Roddarmadam
Encyclopedia
Roddarmadam was a Swedish historical profession for women in the capital of Stockholm
, from the Middle Ages until 1904. It consisted of women who made their living by rowing people from one island to another in the Stockholm archipelago
.
. They are mentioned already in the 15th century, and the first known law to regulate the profession is from 1638. They were independent businesswomen who formed their own guild
in the 17th century. They could be either married or unmarried; they inherited their boats from mother to daughter, or rented them from retired colleagues. They were famed for their blunt manner and coarse language. In 1759, the law specified that they must be sober and maintain a civil language. From the mid-19th century, they were replaced by the steam boats (ferries
). The last rower madam of Stockholm retired in 1904.
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, from the Middle Ages until 1904. It consisted of women who made their living by rowing people from one island to another in the Stockholm archipelago
Archipelago
An archipelago , sometimes called an island group, is a chain or cluster of islands. The word archipelago is derived from the Greek ἄρχι- – arkhi- and πέλαγος – pélagos through the Italian arcipelago...
.
History
The rowing madams handled the traffic over the waters of the capital, taking passengers between the islands of the capital and over MälarenMälaren
Lake Mälaren is the third-largest lake in Sweden, after Lakes Vänern and Vättern. Its area is 1,140 km² and its greatest depth is 64 m. Mälaren spans 120 kilometers from east to west...
. They are mentioned already in the 15th century, and the first known law to regulate the profession is from 1638. They were independent businesswomen who formed their own guild
Guild
A guild is an association of craftsmen in a particular trade. The earliest types of guild were formed as confraternities of workers. They were organized in a manner something between a trade union, a cartel, and a secret society...
in the 17th century. They could be either married or unmarried; they inherited their boats from mother to daughter, or rented them from retired colleagues. They were famed for their blunt manner and coarse language. In 1759, the law specified that they must be sober and maintain a civil language. From the mid-19th century, they were replaced by the steam boats (ferries
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
). The last rower madam of Stockholm retired in 1904.