Husmann

An interesting tidbit of Norwegian history, aside from those Vikings, of course, is the caste system that was in place for over four centuries.  It was more than just a lower, middle or upper class distinction - it was a social standing that could not be broken and none of these social castes could intermarry.

Even just a hundred years ago, the bulk of Norway was made up of farm owners (bonde), indentured servants (husmann), and the very poor (fattikassen).

The farm owners were the richest in the land, outside of the business owners in cities.  The farms along the coast were small, as the farmers could supplement their subsistence with fishing, but they still needed extra laborers to work the land.  The farms inland were huge, in comparison, and many hands were needed to keep the farms going.  This is where the “husmann” came into play before the 1600s.

Since the oldest son was the only one to inherit the farm, all other siblings were destined for a life of poverty and had to find their own way.  They usually hired themselves out to other farms, starting at around age 11.  As they got older, they were allowed to lease a part of the farm where they worked, so they could grow their own food and build a one room home for their family.  (Many of these homes are now used as sheds on farms today.) Their lease was paid either once a year in cash or with their labor, working as much as eleven hours a day, six days a week, year round in payment.  They often had to have another craft or trade in order to survive.  It was rare anyone was ever able to work their way out of that kind of poverty.  If the husmann was married, his wife would also have to work long days as domestic help for the bonde, who was always referred to as “master.”   There was no security for a second generation on the same farm, so husmann moved frequently.  In the 1801 census, more than 30% of Norway’s population was considered husmann.

Husmann were very poor, but even poorer yet were the fattikassen, as they were either disabled mentally or physically or just too old to work and had no family to care for them.  Often, larger farm owners took them in as charity cases, or the local priest would assign them a place to live so they wouldn’t be homeless.

The bulk of husmann moved to America in the late 1800s as it was their only hope for a better life.  In 1928 the Norwegian government did away with the husmann class by forcing the bonde to give the husmann the piece of land they had been farming.  This was the beginning of Norway’s one class socialist system.

Now that the caste system has been removed and Norwegians have the freedom to marry whomever they want, it’s ironic that most of them choose to not get married at all.