Back in time

Fire roasted Tanalaks.

The salmon and humans both took their current form around the same time - 40,000 years ago. There are several pieces of evidence that humans have known about salmon for a long time. The first piece of evidence is from France and is about 25,000 years old. It is an outline of a salmon in a cave. When this rock art was made, Norway was still in the Ice Age.

As soon as the ice melted and the rivers were formed, the salmon came swimming to Norway. We have rock art that shows that people had a relationship with salmon. The oldest Norwegian rock art of salmon can be found in Alta. It is 6000-7000 years old. The fact that people in the Stone Age took the trouble to paint, carve and carve salmon tells us that salmon was important to them. Perhaps rock art of salmon brought fishing luck?

Salmon - more than food?

In many places, fish was the main food in the Stone Age. However, we don't see much fish in rock art. The fish in rock art usually depict halibut or salmon. These are fish that even today it's great fun to catch - and take pictures of. Perhaps it was the same in the Stone Age?

Catching salmon for food

In the early days, salmon were caught in the rivers and river oases. They were caught with lures, and eventually with hooks and various fish traps. Later came nets, nets and rods. Tools were gradually developed that made it possible for people to catch the fish in the sea, and later further out from the coast. Every year, the salmon returned from the sea fat, fine and plentiful, and they were relatively easy to catch.

Fishing salmon mostly for the thrill of it

In the mid-1800s, rich Englishmen came to Norway to fish for salmon, mostly for the thrill of it. This was the start of sport fishing and a period when Norwegians and Englishmen shared a lot of knowledge. The "English era" has left its mark. We still engage in sport fishing for salmon and still use many English names and expressions related to salmon.

Salmon in legends and jokes

We find salmon in both literature and painting. It is mentioned in Norse and Sami legends, joiks (traditional Sami songs) and poems have been written about salmon. The salmon is also marked on prim staves (old wooden calendars), and we find it on Sami rune drums (traditional Sami drums).

Did you know that ......

Salmon has been particularly important to the Sami in the Tana Valley. Salmon fishing in Tana has long traditions, and salmon has been an important food resource.

Salmon fishing and Sami culture are closely linked. In several places we find sacred places(sieidis) where sacrifices were made for good fishing luck. In the North Sami language, we find many place names and explanatory special expressions related to salmon and salmon fishing.