Text: Frank A. Jenssen. From the book“My Lofoten”
“Fisheries are, and will hopefully always remain, Norway’s most important goldmine”.
The Norwegian Parliament, 1816
Following the history of cod is a fascinating journey through the creation of the nation of Norway. A clear picture emerges from sagas, legislation and court records, old account books and decrees dating back to the 11th century. It was the cod that gave us the power and finances to establish a church, civil service, royal power, government and eventually our own parliament. Cod made it possible to build the nation stone by stone.
Without it, there would be no people living in Northern Norway. Bergen, Ålesund and Kristiansund would not have been. And what about Oslo and the rest of southern Norway? The tithe tax from cheese, butter and grain might have been enough for a village king and a church or two. But not enough to build an entire kingdom.
The Vikings would not have existed without cod either. Their most important weapons were not swords, spears and bows, but the cod that the people along the coast, in the absence of salt, had learned to dry. Absolutely crucial as a commodity, but also as provisions for ships. Because in the stockfish they had nutritious food with unlimited date stamping that made it possible to survive long journeys to Greenland, Russia and far south in Europe. Even to America, 500 years before Columbus.
We have been told that it was agriculture in Eastern Norway, lumber from the plank towns, hardingfela and national costumes that made a state of us. But it was the cod that did that.
So why isn’t there a fish helmet high above all the stables and barns at the Folk Museum?
On Bygdøy!
Source:
Content taken from
The book can be purchased here.
