Daughters of Norway

By the end of the 19th century, about 800,000 Norwegians had immigrated to North America. Challenged by a new land and language and out of love for their homeland, many of them banded together in fraternal organizations. In 1895, the Sons of Norway was founded in Minneapolis in Minnesota. Its purpose was to help members and their families during times of sickness or death and to support each other in daily life. With time, the Sons of Norway also became a place to practice and preserve Norwegian traditions. The organization quickly grew, and more chapters were founded, both in the Midwest and on the West Coast.

It must be underlined, however, that, in the beginning, the Sons of Norway was a fraternal organization, and only men were allowed to be members. But Norwegian immigrant women were equally proud of their heritage and had the same need to congregate and support each other.

In 1897, the Daughters of Norway Minneapolis Lodge was founded, followed by Valkyrien Lodge #1 in Seattle in 1905. The members affectionately called themselves sisters. More lodges popped up in Norwegian immigrant communities around the country, and in 1908, a Grand Lodge Daughters of Norway of the Pacific Coast was incorporated. The objectives of the Daughters of Norway in the Midwest and on the West Coast were similar, but they were parallel groups that never met or merged.

By 1910, some Sons of Norway lodges started admitting women, which created some competition, but the sisters banded together and the Daughters of Norway continued to thrive. Even to this day, the concept of sisterhood is key to the mission and success of the organization. It’s about coming together with other women of like mind and interests, about learning, sharing, and helping one another. And while the Sons of Norway now admits women into its membership, only the Daughters of Norway in the Midwest merged together with the men. The women of the West Coast chose to stay independent, although men often join in at many of their events.

Any member of the Daughters of Norway will tell you that once you’re in, you have entered a circle of friends and fun. At their monthly meetings, there is all the good Norwegian food with a plethora of specialties to enjoy: cookies, kringle, lefse, and kransekake, just to name a few. There are cultural presentations, often focused on history or Norwegian arts and crafts, including rosemaling, knitting, and Hardanger embroidery, which are also highlights at the national convention each summer. Norwegian holidays are dutifully observed, and Christmas and the 17th of May are big celebrations when many of the daughters come out in beautiful bunads.

And the Daughters of Norway sisters love to sing, so much that they have their own songbook, which includes singable translations of many of Norway’s most beloved songs. With their knowledge of Norwegian culture and music, many daughters are also active members of Norwegian choral and folk-dance groups.

Many of the Daughters of Norway lodges are named after famous or accomplished Norwegian women or simply Norwegian-American women who made great contributions to their local communities. It is all about a sense of pride of being Norwegian.

Yet today, there is a broader sense of inclusiveness among the Daughters of Norway. To be a member, you must be 13 or older; be of Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Icelandic, Swedish, or Sámi birth or descent; have or had a spouse or domestic partner of Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Icelandic, Swedish, or Sámi birth or descent; or have a relative married to a person of Norwegian birth or descent.

Each month, everyone looks forward to receiving the Døtre av Norge magazine with updates on new members and highlights from all the lodges.

Many lodges offer educational scholarships. Each year, the Grand Lodge gives scholarships to full-time college, university, technical, or vocational students who are either a member of or related to a member of the Daughters of Norway.

It’s all about honoring Norwegian heritage and carrying it into the future. When you come to your first meeting, the first word you will often hear is a heartfelt Velkommen!

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_{Cover photo: Daughters of Norway, Freya Lodge No. 1. Photograph Collection. In courtesy of Norwegian American Historical Association, Northfield, Minnesota.}

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