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I am Sigrid Bårdsdatter, the first abbess of Rein Abbey. My half-brother was Duke Skule. Under the reign of the child King Håkon Håkonsson, the Duke was the most powerful man in the Kingdom. In the Year of our Lord 1226, Skule fell ill. In his prayers he vowed that if he survived, he would...

The medieval tree garden had more than just fruit trees, but also broad-leaved trees providing shade. Ash was particularly common in the Norwegian gardens, and we find very old ash trees at the monasteries at Halsnøy and Utstein. The tree gardens were used for meditation and schooling, and they were often a bit secluded, like...