Sømna
Encyclopedia
Sømna is a municipality in Nordland
county
, Norway
. It is part of the Helgeland
traditional region
. The administrative center of Sømna is the village of Vik i Helgeland
. Other villages in the municipality include Dalbotn, Sund, Vennesund, and Berg
.
The oldest boat remains ever found in Norway (Haugvikbåten - 2,500 years old) was discovered in a bog
in Sømna.
Sømna has some of the best agriculture
in the region. Dairy and beef cows as well as grains are produced in Sømna. There is also a dairy in Berg that produces milk and cheese.
. The initial population of Vik was 2,731. In 1941 the municipality was renamed Sømna. On 1 January 1964, Sømna was merged together with Brønnøysund
, Velfjord
, Brønnøy
, and part of northern Bindal
. Prior to the merger Sømna had 2,347 residents.
This merger was short-lived because on 1 January 1977, all of the old Sømna municipality (except the Hongsetbygda area) was removed from Brønnøy to become a separate municipality once again. There were 2,107 residents in the newly recreated Sømna municipality.
form of the name was probably Søfn. The meaning of the name is unknown, but it is possibly derived from sveifa which means "wind" or "wave" or it could be derived from svefja meaning a "quiet sleep".
is from modern times; they were granted on 14 June 1991. The arms show three combined silver leaves of clover
(trefoil
s) on a red background. The arms symbolize agriculture
, culture
, and prosperity
combined.
has one parish (sokn) within the municipality of Sømna. It is part of the Sør-Helgeland deanery
in the Diocese of Sør-Hålogaland
.
to the north by land and Bindal
to the south and east by sea, across the Bindalsfjorden
.
Sømna consists mainly of a wide Strandflaten lowland (coastal brim), and is one of few municipalities in Northern Norway where the farmers still grow some grain
.
Nordland
is a county in Norway in the North Norway region, bordering Troms in the north, Nord-Trøndelag in the south, Norrbottens län in Sweden to the east, Västerbottens län to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. The county was formerly known as Nordlandene amt. The county administration is...
county
Counties of Norway
Norway is divided into 19 administrative regions, called counties . The counties form the primary first-level subdivisions of Norway and are further divided into 430 municipalities...
, 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 is part of the Helgeland
Helgeland
Helgeland is the most southerly district in Northern Norway. Generally speaking, Helgeland refers to the part of Nordland county that is located south of the Arctic Circle. The district covers an area of about , with nearly 79,000 inhabitants...
traditional region
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,...
. The administrative center of Sømna is the village of Vik i Helgeland
Vik, Sømna
Vik is a village and the administrative centre of the municipality of Sømna in Nordland county, Norway. It lies about south of the village of Berg. The local church, Sømna Church, was built here in 1876. The village has a population of 364. The population density is ....
. Other villages in the municipality include Dalbotn, Sund, Vennesund, and Berg
Berg, Nordland
Berg is a village in the municipality of Sømna in Nordland county, Norway. The village lies about north of Vik, just south of the municipal border with Brønnøy. The village of Trælnes lies just north of Berg . The village has a population of 505, including the 22 people in the area just over...
.
The oldest boat remains ever found in Norway (Haugvikbåten - 2,500 years old) was discovered in a bog
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....
in Sømna.
Sømna has some of the best agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
in the region. Dairy and beef cows as well as grains are produced in Sømna. There is also a dairy in Berg that produces milk and cheese.
General information
The municipality of Vik was established on 1 January 1901 when it was separated from the large municipality of BrønnøyBrønnøy
Brønnøy is a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the Helgeland region. The administrative and commercial centre is the town of Brønnøysund. A secondary centre is the village of Hommelstø. Other villages include Tosbotn, Lande, Trælnes, and Indreskomo.The Brønnøysund Register...
. The initial population of Vik was 2,731. In 1941 the municipality was renamed Sømna. On 1 January 1964, Sømna was merged together with Brønnøysund
Brønnøysund
is a town and the administrative centre of the municipality of Brønnøy, Norway. It is also a former municipality in Nordland county. The village of Brønnøysund received town status in 2000. The city lies along the coast and is often called "the coastal town in the middle of Norway." Brønnøysund...
, Velfjord
Velfjord
Velfjord is a former municipality in Nordland county, Norway. Velfjord is located in the present-day municipality of Brønnøy. The administrative centre was the village of Hommelstø. The municipality surrounded the large fjord, Velfjorden, after which the municipality is named...
, Brønnøy
Brønnøy
Brønnøy is a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the Helgeland region. The administrative and commercial centre is the town of Brønnøysund. A secondary centre is the village of Hommelstø. Other villages include Tosbotn, Lande, Trælnes, and Indreskomo.The Brønnøysund Register...
, and part of northern Bindal
Bindal
Bindal is a municipality in the Helgeland region in the extreme southwest part of Nordland county, Norway. The administrative centre is the village of Terråk...
. Prior to the merger Sømna had 2,347 residents.
This merger was short-lived because on 1 January 1977, all of the old Sømna municipality (except the Hongsetbygda area) was removed from Brønnøy to become a separate municipality once again. There were 2,107 residents in the newly recreated Sømna municipality.
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 probably Søfn. The meaning of the name is unknown, but it is possibly derived from sveifa which means "wind" or "wave" or it could be derived from svefja meaning a "quiet sleep".
Coat-of-arms
The coat-of-armsCoat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
is from modern times; they were granted on 14 June 1991. The arms show three combined silver leaves of clover
Clover
Clover , or trefoil, is a genus of about 300 species of plants in the leguminous pea family Fabaceae. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution; the highest diversity is found in the temperate Northern Hemisphere, but many species also occur in South America and Africa, including at high altitudes...
(trefoil
Trefoil
Trefoil is a graphic form composed of the outline of three overlapping rings used in architecture and Christian symbolism...
s) on a red background. The arms symbolize agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
, culture
Culture
Culture is a term that has many different inter-related meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions...
, and prosperity
Wealth
Wealth is the abundance of valuable resources or material possessions. The word wealth is derived from the old English wela, which is from an Indo-European word stem...
combined.
Churches
The Church of NorwayChurch of Norway
The Church of Norway is the state church of Norway, established after the Lutheran reformation in Denmark-Norway in 1536-1537 broke the ties to the Holy See. The church confesses the Lutheran Christian faith...
has one parish (sokn) within the municipality of Sømna. It is part of the Sør-Helgeland deanery
Deanery
A Deanery is an ecclesiastical entity in both the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England. A deanery is either the jurisdiction or residence of a Dean.- Catholic usage :...
in the Diocese of Sør-Hålogaland
Diocese of Sør-Hålogaland
Sør-Hålogaland is a diocese in the Church of Norway. The Diocese covers the Lutheran Church of Norway churches located within Nordland county in Norway...
.
| Parish (Sokn) | Church Name | Location of the Church | Year Built |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sømna | Sømna Church Sømna Church Sømna Church is a parish church in the municipality of Sømna in Nordland county, Norway. It is located in the village of Vik i Helgeland. The church is part of the Sømna parish in the Sør-Helgeland deanery in the Diocese of Sør-Hålogaland. The white wooden church building was built in 1876. ... |
Vik i Helgeland Vik, Sømna Vik is a village and the administrative centre of the municipality of Sømna in Nordland county, Norway. It lies about south of the village of Berg. The local church, Sømna Church, was built here in 1876. The village has a population of 364. The population density is .... |
1876 |
Geography
The municipality of Sømna is mostly made up of the southern part of a peninsula off the mainland of Norway and the surrounding islands. It borders BrønnøyBrønnøy
Brønnøy is a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the Helgeland region. The administrative and commercial centre is the town of Brønnøysund. A secondary centre is the village of Hommelstø. Other villages include Tosbotn, Lande, Trælnes, and Indreskomo.The Brønnøysund Register...
to the north by land and Bindal
Bindal
Bindal is a municipality in the Helgeland region in the extreme southwest part of Nordland county, Norway. The administrative centre is the village of Terråk...
to the south and east by sea, across the Bindalsfjorden
Bindalsfjorden
Bindalsfjorden is a fjord in the southern part of Nordland county, Norway. The fjord is mostly located in the municipality of Bindal with a small part in neighboring Sømna municipality. The long fjord begins near the villages of Terråk and Vassås where the Sørfjorden and Tosenfjorden join together...
.
Sømna consists mainly of a wide Strandflaten lowland (coastal brim), and is one of few municipalities in Northern Norway where the farmers still grow some grain
GRAIN
GRAIN is a small international non-profit organisation that works to support small farmers and social movements in their struggles for community-controlled and biodiversity-based food systems. Our support takes the form of independent research and analysis, networking at local, regional and...
.
External links
- Municipal fact sheet from Statistics NorwayStatistics NorwayStatistics Norway is the Norwegian statistics bureau. It was established in 1876.Relying on a staff of about 1,000, Statistics Norway publish about 1,000 new statistical releases every year on its web site. All releases are published both in Norwegian and English...
- Sømna kommune