Offerdal
Encyclopedia
Offerdal is a parish and former municipality (pop. 2,100) in Krokom Municipality
, Jämtland
in the middle of Sweden
. The seat of the former municipality Offerdal, Änge
, is situated 50 kilometres northwest of Östersund
, the capital of Jämtland.
Offerdal is a highland region with the highest peak being Makkene, a peak in the Oldfjällen mountain range with an altitude of 1 266 meters above sea level.
The south of Offerdal is a genuine agricultural area with a long history. In today’s Offerdal, farming is less important, but is still an important part of the local culture.
The Sami people
live in the mountain area in the north of Offerdal, in the villages Jänsmässholmen, Frankrike and Olden. The Sami in Offerdal are Southern Sami
people and speak Southern Sami.
in Offerdal (Offerdalsspetsen). Petroglyphs in Gärde
in the north of Offerdal were made approximately 7 000 years ago. These carvings consist primely of moose.
Offerdal and other parts of Jämtland were Christianized in the middle of the 11th century. The church of Offerdal was built in the 12th century in Ede in central Offerdal. During the Norwegian
time (1178-1645), Offerdal was one of the biggest municipalities in Jämtland. In 1645 Sweden received Offerdal as a part of the Treaty of Brömsebro.
The etymology of the name Offerdal is Old Norse
Áflóadalr which roughly translates to 'the valley of the river running through the bog' (á = 'river, flói = 'bog', dalr = 'valley').
Because Jamtlandic
l in a post-f position is pronounced as a retroflex r, the false etymological
"Offerdal" with offer = '(ritual) sacrifice' was introduced in documents when referring to the area.
Krokom Municipality
Krokom Municipality is a municipality in Jämtland County in northern Sweden. Its seat is located in Krokom.The present municipality was formed in 1974, when the former municipalities of Alsen, Föllinge, Offerdal and Rödön were amalgamated...
, Jämtland
Jämtland
Jämtland or Jamtland is a historical province or landskap in the center of Sweden in northern Europe. It borders to Härjedalen and Medelpad in the south, Ångermanland in the east, Lapland in the north and Trøndelag and Norway in the west...
in the middle of 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....
. The seat of the former municipality Offerdal, Änge
Änge
Änge is a locality situated in Krokom Municipality, Jämtland County, Sweden with 387 inhabitants in 2005. It is situated 50 kilometres northwest of Östersund, the capital of Jämtland. Änge was until 1974 the seat of the former municipality Offerdal.- References :...
, is situated 50 kilometres northwest of Östersund
Östersund
Östersund is an urban area in Jämtland in the middle of Sweden. It is the seat of Östersund Municipality and the capital of Jämtland County. Östersund is located at the shores of Sweden's fifth largest lake, Storsjön, opposite the island Frösön, and is the only city in Jämtland. Östersund is the...
, the capital of Jämtland.
Geography and culture
The south of Offerdal is a genuine agricultural area with a long history. In today’s Offerdal, farming is less important, but is still an important part of the local culture.
The Sami people
Sami people
The Sami people, also spelled Sámi, or Saami, are the arctic indigenous people inhabiting Sápmi, which today encompasses parts of far northern Sweden, Norway, Finland, the Kola Peninsula of Russia, and the border area between south and middle Sweden and Norway. The Sámi are Europe’s northernmost...
live in the mountain area in the north of Offerdal, in the villages Jänsmässholmen, Frankrike and Olden. The Sami in Offerdal are Southern Sami
Southern Sami
Southern Sami is the southwestern-most of the Sami languages. It is a seriously endangered language; the last strongholds of this language are the municipalities of Snåsa and Hattfjelldal in Norway...
people and speak Southern Sami.
History
Jämtland has over 20 000 documented ancient monuments, the oldest one being an 8 000 year old arrowhead found in 1881 nearby KaxåsKaxås
Kaxås is a locality in the historical province Jämtland in the middle of Sweden. Kaxås is situated in Offerdal in Krokom Municipality, 60 kilometres northwest of Östersund, the capital of Jämtland....
in Offerdal (Offerdalsspetsen). Petroglyphs in Gärde
Gärde
Gärde is a locality in the north of Offerdal in the historical province Jämtland in the middle of Sweden. Gärde is situated in Krokom Municipality, 70 kilometres northwest of Östersund, the capital of Jämtland. Gärde is a traditional village in a genuine agricultural area with a long history...
in the north of Offerdal were made approximately 7 000 years ago. These carvings consist primely of moose.
Offerdal and other parts of Jämtland were Christianized in the middle of the 11th century. The church of Offerdal was built in the 12th century in Ede in central Offerdal. During the Norwegian
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...
time (1178-1645), Offerdal was one of the biggest municipalities in Jämtland. In 1645 Sweden received Offerdal as a part of the Treaty of Brömsebro.
The etymology of the name Offerdal is 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....
Áflóadalr which roughly translates to 'the valley of the river running through the bog' (á = 'river, flói = 'bog', dalr = 'valley').
Because Jamtlandic
Jamtlandic
Jamtlandic or Jamtish is a well-defined group of dialects of Scandinavia. It is spoken in the [Swedish] province of Jämtland...
l in a post-f position is pronounced as a retroflex r, the false etymological
False etymology
Folk etymology is change in a word or phrase over time resulting from the replacement of an unfamiliar form by a more familiar one. Unanalyzable borrowings from foreign languages, like asparagus, or old compounds such as samblind which have lost their iconic motivation are...
"Offerdal" with offer = '(ritual) sacrifice' was introduced in documents when referring to the area.
Localities
- ÄngeÄngeÄnge is a locality situated in Krokom Municipality, Jämtland County, Sweden with 387 inhabitants in 2005. It is situated 50 kilometres northwest of Östersund, the capital of Jämtland. Änge was until 1974 the seat of the former municipality Offerdal.- References :...
- KaxåsKaxåsKaxås is a locality in the historical province Jämtland in the middle of Sweden. Kaxås is situated in Offerdal in Krokom Municipality, 60 kilometres northwest of Östersund, the capital of Jämtland....
- Ede
- Tulleråsen
- RönnöforsRönnöforsRönnöfors is a locality in the historical province Jämtland in the middle of Sweden. Rönnöfors is situated in Krokom Municipality, 80 kilometres northwest of Östersund, the capital of Jämtland....
- Jänsmässholmen
- Olden
- LandönLandon-Given name:* Alfred Felix Landon Beeston* Charles Landon Knight* James Landon Knight* Landon * Landon Carter* Landon Carter Haynes, Sr.* Landon Cassill* Landon Cohen* Landon Curt Noll* Landon Donovan* Landon Garland* Landon Gilkey...
- Kälom
- Åflo
Notable people
- Göran Boström, Swedish artist from Änge, Offerdal
- Carl-Göran Ekerwald, Swedish author from Änge, Offerdal
- Lapp-NilsLapp-NilsLapp-Nils was a Swedish and Sami musician living in Offerdal, Jämtland, Sweden. He was a violinist and composer of Swedish folk music .-External links:*] and Göran Andersson ]**...
, violinist and composer of Swedish folk music - Dan OlofssonDan OlofssonDan Olofsson, born 1950, is a Swedish entrepreneur and philanthropist, living in the southern city of Malmö, Sweden. After studying at Lund University for an M.Sc. degree in engineering in 1974, Mr. Olofsson began working in different technology consultancy companies including VBB and Skandiaconsult...
, Swedish entrepreneur and philanthropist from Kaxås in Offerdal - Torkel PerssonTorkel PerssonTorkel Persson was a Swedish cross country skier from Offerdal in Jämtland who competed in the 1924 Winter Olympics....
, cross country skier from Frankrike in Offerdal