History
The area around Mönarps Mossar has been inhabited by people since ancient times.
The first Stone Age people who settled by the shallow lake that made up the marshlands lived by hunting and fishing. We call them the Swamp People. The stones in a ring in the park are a memorial to these early ancestors and their life by the lake and provide a link to the farm’s past. The famous poet Olof Lagerkrantz, a resident of the bog in his youth, writes as follows.
The swamp people
The swamp people rise in the warm nights from graves sprinkled with water lily flour.
Around dark necks, the amulets shine like dull stars over the moss.
They were the first – the fishermen and hunters. In the darkness, their flares move.
They head home through the waterways that have dried up and sprouted again for us.
In water-soaked pine trees the pigeons coo and spread their silky breasts.
A lone warrior sinks through the thicket and no one listens to his choked voice.
They gather on the feverish beaches as the bloody dawn lights its flares.
Like birds, they call out and raise their hands to the same sun that shines on us.
We hear them murmur in the balmy nights and the spirit of fear creeps into our ranks as the cows graze on the wide plains where the swamp people hunted and fought.
Elk hills
Elk hills
This rare plant, called thistle root, grows there.
Beautiful isn’t it …….
Elin
Elinkullen is the highest location in the area and
there are about 20 noble spruce trees with an age of perhaps
150 years. The trees are planted in a circle and many of us wonder what is hiding in the hill.
History of the farm
Mönarps Gård is known since the 16th century, then under the name Mönetorp, which is said to mean the new building on the ridge.
Historical ownership history Mönarp Storegården 1 mtl
Frälsegård 1572
Crown estate until 1641
Frälsegård 1641 – 1799
Freeman’s treasure house from 1799
Owners:
The crown around 1645
Jacob de la Gardie 1641 – ca 1675
Gustaf Lagerhuvud, Eva Levenhaupt, Jacob Cronhielm c. 1705 – 1720
Lagman Knorring circa 1730 – 1740
National Council Soop circa 1777
Christian G. Hedencrantz until 1781
Magnus Dahlstrand and Brita Catarina Östberg 1781 – 1797
Jacob Lengbom 1797 – 1799
Tax sale 1799 in 2 parts
August Bellinder 1882 – 1918
Elin is the patron saint of Skövde, but some researchers doubt that it was in Götene that she died, but instead Göteve, our neighboring village, would be the right place.
There used to be a parish here called Elin and there is also a church dedicated to Elin.
Ancient memories
At Mönarp there are some ancient remains such as 3 passage graves, a large burial mound and medieval house foundations. One day we hope to create a nice walkway to view these and make the history available to our visitors.
We have started building a bridge to the area.