The Mystery Behind IKEA Product Names

Swedish furniture retailer, IKEA, is often known for its affordable and Scandinavian-inspired products, do-it-yourself assembly and large showroom stores. But, perhaps almost as well known, are their product’s distinctive names. A simple google search brings up numerous articles on the topic, a game dedicated to matching IKEA’s product names with the item type, even an interactive product name generator application. What might seem to be a mishmash of unfamiliar words and characters to the average shopper is actually much more. With product names ranging from “Billy” to “Snitta” and everywhere between, IKEA actually employs a complex Scandinavian naming system to the over 10,000 products they sell.

For instance, in my home there is an Aneboda, Bjursta, Malm, Aläng and Mongstad, or in other words, three locations in Sweden and two in Norway. So how do a dresser, dining table, bed frame, lamp and wall mirror turn into place names? Here are just a few of the Scandinavian naming rules that apply to IKEA’s many products:

• Beds, wardrobes, and hall furniture: Norwegian place names
(e.g. Elgå - “Location in Norway” - wardrobe)

• Children’s items: mammals, birds, and adjectives (e.g. Mammut - “Mammoth” - wardrobe)

• Bathroom articles: Scandinavian lakes, rivers and bays
(e.g. Boasjö - “Swedish lake name”- 5 piece bathroom sink set)

• Chairs, desks: men’s names (e.g. Gustav - workstation desk)

• Textiles, curtains: women’s names (e.g. Felicia - throw blanket)

• Upholstered furniture, coffee tables, bookshelves, media storage: Swedish place names (e.g. Ektorp - “Location in Sweden” - upholstered sofa)

• Kitchen utensils: foreign words, spices, herbs, fish, mushrooms, fruits or berries, functional descriptions (e.g. Snitta - “To cut”- knife set)

• Carpets and rugs: Danish place names (e.g. Gåser - “Location in Denmark” - floor rug)

Now you are probably asking yourself, “where did the idea for these IKEA names come from?” Ingvar Kamprad, IKEA’s founder, created the naming system in the hope that naming the products with words and proper names rather than numbers would be easier for the shopper to remember. It was also helpful for Kamprad, as he is dyslexic.

While IKEA’s unique naming system is certainly one of the most well known, it is hardly the beginning of the trend toward retail product naming. Furniture Chairman at the Savannah College of Art and Design, Antonio Larosa, pre-dates the idea much farther, saying, “Throughout history, furniture pieces were given the name of a monarch, such as Queen Anne or Louis XIV, to gain favor and influence.” Giving proper names to retail items creates a visceral connection and many retailers have taken cues from these early ideas in an effort to lure shoppers.

No matter the reason behind IKEA’s product naming procedure, one thing is certain, knowing the nomenclature makes a trip to IKEA all the more interesting, and perhaps even informative.

Itching for some additional examples of IKEA items with a Norwegian moniker? Here are a few to get you started…
• Trondheim: Collection of bedroom furniture
• Tromsö: Collection of loft and bunk style beds
• Stolmen: Collection of wardrobe furniture
• Fåvang: Collection of foam mattresses
• Figgjo: Decorative bathroom mirror
• Nidelva: Bathroom storage tins

Sweet Treats

It was a pleasure to work with Kari Diehl on "Sweet Talk," Viking magazine's cover feature for April. I came across Kari's Scandinavian food blog a few months ago and have been a fan ever since. If you enjoyed her article on Nordic coffee celebrations, then you'll enjoy this expanded post on the same subject, with plenty of recipes for cakes, tortes and cookies.

As if that weren't enough, Sons of Norway's website is loaded with dozens of great Norwegian recipes for breads, desserts and baked goods as well. When the treats come out of the oven, all that's missing is good coffee and conversation!

Amy Boxrud is editor of Viking magazine. She lives with her family in Northfield, Minn., where she’s a member of Nordmarka 1-585.

Northerners Say It Best

Can one dialect sound more appealing than another? For Norwegians, this seems to be the case. In a recent survey conducted by InFact AS, Norwegians chose nordlendingene—those living in the far north of Norway—as most attractive sounding.

More than ten percent of respondents chose Norway's northernmost dialects as their favorite. It's perhaps a bit surprising, then, that sørlandsk—the dialect spoken in the far south—came in second place. The dialects spoken in Trondelag and Bærum (an community southwest of Oslo) tied for third place.

Why not judge for yourself? You can hear samples of all these dialects and dozens more on this audio database. The instructions are in Norwegian, but you can hear a sample by clicking the map of Norway. When the larger map appears, chose any location. Each dialect is identified by place (sted), municipality (kommune) and county (fylke). Listen to the sample by selecting one of the audio files (.wav or .mp3).

Want to learn more about Norwegian dialects? You can check out my feature story "What Did You Say?" in the March issue of Viking!

Amy Boxrud is editor of Viking magazine. She lives with her family in Northfield, Minn., where she’s a member of Nordmarka 1-585.)

Map image by NordNordWest.

Presidential Tour 2011

If you’ve been reading the last few issues of Viking magazine, then you’ve probably seen the ads promoting the 2011 Presidential Tour of Norway, which departs this fall and is hosted by International President Dan Rude. This is only the second time we’ve done a tour like this in the decade-plus that I’ve been with Sons of Norway, so it’s obviously a very special trip.

But what makes this trip even more special is that those who go will get to see the very best that Norway has to offer! From 800-year-old stave churches and UNESCO World Heritage Sites, to modern cities and upscale accommodations throughout, tour participants are in for a trip of a lifetime. Thos who decide to jump at this amazing opportunity will experience:

• Local culture and cuisine in a number of Norwegian cities, including Oslo, Bergen Sogndal and more
• The Oslo Folkemuseum
• Seven stave churches, including Gol, Heddal, Lom, Urnes
• The Viking Ship Museum
• Hadeland Glassverk
• The famous Flåm railway     

Over the next week or so I’ll be blogging about all the great places the tour will visit. Join me as we begin tomorrow with the first day in Oslo. In the meantime, if you want to learn more about the tour, be sure to contact Linda McCormick at Borton Overseas by calling (800) 843-0602 ext. 12.

You, Too, Can Speak Norwegian!

I came across a blog post this week that highlighted many of the cognates between Norwegian and English. It's a great reminder of how approachable Norwegian is for us speakers of English. (Although my personal favorite cognate was omitted: egg.) You don't speak Norwegian yet? Learning it is easier than you might think!

As a student at St. Olaf, I was required to study three semesters of a foreign language. And while I chose Norwegian out of an interest in the culture and my heritage, there were others who picked it for its reputation of being the easiest language to learn. In addition to its similar vocabulary, the grammar and sentence structure are, indeed, very English-friendly.

Another reason to learn Norwegian: it's really three languages for the price of one! By learning Norwegian, you'll also find Swedish (especially when spoken) and (written) Danish quite understandable, giving you linguistic inroads to 20 million people.

You can learn a new Norwegian word or phrase each month by checking out Spread the Word, a bite-sized language lesson found in each issue of Viking magazine. You'll find language-learning resources on the Sons of Norway website, too.

So why not take a few minutter (minutes) to brew yourself en kopp kaffe (a cup of coffee), find yourself a comfy place å sitte (to sit), and do a little looking through an ord bok (literally "word book," or dictionary) to see just how easy learning Norwegian can be!

Amy Boxrud is editor of Viking magazine. She lives with her family in Northfield, Minn., where she’s a member of Nordmarka 1-585.

Glass Act

When Karen Hansen was researching "A Glass Act," the Viking cover feature for March, she came up with more glassblowing resources than we could pack into the available pages. For glassblowing enthusiasts, here are a few more sites to check out.

Pilchuck Glass School in Stanwood, Washington and Pittsburgh Glass Center offer classes for students at a wide range of experience levels. And if you're really serious about finding a glassblowing program, here's an article that can help you find the right one for you. To see artisans in action, you can watch live streaming video of glassblowers from The Hot Shop at the Museum of Glass in Tacoma, Washington. The live video is streamed during the museum's normal hours of operation.

Can't get enough of Norwegian glass? Join Sons of Norway International President Dan Rude on a Presidential Tour of Norway in September. The tour includes a tour of the Hadeland Glass Factory. For more information, contact Borton Overseas.

You can read Hansen's article about the history of glassblowing and southern Norway's "glassblowing belt" in the March issue of Viking!

Amy Boxrud is editor of Viking magazine. She lives with her family in Northfield, Minn., where she’s a member of Nordmarka 1-585.

Photo courtesy of Flickr user crankyuser.

Meet the 2010 Norwegian Experience Winner

Sons of Norway and Borton Overseas are very excited to announce the latest winner of the Norwegian Experience recruitment contest, Nancy Madson! As the 2010 winner, Nancy and a guest will be spending nine days visiting some of Norway’s most scenic and historic places, including UNESCO World Heritage sites and several stave churches.

A member since 1990, Nancy has held numerous lodge leadership positions and is currently vice president of Solskinn 6-150 and a District 6 zone director. I had an opportunity to speak with Nancy and learn more about her as well as the upcoming trip.

What do you like most about your lodge?
“We really are planning some great activities at the lodge. We have several cultural skills groups in hardanger, music and rosemaling, a literature blog and a folk dancing group as well as a lunch and supper club. We also are doing some great succession planning for our lodge leadership.”

Why did you join Sons of Norway?
“I grew up in Mankato, Minnesota and had always been surrounded by other Norwegian-Americans, but I never had any exposure to Sons of Norway until I moved to Southern California and saw an ad in the paper for a lodge that was just starting. I was so surprised that there were other Norwegians in that part of the country that I decided to attend the event. I had always had an interest in my heritage and had attended Nordic Fest in the past, but my interest really increased after the loss of my parents—when it is too late to ask questions about bunads and family recipes.”

Were you recruited?
“No, I attended a lodge meeting after seeing an ad in the local paper. It turns out that the meeting that I attended was only the 2nd meeting the lodge had ever held and they asked me to become the publicity director for the lodge—I hadn’t even officially joined yet but I said yes!”

Do you have any family in Sons of Norway?
“I have a sister and niece that are both members. At one time I had purchased gift memberships for all of my siblings and a distant relative in Norway. My nephew and niece both have a strong interest in their heritage. My nephew wants to learn how to make lefse and my sister has been teaching my niece and grandniece Norwegian baking. It’s really important to pass our heritage and traditions on to others. I don’t have any children, but I enjoy passing on those traditions to my nephew, niece and grandnieces.”

What do you like best about Sons of Norway?
“Many things…mostly the camaraderie. Getting together with people with a shared interest. Membership in Sons of Norway was also good for me on a personal level. I used to be terrified of public speaking! But, when I first became a cultural director I had to learn how to give presentations. Several leadership positions later, I’m much more comfortable and I now give leadership workshops.”

How did you find out that you’d won the Norwegian Experience contest?
“Dan Rude, our International President, left a message on my answering machine saying he would like to talk with me and that he would call back at a different time. My first thought was, ‘oh no something is really wrong in my district!’ Luckily, it was good news and a definite surprise!”

What are you most looking forward to when you travel to Norway?
“I’m really looking forward to seeing so many stave churches. I traveled to Norway in 2000 to attend the International Convention in Stavanger, but that was 11 years ago. I’m really looking forward to seeing the differences and things that have changed since the last time I was in Norway. I’m also looking forward to enjoying the trip with others. We’ll be joining attendees of the Presidential Tour so it will be a lot of fun to experience Norway with other members.”

The contest is open to anyone who recruited at least one new member last year. How many new members did you recruit and do you have any tips to share about recruiting?
“I didn’t recruit that many, 4. I know there are people who recruited many more people than me--it really is all the luck of the draw! Over the years we’ve tried a few recruiting ideas and letter writing campaigns, but simply asking others in your community works. Just recently I was at a Chamber mixer and someone overheard a conversation I was having with another person about lutefisk and that peaked the person’s interest. I always have copies of Viking magazine in my car, so I went out and grabbed them a copy and showed them what they’re missing.”

Be sure to check in with us in the coming months as we continue to blog about the big trip, and don’t forget you, too, can be eligible to win the Norwegian Experience! Check out the Norwegian Experience 2011 ads in the March and upcoming April issue of Viking to learn more or call 800-945-8851.

Norway's Skiers Dominate Nordic Worlds

Congratulations to Norway on their spectacular showing in the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships! When the games came to a close in Oslo on Sunday, Norway had amassed a whopping 20 medals, including 8 golds. The nearest competitors were Austria with 10 medals and Sweden with 5.

There were plenty of exciting moments during the championships, but one I found particularly moving was when 22-year-old Therese Johaug won gold in the Women's 30 km (18 mile) race. After a week of foggy weather, the sun broke through and helped energize the crowd of 100,000 fans to add an extra boost to the home-field advantage.



For more coverage of the FIS championships, check out this summary from the English language website "News and Views from Norway."

Amy Boxrud is editor of Viking magazine. She lives with her family in Northfield, Minn., where she’s a member of Nordmarka 1-585.

Lifelong Learning

While scrolling through my Facebook feed yesterday, I noticed that Vesterheim Museum is promoting their upcoming Lifelong Learning classes. I checked out their website and was really impressed to see the variety of classes they're offering this year. The museum offers classes in woodworking, metalworking, fiber arts, rosemaling, writing, and traditional Norwegian cooking and baking. Want to make a wooden bowl? Or a traditional Norwegian corner cabinet, including the metal hinges? How about improving your overshot weaving technique? Or learning the style of rosemaling from Rogaland or Valdres? You can even build your own Hardanger fiddle! It's a good thing I don't live any closer to Decorah. If I did, I would want to register for all of these classes—my family would never see me!

Several of Vesterheim's upcoming woodcarving classes are taught by Professor Emeritus Harvey Refsal, who recently retired from Luther College. Check out an interview with Harley in the October 2010 issue of Viking.

Amy Boxrud is editor of Viking magazine. She lives with her family in Northfield, Minn., where she’s a member of Nordmarka 1-585.
Photo courtesy of Vesterheim Museum.

Marvelous Mythology

If you're a fan of Marvel Comics' take on Norse mythology, you're soon in for a treat. The trailer for the movie "Thor" was released this week, and the film is scheduled for release May 6, 2011. Here's a synopsis of the film from the Marvel website:

"Thor spans the Marvel Universe from present day Earth to the realm of Asgard. At the center of the story is the mighty Thor, a powerful but arrogant warrior whose reckless actions reignite an ancient war. Thor is cast down to Earth by his father Odin and is forced to live among humans. ... It’s while here on Earth that Thor learns what it takes to be a true hero when the most dangerous villain of his world sends the darkest forces of Asgard to invade Earth."

In the meantime, if you'd like to brush up on your Norse mythology as told by a master storyteller, get one of Dag Rossman's six books on the subject, including "The Dragonseeker's Saga: New Tales of the Nine Worlds," (Skandisk, 2009) or "The Northern Path: Norse Myths and Legends Retold...And What They Reveal" (Seven Paws Press, 2005). Rossman, who got his start as a storyteller at District 5 Masse Moro language camp, is a member of Valdres 1-503 in Decorah, Iowa, and was featured in the February 2010 issue of Viking.

Amy Boxrud is editor of Viking magazine. She lives with her family in Northfield, Minn., where she’s a member of Nordmarka 1-585.

Focus on Fosse

One of the things I enjoy most about editing Viking is researching topics that we cover in the magazine. When writer Karen Hansen pitched a story on Jon Fosse, Norway's best-known contemporary playwright, I—like many Americans—knew almost nothing about him. If you haven't had a chance to read it, be sure to check out Hansen's article, "Focus on Fosse," in the current issue of Viking!

If you'd like to learn more about Fosse and his work, you can read this interview in The Brooklyn Rail published in 2004, just prior to his U.S. premier. And whether or not you understand Norwegian, you'll enjoy seeing the light-hearted side of Fosse in this video interview, produced in 2007 by the Norwegian Broadcasting Company (NRK). (Sorry, no subtitles!)



Amy Boxrud is editor of Viking magazine. She lives with her family in Northfield, Minn., where she’s a member of Nordmarka 1-585.

Don’t Feed the Bears

If you’ve ever visited a zoo or a state park, you’ve probably heard these words: “Don’t feed the bears.” However one adventurous Norwegian, named Ragnar Thorseth, threw caution to the wind and fed open-faced salmon and mayonnaise sandwiches to a polar bear—by hand. This amazing feat, filmed during a family sailing trip in Svalbard in 1987, has just become available online. Check out Thorseth’s run-in with one of Svalbard’s polar bears below.



So who is this gutsy Norwegian? Ragnar Thorseth is best known for his adventuring spirit. Often called “The Last Viking,” Thorseth completed several notable sailing expeditions, retracing the paths of both Leif Eriksson and Roald Amundsen. All the more incredible is that Thorseth set out on many of his famed journeys in replica Viking ships. Completing a 2-year trip around the world in “Saga Siglar,” a Viking merchant ship, in 1986 and a 6-month expedition from Norway to New York as part of the “Vinland Revisited” expedition sponsored in part by the Norwegian and Icelandic government in 1991. In fact, our own Viking magazine chronicled Thorseth’s journey on “Gaia,” a replica of the famous “Gokstad” ship, in the August and October 1991 issues. Thorseth also has the distinction of being the first Norwegian to reach the North Pole by land.

Despite setbacks from a serious horseback riding accident in 2000, Thorseth welcomes his newest adventures as a grandfather, hobby fisherman and golfer. He has also continued to produce films, including a recent NRK documentary with photographer and friend, Trygve Berge.

If you’d like to learn more about Ragnar Thorseth or the “Vinland Revisited” journey on “Gaia” visit http://www.gaia.no/crew/history.html. You can also reserve “Viking Voyage,” a VHS film chronicling the journey, from our media lending library by calling 800-945-8851.

Tubfrim Winner Announced!

As you may, Sons of Norway is an annual contributor to the Norwegian Tubfrim program, which raises money to help children. For the past 27 years, our members have been clipping canceled postage stamps and sending them to Tubfrim, who then turns around and sells them to dealers and collectors.

Originally the money went to assist children afflicted by tuberculosis. Today, however, the organization also works to improve the quality of life for children and youth living with a variety of handicaps. Sons of Norway members play an integral role in providing this much-needed assistance.

Here's some of fun facts about Sons of Norway's participation in Tubfrim:

•   From January 1, 2010 to January 31st 2011, Sons of Norway members contributed more than 4,000lbs (1,835 kilos)! That's nearly 2 TONS of postage stamps! 
• Sons of Norway's contribution equals nearly 50% of all stamps sent to Tubfrim in a given year!
•  Tubfrim has a Facebook page.
• Tubfrim is owned by the Norwegian Health Association (Nasjonalforeningen for folkehelsen).
  Today the profits are used to help handicapped children and youth in Norway, and to finance the efforts to eradicate tuberculosis.

While helping children is probably incentive enough for our members, Sons of Norway does something to thank those who participate by holding an annual drawing for a free plane ticket to Norway. For every pound of stamps collected, the member or lodge is entered into the drawing which is held every January.

This year’s winner was drawn during an installation ceremony held at the Sons of Norway Valhall lodge 6-025 in San Diego, California. I’m pleased to announce that the winner is Lollo Sievert, a member from Vegas Viking lodge 6-152! Congratulations, Lollo and have a great time in Norway!

If you’d like to participate in the Tubfrim contest and get the chance to win a free ticket to Norway, visit the Tubfrim page on the Sons of Norway website.

Divine Design

Viking readers already know that Oslo is a beautiful city. And the folks at Wallpaper magazine, a British journal of design and style, are in full agreement. They recently listed Oslo among five best cities worldwide in their 2011 Design Awards. They cited the city’s livability, natural beauty and great new architecture—including the newly reopened Holmenkollen ski jump, pictured here—as reasons for the recognition.

Want to learn more about the new Holmenkollen? Check out Stephen Regenold’s article, “Airborne Over Oslo,” in the current issue of Viking!

Amy Boxrud is editor of Viking magazine. She lives with her family in Northfield, Minn., where she’s a member of Nordmarka 1-585.

Image courtesy of Flickr user puzzled.

Genealogists: Have You Tried the Digitalarkivet?

Exciting news for genealogy researchers—I received an e-mail the other day from a colleague about the Norway’s National Archives. Apparently the NNA has created a free, online, searchable archive of census information dating back to 1910!

Admittedly I’m no genealogist, but after spending a little time playing around with the archive interface, I can see how it would be super-helpful to anyone researching family history in Norway. The website allows you to search by inputting as much or as little info as you have. Some of the standard search fields include name, gender, marital status, occupation, DOB and DOD. But, if you have more information, there are other fields you can add to the search, like assumed residence, habitual residence, ethnicity, language and year of emigration. Even cooler than that is that the search doesn’t stop when your ancestor left Norway—the digital archive also allows you to search by last known residence in America and occupation in America.

Also, the searchable archive allows you to narrow your search by geographic region or fylke. This would probably be helpful for people doing geological research who are unsure about the specific city or farm where their ancestors came from.

I know there's already lots of great tools our there for conducting genealogical research, but from what I hear there’s always room for more.  This reminds me, I’ll have to make sure this site gets added to the Genealogy Cultural Skills unit. If you aren’t familiar with it, its one of the many Cultural Skills units that Sons of Norway offers to members. Other units include rosemaling, hardanger embroidery, Norwegian language and folk dancing. If you’ve never taken the time to check them out, I highly recommend it!

Ok, that’s all for today, now go try out the digital archives and let me know if its helped you make any breakthroughs in your familial search!