The Emigrants (Utvandrarna)

THE EMIGRANTS

“This is a story of a group of people

who emigrated to North America

from their homes in Ljuder parish in the Swedish province of Småland.

In 1844, the parish of Ljuder had 1,925 inhabitants.

The population had tripled in a hundred years.

Besides 254 landed farmers and tenant farmers,

there were 39 artisans,

92 landless peasants, and 11 enlisted soldiers.

There were also 274 farmhands, 127 paupers,

60 cripples, five halfwits,

three idiots, three whores, and two thieves.

Four men governed the parish by virtue of their spiritual and temporal offices:

Brusander the dean, Lönnegren the sheriff,

Paul Rudeborg, landowner, lieutenant, and knight,

and Per Person, churchwarden and storekeeper.

It was the same in all other parishes at the time.

Let each and every man obey the authorities above him,

for there is no authority but of God.

The powers that be have been ordained by God.

Whosoever therefore resisteth the authorities

resisteth the ordinance of God,

and they that resist

shall receive to themselves damnation.

For those who have authority

strike fear in the hearts not of those who do good

but of those who do evil.

Wouldst thou not be afraid of those in power?

Then do that which is good,

and thou shalt have praise of the same.

For they are servants of God

and work for thy welfare.

Amen.”

I'll have more salted herring.

Have some bread. You can't just eat fish.

Is it good?

Yes.

She salted it last week.

How long were you a farmhand, Father, before you took over here?

Twelve years.

But those 12 years weren't all in Ålarum?

No, they weren't.

It's no kingdom you're taking over, son,

but it's twice as much land as I took on 25 years ago.

But if you're going to be a farmer, you'll need a woman too.

I figure I can get a good one if I want.

Don't brag like that, son.

Kristina!

Eat now.

If only we had a horse,

but the land can't feed one.

You've tilled all the tillable land.

Hard as we try, we can't improve our lot.

“By the sweat of thy brow must thou earn thy bread.”

That doesn't guarantee you anything to eat.

Do you have money for the mortgage?

We're 22 riksdaler short.

Kristina thinks I can borrow from her uncle in Kärragärde.

You can borrow from me.

I have to tell Robert about the cat.

She won't last much longer.

Something on your mind?

Snow at the end of April,

and heavy snow at that.

Doesn't bode well for this year's crop.

No, it doesn't.

When will we sow now?

If the crops fail again this year, I don't know what we'll do.

We must believe that God will make them grow.

Believe!

If believing helped...

we could harvest a hundred bushels of rye by the fall.

We break our backs, but we're still losing ground.

After four years we still have no oxen,

and we're 70 riksdaler deeper in debt.

Grant us suitable weather...

and preserve the earth's bounty from ruin of every kind.

Bless us with barley and grain.

Through Jesus Christ our Lord, amen.

Karl Oskar, we better not.

What's wrong?

I'm thinking of the children.

They're all asleep.

I mean... I was thinking

about food for the children.

Food?

I mean, maybe we shouldn't.

Then there wouldn't be any more.

"Maybe we shouldn't"? For the rest of our lives?

Are we to stay away from each other forever?

I could never do that...

not until I'm so old that moss grows out of my ears.

Can't you work for your food and clothing?

You're 15 now, aren't you? You're strong and healthy.

- You can't stay here any longer. - It's high time you worked.

Karl Oskar has enough mouths to feed.

Shame on you!

Your sister's been a farm servant for years and has never complained.

What's that book?

Natural sciences. The schoolmaster gave it to me.

Rinaldo said he was good at reading.

He always said everyone should read the Bible

and natural sciences.

This tells you all there is to know

about the world.

It tells you about the body,

about water.

Listen:

“You can hold wood or rock in your hand...

but you can't do that with water.

For water is fluid and follows its own course.

All fluid things like water, ale, beer, or milk

can form drops and are called liquids,

because they're wet.”

Well, if it isn't

our little farmhand!

Didn't find your way to Nybacken this morning, did you!

Stop.

You deserve a good thrashing,

but this time I'll let you off with a box to the ears.

Bedbugs.

I'll teach you to hurry it up!

Aren't you going to teach Robert too, Arvid?

Will you and the heifer see the pastor soon

to announce your engagement?

“Notable grasses found abroad include sugarcane,

which grows six feet high and as thick as a man's arm.”

Read about rice again.

“Rice is a cereal cultivated in unbelievable abundance

in warmer countries.

The shelled grains are brought here as well,

where they're cooked in milk

to make our tasty white sweet porridge.

The best rice comes from beyond the ocean,

from Carolina in North America.”

How wide is the ocean?

It's all the fault of the Lord's weather.

Don't blaspheme, Karl Oskar.

Is this hay or cat's hair?

You took all the rest. You can take this too.

You're blaspheming!

May God forgive you.

May God forgive you.

What's that you found?

Will we die too?

Yes.

When, Father?

Not for a long time.

If it doesn't rain soon,

we'll have no milk.

Remember all the vole hills we had last year?

Where'd you get that?

Aron's keg. I usually take part of my wages in liquor.

Aron said there'll be a catechism meeting here next week.

Last year the dean asked who our lords and masters were,

but I couldn't answer.

“Our lords and masters are all those, together with our parents,

whom God has given fatherly dominion over us,

such as authorities, teachers, and governors.”

Lord a-mercy!

You know how many lords and masters we have

in all the world?

No.

First there's the king, Oscar I.

Second is the county governor. Third is the chief constable.

Fourth and fifth are Sheriff Lönnegren and his deputy.

Sixth is our dean.

And seventh is Aron, our master.

Lord a-mercy! What a heap of masters!

You know it now in case they ask next time?

First...

is the king.

What was his name? - Oscar I.

Then there's -

The county governor.

The county governor.

Then comes the chief constable?

Then there's the dean.

King Oscar I.

Then comes...

the county governor...

Arvid, what are you doing up?

Chopping wood in the middle of the night?

The old lady will die tonight.

Put the axe down.

I'll kill the old crone!

You're out of your mind! Put that down!

I'll split her snout, the old bitch!

Listen to me!

Let go!

Listen to me!

You'll just get in trouble!

You don't know what you're doing! - Let go, I said!

Let go!

Come inside now.

You know what they accuse me of?

Yes.

It's not true.

That old bitch made it all up.

I've never done anything unlawful with the heifer.