Sønstebøstugu
0
In the past, it was the family's job to take care of the elderly. A large number of children could be demanding, but it provided security in old age. Poor people without descendants to take care of them were left to beg when they were no longer able to work. Those who lacked housing were passed from family to family, or ended up in the poorhouse. Those who had a farm were taken care of in their old age by a system called 'kår' or 'føderåd', which came into effect when their property was transferred to new owners. The new owners were contractually obliged to allow the previous owners to continue living on the property, with rights to, variously, housing, livestock, food, clothing, fuel and care. The old owners then often moved to another property on the farm, called a kårstue. Sønstebøstugu is one such house. The living room still has its original interior. It has beautiful painted murals, and even the ceiling is richly decorated. There was not much cupboard space in the old houses, as food was kept in a stabbur - a separate store building. All food was cooked in the fireplace - the wood stove did not arrive until the end of the 1800s. Smaller cookware was placed on a fire iron, a stand with three legs, which was placed directly on the embers. Large cookware was hung from an iron bar that was built into the fireplace and could be adjusted as needed.