Lori Erickson - The Soul of the Family Tree: Ancestors, Stories, and the Spirits We Inherit

Advance Praise for The Soul of the Family Tree

In this shrewd memoir, Erickson details how researching her Norwegian-American heritage led to deep personal reflection. The modern ability to investigate ones ancestry using DNA, she argues, can be about more than just biology. Readers may find themselves ordering their own DNA testing kit upon finishing this.

Publishers Weekly

Lori Erickson traces the spiritual DNA of her Norwegian ancestors, investigating how their heritage influenced their cultural practices and religious beliefs, especially in the midwestern United States. The Soul of the Family Tree posits that a spiritual grounding in ones family history can combat historical amnesia and nurture a sense of belonging.

Foreword Reviews

Can a middle-aged American born in Iowa be a Viking? Yes, if shes as plucky and persistent as Lori Erickson. Starting with her Nordic name, a DNA test, and her strange dislike of lefse bread, Erickson takes us on a time-traveling pilgrimage to Newfoundland, Norway, Iceland, and even Istanbul in search of her spiritual DNA. Guided by her Viking foremother Gudrid the Far Traveler, Erickson discovers the well of wisdom by the roots of every family treethose stories that influence our inner livesand celebrates the explorer in all of us.

Nancy Marie Brown, author of The Far Traveler and The Real Valkyrie

The Soul of the Family Tree is a terrific new kind of travel book. Lori Erickson takes us on a journey back in time to meet the Vikings, her ancestors (and the ancestors of way too many of us, because, uh, they got around, those Vikings). Enthusiastic, intelligent, and willing to put on a funny Viking skirt and laugh at herself, Lori is the perfect guide for this kind of journey. She asks the questions we would be asking, and then she trots off to the next destination filled with boundless energy. This truly entertaining book should be on the shelf of everyone who is interested in family history, genealogy, or who has ever wondered, Where do I come from, really?

June Melby, author of My Family and Other Hazards

Lori Erickson has not only the adventurous spirit of her Viking ancestors but a sparkling sense of humor not generally associated with Olaf the Stout or Ivar the Boneless. Deftly navigating the promises and perils of DNA testing, ancient sagas, family lore, historical reenactments, homelands, hometowns, and stupid graffiti left behind by your ancestors, The Soul of the Family Tree takes us on a journey into human identity thats both fun and profound.

Scott Samuelson, author of The Deepest Human Life and Seven Ways of Looking at Pointless Suffering

Despite her dig at Swedes, Lori Erickson has put together a must-read for all fans of genealogy. Her journey is one that will inspire everyone to dig in and experience the power of knowing their ancestral roots.

Brian Gerard, pastor and winner of Swedish-American reality show Allt fr Sverige, season 1

Captivating ... I literally could not put this one down! Not only did I learn a great deal, but I found the book to be very fascinating and entertaining. While I am not personally of Scandinavian descent, I now want to visit important places described in the book and start researching the stories of my own ancestors. Highly recommended!

Brian Allain, founder of Writing for Your Life and curator of How to Heal Our Divides

The Soul of the Family Tree

Also by Lori Erickson

Near the Exit: Travels with the Not-So-Grim Reaper
Holy Rover: Journeys in Search of Mystery, Miracles, and God

The Soul of the Family Tree

Ancestors, Stories,
and the Spirits We Inherit

Lori Erickson

2021 Lori Erickson

First Edition

Published by Westminster John Knox Press

Louisville, Kentucky

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All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. For information, address Westminster John Knox Press, 100 Witherspoon Street, Louisville, Kentucky 40202-1396. Or contact us online at www.wjkbooks.com.

Map and illustration on by Claudia McGehee.

Illustration on by Charles Edward Brock, The Heroes of Asgard: Tales from Scandinavian Mythology (London: Macmillan, 1930), 36.

Book design by Drew Stevens

Cover design by designpointinc.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Erickson, Lori, author.

Title: The soul of the family tree : ancestors, stories, and the spirits we inherit / Lori Erickson.

Description: First edition. | Louisville, Kentucky : Westminster John Knox Press, 2021. | Includes bibliographic references. | Summary: Travel with Lori Erickson as she finds unexpected spiritual guides among the seafaring Vikings and her hardscrabble immigrant forebears. Then explore how the spirits of your ancestral past can guide you today Provided by publisher.

Identifiers: LCCN 2021012015 (print) | LCCN 2021012016 (ebook) | ISBN 9780664267032 (paperback) | ISBN 9781646982066 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: Erickson, LoriFamily. | Norwegian AmericansGenealogy. | Norwegian AmericansEthnic identity. | Norwegian AmericansSpiritual life. | Erickson, LoriTravelNorway. | Norwegian AmericansSocial life and customs. | GenealogyReligious aspects.

Classification: LCC E184.S2 E75 2021 (print) | LCC E184.S2 (ebook) | DDC 929.1dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021012015

LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021012016

PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of the American National Standard for Information SciencesPermanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1992

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For my ancestors,
including Gudrid, Leif, Hans, and Sila

Contents

On the west coast of Iceland, a statue honors the Norse explorer Gudrid the Far Traveler. ( PHOTO BY E CHO I MAGES / A LAMY S TOCK P HOTO )

Im wandering through what was once one of the greatest churches in Christendom: Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. As a guide and I walk through its aged, echoing grandeur, he helps me imagine what it must have looked like to worshipers when it was completed in the year 537. Topped by a dome that seemed to float in the air as if suspended on strings from the heavens, its interior glittered with mosaics, icons, holy relics, and colored marble, all lit by thousands of flickering candles and lamps.