Snusmumriken

There once was a man called Elling Pedersen, a sailor who was happily married to a girl called Marthe Thorsdatter. His father, who was called Peder had died a few years before, - thus his firstborn son, born in 1750 was called Peder Ellingsen (nr1). Unfortunately he died before he was christened. Three years later, the couple got a new son, named him Peder Ellingsen (nr2) and he dies before he’s christened. In 1756 they got a third son, called him Peder Ellingsen (nr3), and christened him in the local church in Lyngør. Three years later, they got a new son, named him Nils Ellingsen, and having two living kids they must have been happy for some time, - until something happened and both the wife and both sons died.

Elling waited twelwe years before remarrying in 1773, and in 1774 he got a son and christened him Peder Ellingsen (nr4), but unfortunately he died the year after. Only one year later he got a new son. He was called Peder Ellingsen (nr5) and lived to get married and have kids. He also got a daughter, and named her Marthe, after his fist wife. She got to be twenty nine, but never married.

I’m writing about a food riot in 1801, where both Peder and Elling receivs a barrel of wheat. Fortunately. If the only surviving of six sons, or rather the only surviving of sive sons named Peder Ellingsen had died of starvation at an age of 24, it wouldn’t have been too nice.

I’m not sure if it’s a victorious story about the guy who never gave up, or if it’s a story about the guy who didn’t realise that the name of Peder Ellingsen really was cursed.