Syttende Mai Viking cutouts are back to promote festival, Norwegian heritage

While both the age and origins of the Syttende Mai Viking cutouts that announce the return of the annual Syttende Mai festival remain a mystery to this day, their meaning to the Stoughton community is not.

Cheryl Schumacher, an artist who’s lived in Stoughton since 2007 and is now main caretaker to the Vikings, told the Hub that the two cutouts, Thor and Olaf, are a reminder of Stoughton’s strong Norwegian heritage and community traditions. Put out this year Monday, May 3, Thor stands on the corner of E. Main and County Hwy. 51-138, and Olaf stands at West Main and Gjertson streets.

The Vikings always hold wooden signs with the dates of the upcoming Syttende Mai festival, but this year, the cutouts also have face masks sewn with Norwegian patterns. Callie LaPoint, Events and Visitor Services Manager for the Stoughton Chamber of Commerce, said this was done to remind participants that Stoughton is a “conscientious community” and to take precautions during the festival, as the pandemic is still ongoing.

But the Viking cutouts do more than promote the festival to those driving into Stoughton, LaPoint said.

“The general welcoming nature is a sign that spring is here and that the festival is near,” LaPoint said in an email to the Hub. “Just a bit of nostalgia to those that grew up in the area and look for these Vikings each year.”

Neither LaPoint nor Schumacher – who has been searching for months – have ever been able to track down the exact age or origin of the Vikings. Schumacher said she remembers them greeting her at least 15 years ago when she and her husband Brett first moved to the city, and even though they are in great condition, they could be decades old.

Schumacher has created some of her own memories with the Vikings. Back in 2015, she was tasked to take the two cutouts home – away from their secret storage location – to give them each a fresh coat of paint.

Her children, who were ages three and five at the time, were big fans of “Frozen” and “The Avengers.” Hanging out with her in the garage while she worked, the Schumacher family nicknamed the cutouts Olaf and Thor – two “strong Norwegian” names featured in their favorite movies, she explained.

However, Schumacher said that sometimes people tend to refer to Olaf as Sven – another great Frozen-inspired name, she added.

And a hint, to tell them apart Thor has a bolt in both knees while Olaf has bolts in his lower leg.

From that point on, Schumacher has been the one keeping the Vikings looking fresh and updating their signs each year. But in 2020, she had to paint a different message: “Stay Safe, Stoughton. See you in 2021.”

“It was sad,” she said. “But then it was like well, it’s for you know, we have no choice and it was the right thing to do.”

And even though this year will look different than pre-pandemic festivals – there won’t be certain indoor events like the craft fair – Schumacher said she is looking forward to seeing the community come together in celebration again.

The Vikings are a friendly reminder that everyone who comes to Syttende Mai is Norwegian for a weekend, she said.

“I’m not Norwegian, yet anyone and everyone is welcome,” she said. “It’s such a fun festival, and I look forward to it every year.”