The Norwegian Forest Cat by the Old Watermill

Deep into the forest lies an old watermill, it is not a run down, but a very well maintained building. Someone lives here, but they are usually not showing up when people are passing by. They probably want peace and quiet like we do when we seek out into those quiet desolate places.

I had been here by the old watermill at Fussingø many times in each season through the years but on a day
in June this year one of the inhabitants of the house was sitting outside the door -  a magnificent cat with a thick furry coat. The cat was looking through me with golden eyes like I was not existing -  looking across the yard down to the lake in a calm and dignified posture. I took a few shots, and the cat did not react in any way. What a proud, independent soul!

This was the Norwegian Forest cat, which is now a very popular breeding cat. Many myths and legends are attached to this pretty cat-creature.

The Danish born priest Peter Clausson Friis lived in Norway for many years; together with his priest work he was very occupied by nature - and he described the animals he met in the Norwegian nature. In 1559 he began writing about the lynx. He divided the lynx into three categories: wolf-lynx, fox-lynx and cat-lynx. It was later discovered that all three belonged to the same species, but what he called the cat-lynx might have been the Norwegian Forest cat. It is very likely since there are many similarities between the forest cat and  the Norwegian lynx. The most apparent is that they are both high-legged big cats with a big fur collar and hair upon the tip of the ears, the socalled tufse - and they both like water. The stories about swimming forest cats catching fish in lakes and rivers are numerous. The forest cat used exactly the same method as the Norwegian lynx. These similarities between the lynx and the forest cat have once and again caused that people have taken a great interest in the forest cat.

There are many cats in the Norwegian country settlements, but in the oral handovers and fairy tales the big longhaired cat is always mentioned. Because of its size and the lynx-like characteristica many people thought that it was a mix of dog and cat - or more commonly that this cat was a half lynx.

In the Norwegian fairy tales of Asbjørnsen and Moe the forest cat appears several times. It is called a *Huldrekat - and is described as a forest cat with a thick bushy tail. The fairy tales and the legends are not the only proofs of the big natural presence of the forest cat. In 1912 the Norwegian author Gabriel Scott wrote a very popular children's book called Sølvfax (Silver Fax).The main person is a forest cat called Sølvfax.

*Huldre is a forest spirit ( see wikipedia).

"Huldra's Nymphs" by Bernard Evans Ward (1909)

The Norwegian forest cat is adapted to survive Norway's cold weather. Its ancestors may include black and white shorthair cats, brought to Norway from Great Britain sometime after 1000 AD by the Vikings, and longhaired cats brought to Norway by crusaders. These cats could have reproduced with farm and feral stock and might have eventually evolved into the modern-day Norwegian Forest cat. The Siberian and the Turkish Angora longhaired cats from Russia and Turkey respectively, are also possible ancestors of the breed. Norse legends refer to the skogkatt as "a mountain dwelling fairy cat with an ability to climb sheer rock faces that other cats could not manage".

Many people believe that the ancestors of the Norwegian Forest cat served as mousers on Viking ships. The Norwegian Vikings had the forest cat as a domestic cat, and in their expeditions around the world they brought the forest cat with them on their ships. This should be the cause of the large numbers of half-wild longhaired cats in Normandy.

The forest cats lived in the Norwegian forests for many centuries, but were later prized for their hunting skills and were used on Norwegian farms. Norwegian Forest cats would continue acting as mousers on Norwegian farms until they were discovered in the early twentieth century by cat enthusiasts.


The Norwegian Forest cat is now a popular breeding cat in many countries. The cat has a quiet voice but can develop a loud voice if kept in a house wit a dog. They are friendly and intelligent and are good with people. They have a lot of energy and can be very demanding of attention. Those cats that live primarily outdoors become swift and effective hunters, but the breed can also adapt to indoor life. The cats usually live to be 14 to 16 years old. As they are heavy-boned and tall they require more food than most other domestic breeds. Males are considerably heavier and larger boned than females. There have been kidney and heart diseased reported in the breed. The breed has also been known to suffer from hip dysplasia which is a rare partially hereditary disease of the hip joint. The breed along with several other cat breeds can be poisoned by things that are considered safe to humans.

But no matter, I had a lovely meeting with a beautiful forest cat in the midst of the forest. I hope I'll see it again the next time I'll go there. 


source: Skovkattens historie, Dansk Skovkattering; wikipedia: den Norske Skovkat, den Europæiske Skovkat.  
photo Fussingø June 2013: grethe bachmann; 
photocopy "Huldra's Nymphs", wikipedia.

In the Lake District in October

Mossø in October. It is a large lake in the lake district in the middle of Jutland and a part of the system of the river Gudenå. It is about 10 km long and about 2 km broad. The lake is surrounded by forests, meadows and farm land. In some places are large weed woods and bog areas along the banks of the lake. Mossø is listed in order to maintain its present condition and to secure access for the public. There's a rich flora and fauna. (+ English text)


The farmers are busy.


I cannot resist the Highlanders. They were too far away, no matter!


A grave hill. I wonder who has been resting here for more than thousand years.


Klostermølle. Here is a tree with a passage for a creeping through. Wanda, have you found one where you live? I hope you're not stuck! The channel behind the tree was digged by monks in the Middle Ages. There was a kloster nearby, (Voer Kloster), established by Benedictiner monks, (year 1050-1100) and they probably decided to establish the 1.300 m long dam at the foot of a high hill named Sukkertoppen (The Sugar Top!), forcing the waters of the river Gudenå into a channel and a fall, where the monks could use the water power in a mill.


Klostermølle. The field was last year overgrown with bushes and small trees. They have now been removed as part of a project and a listing of a large area. This winter it gives more space for the geese, when they arrive and go grazing in the winter period.


Klostermølle. A small jungle by the channel, but no real jungle. There are no dangerous animals. I always look for the kingfisher and often see it by the channel, but it flies so fast that I haven't been able to "catch" it - yet! But it is such a joy to watch that little metallic blue bird, when it is racing above the surface of the water, giving its characteristic short call.


One of our destinations was Kongsø Hede (heath). The Nøddekrige had been seen her. The spotted nutcracker, Latin Nucifraga caryocatactes. It is a rare Danish breeding bird, but a frequent migrating and winter guest. In some years are actual invasions. Near Kongsø Hede is a fine area with hazel and nuts for this bird.


Kongsø Hede is situated by a hiking route along Hærvejen. Two lakes, Kalgård Sø and Kongsø lie close to the heath, where nature is taken care of in order to prevent overgrowth and to keep the heather young. Upon the heath is a small dammed lake with a castle bank, named "Hansborg".

There are marked paths and information boards in the whole hiking area.


Kongsø Hede. Old age does not look bad on a tree.


Cosy Cattle.


I like our old churches.


A gorgeous tree at the church yard. It must be one of the chestnuts.


There is a resting place here at Torup lake at the top of a slope , good for a coffee break. The lake was silent and the water was a mirror, usually with many swans, but no swans were visible now. They have probably gone to another and better place before winter. Birds have a special talent, they know when and where to go. Some withered ferns blocked the view, so I went to the edge of the slope to take a photo of the mirrored lake. I disturbed a flock of ducks. They made an awful noise flying up and fleeing from this awful disturber. Sorry, dear ducks. They flew across water and circled in front of the forest, before they landed in the far corner of the lake, where they found peace and quiet.


across the water.......

in front of the forest.....


cattle is so reassuring to my restless mind. They just lie there, those cud-chewing animals, worried about nothing, just being in the Now!


The last stop that day was my favourite little lake, Brudesø. (The Bride's Lake). It was of the most amazing blue that day, and the background was deep purple. It was so pretty we could hardly go on, but it was very cold - and as usual I should have put on warmer clothes. I'm always in the same little problem each year in the transition from autumn to winter. I'll never learn! Last week the air was mild , but now I can really feel king Winter is lurking around the corner, waiting to freeze our nose off. So we had to leave my dear lake and go home to have some hot cocoa! See you next time.


photo Mid Jutland 16. October 2010: grethe bachmann

Mossø and Klostermølle, Mid Jutland

The large lake Mossø is still covered in ice with a powder of snow. It's a long winter this year. We have had so many mild winters that we have forgotten how king Winter can be teasing us. One mild day - oh it's soon spring? Next day -lots of snow. It seems as if the whole world has got lots of snow this year.


Here is a corner of Mossø at Klostermølle where the Benedictine monks had a closter in the Middle Ages. The trees make a border or else you might end out upon thin ice.


From Klostermølle you can see all the way 10 km to Rye Church on a clear day. And it was a clear day.


Some red cattle was out on a small field close to the garden. I guess the farmer thought his cows would like to get some fresh air for a few hours in the daylight.


A large meadow area close to Klostermølle, which is usually visited by flocks of geese at this time of the year, but geese, ducks and swans have found places with open water. The birds have had a tough time this winter.


Gudenaa river, the pretty kingfisher lives at this spot, but he's like an Ariel, a metallic blue stripe crossing the water. Pffuitt!


I love horses.


A snowman. Is he a troll?


photo Mossø & Klostermølle 6. March 2010: grethe bachmann

Water Mills


Randrup Mølle

A water mill was before the steam engine the essential source of energy in the earliest productions. Everywhere with enough water streams it was dam up and a water mill was established. Besides corn processing the water mills delivered energy for copper works and for textile and paper production. A Greek geographer Strabo is one of the first to mention water mills in connection to the king of Pontus' palace. The exploitation of Nature's forces was an almost social duty in the Middle Ages. Valdemar Atterdag (1340-75) said that the water streams should not run into the sea without having done something useful.

The primitive use of water-rotated wheels may date back to Sumerian times, though it is not known whether these wheels were turned by the flow of a river. In the early 1st century BC, a Greek scientist made the first clear reference to the water wheel, which he praised for its use in grinding grain and the reduction of human labour. Mills were commonly used for grinding grain into flour, but industrial uses as fulling and sawing marble were also applied. The water wheel was found in China by the time of the Han dynasty(202 BC – 220 AD), when it was used to power trip hammers, the bellows in smelting iron. A source written in 612 AD mentions Buddhist monks arguing over the revenues gained from watermills. By 610 or 670 AD, the watermill was introduced to Japan via Korea. It became known in Tibet by at least 641 AD.

The construction of water works and aspects of water technology in India is described in Arabic and Persian works. Muslim engineers adopted the water wheel technology from the hydraulic societies of the ancient Near East, where it had been applied for centuries prior to the Muslim conquest. As early as the 7th century, excavation of a canal in the Basra region discovered remains of a water wheel dating from this period. The industrial uses of water mills in the Islamic world date back to the 7th century, while horizontal-wheeled and vertical-wheeled water mills were both in widespread use by the 9th century. Fulling mills, paper mills and steel mills may have spread from Islamic Spain to Christian Spain in the 12th century. Industrial water mills were also employed in large factory complexes built in Andalusia between the 11th and 13th centuries.

First Appearance of various industrial mills in medieval Europe were in France from 770 Ad, in England from ab. 1200 and in Germany from the 1300s. A few historic mills still operate for demonstration purposes to this day, or even maintain small-scale commercial oduction.

In some developing countries water mills are still widely used for processing grain. For example, there are thought to be 25,000 operating in Nepal, and 200,000 in India. Many of these are still of the traditional style, but some have been upgraded by replacing wooden parts with better-designed metal ones to improve the efficiency.

Klostermølle is situated in a beautiful place in the Lake district at Mossø; it gets its water from Gudenåen via a digged channel. It was the Benedictine-monks who built a kloster at the place ab. 1150 and established the mill. The monks digged two channels between Mossø and Gudensø (750m). Both mill and kloster were demolished and the present mill was extended and rebuilt many times, the oldest section is from the 1800s. The mill belonged to Voer kloster until the reformation in 1536 and came to the Crown. Ab. 100 years after the reformation Voer kloster was demolished, since the material had to be used for Skanderborg slot, but the mill continued as an endowed mill under the Crown, until Frederik V sold it at an auction in 1767. In 1890 it also became paper mill. The production stopped in 1974 after a fire and the Danish State bought Klostermølle in 1975. In 1980 an institution is established in order to keep the industrial area in future. In 1991 the present mill house is restored and later was the turbine house rebuilt. Klostermølle is run as a museum and Nature school. The area is owned by the State.


Esrum Mølle's history (Sjælland) is closely connected to Esrom Kloster's history, when the Cistercienser-monks were pioneers in agriculture, gardening and mill work. After the reformation the mill work at Esrum Kloster was abolished (1536) and moved to the place where the mill is today. The mill burnt down in 1869, but was rebuilt the same year and modernized in 1870 and 1913. In 1982 the Danish State bought Esrum Mølle and in 2000 the mill was transferred to Esrum kloster in the fund "Esrum kloster and møllegård", after several hundred year as an independent mill Esrum Mølle is back with the kloster, where its history began. The mill functions today as a Nature center, Environment school and Exhibition. There is a mill shop and an ecological café, and a café in the kloster cellar under the vault.


Kaleko Mølle, Funen. The oldest preserved water mill at Funen. It is not known exactly when Kaleko Mølle was established, but it might have happened already in the ruling period of Valdemar Atterdag (1340-75). The first written source about Kaleko Mølle is in a sheet from 1643, where the mill is sold and transferred to Holstenshuus (named Findstup at that time). The last miller left Kaleko in 1912. In 1917 Kaleko Mølle opened as a museum.


Giberå at Moesgård skovmølle

Moesgård Skovmølle is situated at Giberå, which flows out into Århus Bugt and is almost untouched on the last 8 km. The water mill is mentioned the first time in 1570 as belonging to the manor Moesgård. The present mill building is from 1852, while the living house is from 1824 (living house is now restaurant "Skovmøllen". Moesgård Museum restored in 1991 the mill building and the wheel, and since then also the sawmill.
In the late 1800s the mill was a popular recreational area for the Århus-citizens when they went on picnics. The families went in horse carriage from the city early in the morning, in high spirits and dressed in their Sunday clothes. The lunch was arranged on white-clothed tables by the water stream, the hot water for the coffee was bought at the mill. The families stayed until the evening, before they drove back to Århus.
At Skovmøllen was grinded flour and grains, and the wheel also drew a small sawmill for cutting timber. The mill production stopped in 1924, where the mill gradually functioned as a restaurant. Today the restored mill and sawmill work almost like in 1910. Now the mill is in charge of a møllelaug(union), which see to that the guests again can buy fresh flour for bread-baking. There is a fine parking place, tables and benches for bringing your own food , and by the water of Giberå it is possible to see dipper, King fisher and grey wagtail.

photo 2003/2006/2008: grethe bachmann