Dalarna Dala

July 16, 2009

Lyle, Lois and Liz -- the three L’s -- stand beside the huge Dala (pronounced “daw’-la”) in the Scandanavian Heritage Park in Minot ND. Lyle is 6’-2” so you can see the horse is at least six times the height of Lyle.

The horse is a Swedish national symbol and since Lois’ grandfather came from Smaland in southern Sweden, this had a special meaning for her. The Dala horse has been made in the provice of Dalarna for over 500 years. Dalarna is a furniture area, and the horse is carved out of scraps. Skills for carving this horse were passed on from generation to generation. The carving craft flourished in the 19th century as the tiny horses became important trade items.

Today the horses are carved and painted in the style of the antique horses found in museums or private collections. It is one of Sweden’s few living folk traditions.