The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1871-06-08
Domestic Life in Norway.

AS general thing the Norwegian
peasants, both men and women, retire to
rest without undressing, merely remov-
ing their heavy wadmal, or sheepskin
jackets, and sometimes the wooden
worsted nightcap which forms the usual
covering for the head. 1 often entered
a Norwegian sater, or farm, in the mid
die of the night, and the occupants of
the bed-or the best bed, if there were
several-would Immediately vacate it
and offer il to the guest, themselves re-
tiring to continue their broken rest in
the barn or on the floor. On entering a
Norwegian country house the visitor
will observe a number of wooden boxes,
of all sizes, placed all round the room,
and serving, in many instances, also as
tables, chairs, sofas, bedsteads, etc. They
are all painted in gay and glaring colors ;
red ground, with blue and yellow
stripes, and bouquets in green and pink
seem to be the favorite designs. On
each is painted, in large letters, the
name of the maker and proprietor, as also
the date and year of its manufacture.
This is invariably the case, and from
these dates it would seem that most of
these boxes are very ancient and much
valued heirlooms in Norwegian family.
The oldest box ever saw was in q safer
on Doorefield. 1t was tremendous
affair-fully three feet by six, and four
feet high-in which the budeier, or girl
in charge OF the safer, kept all her Sun
day wearing apparel, change OF linen,
and hadbrod, fresh butter and old cheese.
1t bore the inscription, Gunhilde Olufs-
dotter, A. d., ILL.," and was, according
ly, more than century and q half old.
In these boxes, which serve the purposes
of the bureaux and chifonieres of less
secluded Though not by any means more
civllized) countries, are kept the holiday
dresses, table linen, extra linen and
homespun cloth, and also the silver
spoons and saved-up "specier" of the
whole family, and it must be indeed a
grand occasion when any of their boxes
are opened and their contents displayed.
Hardly Norwegian farmhouse is
without an immense fashioned loom,
upon which all the cloth and linen used
in the family is woven. Tailors and
shoemakers are unknown in rural Nor
way, every article of wearing apparel
being made at home, from the raising of
the flax and clipping of the sheep, to the
last stitch of extra embroidery and the
finishing spangle of bridal outfit. In
corner of the shelf will be invariably
found the tools and utensils for shoe
making, which are in steady request
during the long winter evenings when
new shoes are made for the whole house.
hold, and the old worn-out ones repaired.
If there is no more OF this work to be
done, carving in wood is resorted to tc
kill time and in this art the Norwegians
are wonderfully proficient, equaling the
peasantry of the Tyrol and Black Forest
whose carvings are known and for sale
all over the world. Every man always
carries short knife in sheath attached
to his belt, and the wooden handle oi
this tollekniv is often perfect specimen
in the art of beautiful and original carv.
ing. Wooden spoons, tankards, bowls
walking sticks and boxes of all kinds arc
in this way manufactured, many Of
which are bought as souvenirs by the
tourists or sportsmen who visit the
country districts to EUening Post