Lyngdal
Encyclopedia
is a municipality
in Vest-Agder
county
, Norway
. Lyngdal was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt
). Austad
and Kvås
were separated from Lyngdal on 1 January 1909 but they were again merged with Lyngdal on 1 January 1964, together with the area of Spangereid
west of Lenesfjorden.
It is a coastal municipality, and borders to the southeast Lindesnes
municipality, Audnedal
to the northeast, Hægebostad
to the north, and Kvinesdal
and Farsund
to the west. Lyngdal declared township on 1 January 2001.
Major sources of revenue are wood processing, agriculture
, and commerce
. Tourism
is also central to the community, with the beaches of Kvavik and Rosfjord
being popular resorts during the summer.
form of the name was Lygnudalr. The first element is the genitive case
of the river name Lygna and the last element is dalr which means "valley
" or "dale". The river name is derived from logn which means "quietness" and so the meaning is "the quiet one". Before 1908, the parish
(but not the municipality) of Lyngdal was called Aa.
is from modern times. They were granted on 27 March 1987. The arms show a cow. The local breed of cows (lyngdalsku) is very well known in Norway and at the yearly cattle fair traders from all over Southern and Western Norway visit the municipality.
, as the king Saint Olav
spent a winter here in 1028. Based around the port of Agnefest, Lyngdal prospered on maritime trade, and in 1771 an application was made for status as a small coastal town. Its coastal location also facilitated emigration; in the 17th and 18th century largely to Holland, and in the 19th century to the United States
.
Even before the merger of the municipalities in 1964, the parish
es of Austad and Kvås, together with Å (or Aa - Lyngdal proper), made up the greater Lyngdal parish. A census from 1801 showed 3529 inhabitants in the area that today makes up Lyngdal: 1850 in Å, 929 in Austad, 585 in Kvås and 165 in the eastern part of Spangereid. The number today is approximately double that of 1801: a little over 7000 inhabitants.
Religious life and missionary work have always had a strong position in Lyngdal, and worthy of special note is the minister and Gabriel Kielland (1796–1854), who served in the parish from 1837–54, and his wife Gustava
(1800–89). Known today as a missionary pioneer and a popular songwriter, Gustava also wrote one of the first autobiographies by a woman in Norway: her "Reminiscence from my Life" from 1880.
Municipalities of Norway
Norway is divided into 19 administrative regions, called counties , and 430 municipalities...
in Vest-Agder
Vest-Agder
In the 16th century, Dutch merchant vessels began to visit ports in southern Norway to purchase salmon and other goods. Soon thereafter the export of timber began, as oak from southern Norway was exceptionally well suited for shipbuilding...
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...
. Lyngdal was established as a municipality 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...
). Austad
Austad
Austad is a village and a former municipality in Vest-Agder county, Norway. The village of Austad is located in the southern part of the present-day municipality of Lyngdal, between the town of Lyngdal and Korshamn.-Name:...
and Kvås
Kvås
Kvås is a village and a former municipality in Vest-Agder county in Norway. It is located in the Lyngdalen valley in the northern part of the present-day municipality of Lyngdal. The village of Kvås is located along the river Lygna...
were separated from Lyngdal on 1 January 1909 but they were again merged with Lyngdal on 1 January 1964, together with the area of Spangereid
Spangereid
Spangereid is a village and a former municipality in Vest-Agder county in Norway. It is located in the southern part of the present-day municipality of Lindesnes, and it is home to the new Spangereid Canal which crosses the Spangereid isthmus....
west of Lenesfjorden.
It is a coastal municipality, and borders to the southeast Lindesnes
Lindesnes
Lindesnes is a municipality in the county of Vest-Agder, Norway. Lindesnes was created as a new municipality on 1 January 1964 after the merger of the older municipalities of Spangereid, Sør-Audnedal, and Vigmostad....
municipality, Audnedal
Audnedal
Audnedal is a municipality in the county of Vest-Agder, Norway. The new municipality of Audnedal was created on 1 January 1964 after the merger of Grindheim and Konsmo....
to the northeast, Hægebostad
Hægebostad
Hægebostad is a municipality in Vest-Agder county, Norway. Hægebostad was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838...
to the north, and Kvinesdal
Kvinesdal
Kvinesdal is a municipality in the county of Vest-Agder, Norway.Kvinesdal was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 . Feda was separated from Kvinesdal on 1 January 1900 but again merged with Kvinesdal on 1 January 1963. Fjotland was also merged with Kvinesdal on that date...
and Farsund
Farsund
is a town and municipality in the county of Vest-Agder, Norway.The town of Farsund was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 , although already recognized as a trading center in 1795...
to the west. Lyngdal declared township on 1 January 2001.
Major sources of revenue are wood processing, 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...
, and commerce
Commerce
While business refers to the value-creating activities of an organization for profit, commerce means the whole system of an economy that constitutes an environment for business. The system includes legal, economic, political, social, cultural, and technological systems that are in operation in any...
. 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...
is also central to the community, with the beaches of Kvavik and Rosfjord
Rosfjord
Rosfjord is a fjord in the Norwegian municipality of Lyngdal. The harbour of Agnefest has a history going back at least to 1771. Because of the high salinity of the water the fjord rarely freezes, making it a suitable harbour....
being popular resorts during the summer.
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 Lygnudalr. 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 river name Lygna and the last element is dalr which means "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...
" or "dale". The river name is derived from logn which means "quietness" and so the meaning is "the quiet one". Before 1908, the parish
Parish
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...
(but not the municipality) of Lyngdal was called Aa.
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 27 March 1987. The arms show a cow. The local breed of cows (lyngdalsku) is very well known in Norway and at the yearly cattle fair traders from all over Southern and Western Norway visit the municipality.
History
The island of Sælør on the southern coast of the municipality is mentioned in SnorreSnorri Sturluson
Snorri Sturluson was an Icelandic historian, poet, and politician. He was twice elected lawspeaker at the Icelandic parliament, the Althing...
, as the king Saint Olav
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...
spent a winter here in 1028. Based around the port of Agnefest, Lyngdal prospered on maritime trade, and in 1771 an application was made for status as a small coastal town. Its coastal location also facilitated emigration; in the 17th and 18th century largely to Holland, and in the 19th century to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Even before the merger of the municipalities in 1964, the parish
Parish
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...
es of Austad and Kvås, together with Å (or Aa - Lyngdal proper), made up the greater Lyngdal parish. A census from 1801 showed 3529 inhabitants in the area that today makes up Lyngdal: 1850 in Å, 929 in Austad, 585 in Kvås and 165 in the eastern part of Spangereid. The number today is approximately double that of 1801: a little over 7000 inhabitants.
Religious life and missionary work have always had a strong position in Lyngdal, and worthy of special note is the minister and Gabriel Kielland (1796–1854), who served in the parish from 1837–54, and his wife Gustava
Gustava Kielland
Susanne Sophie Catharina Gustava Kielland was a Norwegian author and missionary pioneer.She was born in Kongsberg as a daughter of customs officer Gustavus Blom and his wife Karen Petronelle Stoltenberg...
(1800–89). Known today as a missionary pioneer and a popular songwriter, Gustava also wrote one of the first autobiographies by a woman in Norway: her "Reminiscence from my Life" from 1880.
Notable residents
- Abraham BergeAbraham BergeAbraham Theodor Berge was a Norwegian politician representing Venstre, the social liberal party, and later Frisinnede Venstre, a right-of-centre party...
, politicianPoliticianA politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
(1851–1936) - Teis LundegaardTeis LundegaardTeis Lundegaard was a Norwegian farmer and politician. He was born in Austad. He represented Lister amt at the Norwegian Constituent Assembly in 1814. He was elected to the Parliament of Norway from 1815 to 1816, from 1821 to 1822, from 1827 to 1833, and in 1845.-References:...
, politician (1774–1856) - Trygve HaugelandTrygve HaugelandTrygve Haugeland was a Norwegian politician for the Centre Party.He was born in Lyngdal.He was elected to the Norwegian Parliament from Vest-Agder in 1958, but was not re-elected in 1961...
, politician (1914–1998) - Kjell ElvisKjell ElvisKjell Henning Bjørnestad , is a Norwegian professional Elvis impersonator: He is an Elvis look alike and has had plastic surgery to look more like Elvis. He is also a sound alike and has released a couple of albums with Elvis songs.Kjell Elvis was born in Farsund, was raised in Vanse, and...
, Elvis PresleyElvis PresleyElvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
impersonator (born 1968) - Ingvild StenslandIngvild StenslandIngvild Stensland is a Norwegian football player who plays for Stabæk Fotball in the Toppserien. She plays as a midfielder and is currently a member of the Norway women's national team having made her debut in 2003...
, international women's footballer (born 1981) - Gaute Furuholt, Local Hero & James Brown impersonator (born 1986)
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...
- Municipal website