The image above depicts the family at Svedjan: Alfred Olofsson, his son Karl and his wife Kristina Nilsdotter. (The picture is a legacy from Hildur Ahlberg).

Svedjan was just a stone's throw east of the majestic Svea Falls in Gäddevadsbäcken, just before it flows into Slereboån. Sadly, the cottage was destroyed by a fire that raged sometime between 1938 and 1940. A stone was found in the foundation of the house with the date 1820 painted in red paint, possibly the year the house was built.

Here, in Svedjan, Alfred Olofsson, called "Sve'en" after the croft (1850-1931), lived with Kristina Nilsdotter from Hålanda (1855-1943) and their son Karl (1893-1971).

Alfred supported the family by buying small calves and chickens, slaughtering them and selling them on, probably to buyers from Gothenburg. To strangers he introduced himself as "Kalveslaktare Blomskog," but to the locals he was simply "Sve'en." His methods were straightforward; he slaughtered the chickens by holding them between his knees and cutting their throats with an axe.

The stories of Sve'en go deeper than his career choice. He wasn't known for his gentleness; he tormented both his wife and his disabled son. He once chased his wife with a dangerous object in his hand, threatening violence. That's when a neighbor yelled at her: "Run crooked! Run crooked!" A poignant testimony from Birger Casselmo that tells of the time that once was. Following Alfred's death and his son's hospitalization, Kristina was the last resident of the house.

Therefore, as you enter the crofting grounds from Svedjan along the Slereboån valley, let your thoughts wander through the dark forests of time and immerse yourself in the story of a place where both joy and sorrow, hope and tragedy have their roots. It is a place that raises questions and invites you to explore the course of history through the complex lives of people.