A single family has lived out here for several generations. The close proximity to the fallguard is dramatic. When the sea breaks over the boats, columns of water are sent in great roars high into the air. The landscape around the island changes with the tides. On the fjord there is a sea of dust with countless islets and reefs, while on the river many of them are submerged. The name may be related to this. Another explanation is that Flovær comes from Frovær. In Old Norse, frod means froth, foam.

Flovær and Lånan were probably settled at the same time, around 1660. But people have used the island before that time. Charcoal samples taken on the island are dated to 1470-1645. The people of Flovær were tenants under the Tjøtta estate, and paid land tax in the form of fish, eggs and down. The island was vacated in 1964, when the last owner died.

The people of Flovær engaged in fishing and simple farming. The farm had two or three cows, an ox, three sheep and a goat. Outside the weather, fishing was plentiful, and up to ten fishermen could be hired here during the season. They lived in the attic of the spacious farmhouse and in "Solvær-Ole-bua". The old farmhouse is still in use as a leisure property and as a house for eider keepers during the season.

An old egg and down weather

Flovær is an old egg and down fishing village, and has been one of the most important in Vegaøyan. The settlement is strongly influenced by the eider industry. Large egg fields with room for 10-15 birds and stone nests of various shapes lie close together on the main island and the islets outside. Here, eider ducks have nested everywhere; under houses, outbuildings and boathouses. Hundreds of birds could be nesting under the big boathouse. Flovær was declared a protected egg and down area in 1812. According to the land register, the settlers collected around 12 kilos of down from the nests on the island. Some sources tell of up to 1,300 birds on nests before the war. When the eiders were in their prime, the fishermen had to move to a hut on Brusholmen so as not to disturb the birds with their activity. The cats were locked in a cage so as not to frighten the ea. The residents of Flovært kept eye records and nesting eiders. Old boats were taken into use as ebanes, and are named after the boats, such as "Ester", "Halfdan", "Anna" and "Odd". One of the ebanes is called the Mission Boat. The proceeds from this duna went to the mission.

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Source

"Vegaøyan World Heritage. Cultural history travel book." by Inga E. Næss and Rita Johansen.