Life wisdom and old joy

In 1981, I, Helge Haukeland, came to Skutvik in Hamarøy quite by chance. And I was on a photo hunt for white-tailed eagles. Just as coincidentally, I would form eternal friendships with two elderly gentlemen who lived on separate islands in this beautiful landscape - Ragnar on Husøya and Sigfred on Storøya.

Over many years in the late 1980s and into the 1990s, I followed the two in their daily lives. Together with the late NRK's Leif-Erik Michaelsen, we created this intimate and warm double portrait of Sigfred and Ragnar and their life in harmony with nature.

81-year-old Sigfred on Storøya was the eider's protector. He waited with longing for the birds, built houses and nests, and tried by all means to protect his birds from dangers such as eagles, mink and foxes.

86-year-old Ragnar on Husøya farmed the land and tended his sheep. The two islanders lived in a different time. Here there was little of today's technology, the one the rest of us take for granted.

The film takes us back in time, to a time when the use of natural resources defined human life, in that both the working day, the household and the lifestyle itself were closely linked to nature. The footage gives us knowledge and experiences about a distinctive cultural landscape and shows the cohesion between humans and nature.

Self-help

The two were self-reliant in every way. They helped each other, and shared joys and amazement at the unique pictures that nature around them constantly showed. The two represented an era that was coming to an end. The islands that were once populated became lonely when the two were gone. A distinctive culture disappeared, and the country became somewhat poorer.

The eider's protector

The special relationship between the eider and man was well brought out on Storøya. Sigfred lived alone with all the powerful nature around him. The eiders were a natural part of Sigfred's life, he took good care of his birds and longed for spring, when the migratory birds returned and the island weather came to life again. Around May 1st, the first eider usually arrived on Storøya. Before this, the eiders had gathered in large flocks around Sigfred's island. Care, maintenance, smoking and guarding were important during the breeding season so that the birds were not disturbed.

Until the end of the 1980s, Storøya still had a vibrant birdlife with about 200 nesting eiders and about 200 pairs of herring gulls, lapwings, black-backed gulls, black-backed gulls, and herring gulls. Storøya was the largest nesting area for seabirds in Hamarøy and the seabirds created life and excitement on the island.

Sigfred guarded the birds year-round, it was important to keep track of the number of nests and eggs, and what species of bird they belonged to. The birds were also an important part of the islanders' lives and everyday life out here.

Egg collecting and seabird eggs are very tasty and have always been an important tradition. The islanders would gather together in the spring to collect eggs from black-backed gulls, herring gulls, greylag gulls, eiders, black-backed geese, greylag geese and terns. All the eggs were taken to the main island and carefully distributed among the farms and were an important part of the household for the residents out here in earlier times. Egg collecting was something Sigfred enjoyed every spring. It is estimated that in the late 19th century, approximately one million seabird eggs were collected annually in Norway.

Man and nature

"The Island of the Good God"

Ragnar lived on Husøya with his sheep and kept the traditions of the island alive together with his neighbors Borgny and Roald Mathisen. In 2024, Roald Mathisen passed away. The island, which once housed up to 90 people, is now quiet and mostly used in the summer.

Ragnar was a farmer and fisherman, one of the things Ragnar loved most was his horse, which was his best friend.

His old tool shed was a treasure trove, here was everything between heaven and earth of old things that had been used through generations on the island, tools, horse equipment and materials that could be used for everything that needed to be maintained on the island.

Ragnar could tell that the almanac was as important as the Bible, where the island is flooded by strong tidal currents. The almanac was in daily use and was a matter of course on the kitchen table. It was important when going fishing and shopping at Skutvik or to the hairdresser in the open air on Storøya. Sigfred was known as a skilled hairdresser, he not only cut men's hair but also women's. Ragnar regularly went to Storøya to get his hair cut.

"We now have to get sheared occasionally, we who only have the sheep looking at us" Ragnar 1994.

An award-winning tribute to man and nature

History shows how human absence can lead to the decay of nature. After Sigfred passed away, the organized farming and guarding also disappeared, which resulted in the disappearance of bird life on Storøya. Today, the houses and landscape stand as silent witnesses to a bygone era.

“Sigfred and Ragnar and the Seven Straumans” has won several international awards, including first place at Wildscreen in Bristol, organized by the BBC, Discovery channel and the Prix de la Relation Home-Animal in the film category, the relationship between humans and nature in France. The film has been shown on a number of international TV channels and has helped to promote understanding and respect for the vulnerability of nature.

Photo stories

Helge Haukeland

Among islanders and eider culture

Sigfred and Ragnar and the seven current

The salmon farmer

Among islanders and eider culture

Sigfred and Ragnar and the seven current

The salmon farmer