A message from your editor   Photo: Rene Fuller Over the years, Editor-in-chief Lori Ann Reinhall (third from left) has enjoyed playing the accordion at Nordic events, including the 17th of May celebration in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood. Dear readers and friends, As I have so often said, every issue of The Norwegian American is special, but this month’s issue with its focus on music is especially close to my heart. I, for one, could not imagine my life without music, and I also have a particular fondness for Norwegian music. For this and so many reasons, including the enthusiasm of m ..read more

Norway bids a folk hero farewell Photo: Cornelius Poppe Lillebjørn Nilsen greeted his fans at Rockefeller in Oslo in 2007. Tove Andersson Oslo Oslo’s beloved son Lillebjørn (“Little Bear”), Bjørn Falk Nilsen, was born on Dec. 21, 1950. He had a gentle voice, a slightly grief-stricken gaze and a place in everyone’s hearts. He was a composer and lyricist, a fiddler, a vocalist as well as painter and was one of the leading figures in Norwegian folk music. His storytelling came from his hometown Oslo. His lyrics often function as short stories, naming streets and places in the city. But he also ha ..read more

Historisk Nato-øvelese i Norden   Foto: Heiko Junge / NTB Finske stridsvogner krysser grensen mellom Finland og Norge i Operation Nordic Response. Amalie Vadla NTB Med flere militærkjøretøy “invaderte” finske og svenske soldater Norge under øvelsen Nordic Response. Ikke mange dagene etter at Sverige ble fullverdig Nato-medlem, kunne de krysse grensen til Norge. Det gjorde de som en del av øvelsen. Målet med øvelsen er å frigjøre norsk territorium fra en fiktiv fiende og presse fienden lenger bakover. Forsvarsminister Bjørn Arild Gram (Sp) har tatt turen til Kautokeino-området i forbinde ..read more

Oslo’s beloved troubadour is laid to rest   Photo: Håkon Mosvold Larsen / NTB Lillebjørn Nilsen was honored on the front pages of the Norwegian newspapers VG, Aftenposten, and Dagbladet—and now The Norwegian American. Ragnhild Hjeltnes Assistant Editor The Norwegian American Hardanger fiddle, bagpipes, willow flute, and one last song by Gitarkameratene. Oslo has said goodbye to Lillebjørn Nilsen. Photo: Cornelius Poppe / NTB Lillebjørn Nilsen’s funeral service in Oslo City Hall was not paid for by the Norwegian state, but Oslo Municipality split the cost with the family. People lined ..read more

Norwegians still strong but not always on top Michael Kleiner Business and Sports Editor The Norwegian American Photo: Beate Oma Dahle / NTB Flags in hand, fans were out en masse at Holmenkollen in Oslo on March 10 to cheer on their favorite competitors at the cross-country skiing World Cup. It was another big year for Norway in winter sports. The men’s cross-country skiing, men’s and women’s biathlon, men’s and women’s nordic combined carried the Norwegian flag, with five overall World Cup champions, three overall silvers, three overall bronzes, seven first-place, six second-place, five thi ..read more

Fear does not strengthen our defense Photo: Javad Parsa / NTB Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre believes that the rhetoric around the security situation in Norway should be factual and sober. It is a wise starting point, writes Folkebladet in an editorial. Lead Editorial Folkebladet Politicians, the leadership of the Norwegian Armed Forces, and others who analyze the prospect of war should encourage us to be prepared. But for the authorities, it is a difficult balancing act—to ensure that Norway is prepared for war, while being careful so as not to spread unnecessary fear. This balance has als ..read more

No end in sight Image: Netflix Season 1 of The Girl from Oslo stars Anneke von der Lippe (center) as Alex, a diplomat and the mother of Pia, a Norwegian girl, who is kidnapped with her two Israeli friends by ISIS terrorists. The actress has since withdrawn from Season 2 because she does not want to be part of pro-Israeli content. John Smistad Olympia, Wash. Synopsis: Pia and two Israeli siblings are kidnapped by terrorists in the Sinai desert. If 12 prisoners are not released, the three have been publicly threatened with death. I do not pretend to be an expert on the political and historical ..read more

Efraim Pedersen’s stories published in Norwegian Photo: Ørjan Marakatt Bertelsen / NTB Efraim Pedersen’s great-great-grandson Emil Kárlsen, a prominent Sámi musician and actor, and other descendants have written the foreword to the book De døde kommer til bryllup. Gitte Johannessen NTB The Sámi storytelling tradition should be lifted up and equated with the old Norwegian folk tales, say descendants of the Sámi storyteller Efraim Pedersen. Pedersen, considered one of the three big names in early Sámi literature, is only now being published in his own book. De døde kommer til bryllup: Samiske ..read more

The story of Magnus and Gina Magnus holds his son, Angus, for his christening in a photo with Gina and their older son, John. Leslee Lane Hoyum Rockford, Minn. Kim Donaldson is the author of the book Magnus and Gina: Unbeaten by the North Dakota Prairie, in which she explores her family’s Norwegian-American roots. On the heels of Mindekirken’s centennial anniversary, a church founded by a handful of Norwegian immigrants, parishioners look forward to celebrating the roots of other Norwegian Americans during the 2025 Norwegian Emigration Bicentennial. Kicking off the many programs to be offe ..read more

Happy Notes — Happy Children Image: Theodor Kittelsen / public domain Peer Gynt finds himself “In the Hall of the Mountain King” in a famous painting by Norwegian artist Theodor Kittelsen from 1890. Have you ever seen a troll? No, you haven’t. Nobody has. Trolls aren’t real. They are like elves and fairies. They are what we call imaginary beings. We imagine they are real. We pretend they are real, but they aren’t. In Norway, where Edvard Grieg lived, many people used to think that trolls were real. They didn’t ever see them, but they thought that was because the trolls lived in the mountains ..read more