In 1950, a ship owner came to Rauland with his American wife.
After setting up in shipping in the USA after World War II, Harry Irgens Larsen and his wife, Patricia, landed in Norway in the 50s. The rich and art-interested ship owner bought Neset Gard, which was then a run-down and dilapidated homestead. - This is the worst day of my life. Harry just bought a bunch of old planks, the wife allegedly wrote in a diary.
She would come to love the place and Rauland where the family lived for several weeks in the summer, arriving in a limousine, while father took seaplanes.
Skipperseder Larsen bought several old houses in Rauland and collected them on the yard. Here stands Torvetjønnstoga, with an old Renaissance interior that was protected as early as 1923. Here is also the stoga from Loftsgarden in Vå, a timber house from the Middle Ages.
Larsen was a major art collector, in his time with one of the most significant Munch collections in private ownership.
He also believed that Norway's most famous folk song, Draumkvedet, originated on Neset. In an interview with Irgens Larsen, he says: - Do you know that it is said that Draumkvedet was created here on Neset. It is of course only an assertion, but personally I have a wonderful feeling that this messy work of art must have been created right here in this place. We like the idea and would like to believe it, even if the scholars disagree.
From the 1700th century to the present day
The first thing we find about Neset is that Orm Vaa, who married Tone Sigvaldsdtr Aksvik, invited newlyweds there around 1700. Rikard Berge writes in Bygdesoga, volume II, p. 618, that they were so poor that for a time they did not eat anything but a tent (wool blanket) and a blanket, she spread her stack for underclothes.
They kept themselves busy. That means they rented accommodation from others, but kept the food themselves. They had little to deal with. Orm was called Vaa-buseten. But Orm was hawkish, so he bought Uppigard Rauland, changed farms later, and came to Setberg in Vå, where his family later bid.
In 1715 there was a takeover in Setberg. Then Torkjell Loftsgarden was killed, and someone called Tallak Neset was there and had to testify. (VRI 585)
Beyond the 1700th century, there were probably many householders about whom we know nothing.
In the census in 1801, "husmandsplads Næsset" offered:
Osmund Anundsen, 40, householder
Sigrid Gjermundsdtr, 34 years and Anund, son, 3 years and Gjermund, 1 year.
Ragnhild Jarandsdtr, 40 years old, innermost, (busy) widow, she lives from work and "supplements", i.e. the poor house. Dise, her daughter, 14 years old, and Jaran, son 3 years old.
Rikard Berge writes that the Vasshuskars and one from Skålen and one from Neset had "defaced" the church bell. Saki went to court, and Olav Neset was the guilty party. This was in 1810. (VRII 495)
Sister of Anne Osvaldsdtr was married to Halvor Sigurdson Torvetjønn, and they had children Svanaug and Osvald. Svanaug Halvorsdtr was married to her cousin, Anund Sondovson. Her brother, Osvald Halvorsen, eight half of the pasture Heimveglid, and he exchanged that with Olav Torson in Neset, and came there. Later Svanaug and Anund were there.
Odd Tarjeison Rauland bought Neset and bid there, with sister Ingebjørg. None of them were married. They belonged to the Haugianarans, and longed to join their brothers "in the north". Especially Ingebjørg was an ardent Haugian. She followed her cousin to Etne, but moved to Raulandstrondi att. Ingebjørg traveled in and worked at the paper mill at Eiker, and Hans Nilsen Hauge started. In 1843, she and two others went to Sundmøre and wanted to speak with Berthe Canutte Aarflot. She wrote spiritual songs and had a great influence on the Haugian movement.
1 In 1892, MB Landstad's hymnbook was introduced in Rauland.
Landstad was controversial, as he also collected folk songs. Ingebjørg therefore did not like the hymns by Landstad that they sang in church. She said: "I'd rather sit at home and sing to my God, rather go to church ten times to sing on the damn trolleys".
Odd sat with the farm, but Ingebjørg was allowed to use it. She dragged and drove for her cows. Odd just wanted to fish and hunt. She was hospitable and kind. Ingebjørg died at Neset in 1897, aged 88.
But there were also users on the farm.
In 1865 these were on Neset:
Halvor Anundsen (son of Anund and Svanaug) 44 years.
Gunhild Tarjeisdtr (daughter of Myllarguten) wife, 35 years.
Svanaug Halvorsdtr, 6 years and Ingeborg, 3 years.
Anne Halvorsdtr, foster daughter, 1 year old.
Halvor's father, Anund Sondovsen, 74 years old, "at heart, and always bedridden".
Osvald Anundsen, his son, day labourer, 31 years.
Aslaug, his daughter, cares for her father, 28 years old.
In 1875, the same family is at Neset as users. Brother of his wife, Gunhild, Sigurd Tarjeison, lives there temporarily. He is unmarried and enjoys hunting. Odd Rauland is still the owner, and his sister, Ingebjørg, has come home. Odd died in 1886. Halvor Anundsen Neset was postman for around 25 years. Twice a week he carried the mail from Ofte three miles to Berge on Haddland. He was called "Halvor Post".
The first schoolhouse in Rauland was on Neset, probably built around 1875. Before that, it was a community school.
In 1900, Jon, son of Halvor Nynne, owned Neset. He was born in 1860, and his wife Svanaug Olsdtr was born in 1851. She was from Torvetjønn in Møsstrond and had inherited Neset. Jon was a carpenter and carpenter, and was probably involved in building the school train in Aksvik. Svanaug and Jon were childless, and they took in Ågot Varmekro when her father died.
Later, Harald Neset became the owner. He was the son of Aasmund Bjørnson Hamarsnes and Anne Olavsdtr and married to Anne Vetlesdtr. Harald was a keen small game hunter and a good storyteller. He could go out and dramatize his hunting trips so it was as if you were there yourself. A researcher from the Norwegian Målførearkiv heard Harald, and expressed great admiration for his way of telling stories. Perhaps he was the last representative of the old, good storytellers. His brother, Halvor Mostaul, had much of the same ability.
Harald and his wife Anne had no children either, and he sold Neset to a shipowner, Harry Irgens Larsen, who bought old houses around Rauland and set up on Neset. Among other things, there is the old stoga from Torvetjønn with a Renaissance interior, which was protected in 1923. There is also the stoga from Loftsgarden in Vå. It was in Loftsgardstoga that Olav Kvåmmi flew out in his youth. He sat up in the sky and waited for the girl. Then three small blue-clad vessels appeared from behind a coffin. They grinned at him and disappeared. But then they came again and looked threatening. "Then I got scared", said Olav. He tumbled down the stairs, ran down to Totak and raced home. "Look, I didn't fly out at Loftsgarden with me!"
From the book "Gamle plasser og stoger i grend og utmark", yearbook 2005, Rauland Historielag.
In 1990, Neset was bought by Grace Reksten and Morits Skaugen
1 In 1995, Neset was sold to Øystein Erling Tvenge. He was married to Liv Bente Tvenge, but divorced in 2001.
In 2009, Neset was bought by Liv Bente, and their joint children Anette, Olav and Jannike.
The place is now mainly used for concerts and cultural events, i.a. The Neset game, which was held for the first time in August 2012.
Neset can also be rented out for private and public events.
