Vestre Slidre
Encyclopedia
Vestre Slidre is a municipality
in Oppland
county
, Norway
. It is part of the traditional region
of Valdres
. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Slidre
. The old municipality of Slidre was divided into Vestre Slidre and Øystre Slidre
in 1849.
) is named after the old Slidre farm (Old Norse
: Slíðrar), since the first church was built here. The name is probably derived from slíðr which means "sheath
" (which is probably referring to a long depression near the church). The meaning of the name Vestre Slidre is "(the) western (part of) Slidre" (since the parish and municipality of Slidre was divided in 1849.)
was made official in 1987, but it originally was a seal belonging to a medieval
nobleman from the district.
.
Vestre Sildre figures prominently in the Norse Saga
s:
, a medieval stone-built church, was once the main church for Valdres. The church is built around 1170. Its treasures formerly included a chalice presented by Bishop Salomon of Oslo (1322-1352), the only Bishop in Norway to survive the Black Death
. Slidredomen is also known to have had a local bishop.
Lomen stave church
is located in the small village of Lomen. It was built circa 1170. The exterior of the present Lomen church is post-Reformation
, and only the wall and roof timbers remain from the original building.
A church of the same period, the Høre stave church
(the Dano-Norwegian
spelling of the word Høre was Hurum), was almost entirely rebuilt and extended. Only the south door, with dragons and other carvings, still exists.
Vestre Slidre is bordered to the northwest by the municipality of Vang, to the northeast by Øystre Slidre
, to the east by Nord-Aurdal
, and to the southwest by Hemsedal
.
Vestre Slidre is part of the Valdres
region in south-central Norway. It is situated between Gudbrandsdal
and Hallingdal
.
Municipalities of Norway
Norway is divided into 19 administrative regions, called counties , and 430 municipalities...
in Oppland
Oppland
is a county in Norway, bordering Sør-Trøndelag, Møre og Romsdal, Sogn og Fjordane, Buskerud, Akershus, Oslo and Hedmark. The county administration is in Lillehammer. Oppland is, together with Hedmark, one of the only two landlocked counties of Norway....
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 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,...
of Valdres
Valdres
Valdres is a traditional district in central, southern Norway, situated between Gudbrandsdal and Hallingdal.Administratively, Valdres belongs to Oppland. It consists of the municipalities Nord-Aurdal, Sør-Aurdal, Øystre Slidre, Vestre Slidre, Vang and Etnedal. The main town in the region is...
. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Slidre
Slidre
Slidre is the administrative centre of Vestre Slidre municipality, Norway. It is located by the Slidrefjord. Its population is 293.Slidre was established as a municipality January 1, 1838 . It was divided into Vestre Slidre and Øystre Slidre in 1849....
. The old municipality of Slidre was divided into Vestre Slidre and Øystre Slidre
Øystre Slidre
Øystre Slidre is a municipality in Oppland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Valdres. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of...
in 1849.
Name
The municipality (originally the parishParish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
) is named after the old Slidre farm (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....
: Slíðrar), since the first church was built here. The name is probably derived from slíðr which means "sheath
Scabbard
A scabbard is a sheath for holding a sword, knife, or other large blade. Scabbards have been made of many materials over the millennia, including leather, wood, and metals such as brass or steel.-Types of scabbards:...
" (which is probably referring to a long depression near the church). The meaning of the name Vestre Slidre is "(the) western (part of) Slidre" (since the parish and municipality of Slidre was divided in 1849.)
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 made official in 1987, but it originally was a seal belonging to a medieval
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
nobleman from the district.
History
High above Slidre there is an ancient burial ground called the Garberg site. At this site, there is a runestone which reads I Godguest wrote the runes. This stone is known as the Einang stoneEinang stone
The Einang stone is a runestone located near Fagernes, Norway, notable for the age of its runic inscription.-Description:The Einang stone bears an Elder Futhark inscription in Proto-Norse that has been dated to the 4th century...
.
Vestre Sildre figures prominently in the Norse Saga
Saga
Sagas, are stories in Old Norse about ancient Scandinavian and Germanic history, etc.Saga may also refer to:Business*Saga DAB radio, a British radio station*Saga Airlines, a Turkish airline*Saga Falabella, a department store chain in Peru...
s:
- Harald FairhairHarald I of NorwayHarald Fairhair or Harald Finehair , , son of Halfdan the Black, was the first king of Norway.-Background:Little is known of the historical Harald...
was, according to the Sagas, the first king (872 – 930) of Norway. In 866, he made the first of a series of conquests over a number of petty kingdomPetty kingdomA 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...
s. One of the encounters leading to the overall conquest was with Skallagrim Kveldulvssøn in Vestre Slidre. In 872, after winning the Battle of HafrsfjordBattle of HafrsfjordThe Battle of Hafrsfjord has traditionally been regarded as the battle in which western Norway for the first time was unified under one monarch.The national monument of Haraldshaugen was raised in 1872, to commemorate the Battle of Hafrsfjord...
near StavangerStavangerStavanger is a city and municipality in the county of Rogaland, Norway.Stavanger municipality has a population of 126,469. There are 197,852 people living in the Stavanger conurbation, making Stavanger the fourth largest city, but the third largest urban area, in Norway...
, he found himself king of the whole country. - In the HeimskringlaHeimskringlaHeimskringla is the best known of the Old Norse kings' sagas. It was written in Old Norse in Iceland by the poet and historian Snorri Sturluson ca. 1230...
attributed to Snorri SturlusonSnorri SturlusonSnorri Sturluson was an Icelandic historian, poet, and politician. He was twice elected lawspeaker at the Icelandic parliament, the Althing...
, it is recorded that in 1023 Saint OlavOlaf II of NorwayOlaf II Haraldsson was King of Norway from 1015 to 1028. He was posthumously given the title Rex Perpetuus Norvegiae and canonised in Nidaros by Bishop Grimkell, one year after his death in the Battle of Stiklestad on 29 July 1030. Enshrined in Nidaros Cathedral...
came unannounced from SognSognSogn is a traditional district in Western Norway . It is located in the county of Sogn og Fjordane, surrounding the Sognefjord. Sogn consists of the municipalities of Aurland, Balestrand, Hyllestad, Høyanger, Gulen, Leikanger, Luster, Lærdal, Sogndal, Solund, Vik, and Årdal. The district covers ...
as part of his campaign to Christianize Norway. At Slidre he caught the peasants unawares, and secured all their boats. As a condition for having their boats restored, they accepted ChristianityChristianityChristianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
.
Churches
SlidredomenSlidredomen
Slidredomen , is a stone church in Vestre Slidre municipality, Oppland county of Norway, built around 11th century....
, a medieval stone-built church, was once the main church for Valdres. The church is built around 1170. Its treasures formerly included a chalice presented by Bishop Salomon of Oslo (1322-1352), the only Bishop in Norway to survive the Black Death
Black Death
The Black Death was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, peaking in Europe between 1348 and 1350. Of several competing theories, the dominant explanation for the Black Death is the plague theory, which attributes the outbreak to the bacterium Yersinia pestis. Thought to have...
. Slidredomen is also known to have had a local bishop.
Lomen stave church
Lomen stave church
Lomen stave church is a stave church located in the community of Lomen in Vestre Slidre municipality, Valdres, Norway. It was built in the second half of the 12th century....
is located in the small village of Lomen. It was built circa 1170. The exterior of the present Lomen church is post-Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
, and only the wall and roof timbers remain from the original building.
A church of the same period, the Høre stave church
Høre stave church
Høre stave church is a stave church located at Ryfoss in Vang municipality, Valdres, Norway. It was built in 1180 and rebuilt around 1820...
(the Dano-Norwegian
Dano-Norwegian
Dano-Norwegian is a linguistic term for a koiné that evolved among the urban elite in Norwegian cities during the later years of the union between the Kingdoms of Denmark and Norway . It is from this koiné that Riksmål and Bokmål developed...
spelling of the word Høre was Hurum), was almost entirely rebuilt and extended. Only the south door, with dragons and other carvings, still exists.
Geography
Øystre Slidre
Øystre Slidre is a municipality in Oppland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Valdres. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of...
, to the east by Nord-Aurdal
Nord-Aurdal
Nord-Aurdal is a municipality in Oppland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Valdres. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Fagernes....
, and to the southwest by Hemsedal
Hemsedal
Hemsedal is a municipality in Buskerud county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Hallingdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Trøym. In 1897, Hemsedal was separated from the municipality of Gol to become a municipality of its own.Hemsedal is the...
.
Vestre Slidre is part of the Valdres
Valdres
Valdres is a traditional district in central, southern Norway, situated between Gudbrandsdal and Hallingdal.Administratively, Valdres belongs to Oppland. It consists of the municipalities Nord-Aurdal, Sør-Aurdal, Øystre Slidre, Vestre Slidre, Vang and Etnedal. The main town in the region is...
region in south-central Norway. It is situated between Gudbrandsdal
Gudbrandsdal
The Gudbrandsdalen is a valley and traditional district in the Norwegian county of Oppland. The valley is oriented in a north-westerly direction from Lillehammer at Mjøsa, extending 230 km toward Romsdal...
and Hallingdal
Hallingdal
Hallingdal is a valley and traditional district in Buskerud county in Norway. It consists of the municipalities of Flå, Nes, Gol, Hemsedal, Ål and Hol.-History:Ancient routes went to Vestlandet through Valdres and Hallingdal and down Røldal to Odda...
.
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...