MIDSUMMER DAY PRESENT AND FUTURE

Volume 9
Issue 5
June 2012
www.foreverswedish.org
for Amery and Western Wisconsin
Inside this issue:
Midsummer
1-3
Fredrika Bremer
Swedish letters and
4-5
Name days
Trolls in Scandinavia 6-14
Party like the Swedes 14-15
Minutes by Rachél
16-17
Events
18
MIDSUMMER
DAY PRESENT
AND FUTURE.
summer fair at Monk's
verdant transformation.
Bridge in, the city, he
Young birch-trees waved
holding in one hand the
before the tall white,
string of an immense
porcelain stove; bronzy
From 12 months
with Fredrika
Bremer Volume 1
trans by Mary
Howitt 1866
pink air-ball, which had
green oak-boughs cov-
sailed aloft triumphantly
ered the walls, whilst
in the calm evening air,
Herman was hanging
to the admiration of
up wreaths of blue corn-
Stockholm youngsters,
flowers, and Fru
and a miniature may-
Knutsson was arranging
EVENING OF MIDSUMMER
DAY.—Last night I slept in
a sylvan bower; slept in a
green wood all on a summer night!
pole in the other, decked
a bouquet of green-house
with moss, gay fancy pa-
flowers on my table.
pers and colored egg-
Yesterday evening when
discovered to my great
the rapturous Fritz and I
amazement that my
I uttered an exclamation of joyful surprise, to
which she replied, "It is
very little, but well
meant!"
returned from the Mid-
room had undergone a
shells, and we had
reached our landing, I
Jerusalem, at the happy
2
feast of Tabernacles,
women are employed to
the Swedish expression
could not have looked
carry the mortar and
on these summer
more festive than does
bricks-up the lofty scaf-
evenings. Last evening
Stockholm at this mo-
fold . But I will speak of
people were dancing,
ment. Yesterday, where
nothing sad on this
throughout the length
fir-trees were formed at
bright joyous day.
and breadth of Sweden,
Christmas with wood
on our great marketplace, birch-trees were
now gracefully nodding. Nor was this other than according to
the botanic law in Sweden, where, when the
fir is burned down to
clear the land for cultivation, the birch
springs up in its stead.
Greenery is everywhere; pliant birchboughs twined round
the shop-doors form literal bowers. The silvery
stems and rustling
leaves of the universal
birch surmounting
even scaffoldings, for
now, when all who can
have left Stockholm, the
bricklayers are carrying on a brisk trade in
building and making
alterations.
Unfortunately, poor
Even these very women have been holiday
making as for instance,
this gumma (old wife)
and her gubbe (old
man).
Everybody compelled
to remain in the capital
has been out ruralizing.
Scores of pleasure
steamboats, decorated
with flowers and flags,
and with bands of music on board, have left
the city for some of the
country palaces or
places of favorite resort. Hundreds have
wandered to pleasant
Haga, or to the extensive Djurgård and
carrying their dinners
with them, have
danced under the
shady trees. There is
now a great deal of
dancing out ”in the
verdure”, according to
round the May-pole, so
called, some men say,
from Maja, a provincial
verb, to decorate with
leaves and flowers.
Others suppose that the
may-pole has been
introduced from France
or England, and that the
Northern climate has
complelled a change in
the date, although the
name has been retained.
Tante Fredrika and I
have also been out merry-making. We have
been to Marieberg, to
Baron Wrede's country
residence, and celebrated
a great joy which has
just occurred in the private family circle; have
rejoiced over the return
of Tante Fredrika's only
surviving sister and her
husband from their long
absence abroad; have rejoiced amongst hedges of
blossoming lilacs. Every
3
country house is now
was sent back from her
gay with its thickets of
snug little wooden
ten make
lovely lilac and white
house with an earnest
excur-
syringas, as they are
entreaty that good lilla
sions in
botanically called in
Hulda Dahl might be
some of
Sweden.
spared there and then,
the little
for they must be off the
puffing
next morning; and
and pad-
there were clothes and
dling
linen and lingon-jam to
steamers
be packed, and nothing
which ply
could be done without
on these
“lilla Hulda.”
waters.
Mrs. Qviding, Tante
Fredrika’s sister, for
whose welcome back to
her native land she had
remained until now in
Stockholm, said that she
has seen the lilac four
times in blossom this
Thus we suddenly lost
We of-
One evening we went
year; first in the early
our good helpful Hulda,
to Löfholm, enjoying
spring in Nice; second-
and consoled ourselves
first the sight of Stock-
ly , in May at Paris, in
by the thoughts of her
holm rising from its
the first weeks of June
country enjoyment,
golden waters, like a
in the sourth of Sweden
and by the reading of
Northern Venice, and
and now in Stockholm
“Vanity Fair” and “The
afterwards a country
on Midsummers day.
Newcomes,” in an even-
ramble through a rocky,
But everything is un
ing. These books were
park-like country, pass-
usually late this year.
kindly lent us by a la-
ing along under bril-
dy, half English and
liant golden green
half Swedish, and never
leaves, penetrated by
have I enjoyed then so
the evening sun. “Ah it
much as now, when
is good here in Sweden!
reading them aloud to
We can wander where
Tante Fredrika, who
we will, without trou-
thoroughly under-
bling ourselves whether
stands English, and is
we are on the Al-
charmed by the keen,
mighty’s property or
worldly perception,
trespassing on that of a
and the underlying ge-
man!”
Where was Hulda all
this time, and amidst
this general pleasuretaking? She was miles
away at the little watering place of Södertelje. About ten days ago
she left us. I went one
day with a message to
the friend whom she
was to accompany, and
niality of Thackeray.
4
4
How to close a
letter in
Swedish
It is more of a dilemma
than you'd think at first
glance.
It’s a dilemma Swedes
face on a daily basis:
How to finish off a job
of mail. That final word
of greeting, which may
upset or offend or, if
chosen correctly, create
important relations.
Swedish daily Svenska
Dagbladet recently took
a look at the three ways
to say good-bye.
Let’s take a look at the
first one, also known as
the correct and standardized way of ending
a mail: “Vänliga hälsningar” or “Med vänlig
hälsning” (the Swedish
version of “Sincerely”
Svankvist, director-
or “Cordially”). But this
general at Arbetsförmed-
doesn’t work every-
lingen (the Swedish Public
where. It may make
Employment Service), us-
you look boring or in-
es “Management by love”.
different. And don’t
Huh? Another person us-
even think about using
es the expression “Med
the abbreviation
sol” (With Sun). How does
“Mvh”. That may be
one reply to that? “With a
seen as too impersonal.
grayish darkness over
Next up is the some-
Central Station”?
what warmer way of
What about a cryptical
saying good-bye, and
greeting? Someone sent a
many want a more per-
message ending with a
sonal farewell. These
“GMY”, which is short for
are some samples:
Gott Mit You (God With
“Varma hälsningar”,
You), a mixed German-
“Bästa häls-
English phrase which is
ningar” (“Warm greet-
said to originate as a
ings” and “Best greet-
greeting phrase between
ings”). There’s also “Ha
German and Allied sub-
det fint”, a bit difficult
marines. The answer to
to translate to English,
“GMY” is “MYA” (Mit
which is fine. “Have a
You Auch).
great day” is deemed
insincere. One business
woman states that she
Unfair name days?
uses “Varma häls-
Ansgar, Bartolomeus,
ningar” only on rare
Malkolm and Åslög. What
occasions, and to people
do they have in common?
she knows. “Or it be-
It just isn't fair to Olle
comes too treacly.”
and Maja...
And lastly, when your
farewell greeting becomes your signature.
Angeles Bermudez-
Ansgar, Bartolomeus,
Malkolm, what do they
have in common?
1) They are almost never
5
5
given as names to ba-
our name days.”
bies today, and
Ansgar is such an im-
2) they all have their
portant piece of herit-
own name days.
age, because Ansgar
was the missionary who
Emelie, Maja and Olle,
founded the first parish
on the other hand, are
in Sweden in 831. But
all popular baby names
the trouble is that many
and none of them have
popular names never
a name day. As a mat-
get their days to cele-
ter of fact, 19 of the 100
brate. Names like Maja,
most popular children’s
Liam, Molly, Saga, Olle
names lack a name day.
and Emelie. Some of
them probably celebrate
Namnlängdskommittén
(which consists of representatives from the Swedish Academy, the Royal
Swedish Academy of Sciences, the Royal Swedish
Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities,
and the Institute of Language and Folklore at
Uppsala) decides what
names will have name
days. Their latest decision was made last
Recently it was
anyway. Emelie, a
Ansgar’s name day. It’s
name that 21,249
easy to congratulate
Swedes carry, most cer-
your Ansgar friends,
tainly celebrate togeth-
because most likely you
er with Amalia and
don’t have any. There
Amelie on April 20 or
are only 54 Swedes with
with Emilia and Emil of
the name, and of those
November 14. Olle prob-
“We can’t change it eve-
only 15 are kids under
ably gets greetings on
ry year, the people mak-
the age of ten.
Olof’s name day, which
ing calendars would go
Eva Brylla researches
is on July 29.
insane then,” Brylla ex-
names and is a repre-
“We’ve tried to take in-
plains. “It will probably
sentative at Namnläng-
to account names that
take ten years before the
dskommittén (Name
have been common dur-
next revision.” Which is
Day Register), a com-
ing the 20th century,”
mittee she says is trying
says Brylla. “Since
to mix new and old tra-
Namnlängden is sup-
ditions.
posed to mirror a longer
tradition, it can take
“Our cultural heritage
time until new names
should be mirrored in
are entered.”
year—a fairly small one:
William, Fatima and
Kevin were the names
added; Helmi, Gurli and
Regina were the names
taken out.
the most “uncommon”
name day of all today?
The answer is Bartolomeus on August 24.
There are only nine Bartolomeus in Sweden.
6
6
very loud and long or
praying/singing outside
the mountain the troll
sometimes became very
ill and his prisoners
could escape. But when
he said 'get out', you
should wait a little, because just at that moment he would try to
stab you with his spear.
Of course some captives
tricked their way out
and escaped with a lot of
gold - a myth probably
Taken by Trolls
From Trollmoon.com
NOTE: Unlike fairy
tales, the stories of folklore have no clever
plots and happy endings, but are almost always in the form of an
explanation or warning.
It is true in all Scandinavian languages
there is a word which
literally means 'taken
to the mountain', now
often used in the sense
'bewitched' (bjergtaget,
bergtagen). An English
equivalent is ”taken by
the fairies”.
In old days it was com-
based on the gold coins
mon belief that when a
or bracelets that farm-
person had disappeared,
ers sometimes dug up in
he/she had been taken
the soil.
by the trolls/giants/
elves and were now
The theme of being tak-
kept prisoner in the
en to the troll mountain
mountain/hill. Until the
has always been very
beginning of the 17th
popular in literature
century Swedish church
and art.
records even mentioned
this as a reason for people disappearing or people who had temporarily lost their memory
and did not remember a
certain period in their
past. The priest had a
useful role when someone had been taken by
the troll - By making
the church bells ring
The changeling myth
also belongs to this
group of stories, though
in this case the trolls replace the person they
have stolen. The common feature according
to folklorists is that the
stolen people are in a
particularly vulnerable
phase. Trolls steal chil-
7
7
dren that have not yet
ways to protect one-
been baptized. Adults
self against this dan-
are particularly at risk
of being taken at certain periods in their life
when they are ”unpure”
after giving birth and
before going to church
again (an extra factor
being that they have
milk to breastfeed the
trolls’ children) or before their wedding (and
wedding night). Bridesto-be should be particularly careful not to
walk alone. Other potential victims are people
working far from home,
shepherds in the mountain, children picking
berries in the forest or
young people whose
thoughts revolve too
much around the other
gender and therefore
are easily tempted by a
Basic Definition of
Trolls (in
Scandinavian
folklore)
A supernatural
creature who in
most stories is
hostile (and
dangerous) to
humans, in others
more of a nature
spirit, looks more or
less like a human,
but often of
superhuman size
and strength,
sometimes ugly or
scary looking
(sometimes more
than one head),
other times more or
less like a human,
lives in hills,
mountains, forests.
ger. Pregnant women
or women who had
just given birth could
protect themselves by
wearing their husbands’ trousers or
shirt. Similar in many
ways to Danish elver-
piger and Norwegian
huldra (both: wood
nymphs), they are
beautiful from the
front but look like a
rotten tree from the
back or, as in the Sjör-
å's (or Mermaid's)
case, have a fish tail
while the Norwegian
huldra is often attributed with a cow
tail that she
(understandably) tries
to hide from admiring
human males. A recurrent story about
pretty troll girl. Basical-
the Skogsrå/Ellepige
ly, anyone who is taken
(the suffix rå means
and lives to return will
the spirit guarding a
never be completely the
same again, but somehow strange, even mentally disturbed or simply dumb. This myth thus
also helps explain the
unexplainable in human behavior that the
church had no explanations for and science
was just figuring out.
There were, however,
certain location) that
has been told in many
places in Denmark
and Sweden was the
story of charcoal
burners spending the
8
8
night in the forest at a
name and looked for
charcoal kiln guarding
her, but in vain. She
the fire that turned
was gone and he had to
wood into coal.
return home without a
goodbye kiss. When he
In these stories the
came close to his home,
Skogsrå/Ellepige comes
he suddenly saw her
to the lonely charcoal
again, walking a little
burner and tries to se-
further down the road.
duce him so he forgets
He shouted and asked
about the fire (that is
threatening the forest
There once was a
creatures). In one story
young man who had a
the seducing Skogsrå
girl he was very much
asks the forest worker
in love with and who
not to look out of the
loved him dearly. To be
window in his forest
able to meet they had
cabin while they are
to go through a big for-
making love but he does
est and one Saturday
and thus sees that she
night they had decided
has a tail and is extin-
to meet near a charcoal
guishing the fire with it
-making site close to the
while distracting him.
road. When the young
In other stories the
man came to the meet-
charcoal burner runs
ing place, he found his
away in time and when
chosen one and they
he returns to the forest
greeted each other with
the following day, his
great affection. Then it
charcoal kiln is com-
started raining and
pletely destroyed. Here
they sought shelter in a
is a typical story of the
charcoal burner's cab-
Skogsrå from the mid-
in. Later that night the
dle part of Sweden,
man had to go out and
again warning of the
when he returned, the
effects of having sex
girl was nowhere to be
with this creature:
seen. He shouted her
her to wait for him, but
she laughed out loudly
and ran into the forest
and disappeared. There
was nothing the young
man could do but return home sad and miserable and try to fall
asleep. Two days later
he received a letter
from his loved one telling him that she had
not been able to come to
their rendez-vous, as
her mother had suddenly fallen ill. He immediately understood it was
the Skogsrå he had
spent time with in the
forest. For a long time
he became like a different person and his girlfriend no longer wanted
to see him."
In today's more environmentally aware
9
9
There are a group
woman. They can be
of creatures from
tiny but also of same
Norrland in North-
size as humans. They
ern Sweden who
often wear red when
share characteris-
they are unhappy,
tics with the Troll,
but white when they
the Voette and the
are in good mood
Skogsrå . The
and friendly.
name 'vittra' is re-
Some had teeth as
lated to 'vætte,
vette, wight' and
they live underground or in mountains and they can
keep humans as
prisoners and exTroll Som Vasker ungen
sin
change human children
“Troll washing his kid “
trolls, but like the trolls
with their own - like the
they can also - accord-
world, the Skogsrå/
ing to various stories -
Ellepige would be seen as
be helpful and make hu-
protective spirits of na-
mans who help them
ture, defending the forest
rich.
against human greed,
but in the days when
these stories were being
told by uneducated folks
in little cabins one or
two hundred years ago
or more, these creatures
represented pure danger,
reminding us how scared
people used to be of the
forest.
long as fingers, another had glowing
eyes or even a third
eye in the middle of
the brow. The troll
tail is more of a later
addition by artists
like John Bauer and
Rolf Lidberg and is
today almost a requirement in any depiction of trolls, but
the tail does appear
now and again in a
few folklore stories
They cause people to get
as a reminder of
lost in the wilderness
trolls' difference.
and seduce male hu-
Many times trolls
mans. They stay in
were, however, said
shepherd's cottages dur-
to be more handsome
ing the winter when the
and elegant than
shepherds are down in
their human neigh-
the valley. They live in
bors so if you saw an
families and grow older
elegantly dressed
just like humans. Often
man or woman in
you only see one Vittra
the forest, it must be
at a time, usually a
a troll and then you
10
10
had to be very careful.
selves into cats or dogs
The trolls were, in Ebbe
or snakes but most of
Schön's words, the nobili-
the time they would
ty of the forest and had
stay invisible but you
to be treated respectfully.
may hear them talk or
If by chance you noticed
a tail or hairy feet etc.
under their dress, you
should discretely and politely make the troll
aware of this, and then
you would be generously
whisper or laugh and if
you could smell freshly
baked bread or fried
meat far out in the wilderness, you knew you
were close to where
trolls lived.
awarded, but if you were
Trolls could be very
rude, the troll would
rich, though some art-
make you pay for it in
ists such as Theodor Kit-
some way or other. At
telsen and Lidberg often
other times the only way
depict them in old rags,
you could recognize a
as poor as their human
troll was by their un-
neighbors. Trolls could
Christian behavior, like
possess great treasures
walking away from a
of gold, silver and gem-
church on a Sunday
stones in their caves or
morning rather than to-
underground residenc-
wards it.
es. Sometimes they took
They could also transform themselves into logs
or stubs and only if you
took out your knife to cut
into them would they run
away as trolls cannot
stand steel - perhaps as it
is not naturally occurring in nature but a
product of human civilization. Trolls also had the
power to change them-
their treasure out and
left it on the ground to
be aired. Often a bull or
a snake guarded it. If
you quickly threw a
steel knife or a bible
over it, you could keep
the trolls' belongings. As
trolls lived in a mirrorlike world, what was
dirt in one world, would
be gold in another - so if
you were given a
worthless thing by a
troll, it may later turn
out to be a valuable
treasure. As always, one
couldn't just trust one's
eyes when dealing with
trolls.
Trolls also kept animals
like cattle and sheep and
often these were bigger
and produced more milk
or wool than normal
farm animals. Sometimes they could be easily recognized as they
were striped or pure
black or pure white, and
sometimes the troll cattle and troll goats or
sheep even interbred
with normal stock which
would create good animals.
There were also many
11
11
everyday relations be-
As for food they seemed
es by shooting magical
tween trolls and humans
to eat more or less the
projectiles that ran-
who borrowed tools or
same as humans - ex-
domly hit people. They
food or money from each
cept the human-eating
had particularly great
other, esp. during hard
trolls obviously Some
influence on children. If
times, and if you e.g..
trolls were greedy,
a child started crying
lent a troll some flour for
chasing away hunters
in the middle of the
baking bread, he might
and others from their
night, this was blamed
return an even better
mountains, while others
on the trolls, and one
flour. At other times
were generous. Several
must not leave one's
trolls helped the farmers
stories tell of mountain
children's clothes out-
with their work, troll
trolls who socialize
side at night or the
women were for example
with people and want
trolls might get access
particularly good at
to be invited to bap-
to their mind.
spinning wool, but you
tisms. No parents want-
One of the trolls' worst
had to be careful not to
ed a big mountain troll
habits was theft, they
give them anything that
as their guest so they
especially liked to steal
belonged to you personal-
came up with different
beer or food, and dur-
ly, as that would give
excuses why the troll
ing the Christmas sea-
them control over you,
should stay at home.
son when people were
and they definitely did-
But the mountain troll
preparing for several
n't want things decorat-
always gave the biggest
days of good eating and
ed with a crucifix.
baptism gift, often sil-
drinking one should be
It was not all bad to
ver from his own home.
very careful because
have trolls as neighbors
People often abused the
trolls could easily sneak
though. If they were
trolls' trust by claiming
in and steal from peo-
treated with respect, one
that the gift had to be
ple's table or even
might have a happy
even bigger in order to
throw the people out till
home oneself with well-
be the biggest gift. The
they had consumed eve-
fed children and money
mountain trolls always
rything.
in the purse. And it hap-
accepted such claims
pened that trolls and hu-
and gave even more.
mans married, but what
So what do trolls not
like? Well, one thing
happened to their off-
As for trolls' magical
that could definitely
spring, we may never
powers they could in-
enrage them were
know...
flict people with illness-
churchbells which may
12
explain why they pre-
is set in an parallel
moose and turn it into a
ferred to live so far away
timeless world among
dairy animal) and
from fertile land. Some-
animals and supernatu-
ultimately - from
times they even tried to
ral creatures, reflecting
Ekman’s view -
prevent churches from
upon the human world
dispensable, if we do not
being built by tearing
that passes through/
learn to respect the
down at night what peo-
intrudes upon their di-
forest again as a whole.
ple had built during the
mension. Her last work
day and removing church
of interest in this troll
foundations to remote
connection is her essay
parts of the forest. Good
collection Herrarna i
riddance, they must have
skogen (2007) which
thought when they
can best be described as
dumped the church in
a cultural history of
some faraway swamp.
the Northern European
Swedish writers who
write about trolls:
Kerstin Ekman (born
1933) Wonderful Swedish
novelist with a rich imagination, writing the
crime story Blackwater
about old lonely people
living in cabins in the
dark North. And
Rövena I Skuleskogen
(Forest of Hours) which
follows the life of the troll
Skord through many centuries. A few years later
K. Ekman published the
poetic novel Urminnes
tecken (not translated to
English, but to the other
Nordic languages) which
forests from the early
Middle Ages till today here the prime forests
in all their sublime
medieval darkness, the
place of werewolves
and troll, emerge first
through the eyes of
popular imagination
(folklore) and later
through the clearly
conflicting domains of
Beppe Wolgers (19281986) Swedish writer
and poet who wrote
Dunderklumpen.
Alfred Smedberg (18501925) Swedish writer of
fairy tales.He wrote a
famous children's song
about gnomes, but also
various fairy tales about
Scandinavian folklore
creatures, incl. "Trollen
och tomtepojken" (The
trolls and the gnome
boy) which was published in Bland tomtar
och troll in 1909 with the
following wonderful illustration by John Bau-
science and commerce
er.
that finally conquered
Karin Fryxell (1911-2003)
Swedish Children's book
writer, famous (in Sweden) for her troll stories,
illustrated with photographs of troll dolls
made by herself. She created the two troll characters named Sotlugg
and Linlugg .
the inhabitants of the
forests and turned
them into something
exploitable (Ekman
recounts how, in the
age of reason, scholars
planned to tame the
1313
Albert Engström (18691940)
Swedish artist and cartoonist, well-known in
Scandinavia for his funny and very big-nosed
drunkards and greatly
admired by the troll
painter John Bauer
writes the following in a
short essay:
"Vid Domberget
stannar jag och stampar i marken, ty här är
vägen ihålig och härunder bo troll, som ha
varit farliga förr i
världen, men nu kunna
skrämmas med stampningen av en barnfot.
Jag tänker mig deras
håla med röda sandväggar och tallrötter i
taket, hopsnodda som
ynglet i ett snokbo. När
jag stampar, faller sand
i ögonen på mordfolket
och de slicka ögongloberna rena på varandra
och åja sig. Det låter
som när vesslor gnissla i
ett stenröd."
live troll which were
dangerous in olden
days, but now could be
scared with the stomping of a child's foot. I
am thinking of their
cave with its red walls
of sand and pine roots
in the ceiling, interwoven as the spawn in an
adder's nest. When I
stomp, the sand falls
down into the eyes of
the murder people, and
they lick each others'
eye balls clean and sigh.
and stomp in the
ground as the road here
is full of holes and underneath
Hunter
Review by Tim Robey of the
Telegraph UK
There are trolls. There is
a man who hunts them.
This will be lure enough
for most fantasy addicts, but André
Øvredal’s movie has wittier ideas up its sleeve
than the average “mockdoc” shocker, a genre it
transcends through
It sounds as when fer-
sheer originality.
rets squeak in a pile of
It’s halfway to a come-
stones."
dy, except that the trolls
are the opposite of
chummy, and look as
though they could wipe
out whole villages with
their bad breath alone.
The alleged hunter
they’re stalking (Otto
Jespersen) doesn’t mess
around – he has a suit of
homemade armor for
Translation:
"At Cathedral Hill I stop
The Troll
emergencies, patrols
So with all that all said,
bridges, and drives
the following is what
around with huge spot-
got me thinking about
lights ready to petrify
trolls, I recommend the
his quarry.
film ...
So many details are funny, from the types of
14
troll – beware the
Ringlefinch, giggle as
you run from a Rimetosser – to the notion of
a government conspiracy to cover up troll
activity.
It’s the God-fearing
these things are after –
one closet Christian
breaks down and confesses in a cave. What
day. This year, the solstice
to make it through the
itself falls on June 22.
long evening), but Ameri-
Swedes, like many in Eu-
can palates are seldom up
rope, have celebrated the
to the task.
longest day of the year
since pagan times. And
with good reason: In a
northern land where the
sun barely rises during the
dark, snowy winter, summer is a time to celebrate
the golden outdoors. It's a
time to sing and dance
(ideally around a flower-
about Muslims? No
studded maypole or fright-
one quite knows.
eningly large bonfire), eat
One thing’s for sure –
it’s certainly the most
appealingly bonkers
effects blockbuster ever to come out of Norway.
Party Like The
Swedes On
the best of the summer
crops, and toss back shots
of bracingly strong alcohol.
No true Swedish midsom-
mar celebration is complete
without aquavit (and lots
of it). Like gin, this distilled
liquor is flavored with a
varying blend of spices,
from cardamom to fennel
Summer Solstice
to dill, with each distillery
By Deena Pricher of NPR
(or kitchen) coming up
Swedish midsommar essentially comes down to
three things: friends, food
and schnapps.
with its own signature
combination. But whatever
the individual breakdown,
the flavor of caraway is
usually front and center —
Midsommar, the Swedish
which can be a lot to han-
celebration of summer
dle in a beverage. Swedes
solstice, is a pretty easy
throw back shot after shot
holiday to love —
of the stuff during midsom-
perhaps because it's more
mar (newbies are advised
of a party than a holi
to only drink half the shot
Tosca Cake
Tosca cake
is a Scandinavian favorite,
thought to be named for
Puccini's opera. It's a delicate sponge, crowned with
a caramelized almond, praline-like topping. It's luscious enough on its own,
but it also makes a great
accompaniment for a pile
of tiny new summer strawberries.
Makes about 8 servings
Cake Layer
1 1/4 cups all-purpose
flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1 stick butter (8 tablespoons), melted and
cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup milk
3 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
Tosca Topping
1/2 stick butter (4 tablespoons)
15
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup whipping
cream
2 tablespoons allpurpose flour
Pinch salt
1 cup sliced/flaked almonds (you can substitute slivered almonds if
desired, though I think
the thin-sliced almonds
make a more delicate
topping)
1/4 teaspoon almond
extract
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and butter and
flour a 9-inch springform pan. Line the bottom of the pan with a
circle of parchment,
and butter that as well.
Sift together the flour,
baking powder and
salt. Set aside. Mix together the butter, vanilla and milk, and set
aside (it should be
warm enough that the
butter is liquid, but not
too hot).
With an electric mixer,
beat together the eggs
and sugar on a high
speed until pale and
thick. Add the flour
mixture and the milk
mixture in turns, mixing after each addition
until just barely combined, ending with the
dry ingredients. Do
not overmix (it's better
to err on the side of undermixing to ensure a
tender cake). Pour into
the springform pan
the cake. Place the
cake back in the oven,
and bake an additional
15 minutes or so, until
the topping is golden
brown. Allow to cool
before slicing.
and place in the oven
to bake for 20 to 25
minutes, until the top
is just barely set.
pologetic knockoff of a
While the cake is baking, prepare the topping. Combine the butter, sugar, cream, flour
and salt in a saucepan.
Place over a mediumhigh flame and stir to
combine as the butter
melts. When the mixture has combined, add
the almonds and allow
the mixture to come to
a simmer. Let simmer 1
minute, then turn off
the heat. Stir in the extracts and set aside.
When the cake has
baked for 20 to 25
minutes and is just
barely set, gently remove it from the oven.
Raise the oven temperature to 400. Gently
spread the topping on
The
Scandopolitan
This drink is an unaCosmopolitan, but with
a Swedish twist. You
can find lingonberry
juice at European
stores (or Ikea), but in
a pinch you can substitute a strong cranberry juice.
Makes 2 drinks
2 shots aquavit
4 shots lingonberry
juice
Juice of 1/2 lime
1 scant shot triple sec
Pour all ingredients
into a cocktail shaker
with ice, and shake to
mix and chill. Strain
into two cocktail glasses, with ice, and serve.
16
May 1st meeting
Terry designed and
purchased two banners
on the festival that
will be given out to attendees.
for our club to display
We had two visitors:
on our float for parade
Glen and Sue Hanson ,
day - turned out excel-
relatives to Carolyn
lent! Cost of float entry
Wedin.
is $50
Carol Bender presented
Syttende Mai is May
to the club on Dalmåln-
16 , Cattail string band
ing (Dalpainting).Carol
will be playing
Bender and Liz ( her
brighten the area. Cor-
niece). Carol’s grand-
ner fireplaces became
parents settled in Stock-
more common.
th
Lamar midsommar celebration moving ahead,
plans are coming together. We are planning for 150 in attendance. Kurt Nelson will
be playing näverlur.
Carolyn Wedin is trying to get Wisconsin
holm Wisconsin. farmers and carpenters.
They were from Nunäs,
Sweden.
In the 1730s paintings
on the ceilings began
to replace textiles.
‘Bonads’ told a story,
Klas Hansper was her
many of the illustra-
teacher from Nunäs,
tions were from the bi-
Sweden.
ble. Since most people
couldn’t read or write
Humanities Council
She spoke about
grant for Lamar Mid-
Dalmålning how it blos-
sommar fest. We are
somed between the 18th
going with same plans
and 19th Century. Be-
In southern Sweden
for festivities as last
ginning of middle ages
artists worked on their
year. Terry has created
people put textiles on
paintings in the winter
walls and ceiling to
time and delivered
dress them up and
their goods in the
a booklet
the pictures were easily understood.
17
spring and summer –
lamålning and
this was a good way
floral-gourd
for them to earn extra
symbols are
income. In central
commonly re-
Sweden painting was
ferred to as kur-
done on walls not on
bits.
fabric. The more that
was painted the more
prestigious. In Leksand
earth pigments were
combined i.e. berries,
blood, water, honey,
cinder, fishbone. Brushes were made from animal hair i.e. squirrels,
cows hair and birds
feathers. Potatoes were
used as stamps, cloth
or a person’s fist were
also used. Borders were
used as a person’s signature, since people
were not literate.
Difference between
Rosemalin
(Norwegian) and
Dalmålning (Swedish)
Rosemalin has more
subtle hues and each
valley area was different. In Dalmålning
each county was different and the colors were
brighter. Brush strokes
are the same. Da-
Jim and Anne
will be hosting
this years pea
soup and
pankaks supper
at their home. Our
meeting was concluded
with some Fika (tack
Stuart and Char) and
wonderful chitchat
among friends.
18
Svenskarnas Dag
At Lamar
Community
Center
Saturday
June 23,
2012
We invite all our club members and friends to
attend this very fun and very Swedish event.
Come wear a flowered head band, help decorate the midsommarstång (midsummer pole )
learn about its history with Dr Carolyn
Wedin, listen to the enchanting sound of the
nävalur, sing and dance with local musicians
around the Midsommar-stång and then enjoy
a Swedish buffet, meatballs, new potatoes with
dill, cucumber salad, bread, and fresh strawberries. Free will donation for the meal.
Bring a bunch of flowers to add to the
decorations and a lawn chair.
Sunday, June 24 ― 10:30
a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Location: Minnehaha Park
The 79th annual Svenskarnasdag kicks off at 10:30
a.m. with music by the Oldtime Gospel Singers from
Luleå, followed by
the majstång (maypole) raising at 11:15 a.m. led by Elise
Peters and the Twin Cities
Swedish Folk Dancers. Stick
around for a program full of
Nordic music and dance,
starting at 12:15 p.m., including performances by Swedish groups Anders Kedhammar's "Music From Sweden," Tommy Lasko's trio
KaTjinG and others, This
event is free and open to the
public. For more information and a schedule of
events, visit
www.svenskarnasdag.com
There will not be a meeting in July, the next
meeting will be our tour
& pot luck picnic at the
historic Sand Lake
Lutheran Church on
August 7th 5 PM
För Alltid Svensk Nyheter is written, edited and published every month except January and July. Our cover is a photo is a “cutout” of some of our members decorating last
years Midsommar pole. The members only password is komm (come) to access the newsletter on our web-site. Check our web-site regularly www.foreverswedish.org it is updated at least weekly. And check our Facebook page too—-search for Forever Swedish to
find it and don’t forget to ‘like’ us. Editor and contact person is: Terry Kelzer, 1414 90th
Avenue, Amery Wi. 54001 or by phone 715-268-2901 or email at: [email protected]