HIIUMAA ISLAND FISHERMAN AT SARNA BEACH ON ITINERANT FISHING
The traditional itinerant fishing ground for the people of Hiiumaa was Pärnu Bay. It is difficult to say how far back the Hiiumaa people’s Pärnu-trips reach. Local residents do not remember their beginning. Saying that these trips already took place from immemorial times, or else that going for fish in Pärnu label [sic] is as old as the creation of the world”
In places, the men of Käina themselves know to say that according to old “church records they have been going fishing in Pärnu Bay already for more than 200 years. Written reports about the Hiiumaa people’s Pärnu trips exist already from the middle of the XVIII century. Thus it appears from the diary of a Moravian Brethren figure from the year 1767, that from Pühalepa the people went to foreign shores to catch fish, staying there for 8-9 weeks. Also about the following year it is reported, that in the spring the Pühalepa people sailed for fishing near Pärnu. Similar reports can be found still in 1777, 1796 and also 1633/32 year diaries and reports. As the duration of the fishing season is always mentioned about 8 weeks from the beginning of May until Midsummer.
People went on the fishing trip in quite large numbers: from the year 1796 it is known, that up to a hundred people from Hiiumaa sailed to the surroundings of Pärnu and that at that time the villages were quite empty, from 1831: 600-700 people are said to go from Käina in the spring to near Pärnu Arved Luts Itinerant fishing in Estonian sea fishing” Ethnography Museum yearbook XVII 1960
Settlement and Housing
When the Hiiumaa people started to catch Baltic herring with trap nets on Sarna beach and always paid the manor properly, the Audru baron Pilar von Pilchau on his part made concessions for the Hiiumaa people’s fishing. He had several reed-roofed houses built, for the use of which the Hiiumaa people had to pay the manor separately. Payment also had to be made for firewood and for trap net poles, if it was necessary to procure more of them. The land reform of the Republic of Estonia abolished the landlords and Andru [sic] became a state manor. The Hiiumaa people bought these houses together with a coastal strip about half a kilometer long Next to each building (a total of 5 houses) belonged a cabbage patch.
Pärnu Postimees 2015, Olaf Esna “When the people of Hiiumaa went to Pärum [sic] labes [sic] to demand Baltic herring HIIDUMAA PEOPLE AT SARNA BEACH ON ITINERANT FISHING
Fish Processing and Trade
The Hiiumaa people do not salt the catch in a ordinary way. Before salting, the herrings are gutted clean and then placed on special mesh-frames to dry. In the sunshine and in the wind the herrings stay this way for up to a couple of days and are then stacked dry into barrels, in each barrel approximately 100 kg of herring and 32 kg of salt. Further a heavy weight is put on top and without adding a drop of water. there is soon a fair amount of brine from the salt melting in the barrel Such a way of preserving fish is not known elsewhere in Estonia. These herrings are sold in Kärdla borough for 20 kr. a barrel or 15-20 cents a kg. Every Hiiumaa person takes home from Sarna beach an average of ten and more barrels, earning this way 200 and more krones Päevaleht June 22, 1936
Visuals and Locations
The picture is taken of a village street on the edge of that Sarri beach. where the un [sic] Hiiu garden itinerant fishing houses and herring drying racks were located. In the left edge of the picture is the location of the current Lindi harbor. View of Sarvi fishing village. Audru parish 1959. Photo: Grigori Kaljuvee. ERM.
As soon as the sea already starts to give herring, they also start to walk by the sea in Sarna, to see if from the open sea yet the Hiiumaa people’s ship sails do not appear. And when on one beautiful day from the sea back looks [sic] and with a tailwind just approaches sur [sic] Wilka [sic] hull, then several hundred people gather at the shore, men and women, young and old, to greet their old friends and acquaintances” Postimees June 22, 1936 “From Hiiumaa to Pärnu Bay to catch herring”
Life in the Fishing House
Hiiumaa people’s itinerant fishing house, front view. 1967 Photo: Olimpi Korzjukov, Juta Saron, EVM. The houses were named according to the names of the Hiiumaa boat crews: Jaagumehed, Karumehed, Titsimehed, Vakumehed, Otsmanimehed etc. Also called after two boat crews In the picture is the Karu Jaagu house, which was located in the yard of the current Tiiva farm.
In the itinerant fishing house were the living quarters of two boat crews. In the center, rooms with brick stoves (1) and at the ends porches (2), where food supplies, small beer and whitefish barrels were kept. In both living quarters there are stoves next to the stove wall, On the sleeping platform standing at the back wall fit viin [sic] men, under it potatoes were kept. Straw mattress and bedding the Hiiumaa people had with them. The boat crew’s female cook slept usually next to the stove wall in a wooden bed. With the end against the front window stood a land [sic – table] between two long benches. Everyone had a certain place at the table and on the shelf under the table their own butter pot. salted meat, spoon. In the building there were always matches at hand, leih [sic – bread], salt and a bucket with drinking water. No boat crew departed without replenishing these supplies after themselves. House plan and description Estonian Open Air Museum.
Fishing Methods: Trap Nets
Until the year 1880, joint herring fishing with trap nets was not known in Pärnu Bay, the local coastal people carried out fishing only with nets. But then one day the Hiiumaa people came and drove their trap net poles into the water and attached the trap nets. The men of the Pärnu coast watched and shook their heads and did not believe that such a fishing method would bring the herring to light. But great was their astonishment when trap net after trap net brought from the sea depths into the boat bottom pumidade [sic] worth of fish silver. Now the men of Pärnu Bay also set about procuring trap nets and with the net herring fishing was forgotten altogether Postimees June 22, 1936
Gutting of herring at Sarna beach. 1920-30s. Photo: National Archives of Estonia Hiiumaa people in Pärnu Bay at Sarna beach catching herring. Taking the herring trap net out of the water. 1920-1930. Photo: National Archives of Estonia
In 1953, the itinerant fishing trips to the PärnumAA shores ended, because fish-rich fishing areas had been discovered in Haldi, Suursadam and Salinõmme. Kaur Kiivramees. Hiiumaa Museum
The Last Houses and Workers
Karu Jaagu boat crew’s itinerant fishing house. In the distance the club-kolkhoz office building can be seen “The Hiiumaa people hire 20-30 local women to gut the herring. The women have over the years in gutting acquired such proficiency that there are no competitors for them. The work is done directly on the sea shore, be the weather good or halh [sic – bad] The gutter received six cents as payment for each herring measure. In a measure there were usually 250-300 herrings. A brisk gutter cleaned six to eight measures of herring in an hour With a seven-hour working day, through her hands went ile [sic – over] 12,000 and with a 12-hour working day over 21,000 herrings. The daily earnings of a woman with nimble fingers reached five and even more krones.” Pärnu Postimees 2015, Olaf Esna “When the Hiiumaa people went to Pärnu Bay to demand herring”
The last itinerant fishing house preserved until today, or the Hiiu house is located in Lindi village un [sic], on the workshop site. A silicate brick veneer has been built around the house. Hiiumaa people’s herring drying racks at Sarna beach. Photo: Olaf Esna’s private collection Hiiumaa people’s itinerant fishing house, right end and front side. 1967. Photo: Olimpi Korzjukov, Juta Saron. EVM.
Located in Lindi village in the yard of Tiiva farm the Karu-Jaagu itinerant fishing house was taken in 1967 to the Estonian Open Air Museum. The itinerant fishing house was set on fire on an Augustiputil [sic – August] day in 1991. It was restored as a replica building in 1996 and stands currently on the sea shore of the island area of the Estonian Open Air Museum. Hiiumaa people’s itinerant fishing house, view from the sea. 1967. Photo: Olimpi Korzjukov, Juta Saron. EVM. Kolkhoz workshop under construction, next to it itinerant fishing house, 1965. Photo: Elmar Käsper