Närke
Encyclopedia
is a Swedish traditional province
, or landskap, situated in Svealand
in south central Sweden
. It is bordered by Västmanland
to the north, Södermanland
to the east, Östergötland
to the southeast, Västergötland
to the southwest, and Värmland
to the northwest. Närke has a surface area of 4,126 km² and a total population of 195,414.
where the church of Norrbyås (Nerboahs 1275) is situated. What the rest of the name means is not clear. In English sometimes also Nerike (an archaic spelling of the province) and Nericia (the Latin name) is used for the province.
serve no administrative or political purposes, but are historical and cultural entities. In the case of Närke, the province makes up the southern part of Örebro County
.
The oldest city in Närke was Örebro
, receiving its privileges around 1200. After that, Askersund
was chartered in 1643 and Kumla
in 1942. City status in Sweden
was discontinued as of 1971, so these are historical titles.
in battle, and Sporsnjall was burnt to death by Ingjald
Ill-ruler together with five other petty kings.
Närke was renowned for its warlike peasants and when coat-of-arms for the province was granted for the funeral of Gustav Vasa
in 1560 two crossbow darts was the central symbol - the crossbow being the favourite weapon of the peasants.
In Närke there are also a number of medieval castles. The most important and best preserved one is located in Tarsta at Sköllersta.
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, situated in Svealand
Svealand
Svealand , Swealand or Sweden proper is the historical core region of Sweden. It is located in south central Sweden and is one of three lands of Sweden, bounded to the north by Norrland and to the south by Götaland. Deep forests, Tiveden, Tylöskog, Kolmården, separated Svealand from Götaland...
in south 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 is bordered by Västmanland
Västmanland
' is a historical Swedish province, or landskap, in middle Sweden. It borders Södermanland, Närke, Värmland, Dalarna and Uppland.The name comes from "West men", referring to the people west of Uppland, the core province of early Sweden.- Administration :...
to the north, Södermanland
Södermanland
', sometimes referred to under its Latin form Sudermannia or Sudermania, is a historical province or landskap on the south eastern coast of Sweden. It borders Östergötland, Närke, Västmanland and Uppland. It is also bounded by lake Mälaren and the Baltic sea.In Swedish, the province name is...
to the east, Östergötland
Östergötland
Östergötland, English exonym: East Gothland, is one of the traditional provinces of Sweden in the south of Sweden. It borders Småland, Västergötland, Närke, Södermanland, and the Baltic Sea. In older English literature, one might also encounter the Latinized version, Ostrogothia...
to the southeast, Västergötland
Västergötland
', English exonym: West Gothland, is one of the 25 traditional non-administrative provinces of Sweden , situated in the southwest of Sweden. In older English literature one may also encounter the Latinized version Westrogothia....
to the southwest, and Värmland
Värmland
' is a historical province or landskap in the west of middle Sweden. It borders Västergötland, Dalsland, Dalarna, Västmanland and Närke. It is also bounded by Norway in the west. Latin name versions are Vermelandia and Wermelandia. Although the province's land originally was Götaland, the...
to the northwest. Närke has a surface area of 4,126 km² and a total population of 195,414.
Name
The name of the province (Neeric 1165-81) comes from an old word när (narrow) which refers to the narrow ridgeRidge
A ridge is a geological feature consisting of a chain of mountains or hills that form a continuous elevated crest for some distance. Ridges are usually termed hills or mountains as well, depending on size. There are several main types of ridges:...
where the church of Norrbyås (Nerboahs 1275) is situated. What the rest of the name means is not clear. In English sometimes also Nerike (an archaic spelling of the province) and Nericia (the Latin name) is used for the province.
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 Närke, the province makes up the southern part of Örebro County
Örebro County
Örebro County is a county or län in central Sweden. It borders the counties of Västra Götaland, Värmland, Dalarna, Västmanland, Södermanland and Östergötland.- Province :...
.
Heraldry
Arms granted in 1560, and revised a decade or so later with the current one. The arms is represented with a ducal coronet. At the centre there are two crossbow darts was - the crossbow being the favourite weapon of the peasants. Blazon: "Gules between four Roses Argent two Arrows in saltire Or points upward pointed Argent." The Närke arms is one of the components of the coat of arms for Örebro County, granted in 1944.Geography
- Highest mountain: KilsbergenKilsbergenKilsbergen is a low mountainous ridge that separates Närke from Värmland. It is the southernmost extension of the taiga in Scandinavia and shows a flora and fauna that are unusual for the latitude. There are several skiing and hiking facilities in Kilsbergen. Kilsbergen is especially known for its...
- Largest lake: VätternVätternVättern is the second largest lake in Sweden, after Lake Vänern and the sixth largest lake in Europe. It is a long, finger-shaped body of fresh water in south central Sweden to the southeast of Vänern pointing at the tip of Scandinavia....
- National parks: GarphyttanGarphyttanGarphyttan is a locality situated in Örebro Municipality, Örebro County, Sweden with 1,557 inhabitants in 2005. It lies 16 km northwest of Örebro, near Garphyttan National Park....
The oldest city in Närke was Örebro
Örebro
-Sites of interest:Örebro's old town Wadköping is located on the banks of Svartån . It contains many 18th and 19th century wooden houses, along with museums and exhibitions....
, receiving its privileges around 1200. After that, Askersund
Askersund
Askersund is a locality and the seat of Askersund Municipality, Örebro County, Sweden with 3,937 inhabitants in 2005.- Geography :The city is located in the northern bay of Lake Vättern....
was chartered in 1643 and Kumla
Kumla
Kumla is a locality and the seat of Kumla Municipality, Örebro County, Sweden with 20 456 inhabitants in 2010.-History:Traditionally Kumla was known as a shoemaker town with a history back to the first half of the 19th century....
in 1942. 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 discontinued as of 1971, so these are historical titles.
History
Norse mythology mentions three kings of Närke, Nidud, Olof the Sharp-sighted and Sporsnjall. Nidud was a villainous king in the lay of Wayland the smith, Olaf aided the Norwegian king VikarVíkar
Víkar was a legendary Norwegian king who found himself and his ships becalmed for a long period. To raise a wind, a human blood sacrifice was needed, and the lots fell on King Víkar himself...
in battle, and Sporsnjall was burnt to death by Ingjald
Ingjald
Ingjald illråde or Ingjaldr hinn illráði was a legendary Swedish king of the House of Ynglings. Ingjald may have ruled in the 7th century, and he was the son of the former king Anund....
Ill-ruler together with five other petty kings.
- The exiled Norwegian King Olaf the Holy, stayed in Närke for some time, 1028–1029, with Sigtrygg, before departing for Russia and its ruler Yaroslav I the WiseYaroslav I the WiseYaroslav I, Grand Prince of Rus, known as Yaroslav the Wise Yaroslav I, Grand Prince of Rus, known as Yaroslav the Wise Yaroslav I, Grand Prince of Rus, known as Yaroslav the Wise (Old Norse: Jarizleifr; ; Old East Slavic and Russian: Ярослав Мудрый; Ukrainian: Ярослав Мудрий; c...
. Olaf may have initiated the Christianization of the province (see also Culture of NärkeCulture of NärkeNärke, is a province in Central Sweden, which historically formed part of Svealand. The name of the province is partly derived from an old name for the people of the province, the Njarar or Nerikjar...
). - In the year 1170, Närke was incorporated into the diocese of SträngnäsSträngnäsSträngnäs is a locality and the seat of Strängnäs Municipality, Södermanland County, Sweden with 12,296 inhabitants in 2005. It is located by Lake Mälaren and is the episcopal see of the Diocese of Strängnäs, a former Roman Catholic and present Lutheran Diocese, with the Strängnäs Cathedral, built...
. - In around 1200 A.D., the CastleÖrebro CastleÖrebro Castle is a medieval castle fortification in Örebro, Närke, Sweden. It was expanded during the reign of the royal family Vasa and finally rebuilt about 1900. The castle lies on an island in river Svartån...
of ÖrebroÖrebro-Sites of interest:Örebro's old town Wadköping is located on the banks of Svartån . It contains many 18th and 19th century wooden houses, along with museums and exhibitions....
was built to protect the bridge crossing the ford (öre means "sand bank" and bro means "bridge"), as well as the borough on the south side of the bridge. It was to withstand many sieges, and acquired a reputation for being impregnable. - In 1316 the future Saint Birgitta of Sweden was married to Ulf Gudmarson, lord of Närke, to whom she bore eight children, one of whom was afterwards honoured as St Catherine of Sweden.
- In 1435, Engelbrekt EngelbrektssonEngelbrekt EngelbrektssonEngelbrekt Engelbrektsson was a Swedish rebel leader and later statesman. He was the leader of the Engelbrekt rebellion in 1434 against Eric of Pomerania, king of the Kalmar Union.-Biography:...
, the leader of a popular uprising against the Danish bailiiffs (fogdar), was given the castle of Örebro as a fief. In the following year he was assassinated. - From 1525 to 1554, it was a fiefdom belonging to Lars Siggesson Sparre. Later in belonged to Duke CharlesCharles IX of SwedenCharles IX of Sweden also Carl, was King of Sweden from 1604 until his death. He was the youngest son of King Gustav I of Sweden and his second wife, Margaret Leijonhufvud, brother of Eric XIV and John III of Sweden, and uncle of Sigismund III Vasa king of both Sweden and Poland...
from 1560 to 1598 and to his son Duke Charles Philip from 1611 to 1622. - During the 16th and 17th centuries iron bars were manufactured in the territory, which was under a number of fiefs. As the farming activities yielded very little, the iron manufacture became even more attractive to the farmers, as well as trade with oxen. The oxen were sold in BergslagenBergslagenBergslagen is a historically, culturally, and linguistically distinct mining district located north of Lake Mälaren in northern Svealand, Sweden. In Bergslagen mining and metallurgic industry have been important since the Middle Ages...
as well as DalarnaDalarna', 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....
, where the skin of the oxen were important items in the mines. - 1810 It was decided in Örebro castle that Jean Baptiste Bernadotte (Karl XIV Johan) should be the next king of Sweden
- The surplus of oxen was also one of the reasons why the shoe-making business took shape and became a most important industry in Närke up until the middle of the 20th century.
Närke was renowned for its warlike peasants and when coat-of-arms for the province was granted for the funeral of Gustav Vasa
Gustav I of Sweden
Gustav I of Sweden, born Gustav Eriksson of the Vasa noble family and later known simply as Gustav Vasa , was King of Sweden from 1523 until his death....
in 1560 two crossbow darts was the central symbol - the crossbow being the favourite weapon of the peasants.
In Närke there are also a number of medieval castles. The most important and best preserved one is located in Tarsta at Sköllersta.
Dukes of Närke
Since 1772, Swedish Princes have been created Dukes of various provinces. This is solely a nominal title.- Prince EugénPrince Eugén, Duke of NärkePrince Eugen Napoleon Nicolaus of Sweden and Norway, Duke of Närke was the youngest son of King Oscar II of Sweden and Norway....
(1865–1947)
Historical subdivisions
The old subdivisions of provinces were the Hundreds of Sweden. In Närke, the hundreds were:- Asker Hundred
- Edsberg Hundred
- Glanshammar HundredGlanshammar HundredGlanshammar is a locality situated in Örebro Municipality, Örebro County, Sweden with 724 inhabitants in 2005.Glanshammar Hundred, or Glanshammars härad, was a hundred of Närke in Sweden....
- Grimsten Hundred
- Hardemo Hundred
- Kumla Hundred
- Noraskoga Mountain District (transferred to VästmanlandVästmanland' is a historical Swedish province, or landskap, in middle Sweden. It borders Södermanland, Närke, Värmland, Dalarna and Uppland.The name comes from "West men", referring to the people west of Uppland, the core province of early Sweden.- Administration :...
in 1617) - Skyllersta Hundred
- Sundbo Hundred
- Örebro Hundred