Corporal Gifting

Corporal Gifting from Ore said the famous words "Orsa Company does not promise anything definite" which meant they didn't want to promise something they couldn't keep.

The words became famous almost as soon as they were uttered:

"Orsa Company does not promise anything definite"

The words were spoken on the 13th of September 1894 near Komtillmåtta krog (tavern) in Gagnef, where the commander demanded that the Orsa company should make a promise of sobriety during the overnight stay at the site.

Eager to keep his word Corporal Jonas Jonsson Gifting explained his company's attitude – they wouldn't promise anything they couldn't promise to keep.

The interpretation that Orsa company could not decide on anything, is thus totally wrong!

However, this expression was performed by a man from our nearby village, Ore! Corporal Gifting lived in Dalbyn in Ore. The soldiers in Ore parish belonged to Orsa company. Corporal Gifting was born in the village in 1853 and died there in 1934.

But maybe it was after all an original resident of Orsa who came up with the expression. Especially in southern Orsa, tradition says that their Corporal Snickare whispered the sentence in Gifting's ear before he was sent to give the commander the companies view .