The Opposite of Cold - The Northwoods Finnish Sauna Tradition by Michael Nordskog 2010

First published in 

First published in
The Hillsider, Duluth, MN

The Opposite of Cold - The Northwoods Finnish Sauna Tradition, written by Michael Nordskog, should be added to that small but impressive list of books examining facets of everyday life most people take for granted. Books such as Cod by Mark Kurlansky or Longitude by Dava Sobel, jump-start the ordinary into the sublime.   When you put this book down you will all but feel the sauna’s heat.

Aaron Hautala’s stunning color photographs help tell this delightful story about saunas old and new, inside and out, in pristine woodland or on the lakeshores of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Finland.  There are also historical photos, advertisements and paintings.  Some of Hautala’s best photos are of Minnesota’s immigrant Finnish farmsteads with saunas, from the late 19th century.  There’s even an early Time magazine article leery about Finnish saunas, speculating they were up to witchcraft in those little wooden huts.  

Saunas are the perfect adaptation to living in a cold climate. Many contend it’s a therapeutic treatment for many ailments and were commonly used as a birthing room.  David Salmela, Duluth architect, says in the book’s foreword, “In 1902 my father was born in a sauna that stood next to Pike River…in northern Minnesota.”  He sums up: “The physics of water thrown on hot rocks turning to steam to clean the pores, ease the stress of the day, and enhance enjoyment of the open night air.”

Judging from the photos, sitting in a sauna isn’t the most elegant looking past time. However there’s a redeeming flourish reserved for those with lakeside sauna’s:  running out of the pore cleansing heat into the lake, making a big splash, even more dramatic in cooler weather.

Arnold R. Alanen’s introduction, called “The Sign of the Finn,” offers a key pronunciation tip: “The first syllable of sauna rhymes with pow!” As you leaf through the book the orange, red and woody browns are the predominant color of the photos, imparting glowing visual warmth. In the chapter on North American Lakeside Tradition naturalist Sigurd Olson describes his love of sauna at his lakeside cabin:

“…Toward evening all was in readiness.  We opened the door and the bathhouse smelled as it should, rich with the pungence of burning, odors of hot logs and of many saunas of the past.  We stripped and took our places on the lower bench...”