Selja, Selje
Encyclopedia
Selja is a small island in the municipality of Selje
in Sogn og Fjordane
county, Norway
. It has been formerly known as Sellø or Selø. The island is located in the Sildagapet bay, just 1 kilometre (0.621372736649807 mi) west of Selje
harbor.
The island is mainly known for its connection to Saint Sunniva
, who, according to legend, landed and died there in the late 10th century. Today, the ruins of a monastery
named "Sankta Sunniva kloster" (Selje Abbey
) is the only notable feature on the island. The cave of Saint Sunniva and the ruins of an early (and very small) cathedral are also located on the island. The cathedral is the predecessor of the Ancient Diocese of Bergen
.
The painter Bernt Tunold
grew up on the island, where his parents had established a farm on the church grounds.
Selje
Selje is a municipality in the county of Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Nordfjord. The village of Selje is the administrative center of Selje municipality...
in Sogn og Fjordane
Sogn og Fjordane
is a county in Norway, bordering Møre og Romsdal, Oppland, Buskerud, and Hordaland. The county administration is in the town of Hermansverk in Leikanger municipality while the largest town is Førde....
county, 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 has been formerly known as Sellø or Selø. The island is located in the Sildagapet bay, just 1 kilometre (0.621372736649807 mi) west of Selje
Selje
Selje is a municipality in the county of Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Nordfjord. The village of Selje is the administrative center of Selje municipality...
harbor.
The island is mainly known for its connection to Saint Sunniva
Sunniva
Saint Sunniva is the patron saint of the Norwegian Diocese of Bjørgvin, as well as all of Western Norway.According to legend, Sunniva was the heir of an Irish kingdom, but had to flee when a heathen king, who wanted to marry her, invaded. At the Norwegian island of Selja, in the present-day...
, who, according to legend, landed and died there in the late 10th century. Today, the ruins of a monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
named "Sankta Sunniva kloster" (Selje Abbey
Selje Abbey
Selje Abbey was a Benedictine monastery located on the island of Selja, formerly known as Selø, in the municipality of Selje, Sogn og Fjordane, Norway.-History:...
) is the only notable feature on the island. The cave of Saint Sunniva and the ruins of an early (and very small) cathedral are also located on the island. The cathedral is the predecessor of the Ancient Diocese of Bergen
Ancient Diocese of Bergen
The Catholic Diocese of Bergen in Norway existed from the eleventh century to the Protestant Reformation , and included the counties of Hordaland and Sogn og Fjordane ....
.
The painter Bernt Tunold
Bernt Tunold
Bernt Tunold was a Norwegian painter. Influenced by his early years in a rural environment on the small island of Selja on the west coast of Norway, his paintings, initially inspired by the style of his countryman Nikolai Astrup, are known for their depictions of the dramatic and contrast-filled...
grew up on the island, where his parents had established a farm on the church grounds.