The release of the book and the opening of the photo exhibition on 13th of May was a treat to the eye. People from all over Scandinavia came to join in the celebration and the spring weather was pleasant. The open air museum, Norsk Folkemuseum in Oslo, is one of Scandinavias largest museums. The opening was hosted by the director of the museum and a “fashion show” was arranged to show costumes. Many of the people who have been photographed for the book attended. It was a big moment for me to see all my friends gathering in the reception room. Some of them sang and joiked (the sami songs) and other played their harding fiddles and “nyckelharpa”, the keyed fiddle. I was very moved and it was hard to deliver the speech.

In this entry I am going to show you more photos than I have ever done before and I do hope you will enjoy this bonansa of colors and splendor. Enjoy!

On the day before the opening I am happily looking at the large walls where all my photos are exhibited. The room is named “mezzaninen” and here you see the left part of the room. More than 50 photos in white frames makes a colorful and joyous impression.

Curator at Norsk Folkemuseum, Kari-Anne Pedersen, is as happy as I am.

On the big day, May 13th, the guest where dressed in their finest folk costumes and visitors where busy taking photos.

A bride and groom from Telemark and two young Sami girls where guests. To the left, a man in a costume from Toarp.

Here I am (to the right) with some of my friends, wearing a “beltestakk” from Telemark.

The Deputy Director of the museum, Inger Jensen, gave the welcoming speech and Anne Kristin Moe, who wrote the texts for the norwegian bunads in the book, and I recieved flowers. It was a big moment for us.

The first guests are arriving at the photo exhibition.

This is my friend from Kautokeino in front of her wedding photo, which is part of the exhibition.

Of course, all my friends wanted to get a look at their picture.

The “fashion show” started and the bride from Telemark looked like a fairy tale. Her head dress is called “lad”.

The front is cowered with silver using a silver collar, chains, pearls and medallions.

The head dress is made of layers of red wool cloth decorated with silver leaves.

Anne Kristin Moe introduced the people who came to show their bunads. She is wearing a bunad from Nordfjord and the lady to the right s wearing a bunad from Ringerike.

This is a green embroidered bunad from Östfold.

The man in the bunad from Nordhordaland is wearing two waistcoats as was used to show the family wealth.

A bunad from Vest-Agder. The woman is wearing a “plissestakk”, a pleated skirt and a head dress “vase” to show she is a married woman.

On this occasion the spectators was as well dressed as the ones on the stage.

A gentleman from Scania with a fashionable high collar and top hat.

The silk ribbon on the mens hat was used by the bride groom.

Curator Kari Anne Pedersen, in a Telemark “beltestakk”, is presenting the reconstructed and the embroidered bunads from Valdres.

A young girl wearing an old “beltestakk” from Telemark.

The backside of the bunad bodice is made of red silk decorated with silver lace. Her hair is tied up as was customary for unmarried women.

Spectators from Toarp and Scania, Sweden.

The lady from Dala-Floda in Dalecarlia is wearing the traditional embroidered jacket and cap.

Curator Thomas Walle was co-hosting the event. Here he is dressed in his bunad from Östfold.

A checkered skirt and striped apron. This lady is pretty in a bunad from Bærum.

The presentation of the Norwegian bunads are over and …..

…as the Norwegians leave the stage the Swedes get ready to show their finery.

The Swedes wear folk costumes, there are no bunads in Sweden. This is the way the people on the country side dressed a hundred years ago.

This couple is wearing folk costumes from Boda in Dalecarlia. She is wearing a white cap and the hymn book is wrapped in a piece of printed cotton. They are dressed for Church on Sunday.

The lady from Leksand in Dalecarlia is also dressed for Church. Her blue apron, embroidered shawl and all the decorations hanging from her belt shows it is a festive occasion.

The skirts in the folk costumes from Boda has a striped panel named “breda” in the front. The apron is varied depending on the occasion. The white hat shows that the woman is married and gloves like this was only worn to Church.

A very fashionable gentleman from Central Sweden in a costume copied from pieces of garments dated ca.1830.

Mother and daughter from Scania. The girl is wearing a “piglock” (girls curl) the headdress for young girls. Her mother wears a kerchief as was used by the married women. The silver on the Scanian costumes are abundant and was often worn as pendants like “Striglakors” and “Söllakors”.

The pedlar from Toarp is showing off his money belt and the “fessing”, the bag where he keeps his most valuable goods.

He must be a good salesman because he is wearing a fine blue wool coat with embroidery.

His wife is showing her stockings. It was customary that when a couple was married that the bride would stand on a rock and the guest would lift her skirt to see her stockings. That way they would know if she was good with the needle and tread and would be a good wife to her husband.

The women from Dala Floda in Dalecarlia are famous for their embroidery.

The the jacket, the hem of the skirt, the hanging pocket and cap are embroidered with wool yarn.

The man from Scania is rich. He is wearing a silk ribbon with silver “stötter” aglets. This means he is the owner of a farm.

The wife is dressed for a festive occasion with a white head dress and apron. She is also wearing “öronsvansar” (ear tails) a fashionable detail that would keep the ears warm.

The daughter is dressed as a Scanian bride with a “fjäderhätta” a feathered crown (or cap). It is made of dyed hens feathers that are made in to the shapes of flowers and fastened to the top of the cap.

The bridal “fjäderhätta” is decorated with peals, glass beads, silver lace and 21 silk ribbons with floral patterns.

When the fiddler started to play some of the guests spontaneously gave an performance of how to do the “polska”.

These young ladies wearing folk costumes from Kautokeino in Norway was the most photographed at the event. Lines of tourists waited to have their photos taken with the girls. The “kolt” or “kofte” (kirtle) has a hem (holbi) witch is almost 40 meters. There are 2000 meters of fine ribbons stitched only to the hem.

The girls have brand new kirtles that was made for them for the confirmation last Easter. They are wearing “adult” belts with silver and white ribbons in their caps.

This man is wearing a kirtle from Karesuando. The leather pants and boots are tied with colorful wool ribbons and the round buttons on the belt shows that he is unmarried.

The two ladies are Lule Sami. The lady to the left are wearing a collar with tin embroidery and the lady to the right has a collar with cloth and leather appliqué. The belts are woven and fastened with a bone clasp.

The older generation of Karesuando Samis wear kirtles with more simple decoration.

The young man has five back panels while his father has three.

When I started to work on the books Scandinavian Folklore I wanted to include the Samis. They are the indigenous people of Scandinavia and there could not be a book without them. But ……. I knew no-one in Sápmi! Two years ago one young man was brave and had the courage to befriend me, a stranger, and let me in to his family and showing me the ways of the Sami life. This is Isak Utsi from Porjus, in Swedish Lappland, and without him there would be no photos from the wonderful arctic north.

One of the pleasures before ending the official part of the day was signing books with Anne Kristin Moe.

Here are some private photos from the party after the event. In the evening we had a traditional dinner with “römmegröt og spekemat” in one of the 18th century farm houses at the museum.

Cheers!!!!! 40 people attended a dinner we will not easily forget.

Ladies from Kautokeino and Telemark.

Anne Kristin Moe is very happy that the event went so well.

With my friend Isak and his mother.

The fiddlers kept playing all night….

….and when the sun went down we kept dancing in the light from the open fire.

www.scandinavianfolklore.com