The Need and Availability of Accommodation
Even before the year 900 AD, the sagas ell us of boats from along the coast being equipped for the journey to Lofoten and the winter cod fishing season: In addition to the ordinary "home" fisheries, tales were told all along the coast of the extremely bounteous winter fishery off the Lofoten Islands. People travelled for days and even weeks in open rowing boats and sailing boats to take part in the abundant fisheries of Lofoten, throughout the entire winter.
This created a need for accommodation. We have little knowledge of how this need was met during the first early 110`s King Øystein decided that "rorbus" should be build the visiting fishermen in Lofoten. This tells us something of how important this fishing was for the country's economy even at such early date.
|
Development
During the interwar period, when the fisheries of Lofoten reached their zenith as far as participation is concerned, there was room between 30.000 and 40.000 men in the rorbus in the rorbus of Lofoten. A traditional rorbu comprised of two parts: The main part was build of cogged timber and it was here that the fishermen ate and sleep. There was a stove in this room for heating an cooking purposes. Here, tackle was repaired, too, and sometimes longlines were baited. The bunks used by the fishermen were often located close to the ceiling, so as to avoid occupying the limited floor space with beds. the bunks were very wide and two or three men occupied each bunk, sleeping under great, big furs and thick, woven rugs.
The other part of rorbu was normally just build of single panelling, and the wind blew through the walls, often depositing snow inside. This room was used for storing tackle and the "Lofoten chests" that the fishermen brought with them filed with food, clothing and other personal effects.
After the Second World War, participation in the Lofoten fishery has been on the decline. Today, about 3-4.000 fishermen take part, and for the most part they sleep an board their modern fishing vessels that are equipped with cabins warm enough to stay in the during the winter. This is why most of the rorbus in Lofoten have not been in use during the winter for the past 20-30 years. |
The Word "Roubu"
Rorbu? What are the origins of the world? "Bu" means a (small) dwelling, and is derivative of the Norwegian word, "bo", to live in. So: A tiny house to live in. But the word is also used in certain other contexts, e. g . "redskapsbu" -y "house" where tools are kept.
The first syllable of the word ROURBU derives from the Norwegian word "ro" to row. For centuries the fishermen came in rowing boats, and it was not until the early 1900`s came that the fishing boats were equipped eighth engines. One literally "rowed" out the fishing grounds. Even after three generations of motorboats, the Norwegian for "row out to the fishing grounds" is still the vernacular for taking part in the fisheries.
A "rorbu", then, is a house where the fishermen lived when they out to the fishing grounds.
|
New Use and Modernization
Around 1960, when hundreds of rorbus were empty all year round and many had been demolished or blown down by the winter storms, same of the better cabins were let out to tourists for the first time.
During a twenty years period, the amount of tourists wishing to stay in rorbus increased, and the owners had their rorbu cabins restored and modernized. The old main part could often be left as it was, whereas the parts that were used to tackle and other equipment have been insulated against the cold an furnished with, showers, toilets and one or more additional bedrooms. Whereas previously it was necessary to carry water to the rorbus, today, practically all the cabins have hot and cold water.
Today, there are about 3/400 rorbus on Lofoten, about 100 of which are new ones, cabins built in "rorbu" style but never used by fishermen. These are nonetheless popular among tourists requiring a distinctive type of accommodation during their stay in Lofoten. Without the rental of rorbus to handful of rorbus left in Lofoten today, apart from those we find in the museums. In Lofoten, tourism has participated directly to ensuring the survival of an important part of our coastal culture in its original environment.
|
The Environment
The rorbus were build on the shore had natural access right us to the door of the "bu". Many fishing villages developed into built up where these red rorbu cabins - and the fish halls - dominated the scene. When it became customary to paint the cabins, red paint based on cod-liver oil was cheapest and commonest, but other colours, like ochre, were also used. Together with a great number of fish racks used for drying the fish, the "rorbus" created a distinctive architectural environment in the fishing villages of Lofoten.
|
"Sjøhus" - Quayside Rooms
In the fishing villages we also find lager buildings where the fishermen's catch was landed. These quayside fish halls, were normally built with two to four floors and here too, rooms were furnished to accommodate the land based workers in the fishing industry and some of the boat crews. Since much of this accommodation was used by fishermen, these are sometimes also referred to as rorbus. In order to distinguish this type of accommodation from the traditional, detached rorbus, the term SJØHUS is used about these larger buildings.
The accommodations offered in these "sjøhus", or quayside rooms, is often of a more modern fashion than the old cabins, and in many cases these accommodation units are more spacious than the traditional rorbus. In some of the "sjøhus" the guests share a common kitchen and lounge. |
|
Home 
