Exploring the medieval farmer

13/12/2024

17 years ago.
I was pulling turnips in my first farming reenacting

Working the cabbagepatch in Salvestaden. Shot by Magnus Källström

12/12/2024

Farmers snareing the beasts of the forests.

Snares are illegal to use in sweden so these are just put up as show and tell

22/01/2024

08/09/2023

In a Swedish source from ca 1500, written by the bishop in Strängnes. Leaves and tvigs is not only suitable for fodder but also as bedding for sheep that are about to give birth.

Leafs has been an important part of the fodder for the norse lands, the importance has generaly declined over the centurys. And was of the outmost importance in the viking era and before. Prior to the scythe was being developed to its more effective shape,with long blade and held by two hands.

Why is May-Tove so happy holding a twig?🙂 It's because it is an important piece of environmental evidence. The twig is the remains of leaf fodder. A thousand years ago, leaf fodder was transported from the summer farms at Neto to the main farms in Skjåk through the Lendbreen pass. That's 20 km as the crow flies and included crossing the Lomseggen ridge at nearly 2000 m, possibly even in the wintertime😮 They really must have needed that leaf fodder to get their animals through the long winter. So, it is not just a twig, it's a piece of history❤

10/04/2023

Happy Easter.

Now the farms animals are born. Here we have some of the newcomers. Chickens of the maran breed. In time they will lay chocolate brown eggs with dots. They are not a medievale breed.

17/08/2022

The two questions of the farmer.
Is it ripe enough?
Will it rain or can we harvest?

27/10/2021

Here is a video of our house building so far.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMfdCE82aa8

17/10/2021

Shepherd in the fall

26/07/2021

We are working along with the farmhouse.
Loghouses are the most common in most of sweden in the middle ages.

We are now three layers up.

What makes this decidedly medieval is that the logs are round, later on they are typically squared. The shape of the endings are also typically medieval. Also the wide planks around the doorframe is a typical medieval style.

The logs have a groove on the underside, letting it ride down on the one under it. Moss is used to fill up in the spaces, protecting against draft in the finished structure.

06/04/2021

We did some work on the house during easter.
The doorway blades were fitted and the side front log slotted in

We saw a discussion about loghouses vs wattle and daub houses.
These two ways of building is mainly depending on the amount of wood available. In Sweden (except the southern parts) there has always been lots and lots of trees. So loghouses where the standard up here. There are quite a few still around from medieval times so we know what kind they where and how they where made.

21/03/2021

The different steps in making a haystack.
Now in moving pictures!

The making of a medieval, 14th century, haystack in Sweden