One of the oldest buildings in Hattfjelldal municipality in Nordland, Norway.

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image showing One of the oldest buildings in Hattfjelldal municipality in Nordland, Norway.

TrashPandaManda on July 19th, 2018 at 00:14 UTC »

I was thinking Baba Yaga...

MFCEO_Kenny_Powers on July 19th, 2018 at 00:26 UTC »

Do the chickens have large talons?

NathanGimmeABreak on July 19th, 2018 at 03:40 UTC »

Norwegian here. This building is called a "stabbur" and functions as a storage room for foods and other sensitive household articles. The name supposedly derives from the words "stav" (pole) and "bur" (cage), and would in English translate to "pole house." The storage room itself is elevated above the ground in order to keep animals from entering, as well as to prevent the spread of mold.

While most farmers no longer use pole houses for storage, some choose to use them as guest houses and/or cabins to live in.

The oldest ones are listed as cultural heritage sites, and are thus protected from being demolished. Some pole houses posess advanced woodwork carvings and ornaments, and are thus considered to be of higher cultural value.

EDIT: Households usually used a ladder or portable staircase to access the storage room.