Hälsingland
Encyclopedia
is a historical province
or landskap in central Sweden
. It borders to Gästrikland
, Dalarna
, Härjedalen
, Medelpad
and to the Gulf of Bothnia
. It is part of the land
of Norrland
.
In English the province is sometimes referred to as Helsingia.
serve no administrative or political purposes, but are historical and cultural entities. In the case of Hälsingland the province constitutes the northern part of the administrative county
, län, Gävleborg County
. Minor parts of the province are in Jämtland County
and in Västernorrland County
.
breeding, and the arms depicted a standing goat facing heraldic right. Blazon: Sable, a Goat rampant Or attired and hoofed Gules. This, combined with the arms of Gästrikland, forms the coat of arms for Gävleborg County
.
Part of the coast line on the Gulf of Bothnia
, called "High Coast", has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site
, used for the study of isostasy
, i.e. the land elevation. The land still rises at close to 1 cm annually.
Other notable geological features are the Dellen
lake system, in fact meteoric impact craters. It is the only location in Sweden of the volcanic Andesite
rock, which has given its name dellenite.
poem Widsith
, from the 9th - 10th century, where a people called the Hælsings are referred to. The first affirmative mention of the people is made by Adam of Bremen
around 1070, in reference to the leidang
shipping fleet.
In this medieval age, the "Helsings" were the Swedish speaking inhabitants of the entire coastal region north of Uppland
, a rather unprecise denomination. In the early provincial law of Uppland
, Uppland bordered north to Hälsingland by the Ödmården forest.
In 13th century a large number of people emigrated from Hälsingland to southern coasts of Finland, then called Österland. They named places after Hälsingland: most notably the river Helsingeå and its first rapids Helsingfors. In 1550 the latter gave name to a new town founded next to it by king Gustav Vasa. In 1812 the city of Helsinki became capital of Finland.
The oldest city in Hälsingland is Hudiksvall
, chartered in 1582. After that, Söderhamn
was chartered in 1620. Not until 1942 was Hälsingland granted its third city, that of Bollnäs
. It was to become the last city (in Hälsingland) as City status in Sweden
was abolished in 1971.
The town of Hudiksvall, one of the oldest in Norrland, was ransacked by Russia
n troops in 1721. Hälsingland Regiment was the provincial regiment.
language. Some notable aberrations are to be found, such as the old Bergsjö
and Hassela
-dialects; and the Delsbo
dialect which features some Norwegian
characteristics.
- "Hälsingegårdar" - are well known. Two or even three storeys high, the farmhouses are built to show wealth and independence, and much inventiveness has gone into decorating their interiors, which combine aristocratic fashions with traditional materials and techniques.
district more than any other. It's the only district where bandy is bigger than ice hockey.
Football in the province is administered by Hälsinglands Fotbollförbund
.
Provinces of Sweden
The provinces of Sweden, landskap, are historical, geographical and cultural regions. Sweden has 25 provinces and they have no administrative function, but remain historical legacies and the means of cultural identification....
or landskap in central Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. It borders to Gästrikland
Gästrikland
' is a historical province or landskap on the eastern coast of Sweden. It borders Uppland, Västmanland, Dalarna, Hälsingland and the Gulf of Bothnia. Gästrikland is the southernmost of the Norrland provinces....
, Dalarna
Dalarna
', English exonym: Dalecarlia, is a historical province or landskap in central Sweden. Another English language form established in literature is the Dales. Places involving the element Dalecarlia exist in the United States....
, Härjedalen
Härjedalen
' is a historical province or landskap in the centre of Sweden. It borders the country of Norway as well as the provinces of Dalarna, Hälsingland, Medelpad, and Jämtland...
, Medelpad
Medelpad
' is a historical province or landskap in the north of Sweden. It borders to Hälsingland, Härjedalen, Jämtland, Ångermanland and the Gulf of Bothnia....
and to the Gulf of Bothnia
Gulf of Bothnia
The Gulf of Bothnia is the northernmost arm of the Baltic Sea. It is situated between Finland's west coast and Sweden's east coast. In the south of the gulf lie the Åland Islands, between the Sea of Åland and the Archipelago Sea.-Name:...
. It is part of the land
Lands of Sweden
The lands of Sweden are three traditional parts, essentially three collectives of provinces, in Sweden. These "lands" have no administrative function, and there is no official designation for this subdivision level...
of Norrland
Norrland
Norrland is one of the three lands of Sweden , the northern part, consisting of nine provinces. The term Norrland is not used for any administrative purpose, but it is common in everyday language, e.g...
.
In English the province is sometimes referred to as Helsingia.
Administration
The traditional provinces of SwedenProvinces of Sweden
The provinces of Sweden, landskap, are historical, geographical and cultural regions. Sweden has 25 provinces and they have no administrative function, but remain historical legacies and the means of cultural identification....
serve no administrative or political purposes, but are historical and cultural entities. In the case of Hälsingland the province constitutes the northern part of the administrative county
Counties of Sweden
The Counties of Sweden are the first level administrative and political subdivisions of Sweden. Sweden is divided into 21 counties. The counties were established in 1634 on Count Axel Oxenstierna's initiative, superseding the historical provinces of Sweden to introduce a modern administration...
, län, Gävleborg County
Gävleborg County
Gävleborg County is a county or län on the Baltic Sea coast of Sweden. It borders to the counties of Uppsala, Västmanland, Dalarna, Jämtland and Västernorrland. The capital is Gävle.- Administration :...
. Minor parts of the province are in Jämtland County
Jämtland County
Jämtland County is a county or län in the middle of Sweden consisting of the provinces of Jämtland and Härjedalen, along with minor parts of Hälsingland and Ångermanland, plus two tiny uninhabited strips of Lapland and Dalarna. Jämtland County constitutes 12 percent of Sweden's total area, and is...
and in Västernorrland County
Västernorrland County
Västernorrland County is a county or län in the north of Sweden. It is bordered by the counties of Gävleborg, Jämtland, Västerbotten and the Gulf of Bothnia.- Province :...
.
Heraldry
The coat of arms were granted in 1560 in the era of King Gustav Vasa. At that time, Hälsingland was known for its large scale goatGoat
The domestic goat is a subspecies of goat domesticated from the wild goat of southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the Bovidae family and is closely related to the sheep as both are in the goat-antelope subfamily Caprinae. There are over three hundred distinct breeds of...
breeding, and the arms depicted a standing goat facing heraldic right. Blazon: Sable, a Goat rampant Or attired and hoofed Gules. This, combined with the arms of Gästrikland, forms the coat of arms for Gävleborg County
Gävleborg County
Gävleborg County is a county or län on the Baltic Sea coast of Sweden. It borders to the counties of Uppsala, Västmanland, Dalarna, Jämtland and Västernorrland. The capital is Gävle.- Administration :...
.
Geography
The terrain is mostly of the mountainous rocky, sloping down towards the coast. The highest elevation in its northern parts is 530 meters, and 600 meters in the western parts. Circa 85% of the land area is covered with woods, and the wood industry has historically been the main source of income. Apart from some areas around the river systems, notable around river Ljusnan, the soil is barren. Large areas consist of rocks and bogs, and is additionally unsuitable for agriculture.Part of the coast line on the Gulf of Bothnia
Gulf of Bothnia
The Gulf of Bothnia is the northernmost arm of the Baltic Sea. It is situated between Finland's west coast and Sweden's east coast. In the south of the gulf lie the Åland Islands, between the Sea of Åland and the Archipelago Sea.-Name:...
, called "High Coast", has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
, used for the study of isostasy
Isostasy
Isostasy is a term used in geology to refer to the state of gravitational equilibrium between the earth's lithosphere and asthenosphere such that the tectonic plates "float" at an elevation which depends on their thickness and density. This concept is invoked to explain how different topographic...
, i.e. the land elevation. The land still rises at close to 1 cm annually.
Other notable geological features are the Dellen
Dellen
Dellen is a lake system in the province of Hälsingland, Sweden. It consists of two lakes, Northern Dellen and Southern Dellen, appreciated among fly-fishermen for their distinct population of brown trout....
lake system, in fact meteoric impact craters. It is the only location in Sweden of the volcanic Andesite
Andesite
Andesite is an extrusive igneous, volcanic rock, of intermediate composition, with aphanitic to porphyritic texture. In a general sense, it is the intermediate type between basalt and dacite. The mineral assemblage is typically dominated by plagioclase plus pyroxene and/or hornblende. Magnetite,...
rock, which has given its name dellenite.
History
The earliest mention of the people of Hälsingland may be in the Old EnglishOld English language
Old English or Anglo-Saxon is an early form of the English language that was spoken and written by the Anglo-Saxons and their descendants in parts of what are now England and southeastern Scotland between at least the mid-5th century and the mid-12th century...
poem Widsith
Widsith
Widsith is an Old English poem of 144 lines that appears to date from the 9th century, drawing on earlier oral traditions of Anglo-Saxon tale singing. The only text of the fragment is copied in the Exeter Book, a manuscript of Old English poetry compiled in the late 10th century containing...
, from the 9th - 10th century, where a people called the Hælsings are referred to. The first affirmative mention of the people is made by Adam of Bremen
Adam of Bremen
Adam of Bremen was a German medieval chronicler. He lived and worked in the second half of the eleventh century. He is most famous for his chronicle Gesta Hammaburgensis Ecclesiae Pontificum .-Background:Little is known of his life other than hints from his own chronicles...
around 1070, in reference to the leidang
Leidang
The institution known as leiðangr , leidang , leding, , ledung , expeditio or sometimes lething , was a public levy of free farmers typical for medieval Scandinavians. It was a form of conscription to organise coastal fleets for seasonal excursions and in defence of the realm...
shipping fleet.
In this medieval age, the "Helsings" were the Swedish speaking inhabitants of the entire coastal region north of Uppland
Uppland
Uppland is a historical province or landskap on the eastern coast of Sweden, just north of Stockholm, the capital. It borders Södermanland, Västmanland and Gästrikland. It is also bounded by lake Mälaren and the Baltic sea...
, a rather unprecise denomination. In the early provincial law of Uppland
Uppland
Uppland is a historical province or landskap on the eastern coast of Sweden, just north of Stockholm, the capital. It borders Södermanland, Västmanland and Gästrikland. It is also bounded by lake Mälaren and the Baltic sea...
, Uppland bordered north to Hälsingland by the Ödmården forest.
In 13th century a large number of people emigrated from Hälsingland to southern coasts of Finland, then called Österland. They named places after Hälsingland: most notably the river Helsingeå and its first rapids Helsingfors. In 1550 the latter gave name to a new town founded next to it by king Gustav Vasa. In 1812 the city of Helsinki became capital of Finland.
The oldest city in Hälsingland is Hudiksvall
Hudiksvall
Hudiksvall is a city and the seat of Hudiksvall Municipality, in Hälsingland, Gävleborg County, Sweden with 14,850 inhabitants in 2005. Hudiksvall is also known as Glada Hudik , a term that originated in the 19th century as word spread of its friendly hospitality and its lively social life...
, chartered in 1582. After that, Söderhamn
Söderhamn
Söderhamn is a locality and the seat of Söderhamn Municipality, Gävleborg County, Sweden with 12,056 inhabitants in 2005.The most popular tourist attraction is Oskarsborg, a tower built in 1895 on the top of a hill close to the town centre. The tower is built as a memorial over a visit of king...
was chartered in 1620. Not until 1942 was Hälsingland granted its third city, that of Bollnäs
Bollnäs
Bollnäs is a locality and the seat of Bollnäs Municipality, Gävleborg County, Sweden with 12,455 inhabitants in 2005.- History :In written sources Bollnäs is traced from 1312, by a vicar named Ingemund who referred to it as Baldenaes, which means "the large isthmus," referring to the isthmus into a...
. It was to become the last city (in Hälsingland) as City status in Sweden
City status in Sweden
Stad is a Swedish term which nominally means town but can also encompass the English word "city". Since 1971 stad has had no administrative or legal significance in Sweden and there exists no commonly accepted definition of the term.-History :...
was abolished in 1971.
The town of Hudiksvall, one of the oldest in Norrland, was ransacked by Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n troops in 1721. Hälsingland Regiment was the provincial regiment.
Dukes of Hälsingland
Since 1772, Swedish Princes and Princesses have been created Dukes/Duchesses of various Swedish provinces. This is solely a nominal title, however. Current holder:- Princess MadeleinePrincess Madeleine, Duchess of Hälsingland and GästriklandPrincess Madeleine of Sweden, Duchess of Hälsingland and Gästrikland is the youngest child and second daughter of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden...
(1982-); Duchess of Hälsingland and GästriklandGästrikland' is a historical province or landskap on the eastern coast of Sweden. It borders Uppland, Västmanland, Dalarna, Hälsingland and the Gulf of Bothnia. Gästrikland is the southernmost of the Norrland provinces....
Dialect
The local dialect is known as Hälsingemål or Hälsingska but has no official linguistic recognition. The accent as it is spoken today is relatively similar to the accent of the Standard SwedishStandard Swedish
Standard Swedish denotes Swedish as a spoken and written standard language. While Swedish as a written language is uniform and standardized, the spoken standard may vary considerably from region to region...
language. Some notable aberrations are to be found, such as the old Bergsjö
Bergsjö
Bergsjö is a locality and the seat of Nordanstig Municipality, Gävleborg County, Sweden with 1,243 inhabitants in 2005.- References :...
and Hassela
Hassela
Hassela is a locality situated in Nordanstig Municipality, Gävleborg County, Sweden with 375 inhabitants in 2005....
-dialects; and the Delsbo
Delsbo
Delsbo is a locality in Hudiksvall Municipality, Gävleborg County, Sweden, with 2,189 inhabitants in 2005. It is situated some 25 kilometers west of Hudiksvall, in the vicinity of the two lakes of Dellen...
dialect which features some Norwegian
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...
characteristics.
Folk architecture
The magnificent Hälsingland farmsHälsingland farms
A Hälsingland farm - "Hälsingegård" - is a farm or former farm in Hälsingland, Sweden, with preserved cultural and historical value.The farmhouses of Hälsingland are a cultural heritage and an example of traditional Swedish construction technique in the old farmer’s society in Hälsingland...
- "Hälsingegårdar" - are well known. Two or even three storeys high, the farmhouses are built to show wealth and independence, and much inventiveness has gone into decorating their interiors, which combine aristocratic fashions with traditional materials and techniques.
Sports
Hälsingland is the bandyBandy
Bandy is a team winter sport played on ice, in which skaters use sticks to direct a ball into the opposing team's goal.The rules of the game have many similarities to those of association football: the game is played on a rectangle of ice the same size as a football field. Each team has 11 players,...
district more than any other. It's the only district where bandy is bigger than ice hockey.
Football in the province is administered by Hälsinglands Fotbollförbund
Hälsinglands Fotbollförbund
The Hälsinglands Fotbollförbund is one of the 24 district organisations of the Swedish Football Association...
.
Notable natives
- Archbishop Nathan SöderblomNathan SöderblomLars Olof Jonathan Söderblom was a Swedish clergyman, Archbishop of Uppsala in the Church of Sweden, and recipient of the 1930 Nobel Peace Prize...
, Nobel PrizeNobel PrizeThe Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
laureate for PeaceNobel Peace PrizeThe Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel.-Background:According to Nobel's will, the Peace Prize shall be awarded to the person who...
in 1930, was born in Trönö, Hälsingland in 1866. - Hans JohanssonHans JohanssonHans Elis Johansson , born 1962, is a former bandy player from Sweden. Originating in Edsbyn, he has represented Edsbyns IF, Västerås SK and Yenisey and holds numerous records. He has won four world championships equally many Swedish championships. Retiring from Swedish bandy in 1997, Johansson...
, former bandyBandyBandy is a team winter sport played on ice, in which skaters use sticks to direct a ball into the opposing team's goal.The rules of the game have many similarities to those of association football: the game is played on a rectangle of ice the same size as a football field. Each team has 11 players,...
player, several times SwedishSwedish bandy championsSwedish bandy champions is a title held by the winners of the final of the highest Swedish bandy league played each year, Elitserien. The final is played in March. From the 2007-2008 season, Saturday replaced Sunday as the final date, but was changed back in 2010...
and world championBandy World ChampionshipsThe Bandy World Championships are a competition between bandy-playing nations. The tournament is administrated by the Federation of International Bandy....
, is originally from EdsbynEdsbynEdsbyn is a locality and the seat of Ovanåker Municipality, Gävleborg County, Sweden with 4,060 inhabitants in 2005.Edsbyn is most famous for their ski manufacturing industry, and the sports club Edsbyns IF.-Climate:...
. - Tomas BrolinTomas BrolinPer Tomas Brolin is a Swedish former professional football player who had a successful period with A.C. Parma during the early nineties winning the 1992 Coppa Italia, the 1993 Cup Winners' Cup, the 1993 UEFA Super Cup and the 1995 UEFA Cup.Brolin also played for the Swedish national team,...
former football player. Player in World Cup All Star Team 1994. Born in Hudiksvall.
Subdivisions
Hälsingland was historically divided in districts.- Arbrå Court District
- Bergsjö Court District
- Delsbo Court District
- Enånger Court District
- Forsa Court District
- Hälsingland South-Eastern Court District
- Hälsingland South-Western Court District
- Järvsö Court District
- Ljusdal Court District