Kirkjubøargarður
The Kirkjubøargarður ( Faroese for "court of Kirkjubøur " also known as "King Farm" or " Roykstovan known") from the 11th century, is the oldest inhabited today wooden house in Europe. The farm itself has always been the largest in the Faroe Islands .
history
Kirkjubøur's old farmhouse dates back to the 11th century and has been the seat of the Faroe Diocese and the associated Latin school since around 1100 (dissolved in 1541).
Legend has it that the log house first stood by the Sognefjord in Norway before it was demolished and the wood was neatly bundled and numbered. Then it is said to have reached the Faroe Islands as driftwood and only needed to be assembled.
The oldest part of the house is the so-called Stokkastovan (block room ), the Roykstovan (smoking room) is a little younger, but also 900 years old. Perhaps it was once located somewhere else, as it does not fit the current foundation, the walls of which are up to 2 meters thick. As elsewhere in the Faroe Islands, the entire family gathered here with the servants and processed wool , cooked, danced the chain dance and sang old ballads . The old smoke vent in the roof is now closed by a window and the inner walls are impregnated with the smoke of the centuries.
Another old room is the Loftstovan (attic). It is believed that Bishop Erlendur wrote the sheep letter here in 1298 , the oldest known document in the Faroe Islands. The Loftstovan was the office of the Faroese bishops . Today the room serves as a library for the farming family. The Stórastovan ("large room") was not built until 1772 .
In the first book about the Faroe Islands, Færoæ & Færoa Reserata 1673 by Lucas Debes , the royal farm is mentioned as the only remaining "large stone house" (meaning the foundation) in Kirkjubøur, of which there should have been many before.
Although the house now functions as a museum from May to September, the 17th generation of the Patursson family also live here , who have owned the royal lease note for the farm since 1550. Shortly after the Reformation of the Faroe Islands in 1538, the entire land ownership of the Catholic Church passed to the Danish Crown. That was about half of the Faroe Islands and has been called "King Earth " ( kongsjørð ) since then . The largest piece of this royal earth was the court of Kirkjubøur due to the named bishopric. Today the land belongs to the state government of the Faroe Islands , and the Paturssons are tenant farmers from generation to generation. It is always the eldest son who inherits the farm and becomes the “royal farmer”. This prevents the land from having to be divided between different heirs. In contrast to this are the private farmers, whose plots are getting smaller and smaller.
The Paturssons produced some of the most influential figures in the history of the Faroe Islands , and it is said that the ancient Roykstova tradition at the royal farm was one of the main reasons for keeping the Faroese language and culture alive over the centuries. In any case, this milieu shaped the later nationalist leader Jóannes Patursson significantly.
Today's operation
The royal farm at Kirkjubøur keeps sheep, cattle and horses. There is a small café and you can buy fresh meat directly from the farmer. In winter, hare hunts are organized for the locals. The Roykstovan is often rented for parties. Original Faroese cuisine is served here.
The farm is also one of the main attractions of the Faroe Islands for tourists.
Miscellaneous
The video Hail To The Hammer by the Viking metal group Týr was released in 2003 a. a. shot here. Namely the drinking party in the Roykstovan .
Known residents
The following people lived here:
- King Sverre Sigurdsson (1151–1202, attended Latin school here and was later considered extraordinarily well educated)
- Bishop Erland of the Faroe Islands (? –1308, wrote the sheep letter here)
- Pætur Jákupsson (Løgmaður of the Faroe Islands from 1588 to 1601, kept an original of the sheep letter until it reached Sweden)
- Súsanna Helena Patursson (1864-1916, was the first Faroese feminist)
- Königsbauer Jóannes Patursson (1866-1946, Helena's brother was one of the most important political leaders of the Faroe Islands)
- Sverre Patursson (1871-1960, brother of the two aforementioned, was the first Faroese environmentalist)
- Erlendur Patursson (1913–1986, Jóannes' son, founded the Republican Party)
- Tróndur Patursson (* 1944, adventurer and artist has his studio in a neighboring building)
literature
- James Proctor: Faroe Islands. The Bradt Travel Guide. Bradt Travel Guides et al., Chalfont St. Peter 2004, ISBN 1-84162-107-2 , p. 77 f .: Roykstovan farmhouse. (English travel guide).
- Steen Ulrik Johannessen: Doors går til Færøerne. Politics Forlag, Copenhagen 2005 ISBN 87-567-7087-1 , p. 39: Kongsgården. (Danish travel guide).
Web links
- Patursson.com - website of the Patursson family (English and Faroese)
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Proctor, p. 77
- ↑ a b Johannessen, p. 39.
- ↑ Færoæ & Færoa Reserata (German 1757) p. 285
- ↑ Tyr.net - Hail To The Hammer Video ( Memento of the original from June 9, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
Coordinates: 61 ° 57 ′ N , 6 ° 48 ′ W