DOI article:
Bröchner, Georg: The development of the open-air museum in Norway
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.43451#0132
Open-Air Museums in Norway
MAIHAUGEN OPEN-AIR MUSEUM : ONE
NOW IN COURSE OF ERECTION
corner is a bedstead. The aare was by degrees
discarded everywhere, holding out the longest in
some far-away Sater hut, but, as M. Sandvig says,
the Ijore-hole at last closed, as a weary eye which
for centuries had gazed heavenwards.
The room above the kleven (the smaller room)
was the maiden’s bower, jomfruburet, which, as
already stated, had its separate entrance by way of
an outside staircase and through the upper svale;
there was no pels, but two
small windows, and the
door was very low. A
quaint and ancient custom
attaches to this sanctuary.
Even if on other nights of
the week the daughter
slept in the same room as
her parents or younger
brothers and sisters, she
repaired to her bower on a
Saturday evening in order
to receive her sweetheart.
That night, the best of the
week, when the lovers were
allowed to hold sweet con-
verse, she did not undress
and decency was in no
way outraged—was it not
the eve of the holy day?
—and although it was not
considered good form for
young people to show their
118
liking for each other in
public or be seen too
frequently together, these
nocturnal week-end
visits, at which the
lovers could not even
see each other and only
spoke in whispers,
gave no offence to any
one.
The Vigstad stue was
originally also a ramloft-
stue, but it was altered
to its present shape in
the year 1707. It is re-
markable for its excellent
workmanship; but then
the Vigstad folk for
many generations were
famous for the dexterity
with which they handled
their axe and their knife.
Though not in workmanship, this stue in other
respects must yield to the Hjeltar stue, the climax
of these three thoroughly typical houses, and a larger
and more elaborate structure. It too is a ramloft-
stue, and its roof-tree bears the date 1565. This
and the Lokre stue are the only two fully preserved
ramloft-stue in Norway. The Hjeltar stue is some-
what broader and longer than the latter, but hardly
so lofty, and the plan is very nearly the same, the
IN THE BJORNSTAD CLUSTER
OF THE BJORNSTAD CLUSTER OF HOUSES
MAIHAUGEN OPEN-AIR MUSEUM : AN “ AARESTUE
OF HOUSES NOW BEING ERECTED
MAIHAUGEN OPEN-AIR MUSEUM : ONE
NOW IN COURSE OF ERECTION
corner is a bedstead. The aare was by degrees
discarded everywhere, holding out the longest in
some far-away Sater hut, but, as M. Sandvig says,
the Ijore-hole at last closed, as a weary eye which
for centuries had gazed heavenwards.
The room above the kleven (the smaller room)
was the maiden’s bower, jomfruburet, which, as
already stated, had its separate entrance by way of
an outside staircase and through the upper svale;
there was no pels, but two
small windows, and the
door was very low. A
quaint and ancient custom
attaches to this sanctuary.
Even if on other nights of
the week the daughter
slept in the same room as
her parents or younger
brothers and sisters, she
repaired to her bower on a
Saturday evening in order
to receive her sweetheart.
That night, the best of the
week, when the lovers were
allowed to hold sweet con-
verse, she did not undress
and decency was in no
way outraged—was it not
the eve of the holy day?
—and although it was not
considered good form for
young people to show their
118
liking for each other in
public or be seen too
frequently together, these
nocturnal week-end
visits, at which the
lovers could not even
see each other and only
spoke in whispers,
gave no offence to any
one.
The Vigstad stue was
originally also a ramloft-
stue, but it was altered
to its present shape in
the year 1707. It is re-
markable for its excellent
workmanship; but then
the Vigstad folk for
many generations were
famous for the dexterity
with which they handled
their axe and their knife.
Though not in workmanship, this stue in other
respects must yield to the Hjeltar stue, the climax
of these three thoroughly typical houses, and a larger
and more elaborate structure. It too is a ramloft-
stue, and its roof-tree bears the date 1565. This
and the Lokre stue are the only two fully preserved
ramloft-stue in Norway. The Hjeltar stue is some-
what broader and longer than the latter, but hardly
so lofty, and the plan is very nearly the same, the
IN THE BJORNSTAD CLUSTER
OF THE BJORNSTAD CLUSTER OF HOUSES
MAIHAUGEN OPEN-AIR MUSEUM : AN “ AARESTUE
OF HOUSES NOW BEING ERECTED