45, $40 members. 206- Info 770-949-6667. Apr 17-19 - Commonweal Theatre Com- Apr 28 6.30pm - Lecture on Sustainable & 789-5707. Apr 16-26 - Peer Gynt by Henrik Ibsen per- pany’s 12th annual Ibsen Festival in Lanes- Ecological Architecture in Norway at Mar 25 7.30pm - Finnish Film "Jade formed at Emory University. 404-727-5050. boro. Scandinavian theatre, visual art, music Scandinavia House. Free. 212-847-9740. Warrior" (Jadesoturi) with English subtitles Apr 25 5pm - Valborgsmässoafton with and dance, featuring over thirty different Apr 30 7pm - Northern Transmissions - at Swedish Cultural Center. $5. 283-1090. bonfire and lots of food at Lutherwood events and activities. Special guest speak- music videos from across the Nordic region Mar 26-29 - Piano legend Andre Watts Campground on Lake Allatona, Sandtown ers Joan Templeton (president of the Ibsen at Scandinavia House. $9 ($6 ASF mem- plays Grieg’s Piano Concerto with the Rd, Acworth. Vasa Drängar will perform the Society of America and author of Ibsen's bers). (212) 847-9740. Seattle Symphony at Benaroya Hall, 200 traditional Swedish spring songs. $5/per- Women) and Ba Clemetsen (manager of the May 6 6:30pm, May 9 3pm - Film Astrópía University St. 206-215-4747. son or $10/family. Info 770-422-9120. Ibsen Festival at the National Theatre of Nor- in Icelandic with English subtitles at Mar 27 - Finnish Folkdancing. Live music May 17 2-6pm - Norwegian National Day at way). Hedda Gabler will be performed on Scandinavia House. 212-847-9740. at Swedish Cultural Center. Free beginning St. Lutheran Church, 3264 Northside Pkwy. Friday & Saturday at 7:30pm and Sunday at May 9 11.30am - Children’s story The In- lesson from 7:30-8pm. Dance with live Parade, music, food, games. Free admis- 1:30pm at The Commonweal Theatre, 208 visible Child from Finland and other stories music starts at 8pm. $9. 283-1090. sion. For information call 404-934-6942. Parkway Ave N. 507-467-2905. at Scandinavia House. Free. 212-847-9740. Mar 28 10am-4pm - Tastes of Norway/ CALGARY May 12 6.30pm - Lecture on Finnish Heritage Day at 2245 NW 57th St. Bunad NEW YORK Design & Sustainability at Scandinavia parade at 3pm. 206-783-1274. Mar 18 6pm - Torske Klubben men’s club -Apr 26 - Exhibition: "Sisters", paintings House. Free. 212-847-9740. Apr 1 10-11am - Nordis springtime cele- meets at Scandinavian Centre, 739 20th Ave and drawings by Norwegian artist Anki King May 13 6.30pm, May 16 3pm - Film bration for children at Nordic Heritage NW. Info 403-284-2610. at Trygve Lie Gallery, 317 East 52nd St. Info Country Wedding (Sveitabrúökaup) in Museum. Appropriate for all ages. Free. Mar 20 7pm - Lecture “Tourism Develop- 1-212-319-0370. Icelandic with English subtitles at Scan- 206-789-5707. ment in Iceland” at Scandinavian Centre. -May 2 - Victor Borge: A Centennial Exhi- dinavia House. 212-847-9740. Apr 5 4pm - Mostly Nordic Chamber Music 403-284-2610. bition at Scandinavia House, 58 Park Ave. May 20 6.30pm, May 23 3pm - Film Back concert featuring Denmark at Nordic Heritage Apr 18 6pm - Torske Klubben men’s club (See write-up page 33) Info 212-879-9779. Soon (Skrapp út) in Icelandic with English Museum. $45 including a Smörgåsbord, meets at Scand. Centre. 403-284-2610. Mar 17 8 pm - Classical Concert - "Musical subtitles at Scandinavia House. 212-847- $25 concert only. 206-789-5707. May 20 6pm - Torske Klubben dinner with Seasons” at Norwegian Seamen's Church, 9740. Apr 7 10-11am - Norwegian troll story and special guest Egil Bjornsen, Consul of 317 East 52nd St. 212-319-0370. May 27 6.30pn, May 30 3pm - Icelandic craft project for children. Free. Nordic Norway. 403-284-2610. Mar 18 6.30pm, Mar 21 3pm - Norwegian Film/documentary The Word Music /The Heritage Museum. 206-789-5707. COLORADO Film The Art of Negative Thinking (Kunsten Corner Shop at Scandinavia House. 212- Jun 7 4pm - Mostly Nordic Chamber Music Jun 27-28 10am-5pm - Scandinavian å tenke negativt) at Scandinavia House. 847-9740. concert featuring award-winning Finnish Midsummer Festival at Bond Park (corner 212-879-9779. Jun 3 6.30pm, Jun 6 3pm - Film Black Ice pianist Janne Mertanen at Nordic Heritage of E. Elkhorn & MacGregor,) Estes Park. Mar 19 6.30pm - “Remembering Victor (Musta jää) in Finnish with English subtitles Museum. $45 including a smörgåsbord, Scandinavian music, dance (participatory and Borge”, film & panel discussion at at Scandinavia House. 212-847-9740. $25 concert only. (206)789-5707. demonstration), food, crafts, maypole, and Scandinavia House. $9. 212-879-9779. Jun 10 6.30pm, Jun 13 3pm - Film The TACOMA Viking encampment. Raising of the may- Mar 25 6.30pm, Mar 28 3pm - Film Natural Border (Raja 1918) in Finnish, Swedish, Apr 11 11am-3pm - Norwegian Heritage pole Saturday 10 am followed by parade of Born Star in Norwegian with English subti- Russian, and German with English subtitles Festival at Scandinavian Cultural Center, flags and costumes. Continuous entertain- tles at Scandinavia House. 212-847-9740. at Scandinavia House. 212-847-9740. PLU. Free. 253-535-7322. ment all day. Silent auction of Scandina- Mar 26 7:30pm - Concert celebrating the Jun 11 7pm - Music of the Aurora Borealis Mar 21, 24 - Norwegian cooking class at vian items and local crafts. Free. Info 303- 60th birthday of Danish composer, Poul featuring a repertoire from Canadian, Scand. Cultural Center, PLU. 253-535-7322 449-9596. Ruders at Scandinavia House. $15 ($10 Danish and Norwegian composers at Mar 288 - Danish cooking class at Scand. IOWA ASF members). 212-847-9740. Scandinavia House. $10 ($8 ASF mem- Cultural Center, PLU. 253-535-7322. -Mar 29, 2009 - Exhibits “Fire and Wood” Mar 31 6.30pm - The Tricking of Freya: A bers). (212) 847-9740. and “Kubbestol: From Seating to Symbol” at Talk & Reading by Christina Sunley at Jun 17 6.30pm, Jun 20 3pm - Film Thomas TORONTO Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum, Scandinavia House. Free. 212-847-9740. in Finnish with English subtitles at -Mar 29 - Norwegian Playwright Jan 523 W. Water St, Decorah. (563) 382-9681. Apr 1 6.30pm, Apr 4 3pm - Film The Early Scandinavia House. 212-847-9740. Fosse’s play Someone Is Going to Come at May11-Jul 5 - Exhibit “Augustus F. Sher- Years - Erik Nietzsche Part 1 (De unge år) Jun 24 6.30pm, Jun 27 3pm - Film Shadow Walmer Centre Theatre, 188 Lowther Ave. man: Ellis Island Portraits, 1905-1920” at in Danish with English subtitles at of the Holy Book (Pyhän kirjan varjo) in 416-915-0201. Vesterheim Museum. Info 563-382-9681. Scandinavia House. 212-847-9740. Finnish with English Subtitles at Scandina- Mar 23 7pm - SCC Annual General Meeting May 16, 17 - Syttende Mai Celebration at Apr 3 7pm - Finnish Music Through the via House. 212-847-9740. at Scandinavian Canadian Club, 91 Stor- Vesterheim Museum. 563-382-9681. Ages. Free concert at Scandinavia House. mont Ave. Info 416-782-4604. Jul 12-Oct 11 - Exhibit “Knitting along the 212-847-9740. OTTAWA Mar 28 - Swedish Easter Bazaar at Agricola Viking Trail” at Vesterheim. 563-382-9681. Apr 9 7pm - The Hardanger Fiddle: Noble -Mar 21 - A new adaptation of Ibsen's "Peer Lutheran Church, 25 Old York Mills Rd. Info Jul 18-25 - “National Exhibition of Folk Art Roots & New Beginnings. Free concert at Gynt" at Third Wall Theatre Company, 416-496-7907. in the Norwegian Tradition,” competition Scandinavia House. 212-847-9740. Richmond Road. (613) 236 1425. Mar 28 - Danish Spring Bazaar at Danish 32 Scandinavian Spring 2009 Recognized as an ambassador of goodwill in Lutheran Church 72 Finch Ave W. Willowdale. both Denmark and America, Borge was knight- Info 416-782-4604. ed by the five Nordic countries and honored by VANCOUVER both the U.S. Congress and the United Nations. Mar 18 7pm - Norwegian House Society He received Kennedy Center Honors in 1999 AGM at Scandinavian Centre, 6540 Thomas and was awarded the Medal of Honor by the St. in Burnaby. Info 604-294-2777. Statue of Liberty Centennial Committee. Mar 21 1pm - Nordic Genealogy Advice at Born Børge Rosenbaum in Denmark on Scandinavian Centre. $2 drop-in fee includes coffee. 604 439 9202. January 3, 1909, Victor Borge trained at the Mar 22 4pm - Viking Ship Annual Fund- Royal Danish Academy of Music and began his raising Pork Dinner at Scandinavian Centre. career in the 1930s. While touring in Sweden, $25, Teens or children $10. 604 939 9521. the Third Reich invaded Denmark, rendering it Mar 22 9.30am - Pre-Service breakfast at impossible for Borge to return and resume his Danish Lutheran Church. Info 778-579-0515 Mar 26 7.30pm - Movie night featuring En career there. He left for the United States a few By i Provinsen at Danish Lutheran Church, months later aboard the USS American Legion, Burnaby. Info 604-298-6112. the last passenger ship to leave Europe for Mar 27 2-4pm - Reception in honour of Dr. America at the onset of World War II. (He was Bjarki Sveinbjörnsson, Curator of the Icelan- interviewed in Scandinavian Press Fall98). dic Music Heritage Museum at Höfn Icelandic Harbour, 2020 Harrison Dr. 604-515-1224. Victor Borge: A Centennial Exhibition includes Mar 28 11am-3pm - Spring Tea and Bake recordings, film clips, photographs and memo- Sale at Danish Lutheran Church, 6010 rabilia gathered from numerous sources, includ- Kincaid St. Info 604-298-6112. ing Borge’s personal archives. It is on at Scandi- Mar 30 - Danish House Society AGM at navia House, 58 Park Avenue until May 2. For Scandinavian Centre. 604-294-2777. Victor Borge information call (212) 879-9779. Apr 3 6.30pm - KroAften, Danish House Society’s Club Night at Scandinavian Exhibit in New York Nobody comes of course close to Centre. Info 604-990-3550. Scandinavia House in New York presents Victor Borge, but Swedish pianist Apr 4 7pm - Launch of Gold Dust On His Victor Borge: A Centennial Exhibition, in celebra- and comic Magnus Martensson shirt, meet Author Irene Howard (of Swedish/ tion of the 100th anniversary of the birth of the is often being compared to Norwegian ancestry) hear her stories, read- him, and you can see why when ings from her book. $10 (includes coffee & Danish-born humorist, musician and entertainer. cake). Scandinavian Centre. 604-294-2777. Affectionately known as “The Great Dane,” Magnus Martensson entertains Apr 4-5 11am-4pm - Nordic Spirit Heritage Victor Borge traveled the world combining clas- at the Swedish Press 80th Anni- Images, photographic exhibit featuring sical music and comedy. During the nearly 70 versary Dinner (see page 12) on Denmark at Scand. Centre. 604-294-2777. May 9 in Vancouver. Apr 10 noon - Scandinavian Seniors 55+ years that he lived in the United States, he per- Luncheon. Bring a plate of sandwiches or formed on the radio, in films, on television, in cakes/slices to share & pay $2 towards cof- opera houses, sports arenas, and the White House. fee and expenses. Or, if you prefer not to He secured a permanent place in Broadway his- bring food to share, pay $5. Scandinavian tory with his Comedy In Music, which still holds Centre. 604-294-2777. Apr 16 7pm - Scandinavian Community the record for the longest-running one-man show. Centre’s AGM at the Centre. 604-294-2777. Distinctively Danish, his comedy encouraged Apr 17 8pm - Dance the foxtrot and bugg audience interaction and found humor in the (Swedish style) to a live band at Scandina- mundane. Victor Borge effectively used physi- vian Centre. Easy dance instructions during cal and visual elements during his live and tele- the first hour. $10. 604-987-6086. vised performances, maintaining a consistent, Apr 18 1pm - Genealogy session at Scandi- navian Centre. 604-294-2777. dynamic energy and high level of spontaneity, Apr 18 - “A Royal Birthday Celebration” marked by impeccable timing and highly devel- Banquet & dance in honour of Her Majesty oped musicality. Queen Margrethe II of Denmark. $40. Spe- cial performance by visiting Royal Danish Centre. 604-294-2777. björnsson at Clearihue Building, Room A CL A SSIFIEDS Guards from Denmark. Scandinavian Jun 19 – Midsummer Bash for Youth & 303, Univ. of Victoria. Free. 250-853-7656 EMPLOYMENT Centre. 604 951 4842. Younger adults, 19 yrs plus at Scandinavian Mar 23 4.30pm - Lecture ‘900 Years of Ice- Small real estate investment firm seeks well Apr 19 2pm - Canadian Friends of Finland Centre. 604-294-2777. landic Music in 50 minutes” at Clearihue organized person for executive assistant showing “RAJA”( Border) a movie with Jun 20-21 - Midsummer Festival at Scan- Building, Room A 311, University of position. Lovely offices in West Los English subtitiles. Scandinavian Centre. dinavian Centre. Saturday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Victoria. Free. 250-853-7656. Angeles. Full time or part time. E-mail 604-294-2777. flag parade, national anthems, onstage enter- Mar 24 10.30am - Lecture “ISMUS: The Ice- resume to [email protected] Apr 26 11am-3pm - Giant Fleamarket at tainment, dance around the Maypole, cul- land Music Database” at Cornett Building, FOR SALE tural displays, food, Scan deli, beer garden, Room B112, University of Victoria. Free. Scandinavian Centre. 604-294-2777 10 place-settings of "Ruska" Arabia dishes salmon bbq. Followed by dancing, songs 250-853-7656. May 1 8pm - Scandinavian jazz trio The plus casseroles. Total: 62 pieces. In excel- around the bonfire, & more dancing to live WINNIPEG Thing at The Ironworks. Info 604-872-7200. lent condition. (250) 598-1644. band until 10 p.m. Sunday festival contin- Mar 27 5.30pm - Dinner and lecture “A May 9 6pm Swedish Press 80th Anniver- B.C. ORGANIZATIONS sary Dinner at Scandinavian Centre (See ad ues 11am till 4pm followed by a “Tribute to Norwegian Wedding” at Scandinavian on page 12). Info 604-731-6381. Jussi Bjorling” Concert. 604-294-2777. Centre. $15. Info 774-8047. SCANDINAVIAN BUSINESS CLUB meets May 16 1pm - Genealogy session at VICTORIA Apr 19 6pm - Hans Christian Andersen din- every second Wednesday of the month. New Scandinavian Centre. 604-294-2777. Mar 22 2pm - Lecture “Icelandic Folk ner theatre at Scandinavian Centre. Info members welcome. Phone Ben Marklund May 30 - European festival at Scandinavian Music, Past and Present” by Dr Bjarki Svein- 338-2669. 604-524-2915.

Scandinavian Spring 2009 33 Treats A la Willy Hansen as a main dish, with bread. No other person in North America is as k SHRIMP CASSEROLE closely associated with good Norwegian 18 oz (500g) shrimps, peeled food as Willy Hansen. You meet him every 11 oz (300 ml) heavy cream year at the Scandinavian Hjemkomst 4 oz (100 ml) hot chili sauce Festival in Fargo MN or at his En To Tre 4 oz (100 ml) orange juice restaurant at Norsk Høstfest in Minot ND, 1 red pepper and you can buy his Norwegian culinary 1 green pepper products the rest of the year from Willy's 1 clove garlic Products in Florida. Salt and pepper “Emphasis on authenticity and maintain- Bring the cream to a boil, add chili sauce ing century-old Norwegian culinary tradi- and orange juice. Add sliced peppers and tions are the cornerstones of my cuisine,” garlic and bring to a boil again. Season says Willy Hansen. with salt and pepper. Add shrimps but do He grew up just outside the "fishing cap- not boil after that. Serve CASSEROLE ital of the world", Harstad in northern warm with rice, a fresh salad and baguette. Norway. The oldest of five, he started his Chef Willy Hansen started his culinary career cooking career in a galley on a fishing boat in a fishing boat galley already at age fifteen. k SUMMER CASSEROLE when he was only 15. On land he soon had In Miami Willy has his 24-year old son 2 lb bacon, diced and lightly fried his own deli in the beautiful town of Michael who is a Corvette specialist. His 2 oz butter Sandefjord, and it was not long before other son Roy died tragically just before 6 medium onions "Hans på Tomta" was one of the most pop- his anticipated arrival at the Millennium 2 green apples ular places in town. Forever ambitious and Celebration at L'Anse aux Meadows in 6 tsp curry powder keen to explore the world at sea, Willy Newfoundland, when he in true Viking 1 1/2 oz white flour went to restaurant school for two years fashion had tried to retrace Leif Erikson's 50 oz (1.5 liter) water before landing a job as a galley boy on journey to America alone in a sea kayak. 3 tbsp chutney board a Norwegian cruise ship. In Norway Willy has his daughter 5 oz (150g) raisins His crowning glory was the job of chief Monika and three grandchildren from his 4 tsp red jelly stewart of SS Norway, then the world's first marriage. One of his granddaughters 2 lemons biggest cruise ship, where he among other is now studying at Berkley. Slice onion and apples and fry them with things ran the restaurants for the 300 crew Here are a couple of Willy’s favorite curry and flour. Add water and the rest of between 1981 and 1987. Besides the cooks recipes. the ingredients except for bacon. Simmer for the passengers and the staff, there was for 1/2 hour and add bacon. Simmer for 15 separate cooking staff for the Jamaican, k SALMON AND LOBSTER SALAD more minutes. Serve with rice and Korean and Chinese crews. The Chinese 1 lb poached salmon baguette. Serve with rice and baguette. ran their own kitchen down in the laundry. 1/2 lobster It was on the SS Norway where Willy met 1/2 pound green peas k WILD STEW (Viltgryte) his wife Darlene, who was a nurse, in the 1 small can of asparagus 4 lb reindeer or game bird meat, or a mix- ship's doctor's office. The couple made Sauce 3 hard-boiled egg yolks ture of the two Miami their base for a work schedule of 4 4 tbsp sour cream or cream 1/4 lb salted pork, without rinds month shifts on board followed by two 3-4 tbsp veal pan drippings or stock 4 tbsp flour month long vacations. It was a wonderful 2 tsp mustard 2 cups boiling meat stock life, but when SS Norway switched from 3 tbsp vinegar 1/2 tsp pepper Norwegian to Bahamian flag Willy and 1 tbsp vegetable oil 1/2 tsp crushed juniper berries Darlene went ashore. Dash cayenne pepper 1 cup lingonberry jam In Miami Willy opened the Scanwill store 1 tsp sugar 1/4 tsp salt 1 onion and in 1993 also Norwill to wholesale high Clean the salmon and the lobster. Cut into Salt quality Norwegian food products. After ten pieces. Add peas and asparagus. Mix the Cut the meat into serving pieces, and the years he sold Norwill and is now building egg yolks with the cream or sour cream. pork into cubes. Brown the pork in a large up his own line of Willy's Products instead. Mix mustard and pepper with the vinegar pot. Remove the pork, but let fat remain in When the Embassy, fraternal groups or the (use slightly less vinegar if you are using pan. Combine flour, salt, and pepper. Roll Norwegian pavilion at Disney's Epcot sour cream). Add oil, salt, pepper, and meat in flour mixture, and brown in pork Center look for Norwegian products, they sugar. Place fish, lobster, peas, and aspara- fat. Add meat stock. Add chopped onion, turn to Willy because they know that no- gus on a serving platter. Cover with sauce pork, crushed juniper berries, and lin- one else on this continent is as passionate and refrigerate. Garnish with lobster claws gonberry jam. Simmer until meat is tender. about Norwegian food as he is. and dill. Serve the salad as an appetizer or Serve with small boiled potatoes or bread.

34 Scandinavian Spring 2008 Everything you need if you are serious about Scandinavia!

NordicWay.com is the handy website of Scandinavian and Swedish Press with everything you need when you are looking for Nordic-related information, products and services in North America. Find what you are looking for in back- ground articles, links and with the help of the strong search engine. Download the latest issues of Scandinavian and Swedish Press and buy “Three Crowns” products with M/C, VISA and PayPal. The ALICE BABS ‘ JUBILEE EDITION In celebration of the 85th birthday of Sweden’s most beloved and revered singer, Swedish Press presents a treasure of 28 newly discovered and previously unreleased tracks by Alice Babs, dating back to the 1960s. “The music here has Babs at her most modern - working with backings from pianist Jan Johansson and the larger band of Georg Riedels - all in a style that takes off nicely from some of Alice's earlier vocal experiments with Duke Ellington! Babs' vocals are nicely cool at times, a bit warmer at others - and often she sings word- lessly with a haunting, other-worldy feel that's especially great -- and which points the way towards other European vocal jazz experiments in the decade to come” notes one critic. The 14 titles on the Red “Illusion” CD include Song For The Dreamer, Om Du Så Vill and Je Vous Aime. The mostly English titles on the Green “As Time Goes By” CD, with Bengt Hallberg Trio and Arne Domnerus Big Band, include 14 classics like Cottage For Sale and Love Is Here To Stay. “Alice has a wonderful sound here - deep, dark, and cool” ... the material is “every bit as Very great as any of her classics from the 60s!” Special Price The Jubilee Edition simply gives you the $ very best of Alice Babs’ unique voice, Only 35 playfulness and musical genius. for both CDs Yes, please send me ...... set/s of The Alice Babs Jubilee Edition! $35 Special Price for the set of two CDs, or buy ...... Red or ..... Green edition for only $20 per CD ..... Price includes Shipping and Handling in the US and Canada. Please add applicable taxes. Canadians add 5% GST. K I enclose a cheque or K Please debit my or card: ......

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