Walls of Gold | Norway

To the untrained eye this image simply appears to be a small Norwegian fishing village with a dramatic winter backdrop. However, for those that have photographed high above the Arctic Circle in the season of winter, this image represents endless hours of work. It is photographs like this one that you take home as a badge of honor, a testament to your dedication. In this region one often spends hours shooting through the harshest conditions, pursuing momentary glimpses of sunlight that break through the clouds and make absolute magic. One may spend so many hours battling the elements and shooting in less than optimum conditions. When the light finally breaks through the gray skies there is a feeling of absolute euphoria and a desire to shoot as much as possible before another wave of clouds darkens the skies! When the clouds broke for us on this particular morning we were just arriving in this idyllic small fishing village. Having already captured numerous images of red rorbu cabins, these sunny, golden colored buildings seemed the appropriate village to stand before as the light made its debut. The sun didn’t disappoint. The freshly fallen snow made for the perfect backdrop to this scene. The yellow cabins along the shoreline are known as rorbu.

These classic rorbu (fisherman’s cabins) are a hallmark of the coast of Nordland county in Norway. The cabins were originally intended for the Lofoten fishermen. Today rorbu cabins are available as rentals in Norway from basic traditional designs, to very elaborate ones with all the modern comforts.

The abundantly rich winter fishery in and around the Lofoten Islands attracted fishermen even before the year 900AD. Norwegians would set sail for days or even weeks in small row boats or sail boats in order to participate in the plentiful Lofoten fishery each winter. This popular fishing season created a demand for lodgings in the islands. The Lofoten rorbu cabins were first built in the year 1120 by King Øistein as seasonal housing for those visiting to fish the waters of the Lofoten Islands. He ordered that rorbu cabins should be built in Kabelvåg, (originally known as Vágar), to accommodate the visiting fishermen. This indicates how important fishing was to the Norwegian economy even at this early stage.

The rorbu were built on stilts at the water’s edge with direct access to the row boats. The cabins at that time were simple. They often consisted of two rooms: one for working and another with bunk beds for sleeping. The workroom was used to store fishing gear and food for the fishermen. Here they would spend their time on land preparing for their next day of work on the sea.

The first part of the word rorbu, ‘ror’, is derived from the verb, to row (å ro). Historically, fishermen came to Lofoten in row boats. It wasn’t until the beginning of the last century that engines were installed on fishing vessels. The syllable ‘bu’ means a small house, a derivative of the Norwegian verb “å bo”, (to live in). The fishermen literally “rowed” out to fish. Even after many generations of fishermen using boats powered with motors, the term ‘rowing out to fish‘ (ro fiske) still exists in everyday speech in regards to taking part in the fishery. A “rorbu” then, is the house the fishermen lived in when they were away fishing.

Over time the buildings in the fishing villages became more densely packed together. Red rorbu cabins, and fish wharf buildings, dominated the scene. Red paint was easily made from cod-liver oil and was therefore the cheapest and most commonly used. Later the color ochre began to be used, which can be see here in this image. Bright colors were easier for the fishermen to spot from the stormy seas. The various rorbu cabins and countless fish racks that are used to dry the catch have created a unique and distinct appearance throughout the fishing villages of Lofoten.

More recently the term ‘rorbu’ has been used to describe cabins located in places other than the coast of Nordland, but traditionally the genuine rorbu cabins are forever intricately linked to the Lofoten Islands.

Your thoughts and comments are always welcome.

~ Nathaniel

Image Data: 

Nikon D850 & 70-200mm Lens

5 Vertical Images – Stitched Pano

Iso 31 | f-8 | @ 1/50th Sec.