barren, all farmers had to struggle in the same way. After 1860, smaller homesteads were often bought from the main farms, and erected as independent farms. This made it easier for many of the homesteaders. They also got their own union in time, Norsk Småbrukarlag (union of Norwegian small farmers). Today, many of those homesteads are mostly used for leisure. Cultural impact Many of the traditional folk musicians of Norway, and the greater part of singers and storytellers, seem to have belonged to this social layer, if not lower. The central farms were as a rule the first to adapt to modern standards and music. Hence, the medieval ballads and the oldest folk instruments survived in the poorer homesteads. Fiddlers are as a rule to be found both on lesser and bigger farms, and the hardanger fiddle tradition was common in all social layers. Myllarguten was from a lower class, but some of his teachers were not. In Norwegian fairy tales, the heroes and heroines often represent people from this group. Askeladden is often said to come from "a humble cottage in the woods". The fairy tale king is often represented with a greater farm, not a castle. Hence, he is in the role of a manor farmer of Norway. References Sources Online Social history of Norway Norway Agriculture in Norway Labour in Norway