When settlers began making their way to the Midwest in the early 1900s, many of those who decided to call the area home were of Scandinavian descent. In fact, Scandinavians, those with ancestors from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Iceland, and Finland, still make up the largest ethnic group in North Dakota and Minnesota, behind only Germans. On June 28 and 29, the Hjemkomst Center in Moorhead, Minnesota will present two festivals designed to celebrate that ancestry: the Midwest Viking Festival and the 26th annual Scandinavian Hjemkomst Festival. According to Tim Jorgensen, Events Coordinator for the Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County, this is the 6th year of the Midwest Viking Festival, but only the second year holding it together with Scandinavian Hjemkomst Festival. “It is too festivals for the price of one,” he said.
The Midwest Viking Festival:
Vikings, also called Norseman or Northman, were members of the Scandinavian seafaring warriors who raided and colonized wide areas of Europe from the 9th to the 11th centuries. The Vikings explored the northern islands and coasts of the North Atlantic, and eventually found their way to North America. Vikings under Leif Ericson, heir to Erik the Red, are some of the first recorded Scandinavians to settle in Canada. Some of our perceptions about Vikings has been skewed over the years. Often portrayed as ruthless, disheveled predators, Vikings were no more barbaric than any other ethnic group fighting to survive and thrive in an unfamiliar world.
According to the Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County, the Midwest Viking Festival is a gathering of craftsmen, musicians and living history enthusiasts, from throughout the upper Midwest and abroad, who specialize in bringing the Viking Age back to life. The highlight of the Viking festival each year is the men wielding swords and shields testing their skills in battle, with demonstrations scheduled for both days of the festival. Visitors will also experience other Viking activities, including glass bead making, coin-striking, silver-smithing, runic reading/writing, chainmail production, blacksmithing, wood carving, fiber production, pottery making, and a variety of challenging Viking games.
Telge Glima:
One of the highlights of this year’s Viking Festival is a performance from Telge Glima, a cultural society based in Sweden that performs and instructs the public in old Nordic games and sports. Founded over twenty years ago in Södertälje, Sweden, the group has performed all over Europe and provides visitors with an opportunity to participate in authentic games like “Badger the Bear,” “Hitting the Jug,” or “Master of the Circle.”
Scandinavian Hjemkomst Festival:
The Scandinavian Hjemkomst Festival is a celebration of Danish, Finnish, Icelandic, Norwegian, Saami, and Swedish cultures. Norway will be hosting this year’s festivities, which include a wide array of activities and entertainment. Visitors may walk through the festival sampling traditional Scandinavian delicacies. In the Scandinavian Marketplace attendees may observe demonstrations, participate in activities, and shop for items including rosemaled keepsakes, wood carvings, jewelry, woolen clothing, Scandinavian books, and much more.
Dancing and music are a big part of the festival. Many talented groups and individuals are scheduled to perform, including the Scandinavia Quartet, the Soiva Music Camp, the NorSweDanes, Fargo-Moorhead’s very own Sons of Norway Kringen Lodge’s Kringen Kor and Kringen Accordion Band, the Decorah Dancers, and Norwegian recording star Lisa Nybrott.
Lisa Nybrott:
Lisa Nybrott will be headlining this year’s Scandinavian Hjemkomst Festival. Originally from Hamar, Norway, Nybrott is new to the festival and the United States. “I reckon that most people in the U.S. have no idea who I am,” Nybrott said, “but that’s also why I’m so excited to come here and play since it’s a whole new thing for me.” Nybrott is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Performing Arts at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim, and performs throughout Norway in one of her three bands. She also has her own recording label and released an EP in 2010.
“It’s just a dream come true to get to travel to America and play my own songs,” Nybrott remarked, adding that neither she nor her pianist, Hallvar Haugdal, have been to America. Visitors can expect a mix of original and traditional Norwegian folk music. “My own songs are pop/soul songs with English lyrics, and the Norwegian folk music consists of both traditional music and some new popular folk songs,” she said. “We have tried to pick the most well-known Norwegian folk music, songs that everyone in Norway knows well.”
Decorah Nordic Dancers:
The Decorah Nordic Dancers are also scheduled to perform, a group originally started in 1966 to dance at Decorah’s annual Nordic Fest. According to Director Ann Kephart, the goal of the Nordic Dancers is “to dance in Decorah, Iowa to share the culture of our ancestors and to be ambassadors for Decorah by performing at other festivals or towns.” Kephart explained that the Senior Dancers will be sharing a large number of the dances at the festival. “They have learned over 30 dances in the 10 years they have danced together,” she said. “Many of our dances are from Norway or another Scandinavian country,” adding that visitors can expect dances with theatrics, a dance that depicts the weaving process, as well as an audience participation dance. “We look forward to entertaining the crowd and sharing the culture we teach our young people in Decorah.”
Nordic Culture Club:
The festivals are co-sponsored by the Nordic Culture Club, a local nonprofit that collaborates with several Scandinavian groups within the Red River Valley, including the Red River Danes, Red River Finns, F-M Icelandic Klub, Sons of Norway Kringen Lodge, Swedish Cultural & Heritage Society, and the Saami Circle. Amanda Nordick is in her first year as NCC Festival Coordinator. “My role as the Festival Coordinator is an adventure every day,” she said. “I started in September of 2012 knowing very little about the organization and I was amazed by the passionate people that perpetuate Scandinavian heritage.”
Nordick is excited about this year’s festival and all it has to offer. “This festival offers people a unique opportunity to explore two entirely different cultures and heritages for the day,” she said. One of the highlights for many visitors will likely be the Taste of Scandinavia, located inside the Hjemkomst Center. “You will be intoxicated by the aroma,” Nordick remarked, “where you can find delicacies from each Scandinavian country.” This year’s festival will have an entire floor focusing on children with many activities, passport stops throughout the building, and a special story telling area for kids. “Being new to the Scandinavian Festival I wanted to offer a fresh approach,” Nordick said.
Regardless of one’s ancestry, the dual festival is sure to offer something to captivate just about anyone, a sentiment shared by Nordick. “The Scandinavian culture is full of such beauty between the art, music and food,” she said. “What more could anyone ask for?”
Festival admission per day is $10 for adults, $5 for youth age thirteen to seventeen, and free for children under twelve when accompanied by a paid adult. The Hjemkomst Center is located at 202 1st Avenue North, Moorhead MN. More information on the Midwest Viking Festival or Scandinavian Hjemkomst Festival can be found at www.hjemkomstcenter.com, www.hcscconline.org/midwest-viking-festival.com, or nordiccultureclubs.org.