Avaldsnes
Encyclopedia
Avaldsnes was an ancient centre of power on the west coast of Norway and is the site of one of Norway’s more important areas of cultural history. Avaldsnes, formerly an independent municipality
, is now a part of the municipality of Karmøy
in Rogaland
County, Norway
.
). On the 16th of August 1866 Kopervik
separated from Avaldsnes, and became an independent municipality. At this time Avaldsnes had 4,735 inhabitants. On the 1st of January 1909 Stangaland
(Kopervik
) separated from Avaldsnes. As a result, the population of Avaldsnes was down to 3,213 inhabitants.
On January 1, 1965 Avaldsnes was divided and merged into the municipalities of Karmøy
and Tysvær
. One part of the municipality with a population of 4,153 inhabitants, was merged along with the municipalities of Kopervik
, Skudenes
, Skudeneshavn
, Torvastad
Åkra
into Karmøy
municipality. Another part, consisting of the districts of Førre, Gismarvik and Stegaberg with a population of 994, was merged with Tysvær
municipality. As of January 1, 2009 Avaldsnes had 5,958 inhabitants.
, who allegedly had his seat in Karmsundet. There had been an ancient centre of power at Avaldsnes. The shipping lane is forced into a narrow passage just by Avaldsnes. It is probably the shipping traffic on the strait which has generated power and riches through the ages. King Harald Fairhair chose Avaldsnes for his main royal estate in about 870 making it the oldest royal seat in Norway.
According to legend, Olav Trygvason had a church built at Avaldsnes, apparently as a manor chapel for the king’s residence. This would probably have been a quite small stave church
. Construction of the present day church, St. Olav's Church of Avaldsnes (Norwegian: Olavskirken) was started approximately 1250 AD, on the order of King Håkon Håkonsson. It was not completed until nearly 1320. Dedicated to St. Olav, it was one of the greatest Norwegian stone churches from the Middle Ages
and it was one of only four the royal collegiate churches in Norway. The church was an important station of the Pilgrim's Route
to Nidaros
which ran along the coast.
located his main farm at Avaldsnes in about 870. In 953, King Haakon the Good
fought a fierce battle at the Bloodheights (Slaget på Blodeheia ved Avaldsnes) against the sons of his half-brother King Eirik Bloodaxe. The forces of King Haakon won the battle and he would reign as King of Norway until his death during 961.
This site contains the only Norwegian example of Bronze Age
burial mounds lined up in a row. A ship burial from the time of the Merovingian Dynasty
(approximately 680-750 AD) found here is presently the oldest ship burial uncovered within the Nordic countries.
oar-powered vessel, with a breadth of 2.5 - 6 meter.
in 1902, and contained an approximately 15 metres (49.2 ft) long boat with remains of a man’s grave from the 10th century. Dendrochronological studies carried out in 2009 show that the ships from Oseberg, Grønhaug and Storhaug along with the boat found at Storhaug were all built from oak from the same area of Southwest Norway.
word haugr meaning hill or mound, is situated just north of the church. Originally it had a diameter of 43 metres (141.1 ft) and a height of 5 metres (16 ft), but it was flattened under the leadership of Pastor Lyder Brun in 1835. The mound turned out to be Norway’s richest grave from the Roman Period. The Avaldsnes find (Norwegian: Avaldsnesfunnet) contained a neck ring of 600 grams (19.3 ozt) of pure gold, weapons, bandolier
mountings and various roman tubs of silver and bronze.
There is a replica of a farm from the Viking Age
with several buildings, including reproductions of a longhouse and boathouses on the island of Bukkøy. The 25-metre long house at the Viking farm is a trestle construction with curving walls and a double curved roof covered with wooden shingles.
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
, is now a part of the municipality of Karmøy
Karmøy
Karmøy is a municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. It is located southwest of the city of Haugesund in the traditional district of Haugaland....
in Rogaland
Rogaland
is a county in Western Norway, bordering Hordaland, Telemark, Aust-Agder and Vest-Agder. It is the center of the Norwegian petroleum industry, and as a result of this, Rogaland has the lowest unemployment rate of any county in Norway, 1.1%...
County, 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...
.
Political development
The parish of Avaldsnæs was established as a municipality January 1, 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...
). On the 16th of August 1866 Kopervik
Kopervik
Kopervik is the largest city on the island of Karmøy in the county of Rogaland, Norway and is the administrative centre of the municipality of Karmøy, and Kopervik have 8,192 inhabitants. It is part of the traditional district of Haugaland. -Population:...
separated from Avaldsnes, and became an independent municipality. At this time Avaldsnes had 4,735 inhabitants. On the 1st of January 1909 Stangaland
Stangaland
Stangaland is a former municipality of the traditional district of Haugaland in Rogaland county, Norway.It was created by a split from Avaldsnes on January 1, 1909. The new municipality had a population of 1.001....
(Kopervik
Kopervik
Kopervik is the largest city on the island of Karmøy in the county of Rogaland, Norway and is the administrative centre of the municipality of Karmøy, and Kopervik have 8,192 inhabitants. It is part of the traditional district of Haugaland. -Population:...
) separated from Avaldsnes. As a result, the population of Avaldsnes was down to 3,213 inhabitants.
On January 1, 1965 Avaldsnes was divided and merged into the municipalities of Karmøy
Karmøy
Karmøy is a municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. It is located southwest of the city of Haugesund in the traditional district of Haugaland....
and Tysvær
Tysvær
Tysvær is a municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. It is part of the region of Haugaland. The municipality is located at the northern side of Boknafjord, east of Karmøy. Tysvær has a population of 9,349 and an area of 419 km². Aksdalsvatnet is a lake in this municipality.Local...
. One part of the municipality with a population of 4,153 inhabitants, was merged along with the municipalities of Kopervik
Kopervik
Kopervik is the largest city on the island of Karmøy in the county of Rogaland, Norway and is the administrative centre of the municipality of Karmøy, and Kopervik have 8,192 inhabitants. It is part of the traditional district of Haugaland. -Population:...
, Skudenes
Skudenes
Skudenes is a former municipality of the traditional district of Haugaland in Rogaland county, Norway.The parish of Skudesnæs was established as a municipality January 1, 1838 ....
, Skudeneshavn
Skudeneshavn
is a city on the southernmost tip of the island of Karmøy in Norway. It is part of the traditional district of Haugaland...
, Torvastad
Torvastad
-History:The parish of Torvestad was established as a municipality January 1, 1838 . On 1 February 1855 the district Haugesund was separated from Torvastad to form a municipality of its own. The split left Torvastad with 3,242 inhabitants. Further division took place when Skåre broke out on 1...
Åkra
Åkra
Åkra is a former municipality of the traditional district of Haugaland in Rogaland county, Norway. Åkrehamn is the official name of Åkra. Locally the name is Haugalandet under Åkra. It is part of the settlement Åkrehamn / Vedavågen which has 9,946 inhabitants ,Åkra was created by a split from...
into Karmøy
Karmøy
Karmøy is a municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. It is located southwest of the city of Haugesund in the traditional district of Haugaland....
municipality. Another part, consisting of the districts of Førre, Gismarvik and Stegaberg with a population of 994, was merged with Tysvær
Tysvær
Tysvær is a municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. It is part of the region of Haugaland. The municipality is located at the northern side of Boknafjord, east of Karmøy. Tysvær has a population of 9,349 and an area of 419 km². Aksdalsvatnet is a lake in this municipality.Local...
municipality. As of January 1, 2009 Avaldsnes had 5,958 inhabitants.
History
Avaldsnes is believed to have been named after the legendary King AugvaldAugvald
King Augvald was a semi-legendary figure from the Norse sagas. He reportedly lived at Karmøy, controlling the realm that included parts of what is today Hordaland and southern Norway. Avaldsnes on the island of Karmøy is allegedly named after King Augvald.-Biography:according to the sagas, King...
, who allegedly had his seat in Karmsundet. There had been an ancient centre of power at Avaldsnes. The shipping lane is forced into a narrow passage just by Avaldsnes. It is probably the shipping traffic on the strait which has generated power and riches through the ages. King Harald Fairhair chose Avaldsnes for his main royal estate in about 870 making it the oldest royal seat in Norway.
According to legend, Olav Trygvason had a church built at Avaldsnes, apparently as a manor chapel for the king’s residence. This would probably have been a quite small 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...
. Construction of the present day church, St. Olav's Church of Avaldsnes (Norwegian: Olavskirken) was started approximately 1250 AD, on the order of King Håkon Håkonsson. It was not completed until nearly 1320. Dedicated to St. Olav, it was one of the greatest Norwegian stone churches from the Middle Ages
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...
and it was one of only four the royal collegiate churches in Norway. The church was an important station of the Pilgrim's Route
Pilgrim's Route
The Pilgrim's Route, also known as St. Olav's Way or the Old Kings' Road, was a pilgrimage route to the Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim, Norway, the site of the tomb of St. Olav. The main route is approximately long...
to Nidaros
Nidaros
Nidaros or Niðarós was during the Middle Ages, the old name of Trondheim, Norway . Until the Reformation, Nidaros remained the centre of the spiritual life of the country...
which ran along the coast.
Archaeology and Excavation
Rich discoveries from prehistory have been made in the entire area. Reheia – also known as Blodheia – is located approximately one kilometre (1,100 yards) west of the Church. King Harald I of NorwayHarald I of Norway
Harald Fairhair or Harald Finehair , , son of Halfdan the Black, was the first king of Norway.-Background:Little is known of the historical Harald...
located his main farm at Avaldsnes in about 870. In 953, King Haakon the Good
Haakon I of Norway
Haakon I , , given the byname the Good, was the third king of Norway and the youngest son of Harald Fairhair and Thora Mosterstang.-Early life:...
fought a fierce battle at the Bloodheights (Slaget på Blodeheia ved Avaldsnes) against the sons of his half-brother King Eirik Bloodaxe. The forces of King Haakon won the battle and he would reign as King of Norway until his death during 961.
This site contains the only Norwegian example of Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
burial mounds lined up in a row. A ship burial from the time of the Merovingian Dynasty
Merovingian dynasty
The Merovingians were a Salian Frankish dynasty that came to rule the Franks in a region largely corresponding to ancient Gaul from the middle of the 5th century. Their politics involved frequent civil warfare among branches of the family...
(approximately 680-750 AD) found here is presently the oldest ship burial uncovered within the Nordic countries.
Storhaug
Storhaug (Great Mound), a ship's burial mound, can be found to the north of the royal estate at Avaldsnes. Excavation of this burial mound started in 1886. The ship at Storhaug was made of oak and was placed in a north-south orientation. Stone walls of approximately 1m in height and width were built around the great ship. The Storhaug ship is commonly described as a largeoar-powered vessel, with a breadth of 2.5 - 6 meter.
Grønhaug
Grønhaug (Green Mound), the site of another ship burial, is situated one kilometre (1,100 yards) north of the church site. It was examined by Haakon SheteligHaakon Shetelig
Haakon Shetelig was a Norwegian archaeologist, historian and museum director. He was a pioneer in archaeology known for his study of art from the Viking Age in Norway...
in 1902, and contained an approximately 15 metres (49.2 ft) long boat with remains of a man’s grave from the 10th century. Dendrochronological studies carried out in 2009 show that the ships from Oseberg, Grønhaug and Storhaug along with the boat found at Storhaug were all built from oak from the same area of Southwest Norway.
Flagghaugen
Flagghaugen (Flag Hill), from 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....
word haugr meaning hill or mound, is situated just north of the church. Originally it had a diameter of 43 metres (141.1 ft) and a height of 5 metres (16 ft), but it was flattened under the leadership of Pastor Lyder Brun in 1835. The mound turned out to be Norway’s richest grave from the Roman Period. The Avaldsnes find (Norwegian: Avaldsnesfunnet) contained a neck ring of 600 grams (19.3 ozt) of pure gold, weapons, bandolier
Bandolier
A bandolier or a bandoleer is a pocketed belt for holding ammunition. It was usually slung over the chest. In its original form, it was common issue to soldiers from the 16th to 18th centuries. This was very useful for quickly reloading a musket....
mountings and various roman tubs of silver and bronze.
Mary's Needle
Mary's Needle, known in Norwegian as the sewing needle of Virgin Mary (Norwegian: Jomfru Marias synål) is the only one remaining of several monumental stones which once stood around the church area. The stone has been somewhat taller, but, towering at 7.2 meters it is still the next largest of its kind in Norway. The stone leans in towards the church wall—the distance to the wall is in fact only 9.2 cm. A saga tells that "the day of Judgement will come when the stone comes into contact with the church wall". A popular story tells us about a minister in ages past who climbed the monument and cutting off a piece from the stone when it came dangerously near the church wall.Nordvegen History Centre
Nordvegen History Centre (Norwegian: Nordvegen historiesenter) was opened in 2005, in order to raise the profile of the historical qualities of Avaldsnes. The centre is located by the site of St. Olav’s Church. To best preserve the integrity of the church stemming from the Middle Ages as well as the historical landscape, most of the centre is located underground.There is a replica of a farm from the Viking Age
Viking Age
Viking Age is the term for the period in European history, especially Northern European and Scandinavian history, spanning the late 8th to 11th centuries. Scandinavian Vikings explored Europe by its oceans and rivers through trade and warfare. The Vikings also reached Iceland, Greenland,...
with several buildings, including reproductions of a longhouse and boathouses on the island of Bukkøy. The 25-metre long house at the Viking farm is a trestle construction with curving walls and a double curved roof covered with wooden shingles.
Other sources
- Opedal, Arnfrid (1998) De glemte skipsgravene: Makt og myter pa Avaldsnes (Arkeologisk museum i Stavanger) ISBN 978-8277600437
- Shetelig, HaakonHaakon SheteligHaakon Shetelig was a Norwegian archaeologist, historian and museum director. He was a pioneer in archaeology known for his study of art from the Viking Age in Norway...
(1978) Scandinavian Archaeology (Hacker Art Books) ISBN 978-0878171934