Alstahaug
Encyclopedia
Alstahaug is a municipality
in Nordland
county
, Norway
. It is part of the Helgeland
region
. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Sandnessjøen
.
The centre of Alstahaug is the town Sandnessjøen situated on the island of Alsten
. The characteristic mountain range of the Seven Sisters
is to be found on the island. Local legend has made this chain of peaks into seven sisters, two adjacent peaks representing twin sisters.
The island is connected to the mainland via the impressive Helgeland Bridge
along route Rv17.
) is named after the old Alstahaug farm (Old Norse
: Alastarhaugr), since the first church was built there. The first element is the genitive case
of the name of the island
Alöst (now Alsten
) and the last element is haugr which means "hill
" or "mound
".
is from modern times. They were granted on 8 August 1986. The arms show the Seven Sisters
, a row of mountain
s in the area, mirrored in the clear waters of the fjord
.
). Three other municipalities were later separated from it: Herøy
(in 1862), Tjøtta
(with Vevelstad
in 1862), and Sandnessjøen
(with Leirfjord
in 1899). Tjøtta (without Vevelstad) and Sandnessjøen (without Leirfjord) were, however, again merged with Alstahaug on 1 January 1965. The area of Nordvik
was transferred from Alstahaug to Herøy
in 1864. The mainland area of Alstahaug was transferred to Vefsn
in 1995.
At Alstahaug, at the opposite end of the island, one finds the medieval
church of Alstahaug, where the poet
and minister Petter Dass
worked around 1700. Tjøtta
, another island, is the place where the famous Viking
Hårek resided in the 11th century.
in an area that is known as Outer Helgeland
, Alstahaug offers the visiting bird watcher
a chance to do some birding in spectacular scenery, be it coastal or inland where The Seven Sisters
mountain chain marks the boundary between the habitat
s. One of the better areas to birdwatch is Tjøtta
. Here you will find the small nature reserve
Ostjønna.
Municipalities of Norway
Norway is divided into 19 administrative regions, called counties , and 430 municipalities...
in Nordland
Nordland
is a county in Norway in the North Norway region, bordering Troms in the north, Nord-Trøndelag in the south, Norrbottens län in Sweden to the east, Västerbottens län to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. The county was formerly known as Nordlandene amt. The county administration is...
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 Helgeland
Helgeland
Helgeland is the most southerly district in Northern Norway. Generally speaking, Helgeland refers to the part of Nordland county that is located south of the Arctic Circle. The district covers an area of about , with nearly 79,000 inhabitants...
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,...
. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Sandnessjøen
Sandnessjøen
Sandnessjøen is the centre of the municipality of Alstahaug in the county of Nordland, Norway, with a population of over 9,000. It was made a township in 1788....
.
Alsten
Alsten is an island in Alstahaug municipality off the coast of Nordland county, Norway. The Seven Sisters mountain range and the town Sandnessjøen are situated on the island.Its area is 153 km². The highest point is Botnkrona, 1072 m....
. The characteristic mountain range of the Seven Sisters
De syv søstre
De syv søstre is a mountain range on the island of Alsten in Norway.The seven peaks are :* Botnkrona * Grytfoten * Skjæringen * Tvillingene...
is to be found on the island. Local legend has made this chain of peaks into seven sisters, two adjacent peaks representing twin sisters.
The island is connected to the mainland via the impressive Helgeland Bridge
Helgeland Bridge
Helgeland Bridge is a cable-stayed bridge that crosses Leirfjorden between the mainland and Alsten in Nordland county in Norway. It connects the town of Sandnessjøen to the mainland. The bridge is 1065 metres long, The main span is 425 metres, and the maximum clearance to the sea is 45 metres. The...
along route Rv17.
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 Alstahaug 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....
: Alastarhaugr), since the first church was built there. 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 name of the island
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
Alöst (now Alsten
Alsten
Alsten is an island in Alstahaug municipality off the coast of Nordland county, Norway. The Seven Sisters mountain range and the town Sandnessjøen are situated on the island.Its area is 153 km². The highest point is Botnkrona, 1072 m....
) and the last element is haugr which means "hill
Hill
A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. Hills often have a distinct summit, although in areas with scarp/dip topography a hill may refer to a particular section of flat terrain without a massive summit A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. Hills...
" or "mound
Mound
A mound is a general term for an artificial heaped pile of earth, gravel, sand, rocks, or debris. The most common use is in reference to natural earthen formation such as hills and mountains, particularly if they appear artificial. The term may also be applied to any rounded area of topographically...
".
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 8 August 1986. The arms show the Seven Sisters
De syv søstre
De syv søstre is a mountain range on the island of Alsten in Norway.The seven peaks are :* Botnkrona * Grytfoten * Skjæringen * Tvillingene...
, a row of mountain
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
s in the area, mirrored in the clear waters of the fjord
Fjord
Geologically, a fjord is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created in a valley carved by glacial activity.-Formation:A fjord is formed when a glacier cuts a U-shaped valley by abrasion of the surrounding bedrock. Glacial melting is accompanied by rebound of Earth's crust as the ice...
.
History
Alstahaug was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistriktFormannskapsdistrikt
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...
). Three other municipalities were later separated from it: Herøy
Herøy, Nordland
Herøy is a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the Helgeland traditional region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Herøy. Herøy was separated from Alstahaug in 1862...
(in 1862), Tjøtta
Tjøtta
Tjøtta is an island, village and former municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is now part of Alstahaug municipality..-Location:The village Tjøtta is located on the southern tip of the island of the same name, which is located south of Alsten.The municipality was created in 1862 by a split...
(with Vevelstad
Vevelstad
Vevelstad is a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the Helgeland traditional region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Forvika. -General information:...
in 1862), and Sandnessjøen
Sandnessjøen
Sandnessjøen is the centre of the municipality of Alstahaug in the county of Nordland, Norway, with a population of over 9,000. It was made a township in 1788....
(with Leirfjord
Leirfjord
Leirfjord is a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the Helgeland traditional region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Leland....
in 1899). Tjøtta (without Vevelstad) and Sandnessjøen (without Leirfjord) were, however, again merged with Alstahaug on 1 January 1965. The area of Nordvik
Nordvik
Nordvik is a former municipality in Nordland county, Norway.It was created by a split from Herøy on 1 July 1917. At that time Nordvik had a population of 1,530.On 1 January 1962 Nordvik became a part of the new municipality Dønna...
was transferred from Alstahaug to Herøy
Herøy, Nordland
Herøy is a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the Helgeland traditional region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Herøy. Herøy was separated from Alstahaug in 1862...
in 1864. The mainland area of Alstahaug was transferred to Vefsn
Vefsn
Vefsn is a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the Helgeland traditional region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Mosjøen....
in 1995.
At Alstahaug, at the opposite end of the island, one finds the 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...
church of Alstahaug, where the poet
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...
and minister Petter Dass
Petter Dass
Petter Dass was a Lutheran clergyman and the foremost Norwegian poet of his generation, writing both baroque hymns and topographical poetry. -Biography:He was born at Northern Herøy , Nordland, Norway...
worked around 1700. Tjøtta
Tjøtta
Tjøtta is an island, village and former municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is now part of Alstahaug municipality..-Location:The village Tjøtta is located on the southern tip of the island of the same name, which is located south of Alsten.The municipality was created in 1862 by a split...
, another island, is the place where the famous Viking
Viking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
Hårek resided in the 11th century.
Birdlife
Lying just south of the Arctic CircleArctic Circle
The Arctic Circle is one of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. For Epoch 2011, it is the parallel of latitude that runs north of the Equator....
in an area that is known as Outer Helgeland
Helgeland
Helgeland is the most southerly district in Northern Norway. Generally speaking, Helgeland refers to the part of Nordland county that is located south of the Arctic Circle. The district covers an area of about , with nearly 79,000 inhabitants...
, Alstahaug offers the visiting bird watcher
Birdwatching
Birdwatching or birding is the observation of birds as a recreational activity. It can be done with the naked eye, through a visual enhancement device like binoculars and telescopes, or by listening for bird sounds. Birding often involves a significant auditory component, as many bird species are...
a chance to do some birding in spectacular scenery, be it coastal or inland where The Seven Sisters
De syv søstre
De syv søstre is a mountain range on the island of Alsten in Norway.The seven peaks are :* Botnkrona * Grytfoten * Skjæringen * Tvillingene...
mountain chain marks the boundary between the habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
s. One of the better areas to birdwatch is Tjøtta
Tjøtta
Tjøtta is an island, village and former municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is now part of Alstahaug municipality..-Location:The village Tjøtta is located on the southern tip of the island of the same name, which is located south of Alsten.The municipality was created in 1862 by a split...
. Here you will find the small nature reserve
Nature reserve
A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...
Ostjønna.