The otherworldly sound of lokking, calling vocals of Scandinavian women and Huldra (cow-tailed fairy women) waft over the fjords, across the sea and into the heartland where Minneapolis-based singer and scholar Kari Tauring lives. She begins, “I am the Völva kona, the Stav carrying woman!” Using elements such as a Danish flint knife from 20,000 BC, a replica Scandinavian Bronze Age string skirt from 2000 BC, and rune letters from 20 BC to the Middle Ages, Tauring sings and tells the stories of our deep Scandinavian tap root. Medieval rune songs, passages from the sagas, Stav rhythm and dance weave through masterful story telling that merges entertainment and education.

Drew Miller accompanies Kari on dulcimer, bass, and stav adding a touch of huldu to her shows. A real treat to experience!

The music in this live performance takes the listener on a Scandinavian journey, beginning in the Bronze Age (circa 1300 BCE with stav (staff rhythm) and string skirts, then to the Viking Era (circa 750 ACE) with rune galdor (sung spells using the rune alphabet) and Old Norse Lyrics. We land in the Immigrant Era, having left our beloved homeland to come to America. More than 800,000 Norwegians (nearly one-third of Norway's population) emigrated between 1825 and 1925. Most settled in Minnesota and Wisconsin, including Ms. Tauring's maternal family.

Recorded live at the Capri Theater, Sept 17, 2009