[#12924] Hushaldstatus = Fæstemøe

[Gjest Vidar Larsen]

Could somebody explain the term Fæstemøe, please (in plain Norwegian or English).LenkeMvh Vidar

[Gjest Nina Møller Nordby]

Wife!

[Gjest Nina Møller Nordby]

Fästmö is a swedish word for bride, sweetheart. I believe she was the sister of the housewife, and that she was going to be married. I can hardly believe that she was his sweeatheart!! http://www.glossword.ru/term/84/6160.xhtml

[Gjest Knut Bryn]

Not so fast, Nina. 'Fæstemøe' is fiancée, not wife.Gunhild Fredriksdatter may be about to marry because a girl called 'Gunild Fredriksdatter Svines' married 'Kristen Iversen Stokke' in Sandar in 1801. I don't know why Gunhild stayed at Kristoffer Nielsen Hørdalen when the census data were recorded, but perhaps she was the sister of Kristoffer's wife (Mari Frediksdatter)?

[Gjest Jan Oldervoll]

Being a fæstemø means that she was engaged to be married. Being a fæstemø had legal implications as well. It implied a promise (is it called a vow?) to be married. If the man broke this vow he could be brougth to court, especially if the girl was made pregnant. I agree with Nina that it is unlikely that she was engaged to the husband in this particular household.

[Gjest Vidar Larsen]

Thanks all for quick answer. Gunhild and Mari are most likely sisters. Mvh Vidar

[Gjest Knut Bryn]

According to the churchbooks from Sandar Fredik Hansen and Gunhild Jensdatter had at least 9 children. Among these:1. Mari b. 14.3.1745 at Haugheim8. Gunnhild b. 21.11.1756 at SvinesThis Gunhild must have been 44 years old in 1801. According to the 1801 census the 'fæstemøe' Gunhild Fredriksdatter was 39 years old. Perhaps she was tricking her fiancée :-) Mari was 56 years old while the census has got 59 years. Somebody must have been a little inaccurate in the recording process.

[Gjest Nina Møller Nordby]

Why did they use the swedish word 'fæstemø' instead of forlovet/trolovet?

[Gjest Kristian Hunskaar]

Jeg har sett festemø brukt flere steder. Jeg vil tro ordet kan ha vært vel så norsk som svensk, men at det i Norge, i større grad enn i Sverige, har gått i glemmeboka/blitt erstattet med forlovede. Noen språkvitere her?

[Gjest Jan Oldervoll]

As Kristian said in Norwegian; fæstemø is definitively not a Swdish word, or rather Swedish word only. It has benn used in Norwegian since the Middle Ages. I would think that in Norewegian it is a much older word than trolovet, which probably came into the country with the Danes at a later age.