Viking Magazine - April 2014 - 8

Nordic Life
April 6, Baltimore, Md.
A Feather in One's Cap
S
ince the mid-19th century, New York
City's annual Easter Parade and Bonnet
Festival has showcased colorful
and somewhat cuckoo haberdashery.
Strollers down Fifth Avenue proudly sport
outlandish headwear including hats with
live birds nestled inside and 10-foot high
handcrafted hats.
Tilda Akersmyr Tofteland, who emigrated
from Lyngdal, Norway, in 1925 with her
husband Reinert to Luverne, Minn., would
surely have felt right at home in the parade.
Her story, treasured by family, began before
the couple left Norway. According to Tilda,
BY JEFF M. SAUVE
Reinert more or less accidentally shot a gjøk,
a gray bird with gray- and white-striped
underbelly, and had it stuffed. The gjøk
remained at her parents' home until 1948,
when the Toftelands returned to Norway for
a visit.
When they came back to the United
States, the Toftelands decided to bring the
stuffed gjøk along. Tilda recalled wondering
how she would carry the bird, as well as pass
it through customs, without ruffl ing any
feathers, so to speak. Her ingenious solution
was to place the bird in a hat box. When the
inspector looked inside the box, he commented,
" That's quite a
hat you have there. "
For years the stuffed
gjøk roosted in the
Tofteland home in a
telephone niche in
the wall near a cuckoo
clock-a most suitable
place considering a gjøk
is otherwise known as a
common cuckoo.
Jeff M. Sauve serves
as an archivist for the
Norwegian-American
Historical Association in
Northfi eld, Minn.
April 12, Minneapolis, Minn.
41st Annual Nordic Celebration and
Marketplace
Enjoy a luncheon presentation or
peruse an impressive collection of
authentic artisanal crafts and artist
exhibitions. Stay late for a special
dinner event, raffl e and silent auction.
563-382-9681, vesterheim.org
April 26-May 24, Oslo
A. Ekman's A Swan Lake
Catch The Norwegian National
Ballet and the Norwegian National
Opera Orchestra perform classic
tales throughout the year. This
month, catch A Swan Lake.
+47 21 42 21 21, operaen.no
April 27, Seattle, Wash.
Breaking the Language Barrier:
Norwegian & Danish Songs
by Foreigners
The Mostly Nordic Chamber Music
series features performances from
renowned artists and a sample
of authentic Nordic dishes. This
month, delve into the work of
composers including Edvard Grieg,
Frederick Delius and Abbie Betinis.
206-789-5707, nordicmuseum.org
Find more events at
sonsofnorway.com.
8 VIKING APRIL 2014 sonsofnorway.com
Tine Thing Helseth & Bretton Brown
Acclaimed Norwegian trumpeter
Tine Thing Helseth collaborates
with prize-winning pianist Bretton
Brown in this exciting duo recital.
410-516-7164, shriverconcerts.org
IMAGE COURTESY OF (FAR LEFT) WORTHINGTON DAILY GLOBE, FEB. 5, 1960
http://www.shriverconcerts.org http://www.vesterheim.org http://www.operaen.no http://www.nordicmuseum.org http://www.sonsofnorway.com http://www.sonsofnorway.com
Viking Magazine - April 2014

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Viking Magazine - April 2014
