Lom, Norway
Encyclopedia
Lom 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 Fossbergom
.
The municipality of Lom was established on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt
). The area of Skjåk
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 church
es in Norway, and for lying in the midst of the highest mountains in Northern Europe
.
forms of the name was Lóar (nominative case
) and Lóm (dative case
). The name is the plural
form of ló which means "meadow
".
is from modern times. They were granted on 6 February 1987. The arms show three silver-colored skjeltrekor (spade
s) on a blue background. These spades were historically used to scoop water from the irrigation
channels typical for the area. The area is one of the driest in Norway, but the soil is good for agriculture
. 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 aqueduct
s. The water was further divided using irrigation channels.
through Lom and Skjåk and down the Gudbrandsdal into the Østlandet
. The trade consisted of fish
and salt
heading inland, and grain
heading to the coast.
The Saga of Olaf Haraldson relates that St. Olaf
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 Skjåk
, 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 church
, 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 nave
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 Munch
. The church also contains numerous examples of local woodcarving, as seen in the elaborate acanthus scrolls adorning the pulpit. Carved dragon
figures on the roof are old symbols of protection against evil.
It is still in use as the local church.
The Garmo stave church
, which was built around 1150, has been relocated from Lom municipality and is now at Maihaugen
in Lillehammer
.
During the 1940 Norwegian Campaign
German prisoners of war were kept by the Norwegian Army at Lom prisoner of war camp
. Lom was bombed twice by the German Luftwaffe
in April 1940.
Lom is the "gateway" to the Jotunheimen
Mountains and to Jotunheim National Park
. The municipality contains the two highest peaks in Norway, Galdhøpiggen
at 2469 metres (8,100.4 ft) and Glittertind
at 2464 metres (8,084 ft), which lie within the park.
Lom is bordered on the northwest by the municipality of Skjåk
, in the north by Lesja
, in the east and southeast by Vågå
, in the south by Vang all in Oppland county. In the southwest, it is bordered by Luster
municipality in Sogn og Fjordane
county. The village of Lom is situated in a valley at an elevation of 382 metres (1,253.3 ft) above sea level.
is very continental by Norwegian standards. Average annual precipitation is 321 millimetres (12.6 in), and monthly 24-hr averages range from -10 C in January to 14 °C (57.2 °F) in July. Summers are often sunny with daytime temperatures typically ranging from 14 °C (57.2 °F) to 25 °C (77 °F). The large mountain areas in Lom are much colder; snowy weather is possible even in summer at altitudes above 2000 metres (6,561.7 ft).
has long been important in Lom. The natural beauty and extended history of this mountainous region also makes Lom an important tourist
destination.
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 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...
. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Fossbergom
Fossbergom
Fossbergom is the administrative centre of Lom municipality, Norway. Its population is 789. Fossbergom is a modern community, in which most people work in tourism, commerce and the service sector....
.
The municipality of Lom was established on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt
Formannskapsdistrikt
Formannskapsdistrikt 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 Skjåk
Skjåk
Skjåk 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 church
Stave church
A 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 Europe
Northern Europe
Northern Europe is the northern part or region of Europe. Northern Europe typically refers to the seven countries in the northern part of the European subcontinent which includes Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Finland and Sweden...
.
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....
forms of the name was Lóar (nominative case
Nominative case
The nominative case is one of the grammatical cases of a noun or other part of speech, which generally marks the subject of a verb or the predicate noun or predicate adjective, as opposed to its object or other verb arguments...
) and Lóm (dative case
Dative case
The dative case is a grammatical case generally used to indicate the noun to whom something is given, as in "George gave Jamie a drink"....
). The name 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...
form of ló which means "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...
is from modern times. They were granted on 6 February 1987. The arms show three silver-colored skjeltrekor (spade
Spade
A spade is a tool designed primarily for the purpose of digging or removing earth. Early spades were 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 irrigation
Irrigation
Irrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils 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 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...
. 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 aqueduct
Aqueduct
An 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
Sunnmøre is the southernmost traditional district of the western Norwegian county of Møre og Romsdal. Its main city is Ålesund. The region comprises the municipalities of Giske, Hareid, Herøy, Norddal, Sande, Skodje, Haram, Stordal, Stranda, Sula, Sykkylven, Ulstein, Vanylven, Volda, Ørskog,...
through Lom and Skjåk and down the Gudbrandsdal into the Østlandet
Østlandet
Eastern Norway or Austlandet ) 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 fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
and salt
Salt
In chemistry, salts are ionic compounds that result from the neutralization reaction of an acid and a base. They are composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...
heading inland, and grain
Cereal
Cereals are grasses cultivated for the edible components of their grain , composed of the endosperm, germ, and bran...
heading to the coast.
The Saga of Olaf Haraldson relates that St. Olaf
Olaf II of Norway
Olaf 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...
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 Skjåk
Skjåk
Skjåk 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 church
Lom stave church
Lom 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 nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "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 Munch
Edvard Munch
Edvard Munch was a Norwegian Symbolist painter, printmaker and an important forerunner of expressionist art. His best-known composition, The Scream, is part of a series The Frieze of Life, in which Munch explored the themes of love, fear, death, melancholia, and anxiety.- Childhood :Edvard Munch...
. The church also contains numerous examples of local woodcarving, as seen in the elaborate acanthus scrolls adorning the pulpit. Carved dragon
Dragon
A dragon is a legendary creature, typically with serpentine or reptilian traits, that feature in the myths of many cultures. There are two distinct cultural traditions of dragons: the European dragon, derived from European folk traditions and ultimately related to Greek and Middle Eastern...
figures on the roof are old symbols of protection against evil.
It is still in use as the local church.
The Garmo stave church
Garmo stave church
Garmo stave church is a stave church situated at the Maihaugen museum in Lillehammer, Norway. -Description:Garmo stave church originally came from Garmo in Lom in Oppland county. It was built circa 1150 on the site of a previous church believed to have been built in 1021 by a Viking chieftain...
, which was built around 1150, has been relocated from Lom municipality and is now at Maihaugen
Maihaugen
Maihaugen is one of the most visited tourist attractions in Lillehammer, Norway. Maihaugen, with close to 200 buildings, is one of Northern Europe's largest open air museums and is one of the largest cultural facilities in Norway.-History:The founder, Anders Sandvig, collected from old houses and...
in Lillehammer
Lillehammer
is 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. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Lillehammer. As of May 2011, the population of the town of Lillehammer was...
.
During the 1940 Norwegian Campaign
Norwegian Campaign
The Norwegian Campaign was a military campaign that was fought in Norway during the Second World War between the Allies and Germany, after the latter's invasion of the country. In April 1940, the United Kingdom and France came to Norway's aid with an expeditionary force...
German prisoners of war were kept by the Norwegian Army at Lom prisoner of war camp
Lom prisoner of war camp
Lom prisoner of war camp was a facility used by the Norwegian 2nd Division to hold German prisoners-of-war during the 1940 Norwegian Campaign of the Second World War...
. Lom was bombed twice by the German Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
in April 1940.
Geography
Jotunheimen
Jotunheimen is a mountainous area of roughly 3,500 km² in Southern Norway and is part of the long range known as the Scandinavian Mountains. The 29 highest mountains in Norway are all in Jotunheimen, including the very highest - Galdhøpiggen...
Mountains and to Jotunheim National Park
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...
. The municipality contains the two highest peaks in Norway, Galdhøpiggen
Galdhøpiggen
Galdhøpiggen is the highest mountain in Norway, Scandinavia and Northern Europe, at 2,469 m above sea level...
at 2469 metres (8,100.4 ft) and Glittertind
Glittertind
Glittertind is the second highest mountain in Norway, at 2,465 m above sea level, including the glacier at its peak...
at 2464 metres (8,084 ft), which lie within the park.
Lom is bordered on the northwest by the municipality of Skjåk
Skjåk
Skjåk 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 Lesja
Lesja
Lesja 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 Vågå
Vågå
Vågå 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 Vang all in Oppland county. In the southwest, it is bordered by Luster
Luster, Norway
Luster 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. Other villages include Skjolden, Hafslo, Jostedal, and Veitastrond....
municipality in Sogn og Fjordane
Sogn og Fjordane
is 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 Førde....
county. The village of Lom is situated in a valley at an elevation of 382 metres (1,253.3 ft) above sea level.
Climate
The climateClimate
Climate encompasses the statistics of temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind, rainfall, atmospheric particle count and other meteorological elemental measurements in a given region over long periods...
is very continental by Norwegian standards. Average annual precipitation is 321 millimetres (12.6 in), and monthly 24-hr averages range from -10 C in January to 14 °C (57.2 °F) in July. Summers are often sunny with daytime temperatures typically ranging from 14 °C (57.2 °F) to 25 °C (77 °F). The large mountain areas in Lom are much colder; snowy weather is possible even in summer at altitudes above 2000 metres (6,561.7 ft).
Economy
AgricultureAgriculture
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...
has long been important in Lom. The natural beauty and extended history of this mountainous region also makes Lom an important tourist
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...
destination.
Notable residents
- Lom is the birthplace of the novelist Knut HamsunKnut HamsunKnut Hamsun was a Norwegian author, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1920. He was praised by King Haakon VII of Norway as Norway's soul....
, winner of the 1920 Nobel Prize in LiteratureNobel Prize in LiteratureSince 1901, the Nobel Prize in Literature has been awarded annually 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 poetPoetA 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 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.-Life:...
was born and lived in Lom. There is a memorial to him near the church. - Jakob KlukstadJakob Klukstadthumb|right|300px|The altarpiece at Lesja Church Jakob Bersveinson Klukstad was a Norwegian wood carver and painter. Klukstad had great significance for future wood carvers within the valley of Gudbrandsdalen....
, who was the foremost Norwegian sculptor and painter of his period, was born 1705 in Lom. - The Norwegian-American hotel manager Jørgine BoomerJørgine BoomerJørgine 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.-Biography:Jørgine was born into a...
was born in Bøverdalen - Tor JonssonTor JonssonTor 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 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 SchakendaMorten SchakendaMorten 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...
- Sparre Olsen Composer
- Kjell Magne Solbakken Author, mainly famous for his postmodern stream of consciousness-style short stories
Attractions
- Lom Stave ChurchLom 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...
- Jotunheim National ParkJotunheim 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...
- Norsk Fjellmuseum, the Norwegian Mountain Museum and information center for Jotunheim National Park
- Lom District Museum in Presthaugen - an open air museumOpen air museumAn 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 SognefjellsvegenSognefjellsvegenThe Sognefjellsvegen or Sognefjellsveien is the highest mountain pass road in Northern Europe. It is located in Oppland and Sogn og Fjordane counties in Norway. It is a national tourist road and starts in the village of Lom in the municipality of Lom, it then travels over the Sognefjell mountain...
from Lom over the Sognefjell (the highest mountain pass in Northern Europe) - Knut Hamsun's cottage located at Garmostrædet
- The Sagasøyla Column in BøverdalBøverdalBøverdal 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....
en - Lom’s irrigation canals
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...
- Visit Lom