Gjesdal
Encyclopedia
Gjesdal is a municipality
in Rogaland
county
, Norway
. In the northwest the municipality borders Sandnes
, to the north Forsand
, to the east Sirdal
, to the south Bjerkreim
, and to the west Time
.
Gjæsdal was established as a municipality in 1838, and in 1965 it was merged with parts of Bjerkreim, Forsand, and Høle
.
) is named after the old Gjesdal farm (Old Norse
: Gesdalir), since the first church was built there. The first element is probably an old river name and the last element is the plural form of dalr which means "valley
" or "dale".
Before 1889, the name was written Gjæsdal, which is the Danish
spelling. During the period from 1889-1917 it was spelled Gjesdal (Norwegian language
version). Then from 1918 it was spelled Gjestal after the pronunciation of the dialect
(the d
in dal is pronounced t
because of the voiceless consonant s
in front). In 1964, the spelling was changed back to the etymologically correct form of Gjesdal.
is from modern times. They were granted on 15 March 1985. The arms show a sheep
's head as a symbol for the sheep breeding
and the oldest industry in the village, the textile industry. Both were of great importance in historical times in the municipality.
). According to the 1835 census the municipality had a population of 862.
On 1 January 1965, Gjestal (pop
: 3,353) was merged with Frafjord, Dirdal, Byrkjedal, Øvre Maudal and Østabødal districts of Forsand
(pop: 621), Nedre Maudal of Bjerkreim
(pop: 40) and Oltesvik of Høle
(pop: 37), greatly increasing the area of the municipality.
On 1 January 1970 and on 1 January 1989, there were small boundary changes along Gjesdal's border with Time.
, the largest waterfall
of the county, is located in the Frafjord valley.
Municipalities of Norway
Norway is divided into 19 administrative regions, called counties , and 430 municipalities...
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
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...
. In the northwest the municipality borders Sandnes
Sandnes
is a city and municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. It is part of the region of Jæren.-History:Sandnes was separated from Høyland as a municipality of its own in 1860, and gained city status the same year...
, to the north 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....
, to the east 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....
, to the south Bjerkreim
Bjerkreim
Bjerkreim is a municipality in the Rogaland county, Norway. The parish of Birkrem was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 ....
, and to the west Time
Time, Norway
Time is a municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. It is part of the region of Jæren. The administrative centre of Time is the town of Bryne.-Name:...
.
Gjæsdal was established as a municipality in 1838, and in 1965 it was merged with parts of Bjerkreim, Forsand, and Høle
Høle
Høle is a borough and former municipality in Rogaland county, Norway.The municipality was separated from Strand as Høgsfjord formannskapsdistrikt in 1842. On 1 January 1871 the district Forsand was divided from Høgsfjord to form a municipality of its own...
.
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 Gjesdal 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....
: Gesdalir), since the first church was built there. The first element is probably an old river name and the last element is the plural form of dalr which means "valley
Valley
In geology, a valley or dale is a depression with predominant extent in one direction. A very deep river valley may be called a canyon or gorge.The terms U-shaped and V-shaped are descriptive terms of geography to characterize the form of valleys...
" or "dale".
Before 1889, the name was written Gjæsdal, which is the Danish
Danish language
Danish is a North Germanic language spoken by around six million people, principally in the country of Denmark. It is also spoken by 50,000 Germans of Danish ethnicity in the northern parts of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, where it holds the status of minority language...
spelling. During the period from 1889-1917 it was spelled Gjesdal (Norwegian language
Norwegian language
Norwegian is a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Norway, where it is the official language. Together with Swedish and Danish, Norwegian forms a continuum of more or less mutually intelligible local and regional variants .These Scandinavian languages together with the Faroese language...
version). Then from 1918 it was spelled Gjestal after the pronunciation of the dialect
Dialect
The term dialect is used in two distinct ways, even by linguists. One usage refers to a variety of a language that is a characteristic of a particular group of the language's speakers. The term is applied most often to regional speech patterns, but a dialect may also be defined by other factors,...
(the d
Voiced alveolar plosive
The voiced alveolar plosive is a type of consonantal sound, used in some spoken languages. The symbol in the International Phonetic Alphabet that represents voiced dental, alveolar, and postalveolar plosives is , and the equivalent X-SAMPA symbol is d.-Features:Features of the voiced...
in dal is pronounced t
Voiceless alveolar plosive
The voiceless alveolar plosive is a type of consonantal sound used in many spoken languages. The symbol in the International Phonetic Alphabet that represents voiceless dental, alveolar, and postalveolar plosives is , and the equivalent X-SAMPA symbol is t...
because of the voiceless consonant s
Voiceless alveolar fricative
The voiceless alveolar sibilant is a common consonant sound in spoken languages. It is the sound in English words such as sea and pass, and is represented in the International Phonetic Alphabet as . It has a characteristic high-pitched, highly perceptible hissing sound...
in front). In 1964, the spelling was changed back to the etymologically correct form of Gjesdal.
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 15 March 1985. The arms show a sheep
Domestic sheep
Sheep are quadrupedal, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Like all ruminants, sheep are members of the order Artiodactyla, the even-toed ungulates. Although the name "sheep" applies to many species in the genus Ovis, in everyday usage it almost always refers to Ovis aries...
's head as a symbol for the sheep breeding
Sheep husbandry
Sheep husbandry is a subcategory of animal husbandry specifically dealing with the raising and breeding of domestic sheep. Sheep farming is primarily based on raising lambs for meat, or raising sheep for wool. Sheep may also be raised for milk or to sell to other farmers.-Shelter and...
and the oldest industry in the village, the textile industry. Both were of great importance in historical times in the municipality.
History
The parish of Gjæsdal was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistriktFormannskapsdistrikt
Formannskapsdistrikt was the name for a Norwegian local self-government districts put into force in 1838. This system of municipality was created in a bill approved by the Storting and signed into law by King Carl Johan on 14 January 1837...
). According to the 1835 census the municipality had a population of 862.
On 1 January 1965, Gjestal (pop
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
: 3,353) was merged with Frafjord, Dirdal, Byrkjedal, Øvre Maudal and Østabødal districts of 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....
(pop: 621), Nedre Maudal of Bjerkreim
Bjerkreim
Bjerkreim is a municipality in the Rogaland county, Norway. The parish of Birkrem was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 ....
(pop: 40) and Oltesvik of Høle
Høle
Høle is a borough and former municipality in Rogaland county, Norway.The municipality was separated from Strand as Høgsfjord formannskapsdistrikt in 1842. On 1 January 1871 the district Forsand was divided from Høgsfjord to form a municipality of its own...
(pop: 37), greatly increasing the area of the municipality.
On 1 January 1970 and on 1 January 1989, there were small boundary changes along Gjesdal's border with Time.
Geography
The waterfall MånafossenMånafossen
The Månafossen waterfall, located at the bottom of the fjord Frafjord in Gjesdal of Rogaland, Norway is fed by the river Mån. The total drop is 92 m.- External links :*...
, the largest waterfall
Waterfall
A waterfall is a place where flowing water rapidly drops in elevation as it flows over a steep region or a cliff.-Formation:Waterfalls are commonly formed when a river is young. At these times the channel is often narrow and deep. When the river courses over resistant bedrock, erosion happens...
of the county, is located in the Frafjord valley.
Famous residents
- Finn E. KydlandFinn E. KydlandFinn Erling Kydland is a Norwegian economist. He is currently the Henley Professor of Economics at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He also holds the Richard P...
, winner of Bank of Sweden Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel in 2004 - Footballer Dagny MellgrenDagny MellgrenDagny Mellgren from Ålgård is a former Norwegian footballer. She retired in December 2005 while playing for Klepp. She has also played for Boston Breakers, in the WUSA. She scored the golden goal which gave Norway the Olympic gold medal in Sydney 2000.-References:...
come from ÅlgårdÅlgårdÅlgård is an area functioning as the administrative centre for the Gjesdal municipality in Rogaland, Norway, in the Jæren region. It is 10 km southeast of Sandnes...
in Gjesdal.
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...