Solør
Encyclopedia
Solør is a Norwegian
traditional district
consisting of the valley between Elverum
in the north and Kongsvinger
in the south. It is part of the county
of Hedmark
, and includes the municipalities Våler
, Åsnes
and Grue
.
(Glåmdalen) is a designation for the valley formed by the river Glåma (also called the Glomma), which is the longest and largest river in Norway. From Lake Aursund
in the north on south to Elverum
, the valley is called the Østerdalen
. From that point south until Kongsvinger
, it is referred to as Solør. As in turns westerly from Kongsvinger until Nes
, it is called the Odalen
. These designations are also traditional districts, reflecting the designations locals used for their valleys.
form of the name was Soløyjar. The first element is probably sol n 'mud
, mire
', the last element is the plural
of øy f 'flat land along a river'.
, before Harald Fairhair, Solør was a petty kingdom
. In the 17th century the forest east of Glomma became known as Finnskogen
("the forest of the Finns"). This named refers to Finnish refugees from Sweden who had been encouraged to settle in the adjacent province of Värmland
but were later evicted and fled across the border into Hedmark.
Kings of Soløyjar (Solør):
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...
traditional district
Districts of Norway
The country Norway is historically divided into a number of districts. Many districts have deep historical roots, and only partially coincide with today's administrative units of counties and municipalities. The districts are defined by geographical features, often valleys, mountain ranges, fjords,...
consisting of the valley between Elverum
Elverum
is a town and municipality in Hedmark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Østerdalen. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Elverum...
in the north and Kongsvinger
Kongsvinger
is a town and is a municipality in Hedmark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Glåmdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Kongsvinger....
in the south. It is part of the county
County
A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain...
of Hedmark
Hedmark
is a county in Norway, bordering Sør-Trøndelag, Oppland and Akershus. The county administration is in Hamar.Hedmark makes up the northeastern part of Østlandet, the southeastern part of the country. It includes a long part of the borderline with Sweden, Dalarna County and Värmland County. The...
, and includes the municipalities Våler
Våler, Hedmark
Våler is a municipality in Hedmark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Solør. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Våler i Hedmark.-Name:...
, Åsnes
Åsnes
Åsnes is a municipality in Hedmark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Solør. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Flisa, which is also the largest town in the municipality with around 2,100 people.-Name:...
and Grue
Grue, Norway
Grue is a municipality in Hedmark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Solør. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Kirkenær ....
.
Glomma valley
GlommadalGlommadal
Glommadal is a valley in Norway formed by the river Glomma . Glåmdalen is also a newer designation for the traditional district around the river Glomma, especially Odalen, Solør and in a wider sense the name is used also by Østerdalen.-Geography:From Lake Aursund in the north on south to Elverum,...
(Glåmdalen) is a designation for the valley formed by the river Glåma (also called the Glomma), which is the longest and largest river in Norway. From Lake Aursund
Aursund
Aursunden is a lake in the municipality of Røros in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. The village of Brekken lies along the eastern shore and Glåmos lies along the western shore....
in the north on south to Elverum
Elverum
is a town and municipality in Hedmark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Østerdalen. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Elverum...
, the valley is called the Østerdalen
Østerdalen
Østerdalen is a valley and traditional district in Hedmark County, in Eastern Norway. It consisting of the municipalities Rendalen, Alvdal, Folldal,Tynset, Tolga and Os in the north, Elverum, Stor-Elvdal, Engerdal, Trysil and Åmot in the south.-Geography:...
. From that point south until Kongsvinger
Kongsvinger
is a town and is a municipality in Hedmark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Glåmdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Kongsvinger....
, it is referred to as Solør. As in turns westerly from Kongsvinger until Nes
Nes, Akershus
Nes is a municipality in Akershus county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Romerike. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Årnes.-Name:...
, it is called the Odalen
Odal, Norway
Odal is a valley in the county of Hedmark in eastern Norway, encompassing the communities around lake Storsjø in the north, with the river Glåma in the south. It is part of the traditional region of Odalen. The district is currently divided between the two municipalities of Sør-Odal and...
. These designations are also traditional districts, reflecting the designations locals used for their valleys.
The name
The Old NorseOld 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....
form of the name was Soløyjar. The first element is probably sol n 'mud
Mud
Mud is a mixture of water and some combination of soil, silt, and clay. Ancient mud deposits harden over geological time to form sedimentary rock such as shale or mudstone . When geological deposits of mud are formed in estuaries the resultant layers are termed bay muds...
, mire
Bog
A bog, quagmire or mire is a wetland that accumulates acidic peat, a deposit of dead plant material—often mosses or, in Arctic climates, lichens....
', the last element is the plural
Plural
In linguistics, plurality or [a] plural is a concept of quantity representing a value of more-than-one. Typically applied to nouns, a plural word or marker is used to distinguish a value other than the default quantity of a noun, which is typically one...
of øy f 'flat land along a river'.
Geography
Solør is a rural area, and consists mainly of farming land and forest. In fact, Solør is the no. 1 potato producing area in Norway. Forestry is also important for the area, and "Forestia", a major chip-board factory, is situated in Våler, playing an important role in the local society, especially by providing jobs for a large proportion of the local inhabitants.History
In the early Viking AgeViking Age
Viking Age is the term for the period in European history, especially Northern European and Scandinavian history, spanning the late 8th to 11th centuries. Scandinavian Vikings explored Europe by its oceans and rivers through trade and warfare. The Vikings also reached Iceland, Greenland,...
, before Harald Fairhair, Solør was a petty kingdom
Petty kingdom
A petty kingdom is one of a number of small kingdoms, described as minor or "petty" by contrast to an empire or unified kingdom that either preceded or succeeded it...
. In the 17th century the forest east of Glomma became known as Finnskogen
Finnskogen
Finnskogen is an area of Norway situated in the county of Hedmark, named so because of immigration of Finnish people in the 17th century, the so-called Skogfinner/"Forest Finns"....
("the forest of the Finns"). This named refers to Finnish refugees from Sweden who had been encouraged to settle in the adjacent province of 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...
but were later evicted and fled across the border into Hedmark.
Kings of Soløyjar (Solør):
- Halfdan HvitbeinnHalfdan HvitbeinnHalfdan Whiteshanks was a mythical petty king in Norway, described in the Ynglinga saga. The following description is based on the account in Ynglinga saga, written in the 1220s by Snorri Sturluson. The historicity of the kings described in that saga is generally not accepted by modern...