Growing up on an island

Practical knowledge was passed down from generation to generation. The young wife had to know everything about food and animal care, clothing care, and cooking. The young fisherman had to know where the fishing grounds were and how to sail to avoid shipwreck. Without this knowledge, they could not survive. Play was training for adult work, a socialization with clear gender role divisions. Children engaged in mini-farming and mini-fishing. Girls participated in their mothers' work and had “bråtheim og krusfarm” (a small home and a shell farm) with shells as pets. They received small wool carders and took part in carding and spinning, looked after younger siblings, and helped in the house and barn. Boys lay on the quay and fished with self-made gear, and they raced toy boats.

A seven-year-old received a fish trap from his father and his own fishing spot for it. The money from the fish was deposited in the bank. This way, he learned where money came from, and thus he was trained as a fisherman. As soon as the young people were confirmed, they took jobs as cooks and housemaids, and as cabin boys/girls on fishing boats. Working on the clipfish drying racks and gathering bait shells could provide good income for both adults and children. At the same time, life on the islands was free and exciting, with great challenges for imagination and creativity. The contact between young and old was good; often, several generations lived together. Through conversations and stories, children quickly became part of the community and were shaped into capable islanders.