Sunnfjord Museum Sunnfjord Museum
Svart-kvitt portrett av ein gamalnorsk spelsau.

Saviour of Souls

Time of event to
Stad Sunnfjord Museum

The exhibition Saviour of Souls is a portrait and tribute to the Norwegian spael sheep, (Old Norwegian Short Tail Land Race), one of the oldest sheep breads in the country

The exhibition is a combination of the travelling exhibition Saviour of Souls and traditional craft produced by Tanja Myklebust from Sunnfjord, with wool from her own spael sheep. 

Nærbilde frå utstilling. I forkant strikka vottar i kvitt og okergult. Bak to nøster garn. På eit lågare nivå eit hespetre med grått garn og bak hespetreet ein rokk og ei korg med ull. På veggen bak eit bilde av sauer ute i naturen og ein handtein med kvitt garn på.
Mittens made by Tanja Myklebust. The yarn is self made and died using lokal herbs.

The trinity between landscape, human and animal is an important element in Saviour of Souls. Through photography, craft, and the installation Woolgloo  you learn to know the sheep and the wool through your senses. As part of the exhibition, we also offer activities as carding, spinning, and weaving to make you even more familiar with the material.  

As a robust and rough-haired primeval force it stands there, scrutinising us. Not afraid, but watchful and alert, as life and history has taught it to be. It does not give anything for free, the Norwegian spael sheep, nor does it seek contact needlessly. You have to earn its trust.

In return it has given us everything: meat and milk, drinking horns, bowstrings, fishing nets, sails for the Viking ships that ploughed the waves from Vinland to Miklagard, everyday and festive clothes, safety and warmth to endure the autumn storms and the freezing cold winters. If you meet its gaze, you may glimpse the debt of history. This is our faithful companion throughout the centuries.

This is the Saviour of Souls.

Today the spael sheep has been replaced by sheep bred on the modern textile industry’s terms – sheep that produce wool that the machines can handle, but of a lesser quality than spael sheep wool. Saviour of Souls highlights what we risk losing when we lose the knowledge about wool from traditional breeds,  in terms of genetic material, practical knowledge, historical consciousness and raw materials with unique material properties. 

The creators of Saviour of Souls

Saviour of Souls - a documentary portrait of the spael sheep

Photography: Nils Olav Mevatne
Text: Øystein Rygg Haanæs
The installation Woogloo : Marit Adelsten Jensen og Else Karin Tysse Bysheim.

Tanja Myklebust

Tanja Myklebust is a teacher at the Sande School, and enjoys making different products using wool. In the spring of 2022, she completed her MA in Design, Art and Crafts at the University of South-Eastern Norway. The theme of the thesis was encounters with local and unprocessed wool», focusing mainly on understanding traditional craftsmanship and sustainable use of wool from Old Norwegian sheep and spael sheep.

Plan your visit

Opening hours

12. March — 2. June
Tuesday–Friday 10am–3pm
The museum is closed on the following dates:
April 2nd. - 5th .
May 1st (Labour day), May 9th, May17th and May20th.

Prices

  • Adult: 120 NOK
  • Students/seniors/other concessions: 90 NOK
  • Children 0-17 years: Free
  • Groups (min 15 pax)*: 100 NOK

Location

Sunnfjord Museum
Jølstravegen 107
6819 Førde
Norway