Øvrebø og Hægeland
Encyclopedia
Øvrebø og Hægeland is a former municipality
in Vest-Agder
county
in Norway
. It is located in the northern part of the present-day municipality of Vennesla
, just to the west of the Otra
river.
: Øfribœr), since the first church was built there. The first part of the name means "upper" and second part of the name is identical with the word bœr which means "farm
" and it is cognate with the Dutch language
word "boer" which means "farmer
". The name therefore means "the upper farm".
Hægeland is named after the old Hægeland farm (Old Norse
: Helgaland). The first element of the name means "holy" (Old Norse: heilagr and ) and the last element (Old Norse: land) is identical with the word land which means "land". This area was important to ancient Norse pagan worship
.
was divided into Vennesla (population: 1,103) and Øvrebø og Hægeland (population: 1,829). The municipality existed until 1 July 1896, when it was split to create two municipalities: Øvrebø
(population: 888) and Hægeland
(population: 843). These two municipalities later merged into Vennesla.
Former municipalities of Norway
This is a list of former municipalities of Norway, i.e. municipalities that no longer exist.When the local council system was introduced in Norway in 1837-38, the country had 392 municipalities. In 1958 the number had grown to a total of 744 rural municipalities, 64 city municipalities as well as a...
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...
in 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 northern part of the present-day municipality of Vennesla
Vennesla
Vennesla is a municipality in Vest-Agder county, Norway. Vennesla was separated from Øvrebø in 1861. Øvrebø and Hægeland were merged with Vennesla again on 1 January 1964...
, just to the west of the Otra
Otra
The Otra river is the largest river in the Sørlandet region of Norway. It flows from the Setesdalsheiene mountains in Bykle municipality in Aust-Agder county in the north, down to the municipality of Kristiansand in the south, where it flows into the Skagerrak.The Otra is long, making it Norway’s...
river.
Name
The municipality is a combination of the names of two parishes: Øvrebø and Hægeland. Øvrebø is named after the old Øvrebø 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....
: Øfribœr), since the first church was built there. The first part of the name means "upper" and second part of the name is identical with the word bœr which means "farm
Farm
A farm is an area of land, or, for aquaculture, lake, river or sea, including various structures, devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food , fibres and, increasingly, fuel. It is the basic production facility in food production. Farms may be owned and operated by a single...
" and it is cognate with the Dutch language
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
word "boer" which means "farmer
Farmer
A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, who raises living organisms for food or raw materials, generally including livestock husbandry and growing crops, such as produce and grain...
". The name therefore means "the upper farm".
Hægeland is named after the old Hægeland 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....
: Helgaland). The first element of the name means "holy" (Old Norse: heilagr and ) and the last element (Old Norse: land) is identical with the word land which means "land". This area was important to ancient Norse pagan worship
Norse mythology
Norse mythology, a subset of Germanic mythology, is the overall term for the myths, legends and beliefs about supernatural beings of Norse pagans. It flourished prior to the Christianization of Scandinavia, during the Early Middle Ages, and passed into Nordic folklore, with some aspects surviving...
.
History
The municipality of Øvrebø og Hægeland was established in 1865 when the old municipality of ØvrebøØvrebø
Øvrebø is a rural district, a village, and a former municipality in Vest-Agder county in Norway. It is located in the present-day municipality of Vennesla, situated about north-northwest of Kristiansand....
was divided into Vennesla (population: 1,103) and Øvrebø og Hægeland (population: 1,829). The municipality existed until 1 July 1896, when it was split to create two municipalities: Øvrebø
Øvrebø
Øvrebø is a rural district, a village, and a former municipality in Vest-Agder county in Norway. It is located in the present-day municipality of Vennesla, situated about north-northwest of Kristiansand....
(population: 888) and Hægeland
Hægeland
Hægeland is a village and a former municipality in Vest-Agder county in Norway. It is located in the northern part of the present-day municipality of Vennesla, just west of the Kilefjorden.-Name:...
(population: 843). These two municipalities later merged into Vennesla.