Kvann (Angelica archangelica): A plant so precious that you could pay your taxes with it. That’s what kvann has been to Norwegians into the Middle Ages. Learn about this remarkable and well-loved plant as Nordic Roots educator Kari Tauring takes you through the plant’s history and uses, along with information on how to grow it in your own garden.

An arctic plant, kvann was given the Latinized name Angelica archangelica or the angel among all archangels. Such is the reputation of this beloved plant. A biennial, it grows from seed and takes two years to develop a seed stalk. Every part of it in every stage of growth is healing and heady with fragrance.

When Kari Tauring read about kvann in Kathleen Stokker’s book, Remedies and Rituals: Folk Medicine in Norway and the New Land (2007) it became a research obsession. Kvann appears in Saga stories of late Iron Age kings and export records during the Black Plague show it was the first line of defense across Europe. In legal documents, heavy penalties were set for someone stealing it. There’s an ancient breed of kvann from Voss, Norway, but only the wild kvann stem can make the fadnu, a flute that lasts two hours.

This past July, Kari Tauring went on a quest to deepen her relationship to an ancient plant called kvann (Angelica Archangelica).Kvann has played a vital and rich role in Nordic herbal lore and culture.

Join us as Kari shares her field recordings, photos, research, and stories about journeying north of the Arctic Circle.

Kvann flavored drinks will be served!

General Admission $30; Norway House Member $25