The Eidis Hansen Stone

History

Eidis Hansen was a fisherman, and he liked to drink. He arrived back to Tromsø after a fishing trip and went to a nearby shop to buy some bread, butter, sugar, and something to drink — 2 litres worth. But the shopkeeper refused to sell any alcohol to Eidis.

Eidis wasn’t happy about this. He thought that if he can’t buy any, then no-one else should be able to either. So he went down to the shore and picked up this 371kg (818 lb) stone, and carried it back to the shop. He placed it in front of the entrance to stop anyone from entering the shop. And it worked.

The shopkeeper and several other people tried to move the stone, but failed. Eventually, the shopkeeper had to ask Eidis to move the stone in return for some free alcohol. A good deal for Eidis!

No man has been able to lift the stone since. Many years ago Torkel Ravndal attempted to lift the stone in the same manner that Eidis is said to have done. But he failed.

This also happens to be the most northern lifting stone that we know of, since it is located within the arctic circle.

The plaque on the stone reads:

Eidis Hansen
Labukt Balsfjord
1777-1870
Bar denne steinen frå fjæra her og omlag hit.
Steinen veg 371kg

Translated:

Eidis Hansen
from Labukt Balsfjord
1777-1870
Carried this stone from the shore to around this spot.
The stone weighs 371kg

Location

The Eidis Hansa Stein is located in Tromsø, Norway.

The precise location is on our map.

References

Eidis Hansen Stone — digitaltmuseum.no