Search

About 900-1000 tree-carvings, most of them in pine-trees, have been recorded during the last 30-40 years in the central Swedish province of Dalecarlia (Dalarna). About 800 have been found in Ore parish alone, and about 80 in the north-western part of the province. Most parishes have just a few carvings. The majority of the carvings were made during the 19th century. The oldest are from the early 18th century, although a few have been described from the late 17th century. The carving tradition disappeared during the first half of the 20th century. The carvings contain signatures, often dates, and occasionally the names of farms and villages. Short messages occur, but rarely. The signatures consist of three letters, e.g. AOD for Anna Olsdotter, the daughter of Olof, and MES for Mats Ersson, the son of Erik. In Ore parish 95 per cent of all names are female, in the north-west there are 65 per cent female names. The points of time consist of years, sometimes the season, never the month, again sometimes the weekday, and never the date. A period of time may be noted with crosses for weeks and strokes for days. The forests were the outland of the farms, with women and men performing manifold tasks associated with the farms. The carvings were made by women tending cattle during the summer season at the fäbodar (summer farms), and to a lesser extent by men staying at the fäbodar for transport purposes and especially for wetland haymaking. It is noteworthy that the peasant women in the forest used writing. This was little known -- and usually associated with men -- before the discovery of the tree-carvings, and the carvings may be a source material of importance for literacy research. The women noted who had been watching the cattle, and where and when. The grazing areas in the forest were strictly divided among the villages and farms. In addition, the women sometimes expressed their feelings, joy at the beginning of the season and longing for home towards the end of it. The men left mostly just signatures and years behind them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]