Nordic on Tap - the podcast

Sami Folktales

The Sami, formerly called Lapps, live in the far north of Norway, Sweden, and Finland in a land where the sun never sets.  Storytelling has a strong tradition among the Sami, with tales that are a little different from other Nordic folktales.  Join us as we read story translations from the first collectors, J. A. Friis and J. K. Qvigstad, and from ethnographer Emilie Demant Hatt.  We read from the 2019 translation of Demant Hatt's  "By the Fire: Sami Folktales and Legends" (translated by Barbara Sjoholm). 
We also hear Nick Ericson of The Six Feet Back Band playing "The Dwight Lamb Polka" on his button accordion.
Join us for the unusual stories about reindeer, sheep, Stallo the troll, and a shaman!
Links and Pictures for Sami Folktales

Artist Sven Lindauer and the Non-Viking Vikings

Sven Lindauer is an accomplished historical artist who worked for National Geographic and museums.  Now Lindauer has set his artistic eye on the Norse of the Viking Age -- the non-Viking Vikings" who weren't the warriors, but the farmers, blacksmiths, Skaldic poets, musicians, sail-makers, among others. 
He published The Art and Crafts of Ancient Scandinavia in 2020 with scenes of everyday life and explanations of these scenes.  Join me as I interview Mr. Lindauer about his career as an artist, his historical research, and the 7 year journey to these historically-accurate and fascinating scenes of ancient Scandinavia.
Links and Pictures for Sven Lindauer and Vikings

3 Trees & 2 Ave Marias

In this Winter Solstice/Christmas podcast we hear two stories and an interview about "trees" - the krumkake, the noble fir, and the lingonberry.  That is, the challenge of making a functional krumkake, the odyssey of cutting our own ragged Christmas tree, and a special on-site interview with Pacific Northwest lingonberry farmer, Leslie Lindskog. 
We also investigate the origins of the beautiful Ave Marias of Bach/Gounod and Franz Schubert.
Join us!
Links and Pictures for 3 Trees

The House that Ron Loge Built: The Stabbur

The centerpiece of every farm in Norway was always the storehouse, or stabbur. The food stored during summer and fall in this humble log and stave building was what got people through the long, cold winters every year. 
They were built so well, many are still standing 300 years later. Join us as we l hear the story from a man who built his own version in the mountains of Montana, and learned to carve the portals just like the stave churches of old. 
We also hear a song played by the Nordahl Grieg Spelemannslag.
Links and Pictures for Ron Loge's Stabbur

Folktales (#2) of Finland and Norway

Our first folktale podcast was so popular, we thought we’d bring you another!  This time we hear a tale from Finland called The Mighty Mikko, and my son Carl Stavney is the featured guest reading the classic Norwegian folktale, The Lad Who Went to the Northwind.  We also bring you a lovely accordion, mandolin, and guitar piece by the Folk Voice Band out of the Seattle Area.  So take a load off and listen to some storytelling and Finnish music from old Scandinavia.
Links and pictures for this folktale episode

Lori Ann Reinhall and the Norwegian American

In the early 1900s, there were hundreds of Scandinavian immigrant newspapers. Meet Lori Ann Reinhall, the Editor of the last remaining Norwegian newspaper in the USA, the Norwegian American. You'll hear how this amazing and talented woman keeps this excellent paper alive in a time of quarantine, unemployment, decreased popularity of print media, the "noise" of the internet, and biased opinions and interpretations masquerading as "news". She affirms the importance of bringing people together as a community rather than seeking to divide them.
We'll also hear cuts from Lori Ann's CD, Duo Scandinavica, featuring songs that were favorites of immigrants in the early 1900s.
Links and Pictures for Lori Ann Reinhall

Darryl Jackson and the Amazing One-Man Band

By day he works in the computer learning industry, but by night he puts on his sunglasses, pulls out his instruments, and creates amazing CD-quality music in his studio.
He is lead and bass guitarists, lead vocalist and harmonizer, drummer, and keyboardist.  Who would suspect this mild-mannered man to have arisen out of a musical family, to have started his own recording studio, "played Vegas" with a number of bands....to later in life devote all his spare time to making music in his own studio, now available only online? 
Join me as we visit the talented Darryl Jackson in his recording studio south of Seattle to see what kind of musical chops it takes to create such a wide range of genres: classical, new age, rock, and electronica. 
Links and Pictures for Darryl Jackson

Folktales of Norway and Sweden

Join us for an exploration of Nordic folktales, why we value them, and how they define the cultures from which they come. We hear two of  the most beloved tales of Norway and Sweden, and finish with a haunting duet of a traditional folksong from the Nordahl Grieg Spelmanslag, and one arranged by yours truly.  This podcast is for all story lovers, from 4 to 104. So grab your sippy cup, latte, or hip flask and prepare to escape into the realm of adventure.
Links for Folktales of Norway and Sweden

COVID-19 and Seattle’s Nordic Businesses & Organizations: Who Will Be Left Standing?

With the full or partial closure of many businesses, institutions, and organizations in Seattle in late March 2020 due to COVID-19, we wonder how are our cherished Nordic haunts, restaurants, museums, and fraternal organizations making it through in Seattle. 
We talk with Erik Pihl of the National Nordic Museum, Bjørn Ruud of Scandinavian Specialties, Rachel Antalek of Byen Bakeri, and report on the Scandinavian Hour, Nordic Roots and Branches, the Swedish Club, The Dane Restaurant, Nordiska (Poulsbo), the 17th of May (Syttende Mai) Parade, and the Norwegian-American News, among others. If we value these outfits, how can we support them so they survive?
Links and pictures for Scandinavian Businesses in Seattle

Clothes Stories: A Visit with Fashion Designer Madison Leiren

Beyond keeping us warm and preventing public embarrassment, why do we wear clothes?  What does our dress say about us, who and what we are, and where we come from? Join Nordic on Tap for this dive into the world of fashion design with Seattle-based designer, Madison Leiren of Leiren Designs (https://leirendesigns.com/).  We sit down with Madison to discuss her path into fashion design and the influence of her Norwegian heritage and Norwegian culture in what she creates.  Madison talks about how she custom makes unique clothes such as wedding gowns as well as clothing for men. Finally, we talk about Madison’s experience as a designer in the greater Nordic community, especially in Seattle, and mention a few of our favorite haunts.  We conclude the show by listening to excerpts of songs and hymns derived from classic music, highlighting the inspirational hymn derived from Finlandia, the symphony written by Finnish composer Jean Sebelius.
Links
Leiren Designs, Madison's website and boutique, with examples of her unusual, lacy, Scandinavian-influenced bridal gowns. You can book an appointment right on her website for a consultation at her Seattle shop.
"Clothing with an adventurous spirit", an article about Madison's fashions in the Norwegian American News.
An article (2018)on Madison's work in the Seattle Sister City Association newsletter.
Leiren Designs is also on Instagram.
Check out this beautiful film (2011) of "Wild Scandinavia - Finland", showing the countries pastoral landscapes and dramatic shots of Finland's wildlife (from reindeer to flying squirrels, lynx, bears, and loons) and the beauty of the aurora borealis, all set to Jean Sebelius' Finlandia (full version) by Wildes Skandinavien/Gulo Film Productions.
This video of the Finlandia-hymni, the part of Jean Sebelius' Finlandia with words by Veikko Antero Koskenniemi, is sung in Finnish by the Ylioppilaskunnan- YL Male Voice Choir; shots of modern, mostly urban Finland, accompany the music.