About Taube & Flink

In the early 1940s the Swedish national troubadour Evert Taube spent his summers on Flatö Island. 1943 he was recommended by his Doctor, Dr Erik Salén to rest in a peaceful and quiet place near the woods to ease his asthma. Salén had a house on Ängö island a few hundred meters from Ängö manor. During his time on the island Taube explored the surroundings carefully It could take him a day to go from Ängön to Stätte pier, a distance of two, three kilometers. Even when he bicycled he would stop to listening to birds, discuss with people he meet and draw sketches and write down notes.

I912 Petter and his 22 year old son Gustaf opened their village shop. Petter how was a sailor sailed away and Gustaf made sure that the shop became a meeting place for the locals. It was obvious that the shop should be located at the pier junction, Stätte pier and become a part of it. People came by horse and wagon, walking or by rowing boat or doris (flat-bottomed boat) to buy on credit or to trade egg for coffee or paraffin oil, try a new pair of shoes, look at a scythe, measure a rope, ask for a much longed for letter , collect the paper or post notes. There the archipelago boats stopped, the people gadded there before they should go away and when they arrived back home. It was an exciting and mysterious feeling over this place.

Ängön is the name of the northern part of Flatön, and frequently appears in Taube's songs. Flatön means "flat island" in English, and Evert Taube considered this a highly inappropriate name for such a hilly island.

The memorial in the picture, Taubestenen, recalls Taube's visits to Flatön. The relief on the top right hand side was created by his wife, Astri.

How Gustav Johansson became Handelsman Flink

Evert Taube and Gustaf Johansson became good friends and the shop became his second home during his time at Ängön. In Gustaf, Taube find a faithful friend and joker. Of course Gustaf Johansson, as well as all other locals was delighted to have such a famous man as guest. And in the "back room" Taube was writing, drinking and painting, draw sketches and singing.

He was fascinated by the life in the shop and by Gustafs calm manor. Gustav let everything take its course and never hurried. Taube could closely follow his friends lengthy and sometimes absent-minded doings, listening to his expositions and watch him take notes of larger and larger credits to the submissive customers. Evert Taube gave Gustaf Johansson eternal life in the Swedish folk ballads by nicknaming him "Handelsman Flink" in his songs (Flink means "quick" in English, a touch of irony perhaps)

Flinks customers came from all over the neighborhood. Some of them came by boat and one of them was Maj, she was rowing from the farm Stätten on Malö island. Se rowed on the outside of Keholmarna and rounded the tip of Keholme just as closely you could without hitting the invisible reef located there. In this everyday picture the active troubadour discovered a piece of poetry. For it was in this way the famous Swedish song "Maj on Malö" was created. More songs that were created during this time were Huldas Karin, Waltz on Ängön and Invitation to Bohuslän.