Norwegian Pulpit Supply Team

Pastor Arlen Fiske (seated) wearing an original Lutheran "ruff" collar and vestments. Pastor Fiske is the author of many novels about Norwegian life and customs.

Standing: Klokker (the layman who presided at the opening and closing of worship)

Pastor Frank (Pastor from Al, Norway)

Pastor CynthiaForde ... me  (Pastor from Texas)

The Gandrud Cousins and Hans Bekken (Mayor of Flaa, NOR)

Krista Gandrud Sanda Johnson, Hans Bekken (Mayor of Flaa, NOR), and Cynthia under the big tent at Walcott, ND. This is the day Mayor Bekken became so sunburned he had to be hospitalized upon his return to Norway. Krista's great-grandfather Engebret and my great-grandmother Brynhild were brother and sister, descendants of Stor Gandrud from Flaa, Norway.

Wagon Train into Walcott, ND

Mid-day in Walcott, ND, we were treated to a wagon train showing us how our ancestors arrived in the midwest.

Photo, Peter Gandrud, Mayor from Flaa and CF

Peter Gandrud, Hans Bekken, (Mayor of Flaa, NOR) and Cynthia in front of the Hallinglag Banner. Moorhead, MN - 2007 (Krista Gandrud Sanda Johnson, Photographer).

I will post more photos and information about Stevne as the photos become available. Thanks, Krista!

In the meantime, we will continue with the history of Hallingdal and begin to look at the reasons for the big Norwegian migration to America in the 19th century.

Hilsen,

Photo of Cynthia and Mayor of Flaa, Norway

Hans Bekken, (Mayor of Flaa, Norway) and Cynthia - taken at the Centennial Stevne of the Hallinglag of America, Moorhead, MN - 2007. A Stevne is a meeting; the Hallinglag is an organization of descendants of Norwegians from Hallingdal, Norway. The Hallinglag began with a flourish in 1907 at Walcott, ND. We bussed from Moorhead to Walcott for a day that involved a tour of the historic district (two buildings). Now, I don't necessarily recommend Walcott as the most exciting place to tour - but it was a very memorable occasion.

The mayor was a most congenial fellow - but he did not speak English. The next day I finally located a translator and learned he had been trying to ask me if I had attended the Gandrud family reunion in Norway. And, no, I had not. He knows our cousin Nils Kolbjorn Skinnes (see earlier blog photo of Cynthia and Kolbjorn in front of our gg grandfather's clock).

It was so much fun to see the bunads and listen to the youth choir from Al, Norway. I enjoyed participating in worship on Sunday morning with Pastor Arlen Fiske and the youth pastor from Norway. We had a delightful moment when Pastor Fiske met the Norwegian youth pastor and said,"I understand you can read Norwegian?" The Norwegian pastor laughed so hard and so did I. He was able to read the scriptures in Norse (because I could not do that part). It was fun to learn about the way our immigrant ancestors worshipped using laypeople they called "Klokkers." One of my Vold ancestors in Norway was a Klokker - and now I know what that means.

And if I look tired - it is because I was exhausted from lack of sleep. We stayed in dorm rooms at the Uof MN in Moorhead ... and the beds were likely castoffs from a Nazi Prisoner of War camp. Cousin Krista had a very rude awakening at five AM when her bed broke down. The best part of the trip was meeting Peter and Marilyn Gandrud and to spend so much time conversing with Cousin Krista! She is a delightful person. We are really "identical cousins!"

Norwegian Bunad

  

The  bunad is the Norwegian folk costume specific for each community down to the tiniest details; it is pronounced bunahh. This particular bunad is likely from Al and not Flaa. Flaa's bunad can be seen in the photo of Vis-Kari in an earlier post. But this one is similar. Each bunad is very intricate and costs several thousand dollars to create. The woolens must come from that vicinity, too. Even the jewelry is unique to each community. The folk costumes are colorful and practical; the women's can be "let out" for pregnancies - and in the case of this bunad, no one will notice the pregnancy for some months. The daytime bunad is belted and not so heavily embroidered. A set of keys hung from the waist belt of the day dress. 

 

Having spent almost four years of my life being pregnant - I am very certain that I would NOT want to wear this bunad - not even for a day! Good grief! The only way I would wear a bunad like this without the waist is by pasting a photo of my head on the picture. - which is exactly what I did!