Mangesyslaren - Voss Herad

In early October, excited students from Vossestrand School gathered at Stalheim. The base for the day was Stalheim Museum - Tønneberg's collections. Here they were to meet Gry and Gro from Nærøyfjorden World Heritage Park on the “Mangesyslaren” project. In addition, they were lucky enough to have three beautiful ladies from Voss Husflidslag provide knowledge and equipment.

In connection with the Cultural Remembrance Days, Nærøyfjorden World Heritage Park developed a program for grades 3-4 where the focus is on reuse, being able to repair, being useful, and being able to utilize our resources. In close collaboration with partners and the schools in Lærdal municipality, the students learn about history, construction techniques, the use of wood to make darning mushrooms, about wool and how it is processed into yarn. And then they get to try to darn a hole with darning mushrooms and yarn.

First, the pupils went on a tour of the museum with Gry, where she told about some of the buildings. What they had been used for, who had lived in them and about building techniques. The story of Fante Nils was something that engaged them.

In the old school room, the students learned about wood, and how Edvin Flåm from Undredal had made the corkscrews that the students received. They had to finish the product, polish it well, so that it was ready for the next station.

Inside Låven was the second station. Here the ladies from Voss Husflidslag told about wool, carding and spinning. The pupils had a go at carding, and then made little angels from the carded wool.

There was a lot to follow, and a lot of new work for little hands to try - and the concentration was high! Therefore, it was also important to get a proper meal afterwards. In the kitchen, several pans are simmering...

Oatmeal for the whole gang - then you need a butter eye. And the butter, yes, the students made it themselves!

After a good lunch break, it was ready for new challenges. Now the stopper would come in handy, because here you would try your hand at stopping. The pupils brought different garments with them which they had to repair. And with good help from the adults, the needles were threaded and the art of stopping holes was tested.

In the end, there was task solving - a small repetition of everything they had heard and seen - and then I ended the day with a story. Gro read from the book Pers new clothes by Elsa Beskow. There were happy young and old who thanked each other before turning home. We thank the students and teachers from Vossestrand School for a great day!

We would like to thank Stalheim Hotell by Trygve Dugstad for allowing us to visit the museum. A big thank you to the three lovely ladies from Voss Husflidslag who helped us, and to Edvin Flåm who made stuffed mushrooms.