Porkeri

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Porkeri
[ ˈpɔɻtʃʰɹɪ ]
( Danish Porkere )
Byskilt Færøerne black white.svg
Porkeri on the Faroe Islands map
position 61 ° 29 '  N , 6 ° 45'  W Coordinates: 61 ° 28 '59 "  N , 6 ° 44' 36"  W.
Resident
rank 		314 (2011)
31
Commune Porkeri
Post Code FO 950
Markatal 37-00-00
Grammar
dative (in / from ...)
genitive (after ...)
í / úr Porkeri
til Porkeris
Porkeri

Porkeri [ ˈpɔɻtʃʰɹɪ ] ( Danish name : Porkere ) is a place in the Faroe Islands on the southernmost island of Suðuroy and is considered to be one of the most beautiful places in the Faroe Islands.

The municipality of Porkeri is identical to the place. The place Porkeri is in the entrance area of ​​the fjord Vágsfjørður on the north bank. The settlement history of Porkeris goes back at least to the 13th century .

The current wooden church dates from 1847 . The school followed in 1888 and has housed a museum since the school was rebuilt in 1984 .

To the west of Porkeri is the city of Vágur in the immediate vicinity.

Origin of name

According to legend, the first people who settled in the place now called Porkeri built a stone wall around a piece of land and built it on. During this work, small bones of pig's feet were found in the earth (“purka”, pl. “Purkur”, Faroese (outdated) for “pig”). This is why the village was given the name “Purku-gerði”, which means “fenced property for pigs”, which later became Porkeri. Another legend reports that a Viking chief from Hov kept pigs in this place.

history

There are many ruins in the area around Porkeri, which can indicate settlement in the 7th century . Irish monks may once have lived there. In 2002 archaeologists found evidence of a Viking settlement next to the church . Further excavations are planned.

Í Eystrum, old farm with stone houses. Postage stamp from 2004

The first written mention of Porkeris can be found in the so-called "Hundabræv" of the "Kongsbók" (Book of Kings) from around 1350 , where a local dog owner is mentioned. It is believed that until recently there were few stone houses with grass roofs in the area. What is unique for the Faroe Islands is that two stone houses from the 16th century have been preserved in Porkeri . Next to the two is a third from the 19th century , which is currently being restored. When all three houses are restored they will be an attraction for the Faroe Islands.

In 1801 95 people lived in 16 houses in the village. In 1950 the place had 461 inhabitants and in 2002 about 400 inhabitants lived in Porkeri. Today's Porkeri consists mainly of houses that were built between around 1890 and today. In the 1980s in particular, many new houses were built around the old town center.

Most of the families lived on the income from the sea, mainly from fishing with rowboats, catching birds , catching pilot whales and transporting peat . The peat boats were often overloaded. In 1952 an overloaded peat boat had an accident in calm seas. All four men on board drowned. Many fishermen and sailors from Porkeri have stayed at sea over the years. A monument commemorates them above the village.

Porkeri was known to his men for about 1,880 with schooners and boats to fish trip to Iceland , Greenland and Newfoundland drove. They either went on their own ships or as fishermen and helmsmen on strangers. The yields were so good that many were able to build their own house. You can still see the uniformly built “skipper's houses” that stand in a long row from the port to the center of the village. All were built between 1900 and 1935 . The houses are painted differently, creating a picturesque picture.

Porkeri today

Today's Porkeri is still partly a seafaring place. Many descendants of fishermen, helmsmen and skippers still have the same duties, but now in the modern fishing and merchant fleet. Some of today's residents earn their living by fishing for cod and processing cod and fjord salmon .

The village was considered one of the best places for growing grain. Most families owned a cow until the 1950s . Since the Faroe Islands had a dairy farm in Tórshavn in the meantime, cattle farming was abandoned and since the 1960s only sheep were kept, mainly for their own needs.

Worth seeing

In August there is a very special atmosphere in the village. Everyone is busy with the haymaking in the inner marrow, from the herding dog to the "Omma" (grandma) and the "Abbi" (grandpa).

The interior of the wooden church

Porkeri Church was built in 1847 in the traditional Faroese style . The interior is also worth seeing. When the church door is locked, turn to the merchant or the passers-by.

The town's first school was built in 1888 . Before that, the children were privately educated. From 1897 to 1903 there was also a navigation school with evening classes in the school building. The school teacher Dánjal Ungagarði taught both the school children and the prospective helmsmen. In 2004 the school was restored and its interior was given the appearance of 1900 . All rooms except the old school room are used as a local museum.

Porkeri in winter, the school in the foreground

The new school, which was built in 1984 , is built in the modern Faroese style with a grass roof . After completing the 7th grade, the students from Porkeri have to attend the Fólkaskúli (elementary school) in Vágur . The Suðuroy High School is also located in Vágur .

According to its population, Porkeri owns a few shops, e.g. B. a supermarket with groceries, household appliances and manufactured goods. A visit to the local men's and women's hairdresser is also recommended if you are looking for a quality haircut or other hairstyling at reasonable prices, while enjoying an impressive view.

Web links

Commons : Porkeri  - collection of images, videos and audio files