Frelsøya

At the far end, north-west of Namdalen lies an eldorado of an archipelago called Vikna. It’s really nice here! The number of islands and islets (6,000) is more than the number of inhabitants (4,500), so there are all possibilities for fishing, boattrips, paddling and swimming.

Vikna, view towards the Dalafjellet wind power plant.

At the far end of Yttervikna lies Frelsøya (Salvation Island), a relatively low island with some marshes, lakes and hills cut by coves. ‘Who was saved here?‘ one might ask, and the answer is quite logical: Anyone who has suffered shipwrecking on the open sea, or perhaps hit the reefs further out, where the waves break all year round. For example, the English cargo ship ‘Zurich’ sank off Frelsøya in 1899, with the captain as the only survivor. He was found on a raft of planks.

Vik in Vikna with a view towards the open sea and ‘fallgarden’, the dangerous reefs that have caused many shipwrecks.

From the wooden material that drifted ashore from Zurich, Peder Kristiansen erected a new house on Nordneset, Frelsøya, in 1906. The house on Nordneset was demolished in 1968, and the wood was later used again – in a new building at Ramstad. Reuse at its best!

Frelsøya; the outermost island with the phallus. Knut was much more excited about the potency here than Kuløyfallosen’s appearance.

There have never been more than 3 farms on Frelsøya: Brusneset (depopulated 1949), Krambuneset (depopulated 1959) and Nordneset (depopulated 1968). All other settlers were fishermen who did not keep animals.

Krambuneset anno 2024. A holiday paradise!

Despite a modest population base, neighbours weren’t always buddys at Frelsøya. Court records from 1593 state that ‘Joen Frelsøen has to pay half a ‘daler’ in fine because he cut his neighbor’s hand.‘ This happened at about the same time that Niels Eriksen Frelsøe was imposed a similar fine ‘because he hit Hågen Frelsøe twice in the head with an ax hammer‘. Exciting neighborhood!

The neighborhood at Krambuneset is a bit better in the 2000s than 400 years earlier. Thanks for the loan of the cabin, Mona Kristin and Svein Gunnar!

We were lucky enough to visit Idun’s sister Jorunn, and her husband Berner, who owns parts of Frelsøya. This implies pleasant time together – and a morning bath every day. Thank you for the trip! A morning bath is just right almost anywhere on Frelsøya.

Ref:
Viknaboka Gards- og ættehistorie‘, Bind III av Bjarne Borgan