Gildeskål Church

This 12th century medieval stone church can look back on a long history full of social gatherings, myths and tragedies. Built in about 1150 a.d. (approximately 150 years after the Christianisation in whole Norway), it is a part of Bodø’s “Nordlandsmuseet”, where qualified staff give tours for interested visitors through the church and the surrounding landscape. With their courage, they help the church stay a cultural heritage which must be retained throughout the centuries. 

The word “Gildeskål“ in earlier times was translated as „festivity-house“, because people all around the county came together (as a duty of any true believer) in these rare occasions. Here, men and women were allowed to sit together in the upper benches in the back, where they eventually might find a potential future marriage partner. Nevertheless, even in the house of god not every person was considered to be equal. People of different social ranks used different entries into the building. The average man used an ordinary door in the back, whereas wealthy citizens used an extra entry with roofing, where they could / were supposed to leave their weapons during church service. Especially those wooden boxes are noticeable, here were the noble ones situated, the family of the pastor (living in a house nearby) as well as landlords and the altar boys. In the back, you can find two boxes: one for baptizing, and one for a loyal church-visitor, whose portrait can be seen nowadays inside this box. After his death (probably a great loss for the parish), his coffin was buried beneath his former seating place to worship his position in the church, and only a guarding policeman was allowed to take his place.  In the front of the church, you can also find the “church boat” (very common in Norway) hanging from the ceiling, symbolically demonstrating that “we are all sitting in the same boat”, albeit not being the case. Coming to church as an obligation doesn’t mean that everyone came voluntarily, and there had been reserved (and uncomfortable) benches for Sami and Beiarn-people. The poorest ones (often meaning: not owning a farm) had to cower on steps near the ground.

There are also some architectonic details that shouldn’t be forgotten. The used marble is a rare one, coming directly from the region. Furthermore, a huge picture thematises the Christian revelation: all the world’s kings are heading towards the one and only Lord. This picture was found in a barn outside of Tromø due to the fact that people feared the church could be bombed during the 2^nd World War and therefore protected important art pieces. In the church, you can find old and new art (such as from Gottfried Ezechiel), because of a huge fire in the year 1711. The whole interior burned down, so everything had to be renewed. The groundplan’s original size was extended to an “L”-form. This year, the organ has its 150 years anniversary. The benches, boxes and ornaments had been reconstructed as they did look like in earlier times, not representing the current “fashion”. So the interior is one from the Baroque era, but the altar is kept pretty plain and simple. The saying on the colourful carpet from around 1450 can be translated to “Pray for us, St. Thomas” and might be traced back to holy Thomas Becket (archbishop of Canterbury), who was killed in 1170. His story spread around whole Europe, and he later on became saint of the fishermen. The interesting story behind this man is explained online, e.g. on http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/becket.htm (01.12.2015).

Discovering history museums

With our course, we have up to now been to several different history museums.

Bodo history museum

 This museum gives a variety of historical aspects: how the city was build before and after World War 2 where it was bombed; living style; hospital; air craft; and Sami people. Every part of this topics is presented in a very small area. There is not much to see; though it give you an insight in how it was happening.

If I would consider going there with a school class, I had to take a guide to lead the pupils through the exhibition. It is difficult for kids to get the information from the boards. There are enough facts written on boards but in my opinion pupils remember it easier if they can connect with stories. What is very interesting is the part of the Viking's jewellery.
The museum also offers a short film covering Bodo's history. This video gives a lot of information. When you visit the museum with a school class, I would watch this film maybe even twice -  before and after the tour through the exhibition.

Heroy museum

is a very old house; it was built in 1850. Originally it was the priest's farm house where he lived and worked, next to the church.

kitchen and dinning table

Today it is a museum where nearly nothing was changed within the house.
You can see all the old stuff like music instruments, clothes, kitchen utensils, bedrooms, dinning table etc.




It is very interesting for pupils because they can discover the life how it used to be on their own; there is no guide and no information boards needed. They can walk around in the two floored house and experience each room on their own, in their speed.

Sometimes guided tours are too slow or more often too fast and pupils are not able to get all the information. But if they can go on their own it is a huge advantage.

In this case, the Heroy museum, I, as a going-to-be teacher, would give them some tasks to fulfil and let them search for themselves. Pupils will remember the things they saw much better because they can connect with it and can even make up their own stories.

clothes

There are even workshops offered where you can e.g. attend a baking-bread course.

 Mosjoen history museum

belongs to the group of Helgeland Museum. It is a cooperation of many different museums all over Helgeland. It was opened in 1925.
In Mosjoen the museum is about its history, in particular about economy and living there.
This town did not exist before 1850s. First, farmer and fishermen settled there because of the big amount of wood and the good fishing areas. These were also the first industrial sectors. Therefor a lot of crafts men were necessary, and so the population rose.  

different crafts men: baker, police man, fisher

crafts men

Another - still - main sector is the aluminium production. It is very important for the employment.








The museum is a very good place for going with pupils. It offers a big range of pictures and information. You won't need a guide. There is even a bigger leaflet providing lots of information before hand. So it is possible to prepare pupils before going to the museum.




One point to consider is the lightning in the exhibition rooms. It is some places very dark. Additionallly, it would be great if there would be some areas for kids to try things out, e.g. dress themselves up as in usual in former times.

With all the pictures, tools, and everyday objects, it is as interesting for adults as for kids. In the attic there is also the possibility to do workshops.

Petter Dass and the Petter Dass-Museum

Petter Dass has been a big poet and priest in the 17. Century in Helgeland or more specific in Alstahaug. He has a central role in the Norwegian cultural history and is known for his special way to poetize, which is characterized by the nature and living conditions of Northern Norway in that time. Dass is also known as one of the most outstanding Danish-Norwegian poets of his time.

Petter Dass was born in 1647 at Herøy, an island in Helgeland. In the age of 13 he travels to Bergen to start his education at a Latin School. In 1666 he moves to Copenhagen and starts his studies there. Two years later he returns to Helgeland and starts to work as a teacher of a priest´s family and thereby gets involved in his later career as a priest himself, which starts in 1671 as a chaplain. Even though he was married and had two sons he became a priest in 1689. He publishes his first song “Den Norske Dalevise” (The Song of the Dalesman”) in 1683, but most of his songs got popular and published after his death in August 1707. He wrote his texts and hymns to strengthen the people’s faith and to teach them how to act, how to be a human being, which is why his poetry is used in churches until today. His most famous song is called “Nordland Trompet”.

The main exhibition in the Petter Dass-Museum deals with the social and religious preconditions of Petter Dass´s time as a writer. Thereby it looks closer at the person Dass itself, his life as a poet and his life as a priest. The exhibition is not arranged in a special order, so you can just go in and start wherever you want. The new building also helps underlining Petter´s love for nature and his role as a connector between the past and the future. The building itself is integrated into a hill and fits perfectly into the nature. Just like Petter always wrote about his nature and surroundings, the museum connects with its surroundings itself, it is melting together with the nature. Since Dass´s hymns and texts are still in use until today, telling about the life in the 17. Century, he connects our past and our future indirectly. The museum does the same. It is build out of glass, so that the visitors are on the one hand able to feel the close connection to the nature all the time, but it also builds a bridge between the past and the future. On the side of the entrance you can

see the old church Alstahaug, build in 1200, which presents the past, while on the other you look out into the nature and the sea, always in movement, always changing and thereby representing the future. The exhibition itself shows in a lovely way the life and work of Petter Dass and it is really great to be able to listen to his music in such a great atmosphere.

Traditional norwegian house

Hello everyone!

The second day of our trip in Helgeland we saw a traditional norwegian museum-house, where you could find all kind of old fashion objects from the 19th century. So, it was a tipical building from Nordland and inside there were tematic rooms, that is to say, each room of the house was focuss in one action of the daily life. 

We started the visit eaitng our lunch and handmade bread in a cozy room, that was part of the museum. That meal gave me the energy that I needed to concentrate in the museum. We started in the kitchen, where I saw all kind of kitchen tools that normally nowadays you can find, but this ones were from many years ago. We continue with the living room, children's room, a small classroom and so on. It was amazing to see all the old tools that they used for the daily life. It is a really complete museum that takes you to another century and that way you can make and idea of how the society was like or how they lived many years ago, when tecnologies were not used.

Kitchen

Kitchen tools

Classroom

Underwear

Underwear

Children's room

Medicines

At first I was afraid I would not like it and my motivation was not really high, but little by little I started to have more and more interest and at the same time my motivation rised up: I wanted to see all the tools that I could and I wanted to know all their uses. On the one hand, this visit made me think in the importance of the interest and the motivation in the learning process and the strong relation between both of them. In kindergarten education, is really important to know how to turn on the interest and motivation in all the puppils. In fact, a lack of those in the learning process will sadly end in failure. On the other hand, it also made me think of the big change in the way of life:  Before it was possible to live without technologies and nowadays we are completely dependent on them. I think that we don't have to reject the progress and that we should take advantage of it. So I am in favour of technologies in the classrooms, but I also think that should be necessary to teach how to use them in a properly way. 

4. Herøy museum

  This museum represent open-air museum or folk museum from 18th century. In this old house you can find actually many exhibits focused on daily life from past times. The main building, which is quite big, has many rooms. So you can see kitchen with many properties which were used (and some of them are so inventive!). How it looked in living room, workroom with tools of shoemaker, also one room is focused on education - old maps, equipment of teacher and pupils. Also bedrooms and collection of clothes you can see in first floor. I think it is very nice museum where is saved big amount of properties.
 We also heard that this place is used for schools - tour guides and workshops. In my country we have similar museums which we called "skanzen". There are many of them and it looks similar to this place. So you can realize, that it does not matter on country, people in Europe had similar style of life and many things are the same.
 In my opinion these places are perfect for children for excursions and having workshops. I remember when I was a pupil we had an excursion in skanzen and we loved it. Because it is real - you can see objects so it is easier to imagine how our ancestry lived. And discovering our roots and our history of our culture is important - and these places offeres learning in attractive way.

Petter Dass Museum in Alstahaug

Day 3, 24.11.2015

After our visit to the International War Cementery in Tjøtta, we went to the Petter Dass Museum in Alstahaug. For everybody who is not known to Petter Dass, I will give a short introduction:

Throughout the ages, Alstahaug has become best known due to such prominent personalities as Petter Dass. He was born in Herøy in 1647 and lived there for the first six years of his life. At the age of 22, Petter Dass returned to Helgeland, first to Vefsn and Nesna, and then to Alstahaug, where he became minister in 1689. He was also writing, and his best-known works are The Trumpet of Nordland and the hymn"Mighty God", to Thy dear Name be given Highest praise". He lived in Alstahaug until his death in 1707.

A little about the museum:

Here you can gain an insight into how the poet-clergyman Petter Dass lived. The grounds accommodate a main building, a storehouse, a cookhouse/scullery, a well house, a chapel and down by the sea a quayside warehouse where boats and tackle help illustrate elements of coastal culture. A guided tour will give you insight into an important part of Norwegian history and culture. Guided tours are available between mid June and mid August. The Petter Dass Museum at Alstahaug is The County of Nordland´s millennium site. The building is designed by the architectural firm Snøhetta AS. This building is the Petter Dass Museum’s main building.

I really like architecture. The museum is built in between the rocks. It fits quite well into the landscape. You really can see the connections between the buildings and how the architects wanted them to interact with each other.

The International War Cementery in Tjøtta

Day 3, 24.11.2015

On our previous trip of our third module of the Adventure Knowlegde course we went to Sandnessjøen. We arrived very late in the evening on Monday the 23rd of November 2015. 

On the next day we went by bus to the International War Cementery on Tjøtta. It is actually a Russian War Cemetery. TThis cemetery was devoted to all of those who perished at the sinking of the troop transport ship "Rigel" on November 27, 1944. The ship sank and altogether 2,457 people perished. The event is considered one of the most significant shipwrecks in the world. The wreck lay partially submerged off the coast of Rosøya island until about 1970, but has now been removed. This cemetery was consecrated in 1970. All the graves are anonymous, but a memorial stone in the form of a cross has been erected on the site.

I can not really describe the feelings I had, when I stood on the ground of a cementery where more than 6,700 dead soldiers are buried. It made me feel terrified to what people are able to do during war and how devastating war is. I hope that I will never experience something like that.

Photo - Adventure Knowledge course 2015!

Bygdemuseum

    

 

Bygdemuseum

In the 1960s one man started to collect things from all around Norway and made a collection out of it. Within this collection you can find a lot of things. It includes things from the "normal life" up to school things and many more.

The whole house was moved from Mosjøen to Herøy, where it is now standing. The foodstore is standing on columns because this house has no basement, so the floor would get wet without the columns.

In former times the house was used as the priests hous, where he was living. It is
a really big building and has a lot of different rooms.

The exhibition is seperated in different rooms with different topics.

Our tourguide was really kind and our trip started with a lunch and selfmade scones from him.

The following pictures show you some of the rooms, which you can find:

kitchen/ living room

underwear

hat

typewriter/ office

kitchen

teaching room

 Those are only some of the rooms which you can find within the exhibition. If you are going to see this exhibition, you should arrange enough time. The exhibition is mostly without any text, but you can get a good insight because of all the pictures and the shown exhibits. You can explore a lot in those rooms and if you want you can stay there for ages and you will not explore everything.

Another part of the museum is a little fishermen`s hut. This hut was built by Rich fishermen, which came with their boat to Mosjøen and didn`t want to continue their trip. They than had a little house, to cook, eat and sleep. Up to 4 fishermen were sleeping in those two beds. The hut was just built that the fishermen had all the most important things and that they can have a rest before their next trip.


beds

table for eating and writing

To sum up,one can say that this museum is really nice although you are not speaking Norsk. Everyone will find a place to stop and stare. You can Discover many things and you will not get bored.