My great great paternal grandfather

My great great grandfather was Ole Pedersen. This is story about him.

The Last Ståterkonge in Gausdal
was Feared, Hated and Loved
This history describes a hard era (1810-1866) in our parish’s history. The tenant farmers’
existence was the only way to save a parish with over-population. Some had much worse
positions than the tenant farmer. They were called “inderst” – they were poor and they just
lived at the tenant farmer’s home as lodgers.
One district had several instances for taking care of the needy people. The farmers provided
for their own land – to give help to the poor. Primarily, he would give them flour, wood,
clothes or some money. The poorest of them all were moved from farm to farm, two weeks
on each farm to be provided for. The parish’s economy didn’t allow other ways for them to
survive.
Immigration
In 1830-1840 many people immigrated to the northern counties of Norway (Nordland, Troms
and Finnmark.) Only adventurers immigrated to America, because in those times the voyage
was too long, too difficult and too dangerous. About 1870 the enormous immigration started
and lots of people immigrated from Gausdal to America.
The old tenant farmers were trusted people and they were working very hard to build the
farms and the homes which their ancestors own today. Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson was a pioneer
when in 1904 he sold some of the tenant farms (from Aulestad) with a bit of forest.
But it took a long time for the old tenant farmer to be a real free-holder.
Many of the farmers had been good to their tenant farmers, but some of them had been
terribly merciless.
Ola Pedersson Midtvoldsringen was a tenant farmer and a “ståterkonge” – an enforcer for the
parish, but he was never afraid to tell the farmers exactly what he meant. He was a learned
man with a very strong personality. No one was able to make him speechless. The hard
poetry that he left, needs to be seen through the light of those times.
Ståterkonge’s
When the parish constable establishment came at the first part of 1700 it wasn’t just meant for
the towns, but also the parishes. The fact that so many gypsies entered became a big problem
and made it necessary to employ parish constables. Their primary job was to watch all the
gypsy flocks while their travelling through the parish. Besides, the ståterkonge was a good
support for the sheriff, because he took care of the disturbance makers at the auctions while
the sheriff was the auctioneer.
The ståterkonge’s symbol and weapon was a “morgenstjerne” – a long stick (about 6 feet
long) with a wooden ball at the top. On the ball there were 12-14 sharp iron spikes (about
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2 inches in length.) A terrible weapon to be hit by! In Gausdal there have been many
ståterkonger, but today there are only fragments of stories left from the history of the last and
the most original of them – Ola Pedersson. He was a giant both body and soul. With his
knowledge enlightenment, he raised above every one of the other tenant farmers in the parish.
Ola Pedersson was about medium height, with a vigorous build, had black hair and beard. He
had a sternly and timid look. One man, who knew him, told that Ola was as broad as a barn
door. Ola Pedersson was born 1793 (?) in Østre Gausdal main parish, where his father was a
tenant farmer. In 1827 Ola married Kjersti Olsdatter. They had 8 children (4 boys and
4 girls.) He leased the place called Midtvoldsringen, and became a tenant farmer at Midtvold,
where he was required to do some work for the farmer.
Since Ola was a little boy, he had a strange talent for making rhymes of everything. Everyone
enjoyed that very much. The bishop once told someone that he had never got so wise answers
(as Ola’s) from any other confirmants.
About 2 years later the same bishop was in Gausdal again and he stayed at Curate
Borchgrevink’s farm Houm (bought in 1808). Ola was a servant at Houm. The bishop
recognized him and mentioned to the curate that this boy was a boy with great talents. The
next day Ola should take the bishop to Svatsum. It was in the springtime and there was a bad
state of the road, but the bishop wanted to drive the horse and so he did (but too fast.) After a
while, the bishop asked Ola if he could make a rhyme about their trip. The rhyme came
immediately:
“Bispen å’n Ola æ ute å kjøre
‘n vårdag e reint abraglse føre
hesten æ ong å bispen tong
å e syns’n æ hard te å kjøre”
The Bishop and Ola were out riding
On a spring day’s wholly formidable roads
The horse is young and the Bishop’s heavy
And neither one has seen such a hard ride
The bishop smiled and slowed down for the rest of their trip (the rhyme was about his speed.)
The second day of Christmas there was a divine service in Follebu church. Ola had been
taken the curate and his daughter to the church. When they came home, the daughter asked,
“What do you think about my father’s sermon today, Ola?” He didn’t answer – just picked up
a piece of coal from the fireplace and wrote with a beautiful writing on the wall plaster – a
short, but very good report from her father’s sermon. She was very surprised. As long as Ola
was a servant at Borchgrevink’s he didn’t miss books to read.
Only Fragments Left
Ola Pedersson made rhymes and songs and he spreaded them everywhere, but now – about
100 years after his death, there’s only fragments left from the several thousands he made.
Ola Pedersson was probably employed as parish constable or ståterkonge about 1830.
Gausdal’s parishes had on that times only one canton. Because of a new law from 1837,
Gausdal got its own (the first) canton direction in 1838. Østen Owren was the first
spokesman. Both this and further directions kept Ola Pedersson as parish constable as long as
he lived. His territory was Gausdal’s parishes, Vestfjellet and Nordfjellet. Ola was always on
the go and he became the pilot of the parish. He knew all the people and all the places which
were reflected in one of his songs. There he did mention every farm from Faaberg to
Svatsum. He also characterized some of the people living on the farms. Often his
characterizations had a rough language. At ståterkongen’s time, Gausdal had two incorrigible
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thieves. They stole everything they got a chance too steal. They were arrested many times.
Ståterkongen also made a rhyme about them.
At Midtvold Ola and the horse once were just to enter the barn with some hay. The barn
landing was rotten so he stopped for a valuation of the bridge. Then his master came and
called out, “What’s going on?” Ola answered. “I just have to pray first, because I don’t know
how this will end for me or the horse.” His master took a look at the bridge and immediately
ordered new lumber.
Big Mouth
Ola Pedersson was a clever worker and he was very helpful as a tenant farmer at Midtvold for
36 years. Sometimes he might be a little sarcastic, but the people at Midtvold didn’t seem to
trouble themselves much about that.
One evening after they had their porridge, Ola was sitting there with his piece of bread. He
searched it well and then he said, “I’ve got such bad eyesight, I cannot see the butter on my
piece of bread.” After they had finished their meal, Mrs. Midtvold found some water for Ola
so he could wash his eyes. The next morning there was a meal with very thin slices of cheese
placed at the table. Ola took one of them into his hand and held it up against the window
behind him. He looked at the slice and said: “Last night my sight was so bad that I couldn’t
see the butter on my piece of bread, but today my sight is so sharp that I can see the gnats
yawning at Fykselia. I can see that through this slice of cheese!” (Fykselia was about one
mile from Midtvold.)
Once in Iver Bø’s times, Ståterkongen procured a report from a jury case at Bø (regarding a
case about some fishing water course and a dam) and of course Ola composed a song about
that case. For a long time he song it for the old tenant farmers at Bø. Some people still
remember some fragments of this song.
The Fable Maker Hetter-Lars
One of the witnesses in the jury case was a servant called Hetter-Lars. He was a good fisher,
but also a fable maker and according to his own statements he had effected as much as
Baron von Munchhausen did.
Hetter-Lars was a witness in the fish case, and when he came with his statement, he told that
he one evening had stabbed his spear into a big fish. He didn’t get the fish, but its cheek bone
was left on his spear. He had saved the bone and placed it at the table in front of the judge.
That is mentioned in Ola’s song:
"Jeg utdrog fiskens kjakeben
Og stakk det i min lomme
Ja hetterde var det Mjøsfisk
Det kan jeg godt bekrefte
Skjønt jeg ham ikke drepte”
I pulled out the fish’s jawbone
And placed it in my pocket
Yes I swear it was that Trout
That I could well confirm
Although I didn’t kill him
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Hetter-Lars also told that he once had stabbed his spear into the back of a big trout. The trout
was so strong! It pulled his fishing tool out of his hands….! Hetter-Lars witnessed that Bø’s
dam didn’t stop the fish. His explanation as an experienced fisher was very helpful for Iver
Bø in the case. Ola’s song tells about Iver’s wife and how she after that attended Hetter-Lars.
A flood in 1860 destroyed the dam.
Fiddler Dortea
Once there was a great auction at Seielstad farm and fiddler Dorthea was there. She was a
gypsy living in Gausdal and she played violin for a living. She was well known in the whole
valley as a real good dance musician (also in Hedmark and Toten.) She was very pretty and
very temperament full and she always created good atmosphere where ever she was playing.
Her golden number was to play and dance while she held her violin behind her back. She also
used to play a simple, but beautiful waltz (this waltz is still alive today.)
At the auction, she played so lively that she attracted more people than the auctioneer did. Of
course, he didn’t like that so he asked ståterkongen to remove her. When she understood that
he was going to remove her in force, she turned so angry that Ola could see the sparkling in
her black eyes when she screamed: “Ståterkonge – don’t touch me! If you do everyone right
or wrong, soon you won’t even own the needle in the wall!” Ståterkongen who was so strong,
and used to be so merciful to fighters and disturbance makers, just turned around and left her.
He allowed her to stay.
One evening at one of his inspections in Nordfjell, ståterkongen came to a chalet of a cheese
farm in Skei. When he entered, he saw the dairymaid washing some wooden cups. She saw
him and dropped what she held in her hands. She fell to her knees and said, “What do I see?
We’ve got a ‘royal’ visit!” Ståterkongen perceived her irony so he locked the door, turned to
her and answered, “Don’t be afraid, dairymaid, everything that glitters is not gold – like
everyone with big mouths is not noble!” The dairymaid held her breath and gave him the
attendance that he deserved.
A woman named Berte Finsrudhagen once told that she as a young girl had been working as a
dairymaid at a cheese farm in Vestfjellet. One night she was visited by three strangers. They
were sitting there, watching everything that Berte was doing. Then Berthe fetched a big pot
and filled it with several quarts of milk in order to cook porridge for supper. One of the
strangers said: Isn’t that too much porridge for so few persons? Berte looked at him and
answered, “Ståterkongen and his company will soon be here from Beinsetra, and then you’ll
see that it isn’t too much!” (She made up the story to scare them.) The stranger who had
asked the question got up and went out the door, and they others followed him. Berte never
saw them again! Ståterkongen and his company were respected!
Gypsies at Heggen Farm
A whole gypsy group once came to Heggen farm. All of the men from the farm were in the
mountains, so the gypsies felt like home and they had a real festive time with banquets and
alcohol. Someone ordered Ståterkongen because the gypsy’s turned extremely wild. So,
Ståterkongen had to hit one of them with his “morgenstjerne”, then he scared them away. In
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Østre Gausdal Commune archive, there’s probably more information about ståterkongen’s
history.
“Koret” in Gausdal
It may sound strange, but the town council law of 1837 was the first step for 16 tenant farmers
under Østre Gausdal Prestegård to settle the original “Koret”. That was the beginning of the
workers movement in the parish. The headquarters was at “Vold’s Quern” (some hundred
yards from Midtvoldsringen.)
As far as we know, ståterkongen wasn’t an active member of this organization, though he was
the parish’s greatest humourist and the most knowledgeable worker, but some think that the
organization and ståterkongen inspired each other.
Ståterkongen Ola Pedersson died at Midtvoldsringen 1866, 73 years old. A couple of years
later the parish constable institution was retired and the police corps were formed.
Feared, hated and loved
Ståterkongen Ola Pedersson had a strong personality. In his time he was feared, hated or
loved by all the people in his community. He was the one who gave his colourful painting of
the life those people lived. For almost 100 years he has rested in his grave by Østre Gausdal
main church, but some of his rhymes do still live in people’s memory. In every country it’s
always been that some have been better fit out from the nature than many others. They have
left their footprints forever in people’s history. Ola Pedersson was that kind of person. He
had a great talent but he never got his chance to develop it. He did rhymes and lyrics – to
redeem his talent. Much fun for his descendants and much fun for the age in which he lived.
But it never became more than that. Many of his great grand children had an academics
education. Maybe they’ve been given their talents through him, Ståterkongen in Gausdal.
SOURCE: Summarized and translated into English in Feb 2006 by Randi Reistadbakken with
help from Andy E. Wold, from an article in the Gudbrandsdölen newspaper, 17 Feb 1961 and
21 Feb 1961 editions, from a copy at the Gausdal Historical Society Archive.