I am Christian Wig, named after my grandfather, Christian Christianson, from one of the several villages in Norway called Wig. I’ve created this web site (with considerable help) to feature the several things in life I’m passionate about. The first is Old–Time Appalachian fiddling and my CD recordings of this fascinating segment of Old-Time Music; second is my study of the French and Indian War (1754 – 1763) and the publication of my first book on the subject; and last is my involvement in making jewelry with my partner in life, Leslie Ann Heath, and our experience in national level arts and craft shows.

     In ''what seems like another life'', I was a US Marine, which allowed me to obtain a BA degree in 1975 from Kent State University with a double major in Anthropology and Political Philosophy. Since then I have been a farmhand, folk musician, luthier, insurance agent, square dance fiddler, fur trade era rendezvous musician and aficionado of the French and Indian War. Two of my articles on Christopher Gist have been published in Muzzleloader Magazine. Currently my significant other and I make jewelry with a strong Southwestern look (Leslie lived in Taos, NM for many years) and sell it at national level arts and craft shows across the country. In some of these shows, garbed in period clothing, we demonstrate and tell about the history of our craft. We live in the hills of east central Ohio. My interest in Old Time music as a fiddler and banjoist leads me to attend music festivals and collect Appalachian fiddle tunes.  With the release of a second CD, this one about frontier fiddling, I am  playing more "in character" as an eastern "frontiersman/fur trader" who happens to play fiddle. 

     No Bio of Chris would be complete without a picture of the two golden dogs that bring so much joy into his life. On the left is "Big Scioty", soon to be 8 years old on Jan 2, 2006. Next to him is Neekanuh, having turned 4 years old Nov 11th.

     No, these are not designer names, but come from Chris' study of Native People of the Eastern Frontier. The name ''Big Scioty'' comes from the Scioto River, which flows through Columbus south to Portsmouth on the Ohio. ''Scioty'' is anglicized from the Wyandot Indian word "scionto" meaning "deer" and is fitting because Sci, as he is often called, likes to chase the deer that traverse Chris and Leslie's property. And of course, "Big Scioty" also refers to the fiddle tune from the Hammons family of West Virginia.

     ''Neekanuh'' is the Shawnee word for ''friend'' and was a common greeting among all the various tribes of the Ohio region in the 1700’s. His name is certainly descriptive in that Neekanuh wants to be everyone’s friend. Chris and Leslie call him ''Neekanuh mianee wessee'', which translates roughly as ''friend(ly) young dog.''