The Simpsons go Norse

Moe's Bar begins serving akavit in The Simpson's episode, "Coming to Homerica"

I thought that this past weekend couldn't get any better.

• Alexander Rybak and FRIKAR winning Eurovision 2009 on May 16
• Norway's national day, Syttende Mai on May 17

I was wrong. It's been positively Norgasmic!!

This weekend, The Simpsons television show season finale, "Coming to Homerica", featured a storyline with Norwegians (Ogdenvillians) and was a tribute to Syttende Mai, Norwegian Constitution Day — the day the show aired for the first time in the USA. Matt Groening, the creator of The Simpson's, has Norwegian heritage through his mother's side of the family.

There were plenty of sly cultural references to things Scandinavian, Norwegian and Norwegian-American. I really got a kick out of all the "immigrant" kids in Minnesota Viking jerseys while one of the local characters comments that the town is " Tennessee Titans" country . I'm a native Minnesota Norwegian-American who grew up in Tennessee. It's one of the few times I've seen cultural references that bring all those parts of my personal story together.

The closing credits of the show featured a tune called Hoppar'n, a rull / rudl from Voss handed down by fiddler Ola Mosafinn (1828-1912) as played by contemporary Norwegian folk band, Chateau Neuf Spelemannslag on their CD, Tjuvgods / Stolen Goods.

The show ended with a lovely display of the Norwegian flag — full screen. Heia Norge!

The episode is now available on Hulu.

But the weekend took a surprise turn for me on late Sunday night.

The biggest thrill — by far — of this year's Syttende Mai was that I received word that a newly-written tune was debuted this past weekend at major Norwegian folk festival by one of Norway's top traditional music bands. That tune bears my name.

I am now a small part, a footnote, in Norwegian folk music history. How cool is that?!

Related Posts:

• The First CD: Sigbjørn Bernhoft Osa
• Playing by Ear: A Journey from Classical Violinist to Hardanger Fiddler
• Thoughts on the new structure of Lagspel finals
• Album Review: Rannveig Djønne – Spelferd Heim
• What are the top 5 traditional Nordic tunes?

Tagged as: *done, akavit, aquavit, bands, Bart Simpson, Chateau Neuf Spelemannslag, Coming to Homerica, Eurovision Song Contest, fele, fiddle, fiol, Hardanger fiddle, hardingfele, holidays in Norway, Homer Simpson, Homerica, Hordaland, Major, Minnesota, Minnesota Vikings, music, Norwegian, Norwegian Constitution Day, Norwegian culture, Ogdenville, Ola Mosafinn, rudl, rull, simpsons, song, springar, Springfield, string instruments, Tennessee, Tennessee Titans, The Simpsons, traditional folk music, United States, Vestlandet, Voss, Voss spelemannslag