Trying to locate and understand land descriptions

[Larry Melander]

My ancestor Aslak Olufson Sukka from Suldal parish in Rogaland (Stavanger amt) has an entry in a family tree found on the GENI website.  It includes an excerpt from a history of the Sukka farm and its inhabitants.  In that description it includes the following of farms Aslak had ownership-

 

Aslak Sukka åtte i 1617 1 1/2 pund smør i Sukka og 9 spann korn i øydegarden Meland under Sukka. Vidare åtte han 1/2 pund i Ytre Vanvik, 1 pund i øydegarden Tysdal under Haugen og 1 pund i øydegarden Refsvoll. Ved sida av Sukka bruka han øydegarden Stubødt (Stuv) som han bygsla av kongen. I 1624 åtte han 2 pund i Sukka, 1/2 pund i Refsvoll, 16 mark i Tysdal og 1/2 pund i Nordmork.

 

First- I am trying to translate "øydegarden".  When I use Google it calls it an eyegarden.  If I separate the words into "øyde garden" it seems to mean deserted farm.  Is that what these mean- he has some ownership in vacant farms?  I assume the farms were vacant due to the rampant black death plague in the 1300-1500's.

 

Second- I am trying to locate the Meland farm in Suldal.  Using Norgeskart I keep getting farms that are many miles away on the coast.  When I look at Oluf Rygh it has a very long description on the origin of the name.  But I'm trying to find the farm.  A portion of the description says-

 

Listen over gårder er hentet fra "Norske Gaardnavne".

v.10, p.366   9. Mæland. Udt. mæ´lann. ― Meelandt 1602. Vldall 1610. Meeland i Vlledall 1661. Meland Ulledall 1723. Gaarden ligger i Ulledalen (ú:`dlada:l'n). *Meðalland, se Varhaug GN. 68. Ogsaa fra Kvildalen kjendes en Gaard af dette Navn; se under "Forsvundne Navne" ved Herredets Slutning. ― Dalførets Navn indeholder ifølge O. R. (NE. S. 285, jfr. Bd. III S. 188 samt M. Olsen, Hedenske kultminder I S. 181) et ældre usms. Navn paa Ulledalsaaen (udt. u`ddladalsånó), hvortil han formoder et Spor endnu i AK.'s "Ulla Elv"; fra Suldals Hoveddalføre er opgivet mig, at Elven "oppe paa Fjeldet", d. v. s. i selve Ulledalen, "vist" kaldes u`ddló (best. Form efter den svage Bøining, oldn.   It appears to say it may be a name of a farm that no longer exists.  Part of it seems to imply it might have been near Jordebrekk farm Gnr.68 (called Varhaug???).  Another seems to say it might be located in Kvildalen- a valley off the main valley of Suldal with river Ulla in it.  Not sure- there is a valley south east of Sukka called Kvildalsdalen with several farms.     I don't have access to Gamle Suldal as I live in the USA- perhaps it might give a clue in the initial writing for the history of the Meland farm???  Could someone please check and help me find this farm.   Thanks so much.

 

 

[Even Stormoen]

Hello Larry.

 

Sorry, but I think you might have posted in the wrong Forum here. This is the ‹Interpreting-old-writing-forum› (Crickey, this ‹translation› really sucks!)

Anyhow, this kind of questions are better answered in the «Brukernes eget Forum». Re-post there, and I’m confident some of the excellent ‹helpers› will  – well – help you 🙂

But you are right, the name/term «Øydegaarden» indicates a desolate/abandoned farm. Lots of places are bearing that name (and variations of it) throughout Norway, and many (but not all!) are related to the devestations caused by «The Black Death».

All the best

Endret Juni 14, 2020 av Even Stormoen

[Larry Melander]

I wasn't sure which forum to use.  Thanks for the help.