To the tunes of the Mora Fiddler Band – with many fiddlers from Sollerön – this year's coal fire was lit on Friday evening (8/9) in Siljansfors Forest Museum. A lovely scent of smoke spread through the clearing where many interested people had gathered.
By tradition, the kolmilan always bears a female name. This year she is named Elin after a kolmistress' daughter who has helped a lot with the preparation of the kolmilan.
The charcoal kiln is loaded with 35 cubic meters of birch wood, which turns into about 15 cubic meters of charcoal after 4-5 days. “The kiln must not burn, it should just glow,” say the coals that take turns guarding the kiln.
“We are prepared for not getting much sleep the next few nights,” they say in their black hats. There are two men on the night shift and they take turns sleeping in the adjacent coal hut.
Making charcoal in milar has a long tradition in our forests. You've probably stepped on some coal bottom when you've been out picking berries and mushrooms..
The blacksmiths needed coal and Siljansfors Ironworks needed coal for iron production in the blast furnace. When iron production grew in Central Sweden, the ironworks built large coal houses to which the coal was delivered.
The local history book Sool-Öen contains several stories about coaling in Solleröskogen.
In the 1985, 1995 and 1999 editions you can read, among other things, that the charcoal making work has always been surrounded by mystery and magic. During long nights of wakefulness, it could happen that the charcoal maker would doze off a little too long. A light knock on the bunk door and he would rush out to the cabin and deal with the incident. He might even catch a glimpse of the forest lady or whatever her name was. It was important to keep in touch with the powers that be and the forest. Then the charcoal maker could feel safe.
Maybe the coals in Siljansfors are also slumbering and getting help from the forest lady?
Sool Island 1985:
A pitch-black history – Sollerö local history association (sollero-hembygdsförening)
EN