Sons of Norway Viking Sword Program Sons of Norway- Mandt Lodge welcomes the public to a program about “The Viking Sword that Wasn't” at 317 South Page Street, Stoughton, on Wednesday, July 10, 2024 at 7:00 PM. In 1911, a sword was dug up in the prairie of Minnesota near the town of Ulen. Not long after, it was declared a Viking-Age sword. But in 2007, that all changed. No longer deemed a Viking sword by most people in and around Ulen, this talk explores what happened and what it can tell us about Nordic-American life in the Upper Midwest. Marcus Cederström earned his B.A. from the University of Oregon in Sports Business, History, and Scandinavian Studies and his M.A. and Ph.D. in Scandinavian Studies and Folklore from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He works in the Department of German, Nordic, and Slavic+ at UW–Madison as the community curator of Nordic-American folklore for the “Sustaining Scandinavian Folk Arts in the Upper Midwest” project. Cederström teaches folklore courses, conducts fieldwork with Nordic Americans throughout the Upper Midwest, and works with folklorists and artists throughout the region to create public programming supporting traditional folk arts. Refreshments will be served! Everyone is welcome and no reservations needed!

Please contact Darlene Arneson at arnesonfamily5@gmail.com or 608-873-7209 for more information. Mandt Lodge is handicapped accessible with a lift located on the south side of the building. There is parking on the street, public parking lot behind the Stoughton Senior Center, or in the Livsreise parking lot if their building is closed. We always encourage you to bring donations for the Stoughton Food Pantry! The public is always welcome at Mandt Lodge!