Dr. Marv Slind is Emeritus Professor of History at Luther College, Decorah, Iowa. Before retiring in 2013 after 36 years in the classroom, he taught courses in Modern European History (including Russia), Scandinavian History, and the History of the Vikings. A dynamic teacher, he received the Washington State University “Faculty of the Year” award in 1991. He also lectured on Viking History at the University of Oslo International Summer School. He has led student and adult groups to Denmark, Norway, and Ireland on programs related to the Age of the Vikings and modern European history.

Marv has traveled extensively in northwestern and central Europe, as well as Ireland and the United Kingdom, and is conversant in German and Norwegian. He has published numerous articles and books related to Scandinavian immigration history.

His personal background research in immigration history led to his participation in an NRK (Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation) project, “Det norske flyttelasset” (“Baggage from Norway”), January 12, 2018, https://www.nrk.no/kultur/xl/det-norske-flyttelasset-til-amerika-1.13861298 (English translation available at http://norse.org/nrk_baggage_from_norway.html).

He was also interviewed in "Norwegian Lutheranism's Legacy on the American Frontier," part of a National Public Radio “Interfaith Voices” segment focusing on the status of Lutheranism in Norway today, "God and Government: Humanism blooms in Norway," November 30, 2018, available at: http://interfaithradio.org/Archive/2018-November/God_and_Government__Humanism_blooms_in_Norway

Marv received his Bachelor of Arts in History from Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, WA, and his M.A. and Ph.D. in History from Washington State University in Pullman, WA. He also attended the Oslo International Summer School, and was a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Heidelberg, Germany.

Since 2014, he has lectured on cruises for Royal Caribbean International, Disney Cruise Lines, and Viking Ocean Cruises (since 2019, as a Viking Resident Historian). His itineraries have included cruises in Scandinavia (including Norway’s Fjord Country and the Arctic), the Baltic, the eastern Caribbean, the British Isles, Ireland, and transatlantic cruises traversing routes between the United States and Northern Europe.

Click here to visit Marv's website, which contains information regarding his publications, teaching experience, and personal interests >> www.norse.org

My lectures provide guests with a brief introduction to the history and culture of the general area in which they are cruising, as well as to the ports they will be visiting. They are intended to provide a context for the historical sites the guests will see, and hopefully make their visits throughout the cruise more rewarding to them. My talks are supplemented with PowerPoint presentations which include brief text to highlight the key points of my presentation, as well as graphics to provide examples of some of the things they may see or do while visiting the various ports. In addition to my formal presentations, I always remind guests that I am a resource on the cruise, and encourage them to ask me any questions they may have about what they see or experience throughout the itinerary.

The Vikings:

The World of the Vikings
Learn how Viking Age Scandinavians spread their culture across Northern Europe and the North Atlantic.

Viking Sailing Technology
Discover how the Vikings developed their magnificent sailing ships, and extended their culture and influence across the North Atlantic.

Viking Colonization in the North Atlantic: Greenland and North America
The Vikings’ quest for new trade routes and land for settlement led them across the North Atlantic. Learn how they established settlements in Greenland, and eventually in “Vinland” in North America.

Gudrid the Far Traveled: Viking Age Globetrotter
Learn about the amazing Viking Age woman, “Gudrid the Far-Traveled,” who was undoubtedly the most widely traveled woman in the world prior to 1492.

Norway, Denmark, Iceland, and the North Atlantic

“Velkommen til Norge” (Welcome to Norway)
Discover some of the special characteristics of this Nordic country: foods, beverages, cultural and social customs, as well as Norway’s role in the modern world.

Fjord Country: Land of the Vikings
Norway’s fjord country contains some of the most spectacular and beautiful scenery in the world. Learn how this region was the home to the Vikings, who expanded their influence across the North Sea and North Atlantic, to England, Ireland, Iceland, Greenland, and “Vinland.”

Bergen through the Centuries: From Hanseatic Trade Center to Modern Cultural Hub
Examine Bergen’s role in the cultural and economic history of Norway, with special emphasis on the role of the German trading league, the Hansa, and the nineteenth century cultural flowering epitomized by Norway’s greatest composer, Edvard Grieg.

Geiranger: In the Heart of Fjord Country and the Land of the Vikings
Geiranger is one of the most spectacular fjords in western Norway. Learn how this region was the home to the Vikings, who expanded their influence across the North Sea and North Atlantic, to England, Ireland, Iceland, Greenland, and “Vinland.”

Stavanger and Ålesund: From Viking Strongholds to North Sea Oil Centers
Find out about the history of these two maritime cities, as well as gain an introduction to Norway’s maritime heritage from the Age of the Vikings as we also examine Viking Age sailing technology.

Alesund: Art Nouveau City in the Land of the Vikings
Learn about the history of this unique maritime city, with its distinctive architecture that stands in sharp contrast to the traditional styles found throughout most of Scandinavia.

North Cape, Sami, and the Land of the Midnight Sun
The lands above the Arctic Circle are part of a unique environment, which has produced specialized life-styles required to thrive in the area. Learn about this special locale, and the vibrant culture of the Sami, the nomadic indigenous people who live there.

Tromsø: Gateway to the Far North
Learn about Norway’s major city in the north, as well as the lands of the Arctic Circle that are an important component of the country’s economic and cultural life.  

“Wonderful, Wonderful Copenhagen”
Discover Copenhagen’s centuries-old cultural heritage, as well as the ultra-modern elements of this cosmopolitan Scandinavian capital.

Klaksvik: Irish Monks, Sheep, and Viking Settlers: Settlement of the Faroes and North Atlantic Islands
Learn about the role that the Faroe Islands played in the Viking settlement in the Islands of the North Atlantic.

Reykjavik: Capital of the Land of Fire and Ice
Find out how descendants of the remote Viking settlement of Iceland survived hardships of climate and economic isolation to maintain their tight-knit society.

Halifax, Nova Scotia: Atlantic Canada’s “New Scotland”
Discover Nova Scotia’s rich history, which included interaction with France, Britain, and the United States, and learn how Halifax became one of the major commercial and cultural hubs of Atlantic Canada.

Boston: Cod, Whales, & Lobsters - from Colonial Village to Modern Metropolis
Learn how Boston developed from one of the earliest maritime centers in the American colonies to become the major economic, cultural, and educational hub of New England.

Ireland:

Cork: Ireland's Gateway to the Atlantic
Discover the rich maritime traditions of Cork, and its nearby port of Cobh, which was the point of departure for nearly 2.5 million Irish emigrants in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

The Baltic:

St. Petersburg: Russia’s “Window to the World”
Learn how St. Petersburg, founded in 1703, has served as a symbol of Russia’s connection to the West.

Empires in the Baltic: From the Vasas to the Romanovs
Discover how the Swedish and Russian Empires helped to shape Baltic history.

The Hansa: Northern Europe’s Medieval Trading Network
Explore how the Hansa, a loose league of German cities, dominated medieval Northern European trade.

The Southern Baltic: Germany and Poland Through the Ages
Follow the development of Germany and Poland from their medieval origins to modern states in the EU.

Warnemünde: Gateway to Berlin
Since the Middle Ages, Warnemünde’s position on the Baltic has given it economic and strategic significance. Beginning in the nineteenth century, Warnemünde also emerged as an important resort area. Learn about the historic development of the Baltic’s gateway to Berlin.

Tallinn and the Eastern Baltic: From the Viking Age to the EU
Explore the historical, economic, and cultural history of the Eastern Baltic, which has been a crossroads of trade and transportation since prehistoric times, and learn about the distinct cultures that have developed in Estonia, Finland, and Sweden.

Northwestern Europe:

Paris, Le Havre, and Portland: The Norman/English Connection
Learn about the significant historical interactions between Normandy and Southern England, from the Viking Age to World War II.

Le Havre, Normandy, and Paris: From the Middle Ages to the Present
Discover the historical role that the province of Normandy has played in French history from the Middle Ages to the present.

Zeebrugge (Bruges & Brussels): Belgium’s Prominence, from the Romans to the EU
Since the days of the Roman Empire, Belgium has been a key economic center in Northern Europe. Explore how the region has emerged from Roman settlements to become a major center of modern European politics and economic development.

Amsterdam: Cultural and Economic Hub of Northwestern Europe
Amsterdam evolved from its founding in the Middle Ages to become one of the wealthiest cities in the world by the 17th century. Discover how it became the capital of a far-flung colonial empire, and supported the vibrant culture represented by the “Dutch Masters.”

The Caribbean and European Exploration:

The Caribbean & the European Age of Reconnaissance
Learn how three long-established cultures, European, African, and (North and South) American, interacted to create a “New World” following the European “Age of Discovery.”

The Western European Powers and the Golden Age of Caribbean Piracy
Discover the colorful history of Caribbean piracy as it developed in the early 18th century, and evolved in relation to the wars being fought by the major European powers.

St. Maarten and the Dutch Colonial Experience
Find out how the Dutch colonial empire developed and interacted with the other major powers, and its lasting legacy in St. Maarten.

Antigua: Britain’s “Gateway to the Caribbean”
Because of its strategic location, Antigua was once home to one of Britain’s most important naval bases in the Caribbean. Learn about the role Antigua played in the British colonial experience in the Caribbean.

Dominica: “Nature Island of the Caribbean”
Learn how the historical interaction between the European colonizers and the island’s rugged terrain helped to shape the development of modern Dominica.

Empires in Conflict: St. Kitts and the British Colonial Presence in the Caribbean
Find out how the “mother colony of the Caribbean” developed into what is today the smallest sovereign state in the Western Hemisphere.

Sugar, Slaves, and Pirates: The Development of Tortola and the British Virgin Islands
Learn how the British Virgin Islands evolved from the “Triangular Trade” that dominated the region.

San Juan and the Triangular Trade
Learn how San Juan, Puerto Rico, one of the oldest European settlements in the Western Hemisphere, became a hub of the “Triangular Trade” of sugar cane (and molasses), cod, manufactured goods, and slaves, which dominated trade in the Atlantic for centuries.  

St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands, and the Danish Imperial Experience
Discover how the Danish colonial experience was established in the Virgin Islands, and how the area ultimately became a territory of the United States.

Hispaniola: The Tale of Two Countries
Haiti and the Dominican Republic share an island geographically, but they developed very separate cultures and societies. Learn how the two countries evolved so differently.

Ponta Delgada, Capital of the Azores: Portugal’s Stepping Stones in the Atlantic
Find out how the settlement of the Azores in the fifteenth century was one of the first steps in the establishment of a vast Portuguese Empire.

Viking Resident Historian Iconic Lectures:

The Vikings
Challenge traditional stereotypes and learn the real story, examining their influence and legacy.

The Hanseatic League
Explore this dynamic maritime network of Baltic-area traders between the 13th and 15th centuries.

Imperial Russia
Learn about the development of the Russian Empire, from the founding of the Romanov dynasty to its violent end in the Bolshevik Revolution.

History of Britain
Survey the history of Britain from earliest times to the present, both in terms of domestic developments as well as the kingdom’s relationship with Europe.

The Roman Empire
Learn about the remarkable success of the Romans before and after the Imperial period.

The Venetian Republic
Discover the political and economic factors that led to Venice’s great wealth and artistic riches.

History of Malta
Trace the history of this tiny nation and examine its central role in various conflicts.

Greek Civilization
Learn about the remarkable achievements of the ancient Greeks and their legacy for later centuries.

The Ottoman Empire
Explore the rise, fall and legacy of the Mediterranean powerhouse.

The Bayeux Tapestry
Examine the artistic and historic significance of this treasure chronicling the Battle of Hastings.
(I also led small group tours of the reproductions of the Bayeux Tapestry in the stairwells of the Viking Sun.)

Viking Ocean Cruises Resident Historian Forum Discussions:

Russia: European or "Outsider”?
Look at Russia’s relationship to the West, and how that may have changed over the centuries.

Scandinavia’s Unwritten Social Code—Janteloven & Daily Life
Consider how Scandinavians’ self-effacing modesty shapes their culture and social relationships.

Nordic Noir: Scandinavian Crime Fiction as Social Commentary
Discuss how the popular literary genre serves as a critique of contemporary Scandinavian society.

Why Did They Leave? Scandinavian Immigration to the US and Canada
Reflect on the legacy of Scandinavian immigration, and its impact on both sides of the Atlantic.

Britain and Europe—Past and Future
Consider Britain’s traditional ties to Western Europe, both within and outside of the European Union.

The Irish Diaspora: The Impact of Irish Immigration in America
Reflect on the legacy of Irish immigration in the United States.

Monasticism and the Survival of Western European Culture
Discuss how Irish and English Monasteries preserved Western culture in the Middle Ages.

Malta’s Heritage at The Crossroads of the Mediterranean
Discuss the multifaceted significance of Malta’s position at the heart of the Mediterranean.

The Legacy of the Greek Civilization
Consider the legacy of classical Greek civilization in the modern world.

The Mediterranean Heritage, from “Roman Sea” to Modern Seaway
Consider the historic role of the Mediterranean Sea in Europe’s economic and cultural development.


Presentations to Civic Groups and Cultural Organizations:
Relevant to Cruise Enrichment

In addition to lectures I have given on cruises, there are also a number of topics I have covered in presentations to civic groups and cultural organizations. Those listed below would be appropriate for cruises to a number of locales.

The Vikings in History
New Perspectives on the Vikings
The Vikings, Ireland, and St. Patrick
Leif Ericson and the Discovery of America
L’Anse aux Meadows: Was it Vinland?
The Impact of the Black Death in Scandinavia
The Reformation in Scandinavia
From Syttende Mai to Peaceful Dissolution: The Union of Sweden and Norway, 1814-1905
Robert Falcon Scott and Roald Amundsen: The Race to the South Pole
Nordic Noir: Scandinavian Crime Fiction
Estonia’s “Singing Revolution"
To America: The Scandinavian Immigrant Experience
The Story(ies) of Scandinavian Immigration
elias molee: Norwegian-American Language Reformer
Norwegian Immigration in the Inland Empire
Washington’s Selbu Community: A Case Study in Norwegian Immigration to America
Lingering Vestiges of Heritage: The Fate of Washington’s Selbu Community
Early Immigration Patterns: Norwegians in Winneshiek County, Iowa
The Linka Preus Diary: An immigrant Story in Words and Sketches
Constructing an Ideal Image: Creative Translation of the Linka Preus Diary
The Dissolution of Sweden-Norway: The View from Decorah, Iowa, in 1905
Luther College goes to War: Scuttlebutt and the World War II Letters
Christmas in a World at War: Perspectives from the Chellis Evenson ‘Scuttlebutt’ Letters

The following recent Cruise History has been recorded for this candidate.