Ullensvang
Encyclopedia
Ullensvang is a municipality
in the county
of Hordaland
, Norway
. It is located in the traditional district
of Hardanger
. The administrative centre is the village of Kinsarvik
.
The number of inhabitants has shown a decrease of some 500 between 1980 and 2004. This development can be seen in light of the general depopulation of rural Norway
. The major part of Ullensvang is located near the Hardangervidda
national park, Europe's biggest mountain plateau (highest point, Haarteigen, 1,690 meters above sea level). The general population, however, is confined to the narrow mountainsides and valley
s along the Hardangerfjord
especially in the rural centers of Kinsarvik
(administrative center) and Lofthus.
Ullinsvangr), since the first church was built there. The first element is the genitive case
of the name of the Norse god Ullin (sideform of Ullr
). The last element is vangr which means "field
" or "meadow
".
was granted on 8 November 1979. The arms are derived from the arms of nobleman
from the area, Sigurd Brynjulvsson Galte, and they can be seen on his gravestone dating back to 1302 at the local church. As it is the oldest gravestone
in the church, the arms were well known in the village, hence the choice for the arms of this knight
as municipal arms.
parish, but in 1869 Ullensvang became the main parish and Kinsarvik became an annex to Ullensvang. At this time the municipality changed its name to Ullensvang.
Kinsarvik and Odda
were separated from Ullensvang as municipalities of their own on 1 July 1913. Most of Kinsarvik was merged back into Ullensvang on 1 January 1964. Eidfjord
was merged with Ullensvang from 1 January 1964 until 1 January 1977.
, especially sweet cherries
and apple
s. Every summer a cherry festival is held at Lofthus, where the Norwegian championship of cherry stone spitting is held (record: 14.24 meters, S. Kleivkaas). Each May a musical festival is held at Ullensvang Hotel (built in 1846), when musicians from all of Norway come to the village. The famous composer Edvard Grieg
spent many summers at Lofthus, and the festival is held in his honor. During the summer, the population is doubled due to tourism
. Attractions in addition to the previous mentioned, are the medieval churches at Lofthus (built in 1300 and Kinsarvik (built in 1160), several waterfalls, the flowering season in May, and museum
s at Aga, Utne
, and Skredhaugen.
Municipalities of Norway
Norway is divided into 19 administrative regions, called counties , and 430 municipalities...
in the 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...
of Hordaland
Hordaland
is a county in Norway, bordering Sogn og Fjordane, Buskerud, Telemark and Rogaland. Hordaland is the third largest county after Akershus and Oslo by population. The county administration is located in Bergen...
, 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 located in the 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,...
of Hardanger
Hardanger
Hardanger is a traditional district in the western part of Norway, dominated by the Hardangerfjord. It consists of the municipalities of Odda, Ullensvang, Eidfjord, Ulvik, Granvin, Kvam and Jondal, and is located inside the county of Hordaland....
. The administrative centre is the village of Kinsarvik
Kinsarvik
Kinsarvik is a village, and former municipality, in the county of Hordaland, Norway.Kinsarvik was established as a municipality January 1, 1838 . Ullensvang used to be an annex to Kinsarvik - but in 1869 Ullensvang became the main parish, and Kinsarvik became an annex to Ullensvang...
.
The number of inhabitants has shown a decrease of some 500 between 1980 and 2004. This development can be seen in light of the general depopulation of rural 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...
. The major part of Ullensvang is located near the Hardangervidda
Hardangervidda
The Hardangervidda is a mountain plateau in the Hardanger region of western Norway. It is the largest such plateau in Europe, with a cold year-round alpine climate and is the site of one of Norway's largest glaciers. Much of the plateau is protected as part of Hardangervidda National Park; it is a...
national park, Europe's biggest mountain plateau (highest point, Haarteigen, 1,690 meters above sea level). The general population, however, is confined to the narrow mountainsides and valley
Valley
In geology, a valley or dale is a depression with predominant extent in one direction. A very deep river valley may be called a canyon or gorge.The terms U-shaped and V-shaped are descriptive terms of geography to characterize the form of valleys...
s along the Hardangerfjord
Hardangerfjord
With a length of , the Hardangerfjord in the county of Hordaland in Norway is the third largest fjord in the world and the second largest in Norway. The surrounding district is called Hardanger....
especially in the rural centers of Kinsarvik
Kinsarvik
Kinsarvik is a village, and former municipality, in the county of Hordaland, Norway.Kinsarvik was established as a municipality January 1, 1838 . Ullensvang used to be an annex to Kinsarvik - but in 1869 Ullensvang became the main parish, and Kinsarvik became an annex to Ullensvang...
(administrative center) and Lofthus.
The name
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Ullensvang farm (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....
Ullinsvangr), since the first church was built there. The first element is the genitive case
Genitive case
In grammar, genitive is the grammatical case that marks a noun as modifying another noun...
of the name of the Norse god Ullin (sideform of Ullr
Ullr
In early Germanic paganism, *Wulþuz appears to have been a major god, or an epithet of an important god, in prehistoric times....
). The last element is vangr which means "field
Field (agriculture)
In agriculture, the word field refers generally to an area of land enclosed or otherwise and used for agricultural purposes such as:* Cultivating crops* Usage as a paddock or, generally, an enclosure of livestock...
" or "meadow
Meadow
A meadow is a field vegetated primarily by grass and other non-woody plants . The term is from Old English mædwe. In agriculture a meadow is grassland which is not grazed by domestic livestock but rather allowed to grow unchecked in order to make hay...
".
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...
was granted on 8 November 1979. The arms are derived from the arms of nobleman
Nobility
Nobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...
from the area, Sigurd Brynjulvsson Galte, and they can be seen on his gravestone dating back to 1302 at the local church. As it is the oldest gravestone
Headstone
A headstone, tombstone, or gravestone is a marker, usually stone, that is placed over a grave. In most cases they have the deceased's name, date of birth, and date of death inscribed on them, along with a personal message, or prayer.- Use :...
in the church, the arms were well known in the village, hence the choice for the arms of this knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
as municipal arms.
History
Ullensvang used to be an annex of KinsarvikKinsarvik
Kinsarvik is a village, and former municipality, in the county of Hordaland, Norway.Kinsarvik was established as a municipality January 1, 1838 . Ullensvang used to be an annex to Kinsarvik - but in 1869 Ullensvang became the main parish, and Kinsarvik became an annex to Ullensvang...
parish, but in 1869 Ullensvang became the main parish and Kinsarvik became an annex to Ullensvang. At this time the municipality changed its name to Ullensvang.
Kinsarvik and Odda
Odda
is a municipality and town in the county of Hordaland, Norway. Odda was separated from Ullensvang on 1 July 1913 and on 1 January 1964 Røldal was merged with Odda. The town of Odda is the centre of the landscape of Hardanger, located at the end of the Hardangerfjord.In 1927, Erling Johnson,...
were separated from Ullensvang as municipalities of their own on 1 July 1913. Most of Kinsarvik was merged back into Ullensvang on 1 January 1964. Eidfjord
Eidfjord
Eidfjord is a municipality in the county of Hordaland, Norway. Eidfjord was separated from Ulvik May 1, 1891....
was merged with Ullensvang from 1 January 1964 until 1 January 1977.
Attractions
Ullensvang is Norway's biggest supplier of fruitFruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
, especially sweet cherries
Cherry
The cherry is the fruit of many plants of the genus Prunus, and is a fleshy stone fruit. The cherry fruits of commerce are usually obtained from a limited number of species, including especially cultivars of the wild cherry, Prunus avium....
and apple
Apple
The apple is the pomaceous fruit of the apple tree, species Malus domestica in the rose family . It is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits, and the most widely known of the many members of genus Malus that are used by humans. Apple grow on small, deciduous trees that blossom in the spring...
s. Every summer a cherry festival is held at Lofthus, where the Norwegian championship of cherry stone spitting is held (record: 14.24 meters, S. Kleivkaas). Each May a musical festival is held at Ullensvang Hotel (built in 1846), when musicians from all of Norway come to the village. The famous composer Edvard Grieg
Edvard Grieg
Edvard Hagerup Grieg was a Norwegian composer and pianist. He is best known for his Piano Concerto in A minor, for his incidental music to Henrik Ibsen's play Peer Gynt , and for his collection of piano miniatures Lyric Pieces.-Biography:Edvard Hagerup Grieg was born in...
spent many summers at Lofthus, and the festival is held in his honor. During the summer, the population is doubled due to tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
. Attractions in addition to the previous mentioned, are the medieval churches at Lofthus (built in 1300 and Kinsarvik (built in 1160), several waterfalls, the flowering season in May, and museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
s at Aga, Utne
Utne
Utne is a village in Ullensvang municipality in Hardanger, Norway. It is home to the Utne Hotel, Norway's oldest hotel in continuous operation, founded in 1722....
, and Skredhaugen.