This is the Gjerde home in Norway where I visited
some years ago. It is located in the beautiful
Geiranger region of Norway.
Although not the same home or barn, this farm is the very
farm my grandmother, Elsie Gjerde Dahlager
was born in 1872.
When my grandmother was young, she tended the cattle
in the mountains behind the Gjerde home.
During the summer months, the cattle were brought up to
the mountains, where there was plenty of food for
them to graze on.
Elsie would stay in the very building pictured
above for extended periods of time.
You can imagine the time must have gone by
quite slowly for Elsie - she was all by
herself (except for the cattle).
Elsie perfected her knitting skills while spending
time in the cabin, and continued to knit
her entire life.
When I visited the Gjerde home, We (regretfully)
did not take the time to walk up to the little cabin -
this photo was taken by my
aunt Esther when she was in Norway.
My relatives told me the little building was
still there, in the same spot as when grandma
tended cattle.
What I don't understand: I was
told that the cabin was about 1 kilometer up the mountain,
which is not ridiculously far. How come Elsie
had to stay there with the cattle the whole time?
Any suggestions from you readers?
.....
3 comments:
But it is not across flat land - it is up a pretty steep hill.
The work day for the girls who went up with cows and goats were often pretty long and grueling.
The work day started by milking the cows, around 4 am. After milking the cows were herded to where they were supposed to graze that day.
Then cleaning out the stable, shoveling manure, and separating milk, before cooking "prim", making butter and making cheese.
After dinner the girl would often take some piece of knitting or other craft work with them and go out to look after the cows.
When the cows were driven back to the cabin around 6-7 in the evening, they got salt and flour outside the barn before being driven inside the barn to be milked.
Then another round of separating milk, cleaning the milking gear and cleaning the barn before they went to bed, to get up at 4 am the next morning again.
I would think Elsie would have been to tired to want to spend half an hour or more to go down to the main farm in the evening and up again at 4 am, when she instead could sleep right up there where the work was.
(From Stein)
Wow! You know, all these years, I kind of just envisioned grandma sitting there, watching the cattle, but now with what Stein has shared, it makes sense. I don't imagine the time went so slowly except for the fact the hard work can seem very long.
I think I would have enjoyed the solitude. :)
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