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To begin with...
When I prepared for the storytelling with ‘my Grandfather from Tjørnuvík’ I had a set of questions prepared. I wanted Hans to talk about his youth, Tjørnuvík over the years and the increasing popularity of the Faroe Islands with tourists. I called Tjørnuvík and offered my Grandfather an interview and a photo shoot. He responded with great enthusiasm and soon Tom (the photographer) and I were listening to Hans' story with baked goods. The nature of the storyteller took over and Hans took the initiative, which surprised us, but also pleased us, as his enthusiasm grew by the minute. Hans hosted us in his living room, moments later invited us to the church he looks after, before moving on to the beach, where he looked up to the Witch and the Giant with a shrug. The opportunity to tell us some stories and anecdotes was an important moment for Hans, who celebrated his 80th birthday this year. This was not a classic interview, it took more the form of storytelling, which Hans feels most comfortable in. As soon as Hans was given the space to speak, he started from the beginning, which was 6 February 1944.... Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
Storytelling
How long have you lived in Tjørnuvík?
I was born on 6 February 1944 in Tjørnuvík, grew up here and moved to Tórshavn in 1962 to learn a trade - I became a carpenter. In the capital I started a family, got married, had my children and built a house. When my children started their families, we moved again to Tjørnuvík. That was in 2002.
When we returned, my wife, who not only enjoyed cooking very much, but what's more, did it brilliantly, got a job as a cook in a senior citizen's home in Torshavn. We decided it was a good time to invest in our own business. We bought another house, quite an old one, but through renovations we managed to turn it into what my wife and I called a ‘little café’. Although it sounds inconspicuous, we had quite a few visitors and managed to run our café for two years. Everything changed when my wife developed cancer and died.
After a while, I met a new woman, now a partner. Coincidentally, she has the same name as my wife! Randi. We have been together for 20 years now!
Do you have children together?
No. But there is certainly no shortage of children in our families! I have three children from my first marriage - I've already become a grandfather, by the way - I have six grandchildren and ...a great-grandchild! And three of them. Randi, on the other hand, has one son whom I have come to love as my own. He has five children, and four of them were born when I was already with Randi. The eldest daughter is 22, and all the children call me grandpa. It's fun!
Good to hear
Yes it is great.
You are a carpenter, but in earlier interviews you mentioned that you sing in a choir. How did that get started?
My whole life has been accompanied by singing.
So it was like this. What occupied my thoughts here in Tjørnuvík was the tradition of hymn singing and our choir „Tjørnuvík fyrr og nú(‘Tjørnuvík once and now’ - editor's note).
Tjørnuvík was the last village where these hymns were sung. The old deacon died in 1956, and with him the tradition of singing these hymns ended. Only at funerals were a few verses sung. Vilhelm Magnussen - son of the old deacon Dávur Emil Magnussen - decided to bring the tradition back. He came here to the north to teach us these songs. There were sixteen of us in the group and we sang the same hymns as before.
If I remember correctly, the Danish choir ‘Det games venner’ came to the Faroe Islands in 2001. The choir sang for elderly people in nursing homes and at local events.
When choir members found out that we were singing the same hymns written by Bishop Thomas Kingo in the 17th century, they suggested that we visit Denmark in 2003 to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the bishop's death.
When choir members found out that we were singing the same hymns written by Bishop Thomas Kingo in the 17th century, they suggested that we visit Denmark in 2003 to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the bishop's death.
Are you still giving concerts? Are you still visiting Denmark?
Yes. We used to go there every three years, but when there was a coronavirus pandemic, we had to give up. But we managed to visit Denmark again for Easter 2023 - when will we be there next time? It has been suggested that, because of our advanced age, we should give concerts every two years.
People from all over the world come to you for coffee and waffles. They are enthralled not only by the nearby landscapes, but especially by your hospitality and stories. How did it all start?
Well, when I returned to Tjørnuvík in 2002, I was doing various jobs on my own as a carpenter. However, one day I suffered an injury in my hand, so I had to give up work for a while. After I recovered, I got a new job - I became a bus driver who took seniors to our ‘Mørkin í Streymnesi’ nursing home for gymnastics. I made a lot of new friends then. I love being around older people, even now that I am a senior citizen myself. We arrived at the place ahead of schedule, so I told various stories, read stories and sang for the residents. They really enjoyed it.
Over time, I also started guiding people on the trail from Saksun to Tjørnuvík and back. I did this on a regular basis. On one occasion someone asked me if I could offer something to drink for the group. I prepared a pot of coffee.
When was that?
It was in 2014.
And that's how it started, by preparing coffee for my guests. I also had a waffle iron, so I decided to prepare something for the visitors to eat. As I receive visitors in a traditional Faroese jumper and cap, which is part of the national costume, everyone wants a photo with me, and the cap itself has become my trademark.
A few days ago, I had visitors from Canada and the USA, as well as Italians, who came to Tjørnuvík not only to see our beach, but above all to try the waffles that travel portals write about. It's fantastic!
You are also visited by Poles. For many people, waffles in Tjørnuvík are an important part of a trip to the Faroe Islands. Martyna Wojciechowska, a well-known traveller, visited the archipelago in 2022 and it was she who read that your café was an unusual place on the archipelago map. After visiting you, she recommends a visit to Lítla Café to everyone. Tjørnuvík hides many interesting stories, and the modern history of the settlement is linked to you.
Waffles are not everything. I'm a local guide and show groups around the settlement. I tell them about the church, the history and the present day, introduce them to Faroese culture and give them anecdotes about life in Tjørnuvík. I know a lot of interesting facts and I like to share them, because I know that fewer and fewer people know the stories. It also happens that I sing for my guests.
Visits from tourists mean that Tjørnuvík can get crowded. Isn't the increasing tourist traffic a nuisance?
I really like it when tourists visit. Then there is always something going on. I am very keen to talk to them, but my problem is my poor knowledge of English. I have no problem with basic phrases, but it is definitely easier when Scandinavians visit.
Do you speak to them in Farersk?
I learned Danish at school and thanks to that I am able to communicate with Swedes or Norwegians in what I call mixed Scandinavian. That way we all understand each other :)
You are visited by more and more tourists every year. How does your partner feel about that? You have your hands full during the summer. Once there was even a queue in front of your house.
Hehe, that's the way it is. It just happened to be a Sunday, we were at church and we don't usually open before 1 p.m. Anyone who doesn't know that will have to wait :)
My partner helps me, but unfortunately she has health problems and cannot overload herself.
There are times when there are too many guests. I can accommodate about 20 people seated. One day a bus driver called me and asked if I would be able to take in 36 Danes who were currently visiting Saksun. I agreed, visitors are always welcome, but you know the house and you know how it is. I was alone in the house, had three waffle irons and set about preparing the waffles immediately. In the meantime, it had started to rain and I wanted to receive tourists in the house in shifts, but they all came inside at once - a whole group of 36 people! Where would they fit in?
But after a while everyone found their place, some sat on chairs, on the stairs some on the doorstep and it was actually a nice sight to see that they could cope. It was fun, but everyone was happy - those are the best stories.
What is your plan for the coming year, will the café be operational?
I turn 80 this year. I plan to act unchanged, but that largely depends on my health. Time will tell.
This year you were helped by a young man.
Yes, yes, support is necessary, I am no longer able to take care of everything myself.
Is the increasing tourist traffic in the Faroe Islands a positive development? What do you think about it?
Opinions on tourists are divided. Some like them, others don't. It happens that tourists go everywhere without permission, many Farers find this annoying. But I personally like tourists.
Tjørnuvík is a small village where numerous tourists move between the cottages, do you hear any negative feedback about this?
Over the years there has been one event that has had a negative echo. One Monday morning, six busloads of German tourists arrived in Tjørnuvík. Imagine 300 people walking between the buildings - the residents were not thrilled.
Fortunately, a solution was found and more groups arrived in rounds of 2 buses (at the time 2 buses were in Saksun and another 2 in Gjógv). These were groups from the Norröna ferry, who were moving on to Iceland after a quick tour of the Faroe Islands.
Are your neighbours happy for you to run a café?
It seems to me that yes, it is something that in a way enlivens the village and it is not so empty.
Your neighbour offers handicrafts to tourists. Are you working well together?
So, yes. A lot of people think she is my wife and it happens that at her place they pay for waffles and coffee and at my place they pay for crafts. We have a good relationship and support each other. That's the way it is.
You meet a lot of tourists. Do you have any interesting observations about them?
There are two groups of tourists.
Bus travellers are less likely to visit the café, often claiming that they are in a hurry and do not have time. Individual tourists are more likely to visit me and spend more time in the settlement.
In contrast, the largest number of tourists come from Denmark.
Kirkjusøgan - a story about the church
Let me tell you a story about the church.
The first written records mention children being baptised in Tjørnuvík in 1668. This means that there was most likely already a temple in the settlement at that time, although this is not certain. However, there are documents confirming the existence of a temple from a later period around 1709-1710, at which time a temple was built and survived until the 1780s. Unfortunately, around 1780, a powerful storm completely destroyed the church and its wooden elements were stuck in the ground nearby.
Discussions began about the construction of a new temple and its location. Then one of the women sang ‘we should build it where the plank is stuck in the ground on the hill, that's where the church will stand’. This was done.
The church was built in 1790 and was demolished and moved to Saksun in 1856.
For the next 80 years we did not have a church in Tjørnuvík. The church that can now be seen was built in 1936 and consecrated in 1937.
Questions arise as to why the old church was moved to Saksun. Well, Tjørnuvík is an old village and there has always been a church here, so the then residents from Haldórsvík and Saksun, (where there was no church) were obliged to come to mass in Tjørnuvík. The church in Haldórsvík was not established until around 1850, so the documents say. And then the authorities obliged us to use the church in Vík, and the people of Saksun got their temple.
In Saksun, there had been efforts to build a church for years. What accelerated the efforts of the people of Saksun was that on one occasion a tragedy occurred. Wanting to baptise a sick child, a family from Saksun climbed 524 vertical metres and crossed a mountain pass, but there they were found by a very strong wind. There was no way to descend to Tjørnuvík in the gale, so the child was baptised in the mountains - a stone with a cavity filled with water was used as a font. Unfortunately, the child soon died of exhaustion.
This event led to the construction of a new church in Saksun in 1856 using elements of our church. However, we did not give up our choral songs - Thomas Kingo's hymnal stayed in Tjørnuvík and still serves us today.
Are you responsible for the church in Tjørnuvík?
Yes, I am a deacon, so when the pastor is not there, I replace him. There are two of us and we interchangeably read the scripture. That is my responsibility.
It was a great story, thank you.
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