Bykle
Encyclopedia
Bykle is a municipality in Aust-Agder
county
, Norway
. It is located in the traditional region
of Setesdal
. The administrative center is the village of Bykle in the southern part of the municipality. Another village nearby is Nordbygdi
. Bykle was established when it was separated from the municipality of Valle on 1 January 1902.
) is named after the old Bykle farm (Old Norse
: Byklar), since the first church was built there. The farm is named after the lake Bykil, but the meaning of that name is unknown.
is from modern times. They were granted on 4 April 1986. The arms show 11 silver water
droplets as a symbol for the water and rivers in the municipality, as well as for the hydropower
plant which was founded in 1915. The plant has brought prosperity to the area since then. The green color of the background symbolizes agriculture
.
municipality, in the east by Tokke
both in Telemark
county. It is bordered in the south by Valle in Aust-Agder county and also bordered by Sirdal
in Vest-Agder
county. It is bordered in the southwest by Forsand
and in the west by Hjelmeland
and Suldal
--all in Rogaland
county.
There are many lake
s that are located within the municipality, including Blåsjø
, Botsvatn
, Hartevatnet
, Holmavatnet
, Holmevatnet
, Ormsavatnet
, Reinevatn
, Skyvatn
, Store Urevatn
, Storvatnet, and Vatndalsvatnet
.
The Setesdalsheiene
mountain range runs through the municipality, including the tallest mountain in that range, Sæbyggjenuten
at 1507 metres (4,944.2 ft). The Byklestigen pass is a torturous trail up a steep cliff
face. Until the 1870s, it was the only route to reach Bykle from the middle Setesdal
valley to the south. It runs above the river Otra
and was the site of numerous accidents on the hazardous route.
power generation facilities. The second-largest sector of income for Bykle, is Hovden and Brokke alpine skiing facilities. Due to its vast amount of hydroelectric power, Bykle is the wealthiest of the Setesdal municipalities.
runic
inscriptions dating over 1000 years old can be found.
The Hovden
area was interconnected more with the districts to the west of the mountains than communities down the Setesdal valley. The main mountain plateau
trade route led west to Suldal municipality in Rogaland. The Byklestigen pass was the line of divisions between dialects
; in Valle to the south the classic Setesdal tongue was spoken while in Bykle the dialect includes a significant mixture from Telemark.
Falcon
s were trapped in the heights above Bykle. From as early as 1203 and as late as 1780 there are reports of English
and Dutch
trapping of falcons at Breivik in Bykle. One byproduct of the numerous Dutch visits in the 1560s was the discovery that the natives had no natural resistance to syphilis
; a state physician had to be dispatched there to stem the disease.
Aust-Agder
is a county in Norway, bordering Telemark, Rogaland, and Vest-Agder. In 2002, there were 102,945 inhabitants, which is 2.2% of the total population in Norway. Its area is . The administrative center of the county is in Arendal....
county
Counties of Norway
Norway is divided into 19 administrative regions, called counties . The counties form the primary first-level subdivisions of Norway and are further divided into 430 municipalities...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. It is located in the traditional region
Districts of Norway
The country Norway is historically divided into a number of districts. Many districts have deep historical roots, and only partially coincide with today's administrative units of counties and municipalities. The districts are defined by geographical features, often valleys, mountain ranges, fjords,...
of Setesdal
Setesdal
Setesdal is a valley and a traditional district in Aust-Agder County in southern Norway. It consists of the municipalities of Bykle, Valle, Bygland, Iveland, and Evje og Hornnes....
. The administrative center is the village of Bykle in the southern part of the municipality. Another village nearby is Nordbygdi
Nordbygdi, Aust-Agder
Nordbygdi is a village in the municipality of Bykle in Aust-Agder county, Norway. It is located along the eastern shore of the lake, Botsvatn. The village is located about west of the village of Bykle and the river Otra, and about south of the lake Reinevatn....
. Bykle was established when it was separated from the municipality of Valle on 1 January 1902.
General information
The municipality of Bykle was created when it was separated from the older municipality of Valle on 1 January 1902 after a dispute over the costs of road building (Bykle was the bigger area, while Valle had more people and more money). At that time, Bykle had a population of 476 residents in the new municipality.Name
The municipality (originally the parishParish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
) is named after the old Bykle farm (Old Norse
Old Norse
Old Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....
: Byklar), since the first church was built there. The farm is named after the lake Bykil, but the meaning of that name is unknown.
Coat-of-arms
The coat-of-armsCoat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
is from modern times. They were granted on 4 April 1986. The arms show 11 silver water
Water
Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
droplets as a symbol for the water and rivers in the municipality, as well as for the hydropower
Hydropower
Hydropower, hydraulic power, hydrokinetic power or water power is power that is derived from the force or energy of falling water, which may be harnessed for useful purposes. Since ancient times, hydropower has been used for irrigation and the operation of various mechanical devices, such as...
plant which was founded in 1915. The plant has brought prosperity to the area since then. The green color of the background symbolizes agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
.
Geography
Bykle is bordered in the north by VinjeVinje
Vinje is a municipality in Telemark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Vest-Telemark. The administrative center of the municipality is the village of Åmot.-Name:...
municipality, in the east by Tokke
Tokke
Tokke is a municipality in Telemark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Vest-Telemark. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Dalen. The municipality of Tokke was created on 1 January 1964 upon the merger of the two older municipalities of Lårdal and Mo...
both in Telemark
Telemark
is a county in Norway, bordering Vestfold, Buskerud, Hordaland, Rogaland and Aust-Agder. The county administration is in Skien. Until 1919 the county was known as Bratsberg amt.-Location:...
county. It is bordered in the south by Valle in Aust-Agder county and also bordered by Sirdal
Sirdal
Sirdal is a municipality in Vest-Agder county, Norway. Sirdal was separated from Bakke in 1849. Sirdal was divided into Tonstad and Øvre Sirdal on 1 January 1905, but these were again merged to recreate Sirdal on 1 January 1960....
in Vest-Agder
Vest-Agder
In the 16th century, Dutch merchant vessels began to visit ports in southern Norway to purchase salmon and other goods. Soon thereafter the export of timber began, as oak from southern Norway was exceptionally well suited for shipbuilding...
county. It is bordered in the southwest by Forsand
Forsand
Forsand is a municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. Forsand was separated from Høle on 1 January 1871. In 1999, evidence of a population here dating back to around 7500 BC was located....
and in the west by Hjelmeland
Hjelmeland
is a municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. Hjelmeland was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 . Two other municipalities were later separated from it: Årdal and Fister , but these were both again merged with Hjelmeland on 1 January 1965.Hjelmeland is known for their fruit and fish...
and Suldal
Suldal
Suldal is a municipality in the northeast of Rogaland county, Norway located in the Ryfylke historically traditional district. Sand i Ryfylke is a the administrative center of Suldal....
--all in Rogaland
Rogaland
is a county in Western Norway, bordering Hordaland, Telemark, Aust-Agder and Vest-Agder. It is the center of the Norwegian petroleum industry, and as a result of this, Rogaland has the lowest unemployment rate of any county in Norway, 1.1%...
county.
There are many lake
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
s that are located within the municipality, including Blåsjø
Blåsjø
Blåsjø is the tenth largest lake in Norway by area. It is located in the municipality of Bykle in Aust-Agder county and the municipalities of Hjelmeland and Suldal in Rogaland county. The lake is about west of the village of Bykle. It has a surface area of...
, Botsvatn
Botsvatn
Botsvatn is a lake in the municipality of Bykle in Aust-Agder county, Norway, just to the southeast of the major lake, Blåsjø. It is a long, narrow lake that was created by building a dam at the Holen hydroelectric power plant on the eastern end of the lake...
, Hartevatnet
Hartevatnet
Hartevatnet or Hartevatn is a lake in the municipality of Bykle in Aust-Agder county, Norway. It is located near the village of Hovden. The lake is a good fishing spot and it contains lots of brown trout....
, Holmavatnet
Holmavatnet
Holmavatnet is a lake the Setesdalsheiene mountains of Southern Norway. It is located on the border of the municipalities of Suldal , Vinje , and a small part in Bykle . The European route E134 passes through the village of Edland in Vinje, about northeast of the lake...
, Holmevatnet
Holmevatnet
Holmevatnet or Holmevatn is a lake in the Setesdalsheiene area of Norway. It is located in the Setesdalsheiene mountains on the border of the municipalities of Bykle in Aust-Agder county and Suldal in Rogaland county. It's just west of the lake Store Urevatn and northeast of the lake Blåsjø....
, Ormsavatnet
Ormsavatnet
Ormsavatnet is a lake in the municipality of Bykle in Aust-Agder county, Norway. It flows into the Vatndalsvatnet via a dam and canal. The lake is located in the Setesdalsheiene mountains near the lakes Store Urevatn, Holmevatnet, and Hartevatnet. The nearest village area is Hovden in Bykle....
, Reinevatn
Reinevatn
Reinevatn is a lake in the municipality of Bykle in Aust-Agder county, Norway. It's located south of the lakes Store Urevatn and Vatndalsvatnet in the Setesdalsheiene mountains in the Setesdal valley. The lake has an area of about and is located at an elevation of above sea level....
, Skyvatn
Skyvatn
Skyvatn is a lake in the northern part of the municipality of Bykle in Aust-Agder county, Norway. It is located south of the lake Holmavatnet and northwest of Hartevatnet. The village of Hovden in Bykle is located about southeast of the lake....
, Store Urevatn
Store Urevatn
Store Urevatn is a lake in the municipality of Bykle in Aust-Agder county, Norway. The water leaving this lake high up in the Setesdalsheiene mountains has a dam on it which leads to a canal that brings the out-flowing water to the nearby Vatndalsvatnet lake....
, Storvatnet, and Vatndalsvatnet
Vatndalsvatnet
Vatndalsvatnet or Vatnedalsvatnet is a lake in the municipality of Bykle in Aust-Agder county, Norway. The nearby lakes Ormsavatnet and Store Urevatn flow into the lake through dams and canals. Vatndalsvatnet also has a dam on it and the water flows out of the lake from the dam into the Otra river...
.
The Setesdalsheiene
Setesdalsheiene
Setesdalsheiene is the collective term for the mountains to the west and east of the Setesdalen valley in Aust-Agder and Vest-Agder counties in Southern Norway. The river Otra flows through the valley between the mountains....
mountain range runs through the municipality, including the tallest mountain in that range, Sæbyggjenuten
Sæbyggjenuten
Sæbyggjenuten is a mountain on the border of the municipalities Bykle and Tokke , Norway. It's located about west of Dalen, Telemark and also about northeast of the village of Bykle....
at 1507 metres (4,944.2 ft). The Byklestigen pass is a torturous trail up a steep cliff
Cliff
In geography and geology, a cliff is a significant vertical, or near vertical, rock exposure. Cliffs are formed as erosion landforms due to the processes of erosion and weathering that produce them. Cliffs are common on coasts, in mountainous areas, escarpments and along rivers. Cliffs are usually...
face. Until the 1870s, it was the only route to reach Bykle from the middle Setesdal
Setesdal
Setesdal is a valley and a traditional district in Aust-Agder County in southern Norway. It consists of the municipalities of Bykle, Valle, Bygland, Iveland, and Evje og Hornnes....
valley to the south. It runs above the river Otra
Otra
The Otra river is the largest river in the Sørlandet region of Norway. It flows from the Setesdalsheiene mountains in Bykle municipality in Aust-Agder county in the north, down to the municipality of Kristiansand in the south, where it flows into the Skagerrak.The Otra is long, making it Norway’s...
and was the site of numerous accidents on the hazardous route.
Economy
Bykle has several hydroelectricHydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...
power generation facilities. The second-largest sector of income for Bykle, is Hovden and Brokke alpine skiing facilities. Due to its vast amount of hydroelectric power, Bykle is the wealthiest of the Setesdal municipalities.
Politics
Bykle is ruled by a conservative local counsil. It has been controlled by one mayor, Kai Jeiskelid for the last 26 years, yet in September 2011, a new mayor was elected. Due to a law implemented for 50 years ago, by the Labour Party, obligation of residence is required in this municipality.History
At Storhedder north of the lake Storheddervatnet prehistoricPrehistory
Prehistory is the span of time before recorded history. Prehistory can refer to the period of human existence before the availability of those written records with which recorded history begins. More broadly, it refers to all the time preceding human existence and the invention of writing...
runic
Runic alphabet
The runic alphabets are a set of related alphabets using letters known as runes to write various Germanic languages before the adoption of the Latin alphabet and for specialized purposes thereafter...
inscriptions dating over 1000 years old can be found.
The Hovden
Hovden, Aust-Agder
Hovden is a village in the municipality of Bykle in Aust-Agder county, Norway. It is located along the eastern shore of the lake, Hartevatnet. The village is located along the river Otra about north of the village of Bykle...
area was interconnected more with the districts to the west of the mountains than communities down the Setesdal valley. The main mountain plateau
Plateau
In geology and earth science, a plateau , also called a high plain or tableland, is an area of highland, usually consisting of relatively flat terrain. A highly eroded plateau is called a dissected plateau...
trade route led west to Suldal municipality in Rogaland. The Byklestigen pass was the line of divisions between dialects
Norwegian dialects
The Norwegian dialects are commonly divided into 4 main groups, North Norwegian , Trøndelag Norwegian , West Norwegian , and East Norwegian...
; in Valle to the south the classic Setesdal tongue was spoken while in Bykle the dialect includes a significant mixture from Telemark.
Falcon
Falcon
A falcon is any species of raptor in the genus Falco. The genus contains 37 species, widely distributed throughout Europe, Asia, and North America....
s were trapped in the heights above Bykle. From as early as 1203 and as late as 1780 there are reports of English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
and Dutch
Dutch people
The Dutch people are an ethnic group native to the Netherlands. They share a common culture and speak the Dutch language. Dutch people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in Suriname, Chile, Brazil, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and the United...
trapping of falcons at Breivik in Bykle. One byproduct of the numerous Dutch visits in the 1560s was the discovery that the natives had no natural resistance to syphilis
Syphilis
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the spirochete bacterium Treponema pallidum subspecies pallidum. The primary route of transmission is through sexual contact; however, it may also be transmitted from mother to fetus during pregnancy or at birth, resulting in congenital syphilis...
; a state physician had to be dispatched there to stem the disease.
Attractions
- Bykle church, built in 1619, is found in Bykle center. It stands on the site of an older stave churchStave churchA stave church is a medieval wooden church with a post and beam construction related to timber framing. The wall frames are filled with vertical planks. The load-bearing posts have lent their name to the building technique...
- Open air museums at Huldreheimen and Lislestog.
- Hovden ski resortSki resortA ski resort is a resort developed for skiing and other winter sports. In Europe a ski resort is a town or village in a ski area - a mountainous area, where there are ski trails and supporting services such as hotels and other accommodation, restaurants, equipment rental and a ski lift system...
is found in the north. - Viking AgeViking AgeViking Age is the term for the period in European history, especially Northern European and Scandinavian history, spanning the late 8th to 11th centuries. Scandinavian Vikings explored Europe by its oceans and rivers through trade and warfare. The Vikings also reached Iceland, Greenland,...
bog ironBog ironBog iron refers to impure iron deposits that develop in bogs or swamps by the chemical or biochemical oxidation of iron carried in the solutions. In general, bog ores consist primarily of iron oxyhydroxides, commonly goethite...
museum, which recognizes the industry in the area over 1000 years ago, located at Hovden - Prehistoric runic inscriptions at Storhedder
External links
- Municipal fact sheet from Statistics NorwayStatistics NorwayStatistics Norway is the Norwegian statistics bureau. It was established in 1876.Relying on a staff of about 1,000, Statistics Norway publish about 1,000 new statistical releases every year on its web site. All releases are published both in Norwegian and English...
- Municipal website
- Culture in Bykle on the map