Birth record help

[Scott Satterfield]

I'm looking at Olof Börjesson's birth 29 Aug 1770 on GID 992.30.67800.  What else does it say about his birth?

[Ulla Lundell]

Hello Scott
 
I have looked att the GID numebers you talked about and found this. Olot was born in Laxarby at a place called Eckerud. The parents was Börje Börjesson and Britta Andersdotter it was av emergency baptism it was the father who did the baptism.
 
The witness to the baptism was Kjerstin Börjesdotter from Sundgingen and Ingrid Andersdotter from Äckerud
The baptism was confirmed by Magister Rolander in Äckerud and Kjersti Börjesdotter from Äckerud.
 
All the best from Ulla

[Scott Satterfield]

Thank you Ulla.  Why would they do an emergency baptism?  I don't see that he died.

[Judy Olson Baouab]

Scott,
 
From Cradled in Sweden:
 
(2002 edition, page 107-108
 
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Emergency Baptism (Nöddop)
 
When it was feared that a child would die before the minister would be able to perform the baptism, any person present who had been confirmed in the State Church could perform an emergency baptism (nöddop), and the child would thus avoid the awful fate of hell for the eternities, according to the doctrine of the State Church. This nöddop was most often performed by the father or the midwife. It was reported to the minister as soon as possible, and he confirmed it and sometimes made a note of it in the birth record.
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I suppose that child became stronger but at the time of birth, Olof must have seemed quite frail.
 
Judy

[Ingela Martenius]

This is quite correct (and it is still done, e.g. at hospitals). There is, however, also another explanation, valid in some cases: the weather (and the distance). Particularly in the extreme north (but it is known to have occured elsewhere too) it happened that the weather was so bad in the winter, and the distance was too great to travel with a newly-born child (remember, baptism was within the week - and this was not just tradition, it was the law), that emergency baptisms were performed, even though there was absolutely nothing wrong with the child.
The vicar not only confirmed the baptism, in many cases the baptism was re-performed by the vicar since, according to popular belief, it didn't take properly unless performed by a clergyman. So, in some parishes you can see notations that a whole slew of children (of various ages) were baptised on the first Sunday it was possible to travel again. And the children appear to have two Christening dates.
 
The reason for baptising the child wasn't only that it would burn in hell if it died, it was also in great danger if alive: it could be taken - exchanged - by trolls. Trolls loved human children since they were so much more beautiful and cleverer (and didn't burst when exposed to sunlight); it was a very real fear of a newly delivered mother that her child would be exchanged for an ugly, evil, stupid troll baby (a common insult in those days were you must have been exchanged at birth).
In fact, having a heathen baby at the farm endangered the whole farm.
 
It must also be noted that the mother could not perform the baptism, and that as a matter of fact she wasn't even present. She was thought of as something like a half-heathen until she was churched. Churching was supposed to take place 40 days efter delivery (40 days is in many religions a very significant number), but in actual fact (proved by the many, many notations you can see in the baptismal books) it usually took place on the fourth Sunday after the delivery. Until then the woman was not considered to be part of the congregation - though not actually a heathen of course, since she was after all baptised. In the meantime the woman wasn't allowed out of doors, in fact she was supposed to stay more or less in bed, in the room (in more well-to-do farms a small separate chamber) where she had given birth. Neighbouring women came with food and helped perform her numerous tasks and chores - so it was a kind of holiday, well deserved since women were never allowed to rest normally. But in this case it was OK since she could otherwise endanger her family and the farm.
 
Ingela