Lom is a
municipality|Norway is divided into 19 administrative regions, called counties , and 430 municipalities...
in
Opplandis 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.- Geography :...
county||-|Norway is divided into 19 administrative regions, called counties . The counties form the primary first-level subdivisions of Norway and are further divided into 431 municipalities...
,
NorwayNorway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a country in Northern Europe occupying the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, as well as Jan Mayen and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard under the Spitsbergen Treaty...
. It is part of the
traditional regionNorway is 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, plains, or coastlines,...
of
GudbrandsdalGudbrandsdalen is a valley and traditional district in the Norwegian fylke of Oppland. The valley is oriented in a north-westerly direction from Lillehammer at Lake Mjøsa, extending 230 km toward Romsdal...
. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of
FossbergomFossbergom is the administrative centre of Lom municipality, Norway. Its population is 789. Located here is Lom stave church....
.
The municipality of Lom was established on 1 January 1838 (see
formannskapsdistriktFormannskapsdistrikt was the name for a Norwegian local self-government districts put into force in 1838. This system of municipality was created in a bill approved by the Storting and signed into law by King Carl Johan on 14 January 1837...
). The area of
SkjåkSkjåk is a municipality in Oppland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Gudbrandsdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Bismo...
was separated from Lom to become a municipality of its own in 1866.
Lom is famous for its extensive history, for having one of the few remaining
stave churchA stave church is a medieval wooden church with a post and beam construction related to timber framing. The wall frames are filled with vertical planks. The load-bearing posts have lent their name to the building technique...
es in Norway, and for lying in the midst of the highest mountains in
Northern EuropeNorthern Europe is the northern part or region of Europe. The United Nations defines Northern Europe as including the following countries and dependent regions:** ** ** Ireland** Svalbard and Jan Mayen** ** Channel Islands: and...
.
The
Old NorseOld 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....
forms of the name was
Lóar (
nominative caseThe nominative case is one of the grammatical cases of a noun or other part of speech, which generally marks the subject of a verb, as opposed to its object or other verb arguments....
) and
Lóm (
dative caseThe dative case is a grammatical case generally used to indicate the noun to whom something is given. For example, in "John gave Mary a book"....
).
Lom is a
municipality|Norway is divided into 19 administrative regions, called counties , and 430 municipalities...
in
Opplandis 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.- Geography :...
county||-|Norway is divided into 19 administrative regions, called counties . The counties form the primary first-level subdivisions of Norway and are further divided into 431 municipalities...
,
NorwayNorway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a country in Northern Europe occupying the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, as well as Jan Mayen and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard under the Spitsbergen Treaty...
. It is part of the
traditional regionNorway is 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, plains, or coastlines,...
of
GudbrandsdalGudbrandsdalen is a valley and traditional district in the Norwegian fylke of Oppland. The valley is oriented in a north-westerly direction from Lillehammer at Lake Mjøsa, extending 230 km toward Romsdal...
. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of
FossbergomFossbergom is the administrative centre of Lom municipality, Norway. Its population is 789. Located here is Lom stave church....
.
The municipality of Lom was established on 1 January 1838 (see
formannskapsdistriktFormannskapsdistrikt was the name for a Norwegian local self-government districts put into force in 1838. This system of municipality was created in a bill approved by the Storting and signed into law by King Carl Johan on 14 January 1837...
). The area of
SkjåkSkjåk is a municipality in Oppland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Gudbrandsdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Bismo...
was separated from Lom to become a municipality of its own in 1866.
Lom is famous for its extensive history, for having one of the few remaining
stave churchA stave church is a medieval wooden church with a post and beam construction related to timber framing. The wall frames are filled with vertical planks. The load-bearing posts have lent their name to the building technique...
es in Norway, and for lying in the midst of the highest mountains in
Northern EuropeNorthern Europe is the northern part or region of Europe. The United Nations defines Northern Europe as including the following countries and dependent regions:** ** ** Ireland** Svalbard and Jan Mayen** ** Channel Islands: and...
.
Name
The
Old NorseOld 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....
forms of the name was
Lóar (
nominative caseThe nominative case is one of the grammatical cases of a noun or other part of speech, which generally marks the subject of a verb, as opposed to its object or other verb arguments....
) and
Lóm (
dative caseThe dative case is a grammatical case generally used to indicate the noun to whom something is given. For example, in "John gave Mary a book"....
). The name is the
pluralPlural, commonly abbreviated pl., is a grammatical number, typically referring to more than one of the referent in the real world. In the English language, singular and plural are the only grammatical numbers.-English:...
form of
ló which means "
meadowA meadow is a field vegetated primarily by grass and other non-woody plants . It may be cut for hay or grazed by livestock such as cattle, sheep or goats.- Agricultural meadow :...
".
Coat-of-arms
The
coat-of-armsA coat of arms, more properly called an armorial achievement, armorial bearings or often just arms for short, in European tradition, is a design belonging to a particular person and used by them in a wide variety of ways. Historically, they were used by knights to identify them apart from enemy...
is from modern times. They were granted on 6 February 1987. The arms show three silver-colored
skjeltrekor (
spadeA spade is a tool designed primarily for the purpose of digging or removing earth. The first spade was made of riven wood. After the art of metalworking was discovered, spades were made with sharper tips of metal. Before the advent of metal spades manual labor was less efficient at moving earth,...
s) on a blue background. These spades were historically used to scoop water from the
irrigationIrrigation is an artificial application of water to the soil. It is usually used to assist in growing crops in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...
channels typical for the area. The area is one of the driest in Norway, but the soil is good for
agricultureAgriculture is the production of food and goods through farming and forestry. Agriculture was the key development that led to the rise of human civilization, with the husbandry of domesticated animals and plants creating food surpluses that enabled the development of more densely populated and...
. It thus needs irrigation. In the 17th century, a system was developed in which melting water from the mountains was transported to the area using wooden channels or
aqueductAn aqueduct is a water supply or navigable channel constructed to convey water. In modern engineering, the term is used for any system of pipes, ditches, canals, tunnels, and other structures used for this purpose....
s. The water was further divided using irrigation channels.
History
An ancient trade route passed up from
SunnmøreSunnmøre is the southernmost traditional district of the western Norwegian county of Møre og Romsdal. Its main city is Ålesund...
through Lom and Skjåk and down the Gudbrandsdal into the
ØstlandetEastern Norway is the geographical region of the south-eastern part of Norway. It consists of the counties Telemark, Vestfold, Østfold, Akershus, Oslo , Buskerud, Oppland and Hedmark....
. The trade consisted of
fishA fish is any aquatic vertebrate animal that is typically ectothermic , covered with scales, and equipped with two sets of paired fins and several unpaired fins...
and
saltA salt, in chemistry, is an ionic compound, and can result from the neutralization reaction of acids and bases. Salts are ionic compounds composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...
heading inland, and
grainCereals, grains or cereal grains, {as a collective} are grasses cultivated for the edible components of their fruit seeds - the endocarp, germ and bran...
heading to the coast.
The Saga of Olaf Haraldson relates that
St. OlafOlaf Haraldsson was king of Norway from 1015 to 1028, . His mother was Åsta Gudbrandsdatter, and his father was Harald Grenske, great-grandchild of Harald Fairhair...
commented as he first looked down on Lom, “What a pity to have to lay waste to such a beautiful valley.” In the face of such a clear motivation, the residents of the valley converted (it has since been a recurring discussion whether he looked to Lom or the neighbouring municipality
SkjåkSkjåk is a municipality in Oppland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Gudbrandsdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Bismo...
, at the time a part of Lom.)
St. Olafs-stuggu, a building were St. Olaf is reported to have spent a night in 1021, can still be found here. The building is part of the Presthaugen District Museum.
Lom stave churchLom stave church is a stave church situated in Lom municipality in the Gudbrandsdal district of Norway. The church is a triple nave Stave Church that uses free standing inner columns to support a raised section in the ceiling of the main nave. This type of church is amongst the oldest Stave Churches...
, which is located at Lom center, is believed to have been built in 1158, making 2008 the 850th anniversary. It was extended in 1634, with further addition of two
naveIn Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
s in 1667. It is believed that the church was originally surrounded by a circumambulatory passage, like many other Norwegian stave churches, but that this passage was removed when the two side wings were added. A few Runic inscriptions can be still be seen in the church. The church also contains numerous paintings from the 17th and 18th centuries with religious motifs. Many of the paintings were made by local artist Eggert Munch, a distant relation of the famous
Edvard MunchEdvard Munch was a Norwegian Symbolist painter, printmaker and an important forerunner of expressionistic art...
. The church also contains numerous examples of local woodcarving, as seen in the elaborate acanthus scrolls adorning the pulpit. Carved
dragonDragons are legendary creatures, typically with serpentine or otherwise reptilian traits, that feature in the myths of worldwide cultures.The two most familiar interpretations of dragons are European dragons, derived from various European folk traditions, and the unrelated Oriental dragons, such as...
figures on the roof are old symbols of protection against evil.
It is still in use as the local church.
The
Garmo stave churchGarmo stave church is a stave church situated at Maihaugen, a buildings museum in Lillehammer, Norway. The church originally came from Lom and was built around 1150 on a site of a previous church believed to have been built in 1021 by a Viking chieftain. The church consist of 17th and 18th...
, which was built around 1150, has been relocated from Lom municipality and is now at
MaihaugenMaihaugen is one of the most visited tourist attractions in Lillehammer, Norway...
in
Lillehammeris a town and municipality in Oppland county, Norway, globally known for hosting the 1994 Winter Olympics. It is part of the traditional region of Gudbrandsdal...
.
Geography
Lom is the "gateway" to the
JotunheimenJotunheimen is a mountainous area of roughly 3,500 km² in Southern Norway. Jotunheimen is a part of the long Scandinavian Mountains range. The 29 highest mountains in Norway are in Jotunheimen, including the very highest - Galdhøpiggen...
Mountains and to
Jotunheim National ParkJotunheimen National Park is a national park in Norway, recognized as one of the country's premier hiking and fishing regions. The national park covers 1,151 km² and is part of the larger area Jotunheimen...
. The municipality contains the two highest peaks in Norway,
GaldhøpiggenGaldhøpiggen is the highest mountain in Norway, Scandinavia and Northern Europe, at 2,469 m above sea level. It is located within the municipality of Lom, in the Jotunheimen mountain area.-Name:...
at and
GlittertindGlittertind is the second highest mountain in Norway, at 2,465 m above sea level, including the glacier at its peak . It is located within the municipality of Lom, in the Jotunheimen mountain area...
at , which lie within the park.
Lom is bordered on the northwest by the municipality of
SkjåkSkjåk is a municipality in Oppland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Gudbrandsdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Bismo...
, in the north by
LesjaLesja is a municipality in Oppland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Gudbrandsdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Lesja....
, in the east and southeast by
VågåVågå is a municipality in Oppland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Gudbrandsdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Vågåmo....
, in the south by
VangVang 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 "Vang i Valdres"...
all in Oppland county. In the southwest, it is bordered by
LusterLuster is a municipality in the county of Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Sogn. The administrative centre is Gaupne....
municipality in
Sogn og Fjordaneis 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 Florø....
county. The village of Lom is situated in a valley at an elevation of above sea level.
Climate
The
climateClimate encompasses the statistics of temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind, rainfall, atmospheric particle count and numerous other meteorological elements in a given region over long periods of time...
is very continental by Norwegian standards. Average annual precipitation is , and monthly 24-hr averages range from in January to in July. Summers are often sunny with daytime temperatures typically ranging from to . The large mountain areas in Lom are much colder; snowy weather is possible even in summer at altitudes above .
Economy
AgricultureAgriculture is the production of food and goods through farming and forestry. Agriculture was the key development that led to the rise of human civilization, with the husbandry of domesticated animals and plants creating food surpluses that enabled the development of more densely populated and...
has long been important in Lom. The natural beauty and extended history of this mountainous region also makes Lom an important
touristTourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people who "travel to and stay in places outside their usual environment for more than twenty-four hours and not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other...
destination.
Notable residents
- Lom maybe where the birthplace of the novelist Knut Hamsun
Knut Hamsun was a Norwegian author. He was considered by Isaac Bashevis Singer to be the "father of modern literature", and by King Haakon to be Norway's soul. In 1920, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, "for his monumental work, Growth of the Soil"...
, winner of the 1920 Nobel Prize in LiteratureThe Nobel Prize in Literature is awarded annually, since 1901, to an author from any country who has, in the words from the will of Alfred Nobel, produced "in the field of literature the most outstanding work in an ideal direction"...
. His birthplace can be seen 12 kilometers to the east of Lom center.
- The poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
Olav AukrustOlav Aukrust was a Norwegian poet and teacher. He was born in Lom and wrote poems with a renewed national romantic style. His use of rural dialect contributed to the growth of Nynorsk as a literary language....
was born and lived in Lom. There is a memorial to him near the church.
- Jakob Klukstad
thumb|right|300px|An example of his work, the altarpiece at Lesja Church Jakob Bersveinson Klukstad, who was born 1705 in Lom, died 1773. He spent most of his career on Klukstad farm in Lesja, and at the time was the foremost Norwegian sculptor and painter.In 1734 he married Anne Knutsdatter from...
, who was the foremost Norwegian sculptor and painter of his period, was born 1705 in Lom.
- The Norwegian-American hotel manager Jørgine Boomer
Jørgine Slettede Boomer was a Norwegian-American businesswoman and entrepreneur, noted for her rags-to-riches story as a poor immigrant who became the co-owner and manager of one of the world's largest luxury hotels, the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City, and for the relationships she built...
was born in Bøverdalen
- Tor Jonsson
Tor Jonsson was a Norwegian author and journalist. Tor Jonsson is known for simple, strongly worded lyric poetry, but his poems stir up conflicts and a sense of loneliness...
(1916-1951), poet and author and winner of The Norwegian Critics Prize for LiteratureThe Norwegian Critics Prize for Literature is awarded by the Norwegian Literature Critics' Association and has been awarded every year since 1950...
was born and lived in Lom. His childhood cottage is part of the Lom District Museum on the sunny-side road (solsidevegen).
- Morten Schakenda
Morten Schakenda is a Norwegian cook, known as one of the leading chefs in the country.After working on the school ship Gann, he worked at Hotell Ulstein. Later, he was leader of the Gastronomisk institutt in Stavanger for eight years, and made his debut for the national cooking team...
Attractions
- Lom Stave Church
- Jotunheim National Park
Jotunheimen National Park is a national park in Norway, recognized as one of the country's premier hiking and fishing regions. The national park covers 1,151 km² and is part of the larger area Jotunheimen...
- Norsk Fjellmuseum, the Norwegian Mountain Museum and information center for Jotunheim National Park
- Lom District Museum in Presthaugen - an open air museum
An open air museum is a distinct type of museum exhibiting its collections out-of-doors. The first open air museums were established in Scandinavia towards the end of the nineteenth century, and the concept soon spread throughout Europe and North America. Open air museums are variously known as...
- Fossheim Stone/Mineral Center
- Route 55 the Sognefjellsvegen
The Sognefjellsvegen is the highest mountain pass in Northern Europe in Oppland county, Norway.It is a national tourist road and starts in the municipality Lom, over the Sognefjell, to Gaupne Sogn og Fjordane. It was opened 16 July 1938....
from Lom over the Sognefjell (the highest mountain pass in Northern Europe)
- Knut Hamsun's cottage located at Garmostrædet
- The Sagasøyla Column in Bøverdal
Bøverdal is a valley in Lom municipality in the county of Oppland, Norway. For many centuries a route went from Lom village up through Bøverdal and down into Sogn.The 34 meter tall Saga Column , was erected in Bøverdalen in 1992...
en
- Lom’s irrigation canals
External links
- Municipal fact sheet from Statistics Norway
Statistics Norway is the Norwegian statistics bureau. It was established in 1876.Relying on a staff of about 1,000, Statistics Norway releases more than 800 Norwegian statistical publications every year on its web site...
- Visit Lom