Two Jutska Stories- Maren Rasmusdatter Fjone 1670-1718
The Fjone farmstead in Nissedal lies on the west side of Lake Nisser beyond the old church at Tvedt. It too, without a doubt, had been a farmstead in the old days. Here at Fjone in about the year 1700 lived a man by the name of Jon. He was a prosperous man who owned many places and was one of the most popular men in the neighborhood. In addition to that he was a big and handsome man, cheerful and full of jokes, always honest and straight in dealing with his fellowmen in the same manner as men of his descendants have been known to be. He was not yet married when, on a trip to Arendal, he became acquainted with a Danish skipper named Rasmus and his daughter Maria who had come with her father to see what things looked like in Norway. Maria was a healthy and lively girl and the two young people were together often during the days Jon was in the city. In fact, they came to love each other as Maria thought this active young man of Telemark was more attractive and of finer qualities than the boys she knew in Jylland.
It happened one evening as the two sat alone together in the guestroom of the hotel playing cards and talking about this and that, that she said- “Now I am putting myself up as a bet, and you, Jon, meet this wager with so many dollars.” This seemed like quite a clear hint, but Jon accepted for the fun of it. They played and Jon won. When they separated and Jon should go home, she said that if she got per mission to accompany her father next year she would return to Norway and then take a trip to Nissedal, as she had a strong desire to see the big mountain people talked about and also to see the homes and farmhouses in Norway.
Next summer she came to Fjone one evening, tired and unexpected. “Good afternoon”, she greeted. Then she said, “Here I put down my bundle and my cane and here I think I shall rest many a day.” Jon was not at home when Maria came. He was at the mill grinding. They sent word to him that there had come a girl from Denmark who insisted on speaking to him. Jon knew who it was and he became a little excited, but that soon went over. Love had not rusted away for either of them, but when he told his parents that he was engaged there got to be quite a ruckus in the house.
The Fjone people were proud and important folks in the neighborhood and could see no sense in Jon throwing himself away and bringing shame on the whole relationship by marrying an unknown Danish girl. They did, however, agree to keep their peace until further developments.
When they saw she was ambitious and skilled at spinning and weaving it was agreed she could stay for a while; they thought that she would get lonesome and homesick and go home. Jon’s mother then arranged a weave pattern that “Jutska” (that was what they nicknamed her) should try her skill at. They soon saw that she was very skillful, but she and Jon were together too much to suit his mother so she decided this should come to an end. So one day she cut the woven fabric across and through. But Jutska did not become down-hearted. Almost before the old lady had shaken off her anger, Jutska had patched the fabric together again and was weaving as though nothing had happened.
It was then they concluded that something had to be done. Things could not go on this way.
Jon and Maria were so determined in their decision that they could not be torn apart. So, the old lady said to her one day that she could have Jon provided she could spin a thread that would reach from Fjone over the Nisser water and up to the Tvedt church. This distance is approximately two english miles. Everyone thought this was impossible except Jutska. She not only spun a thread that reached to the church, but three times around the church and back to Fjone. Now the old people had to give up and let Jon and Maria have their way and they were married in the Tveit church. It turned out to be a happy marriage and to them were born sons and daughters. The first son was named Rasmus after her father, the skipper, and a daughter was named Signe.
Here’s another story that Dr. John Trentman passed on and was printed in Ruth Holtan’s Journey books.
JUTSKA’S JOURNEY
There is very little in the historical records about Jutska. Apart from records of her marriage and death, the only recorded detail is that she once was a witness at a trial. However, she lives on in the stories which were told about her and were later written down.
Jutska’s real name was Maren Rasmusdotter and her father was a Danish sea captain. Once upon a time a Norwegian sailor by the name of Jon Tallakson took a trip to the seaport Andalen and stayed in a guest house where Maren and her father were also staying. There are various versions of what happened next, but all of them agree that Jon won Maren as his bride in a card game.
One version told by Prost Quisling was that they were playing cards and Maren suggested to Jon that if he would put up so many riksdaler on the game she would bet herself, which was a pretty obvious hint. In any case Jon won the game and took her back to Nissedal. When they got there, it is said that she said a little verse in Norwegian, of course, which meant, “Here I sit down with my bag and stick; here will I be until I am put in the grave”.
Jon’s mother Gunbjorg however did not like this foreign girl Jon had brought home and wouldn’t hear any talk of marriage. Maren stayed on and worked, but Gunbjorg made life very difficult for her. Once when Jutska was ready to weave, Gunbjorg cut the thread, but Maren didn’t say an angry word but just tied it together again.
Maren was very good at weaving and spinning and it was said that she was the first to come to Nissedal with a woolen coat.
Gunbjorg said that if Maren could spin a thread that would reach all the way over the Nisser fjord, she could marry Jon.
She spun a thread that was both long enough and strong enough that it stretched all the way over the fjord and in addition went three times around the church. So, in 1698, Jon and Maren were wed. They had four children: Rasmus, Gunbjorg, Margrete and Tallak. (This translation by Dr. John Trentman.)
Jon Tallakson was born in 1675 and died in 1720. Maren Rasmusdotter was married in 1698 and died in 1718. When you visit the farm of Fjone at Nissedal they will show you Jutska’s home so they keep her story alive. You will find Jutska in the line of Turi Thorvilson and Signe Onstad so she brought a fresh strain of Danish blood into Telemark and Nissedal.