Shielings (Sw. fäbod or säter, No. seter) functioned as a means for expanding agrarian enterprises (mainly the grazing of cattle) from the farmstead or hamlet to areas lying outside those fields that were currently being worked. Shielings were used mainly in regions whose climatic conditions were difficult or who had limited acreage. The classic Scandinavian shieling consisted of a fenced site in outlying lands which included structures for dwelling, stabling cattle, processing milk and meadows for haymaking. The cattle were grazed in the forests surrounding shielings and guarded by female herders