Meet the Middle Ages
BackThe herring fishery on Öland
During the Middle Ages, the people of Öland fished a lot of herring. The main fishing-villages were Sikavarp on the east coast of Öland and Kyrkhamn on the southern cape. These settlements flourished in the 12th, the 13th and the 14th centuries. There was herring in abundance. At the fishing-villages, the herring was taken ashore, cleaned and salted. Sikavarp became the largest market-place at this time.
There were some full-time fishermen. Most likely, though, most fishers were farmers who only fished at certain times of the year.
The fishermen lived in simple huts with earthen floors and thin walls and roofs. Gradually, they started to build more permanent houses where they could stay all year round. At both Sikavarp and Kyrkhamn, chapels were built, which were used at fairs and holidays. These settlements were, at least for some part of the year, crowded and lively.
The fishing meant that many people had a reliable income. Not only the fishers themselves profited from it, but also for example the Bishop of Linköping, who had great influence over Sikavarp. During the second half of the 14th century , there was a rapid decrease in the fishing of herring and by the 15th century, the era of herring fishery was over. Sikavarp, however, survived for some time as a market-place. St. Birgitta was also worshipped here.