Two women on Svalbard

Svalbard has always been a man´s place, of natural reasons. Mining, trapping and exploring have traditionally been a man´s thing, and those activities are of course still dominated by men (although it´s slowly changing, nowadays quite a few women are exploring, doing science, trapping and hunting on Svalbard, and many women are directly involved with the mining). Most of the myths and stories from Svalbard have been told by men too, and they tend to be glorifying existence here, and dwelling on the heroic and tough side of life.

But some women have written books from here as well - and I´ve read a couple, that give a slightly different view on life in the arctic.

"Kvinne i polarnatten" (1938) (Woman in the polar night - or: Eine Frau erlebt die Polarnacht) - is written by the Austrian painter Christiane Ritter, who overwintered on Svalbard between 1933 and 1934. She lived with her husband Hermann and a Norwegian trapper at Gråhuken, close to the northern tip of Spitzbergen. Here´s an image of the Ritters, nicked from here

- and one of her paintings, stolen from here.


Christiane came to Svalbard because of her husband, who had already made several trips to Svalbard. She describes her ambivalence at leaving her civilized Central European life, to keep house in the far north for her husband and his hunting and trapping buddies. But after a cold and foggy start, she comes to love the arctic, and her depiction of raw nature and isolated beauty is wonderful.

I enjoyed the "down-to-earth" descriptions of everyday life in the cabin, how they while away the long winter-days in their different ways, and how they arrange themselves to make it as comfortable as possible. They have no yeast with them, and despair because they won´t be able to make proper bread - until they find a old dried-up lump in the cabin. They care and nurture this into a swelling dough, and rejoice because they´ll be able to make sour-bread for the rest of the winter. Basic needs indeed!

But as with many such stories from earlier days, I sometimes miss a glimpse of how personal hygiene is maintained under such extreme conditions. It´s not mentioned at all. Maybe they just couldn´t be bothered, and gave up on sanitariness (oh - I know this is none of my business - it´s just my crude, modern curiosity).

A small detail that puzzled me, and schocked me a little (being a mother), is the sudden revelation well into the book that they actually had a little daughter left behind in Austria. She is only referred to twice, I think. I assume that she is taken care of by some relative, but it´s strange how they both live happily far away from her, without a chance to communicate with the world through the long winter. But things (and parenthood) were different 70 years ago, it seems.

Christiane Ritter went back to Austria in the summer of 1934, but her husband stayed on in the arctic for some years. He died in 1968, Christiane in 2000.



"Nord for det øde hav" (1955) (North of the desolate sea) is written by Liv Balstad, the wife of the Sysselmann (governor) Håkon Balstad. They lived 9 years in Longyearbyen, from 1946 to 1955. Balstad is a good storyteller - her writing style is simple, but endearing. She describes happy times and troubled times, and you´re left with a good idea of how life was in Longyearbyen just after the war.

Housing conditions take up a big part of the book: when she arrives, there are plans of a new house for the Sysselmann, a house worthy a governor. But it takes several years, and a lot of frustration, before the new house is actually built. In the meantime, they have to make do with a crowded barrack with flimsy walls. Guests arrive and expect to be housed and fed, all official matters have to be conducted in the cramped living-room, and at night rats run across the floors - during all this, Liv Balstad is expected to function as secretary, receptionist, cook and in all matters be the hostess. Without pay, naturally. She is, after all, the Sysselmann´s wife.

But she takes it all in her stride, and learns to love Svalbard as much as Christiane did. She shoots and flays a polarbear, she´s almost pulled under when the jeep she´s in goes through the ice, and she gives birth to a baby. Tough lady.

Come to think of it, we don´t learn much about the sanitary conditions in this book. either.

Living the comfortable life today, with air planes coming and going almost every day, excellent restaurants, fresh fruit and vegetable in the shop, running water in the tap, and warm houses, it´s hard to imagine how it must have been here all those years ago, in the dark season - and in the muddy season, but it´s interesting to learn about.

Also, having read these two books about the primitive beginning on Svalbard, it occurs to me that there should be written biographies that cover the later years - 1960 and onwards or so. I hear people who have lived here for 30-40 years talk about how it was when the plane came only once a week (and thus post came only once a week) - when all you got in the shop were big boxes of provisions, and all TV-programs were taped on the mainland, sent up and broadcasted in Longyearbyen - several days delayed. All that is past now, and will be forgotten within a few years.

But as I can´t write those stories, I just hope another woman will.

Another book by Estrid Ott, from Svalbard

... except that for this book (and others) she assumed a pen name, Magnus Moen (although Narvik Folkebibliotek seems to think it´s the other way round, which is a little amusing).

I´ve mentioned Estrid Ott before, because of her book "Siri from Svalbard", which was about a young girl´s life in Longyearbyen sometime in the 1930´s. Most of what I´ve learnt about coal-mining I got from that book. In "Sverre på Svalbard" (1951) Estrid has taught me a few things about driving dog-sleds, and as I´ve just had a chance to try it myself, I was eager to learn.

Sverre is a resourceful young man from the north of Norway, who leaps at every chance to travel and have exciting adventures (he goes to Africa and Canada in other books). This time he overwinters in a small cabin somewhere on Svalbard with a trapper. They shoot seals and polar bears, and they catch foxes. There´s also a dramatic bit about two bandits who try to rob them, and about their sad ending. But despite the dramatic parts, the book also gives a picture of the trapper´s everyday life through autumn, winter and spring - taking care of furs and clothes, finding water, stocking supplies, and cooking and cleaning. As a whole, you´re left with an impression that in general, trappers in the Arctic were clean, polite and sober. Which is a nice illusion.



Here´s a list of Estrid Ott´s books, which I expect is complete - except that I can´t find "Sverre på Svalbard" on it... It could be that the book "Sverre i fangstlære" ("Sverre is a trapper") from the same year is an early title.

It´s interesting that Estrid Ott chose a male pseudonym for the books about Sverre, probably on the publisher´s assumption that boys wouldn´t read books written by a woman (publishers seem to believe this still - Joanne Rowling used only her initials when the books about Harry Potter were published, because her publishers wanted to conceal the fact that she was a woman. Which in hindsight seems pretty silly).

So which do I like best, Siri or Sverre? I think probably the book about Sverre. He did more interesting things, and had a lot more freedom. Which is not Siri´s fault, and which I have a feeling Estrid Ott was the first to regret.

Svalbard-films to be seen

Two current films that use Svalbard-scenery as a backdrop are The golden compass, which everyone knows about, and Far north, which is fairly unknown.

I haven´t seen The golden compass yet, but I know enough about it to know that the actors never set foot on Svalbard – a camera team came here instead to film the backgrounds. They went to Bergen as well, to film the background for the scenes were Lyra meets the polar bear (in ”Trollsund”), but Dakota Blue Richards – or any of the other actors – never actually came to Bergen. They did the acting in front of a bluescreen.

Why they didn´t go to Bergen I don´t know (really - there are no polar bears there), but apparently, the polar bears prevent filming here at Svalbard. When you need people to guard the set with rifles, no insurance-company will touch it, or so I´ve heard. Golden compass filmed on a bear-free – and probably not so cold - glacier in the alps instead.

Fancy living somewhere so dangerous that James Bond – aka Daniel Craig, who plays lord Asriel – isn´t allowed to go there!

The actors in the film Far north, which we saw at Huset the other day, seem to be made of tougher material, because they did most of the out-door scenes here at Svalbard, during the summer and autumn of 2006. The screening here was a part of Tromsø Film Festival – and it´s director Asif Kapadia were present. Jason Roberts, who lives in Longyearbyen, was its production supervisor, and before the screening, he gave an interesting talk about the filming. For instance, he told us about the 40 tons of equipment they had with them, which - because you´re not allowed to use motorized vehicles - had to be carried by hand. Imagine hauling loads of incredible heavy stuff around for every scene! They were approached by only one bear during the weeks of filming, but they never saw it - it came by one night and vandalized an empty tent.




Pictures from the production, nicked from Svalbardposten - and Jason Roberts speaking to a crowded room before the screening.




Of course, it can be annoying to see a film from an area that you recognize - like a scene that´s obviously filmed in two very different locations: one angle from Troms on the mainland, the other from a Svalbard beach - you get kind of distracted from the actual story. But this won´t be noticed by people around the world, so I tried to look past it.

Still, I´m sorry to say - the story´s not good enough. Spectacular filming, boring story.

I found this review - and I agree with it when it says: "If as much care were taken with script as with visuals, pic would have more impact. As it stands, the thinly drawn characters are dwarfed by the magnificent landscapes, and fail to forge an emotional connection with auds."

Nature is great to look at, as long as you´re in it yourself - beautiful/dramatic/harsh etc scenery on film can work well, but only if the story that goes along with it is engaging. That goes for photos of landscapes too - they can be breathtaking and perfectly done - but in my opinion they´re mostly boring. It seems that a well-told (human) drama must be introduced to make it absorbing and interesting - and as for "Far north", that is not the case.

But, if you want to see great filming from Svalbard, go and have a look.

And, once again, Huset was filled to the brim with an enthusiastic audience - who must be forgiven for giggling audibly when Sean Bean in one scene beat up and then shot a minor character, who also happens to be a local guy.

Julehefte, by Thomas

This is written and illustrated by Thomas in December 2006, when we were talking a lot about the move to Svalbard. It´s the dramatic story about Tuba who survives a plane-crash by the help of a dolphin, and returns to her happy parents in Longyearbyen.



TUBA – JULEHEFTE


Det var en gang en jente som het Tuba. Hun var bare 6 År Gammel. Hun bodde på SvalBard. Hun hadde fått mange Problemer. På fredag ble Hun angripet av en Isbjørn, og på søndag ble hun overkjørt av hjulene på et Jetfly som skulle ut til Rullebanen og Lette. dagen etter ble hun Plaget av noen rampegutter på Skolen.



Men neste dag ble det verre. Nemlig når hun skulle ta en flytur, styrtet flyet ned i Havet. Flyet hadde verken rednignsvest eller redningsbåt, og hun Kunne ikke svømme.




Så derfor sank Hun ned på Havets Bunn. Men så ble det Bedre. Hun ble nemlig reddet av en Delfin. Delfinen svømte opp på Land med Tuba.



Så dro delfinen av gårde for å fange fisk til Tuba. Neste dag våknet Tuba. Hun spiste fisken hun hadde fått av delfinen til frokost. Etterpå begynte hun og øve på å svømme. Plutselig kunne hun det.


Ja, hun kunne tilomed dykke. Hun svømte tilbake til longyearbyen. Foreldrene hennes var svært engstelige for Hvor hun hadde vært. Plutselig kom det en liten S-T-E-M-M-E.
Det lød - hei,hei! Hhæææ?! Det er…………………T-U-B-A-! SKATTEN MIN. Du er Tilbake!! Ja, det er jeg.


Slutt


God Jul!

Thomas in the mine-tunnel

I have received permission from my youngest son to publish his recent work, "Thomas in the mine-tunnel" (Thomas pocket no 1)


Thomas is out for a walk in the night.


But then...

Ouch! Where am I?

In a mine-tunnel!



Where´s the exit?


Later..... Moonlight! I found the exit


There´s even a staircase here.


The end.

Kjartan Fløgstad, eat your heart out!

More on mining

Having read Kjartan Fløgstad´s book about mines (and suggested that we stop mining Svalbard altogether), I´ve had the pleasure to read the book "Siri fra Svalbard" by the Danish writer Estrid Ott, which offered a more romantic view on the subject.




Now, I would classify "Siri fra Svalbard" as a typical "pikebok", a book from the first part of last century which is suitably dramatic, funny and romantic for a girl the age between 12 and 18. I think Evy Bøgenæs (1906-1985) is a good representative for the Norwegian-style pikebok - books about ordinary girls around 16-17 years, who end up getting engaged to the galant/sporty/sensible/handsome/kind hero. Which invariably is the End of Story.

"Anne of Green Gables" by Canadian Lucy Maud Montgomery is another, well-known example - the books about her continue beyond marriage and even tell the story about her daughter (I seem to remember that those were the boring ones).

Siri, who lives in Longyearbyen sometime just before World War 2, is 14 years old and has no interest in boys. She is, however, very interested in mining and spends a lot of her time in mines with her father the mining-engineer. The book also offers descriptions on activities like hunting, driving dog sledges and being onboard an icebreaker. And meeting a herd of muskox (they were introduced by humans in 1929 and lasted until around 1960). But mining is what interest Siri the most, so much that she is determined to become a mine-worker herself. Not an easy choice for a girl in the 1930´s, but a brave one.

I see that I sound a bit ironic - that´s unfair, really, as the book is both engaging and sweet. It describes a child´s life on Svalbard rather romantically, but still it seems genuine. It´s interesting from a historic point too - for instance, her description of the "new" town that´s being built upvalley is interesting to read, as a lot of those buildings are almost gone today (but those that are left are still called "the new town"- Nybyen). Also, she explores a Swedish mining settlement, deserted because of a burning mine, that I suppose is Svea today.

This is not a book to get hold of through the usual channels, like shops - I borrowed this copy from the local, excellent library (it was recommended to me, otherwise I´m sure I´d never have discovered it). Pikebøker like these are seldom printed again, as they´re certainly not the fashion anymore.

I suspect this isn´t a big loss for humanity, but in sentimental moments I return to the old copies, and look up the favourite passages. I´m sure quite a few women out there know what I mean!

Pyramiden revisited

I said earlier that I´d dig out some of William´s old photos from his last visit to Pyramiden (last summer), from the inside of the buildings. Well, I did and here are some of them:










I suppose most of this is still the same, as things have been left alone since then. I´ve heard that the books in the library have been removed, so maybe those shelves above are empty now.


After our visit to Pyramiden, I´ve had time to read a neat little book about - indeed - Pyramiden. This is a fairly new book (published in 2007), written by Kjartan Fløgstad. The book was a gift from Tonni and Helge, thank you very much to them!


It contains a lot of interesting information about the town, about it´s architecture and history, also related to the history of the Soviet Union. The state of the houses in Pyramiden is described very poetically, which suits the eerily empty photos of abandoned rooms and streets, taken by Siri Hermansen.

However, the book is also about mining, and industry, and all kinds of associations around mining and shafts, caverns and the underground in general - stretching from Mother Earth and Orfeus, through Nils Klim and poetry by Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan and a list of other Americans. After some reading you get a feeling that Fløgstad´s main project has been to describe the idea about mining, and about a (failed) mining town, rather than the story about Pyramiden in particular. On the whole, it feels like too much information - crammed into too little space.

But a neat book it is, and I like the pictures.

And we discovered that a person we know rather well plays a small part in it. Terje, if you read this, check out what you´re doing on page 161!