Giske
Encyclopedia
Giske is an island and municipality in Møre og Romsdal
county
, Norway
. It lies north-northwest of the town of Ålesund
in the Sunnmøre
traditional district
. The municipal center is the village of Nordstrand
on the island of Valderøy
. Other population centers include the villages of Roald
(on Vigra
island) and Alnes
and Leitebakk
(both on Godøy
island). The municipality is part of the Ålesund Region
.
. The initial population of the new municipality was 1,708. Then on 1 January 1964, the neighboring municipality of Vigra
was merged into Giske. The newly enlarged municipality had a population of 4,644.
: Gizki), since the first church was built there. The name is (probably) identical with the word gizki which means "tablecloth
" or "rag
" (maybe because the island
is small and flat).
is from modern times. It was granted on 14 June 1985, but it has old roots. It is a gold lion rampant (i.e., in walking position) guardant (i.e., facing the viewer) on a blue shield. The arms are based on the old seal of Erling Vidkunsson
, who already used the lion
on his seal in 1355. His family was one of the most wealthy and influential families in the county, and had their origins and estate in Giske.
has three parishes with four churches, within the municipality of Giske. It is part of the Diocese of Møre
and the Rural Deanery
(Prosti) of Nordre Sunnmøre.
breakdown is as follows:
, which is where Ålesund's airport
is located, Valderøy
, where the municipal administration is located, and Godøy
. There are also many smaller islands within its boundaries. The islands are connected by a network of tunnels and the Giske Bridge
. The Alnes lighthouse
and the Storholmen lighthouse
are both located on islands in the municipality.
. The site was the location of excavations in 1847, 1867 and 1878. Giske is also the place where, according to Snorre Sturlason, Harald Fairhair had his hair cut after uniting Norway. The historic Giske church is also located on the island of Giske.
Møre og Romsdal
is a county in the northernmost part of Western Norway. It borders the counties of Sør-Trøndelag, Oppland and Sogn og Fjordane. The county administration is located in Molde, while Ålesund is the largest city.-The name:...
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 lies north-northwest of the town of Ålesund
Ålesund
is a town and municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the traditional district of Sunnmøre, and the center of the Ålesund Region. It is a sea port, and is noted for its unique concentration of Art Nouveau architecture....
in the Sunnmøre
Sunnmøre
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,...
traditional district
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 municipal center is the village of Nordstrand
Nordstrand, Møre og Romsdal
Nordstrand is the administrative center of the municipality of Giske in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The village is located on the east side of Valderøy island. The village has a population of 3,214....
on the island of Valderøy
Valderøy
Valderøya is an island off the west coast of Norway. It is part of the municipality of Giske in Møre og Romsdal county. The island is connected to Ålesund in the south via undersea tunnels through the island of Ellingsøy, to the island Vigra to the north by a bridge, and to the island of Giske to...
. Other population centers include the villages of Roald
Roald
Roald is a village on the island of Vigra in the municipality of Giske in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. Roald is also the old name for the former municipality of Vigra...
(on Vigra
Vigra
Vigra is an island and former municipality on the west coast of Norway. It is in the present-day municipality of Giske in Møre og Romsdal county. The former municipality was made up of the island of Vigra along with many smaller islets surrounding it...
island) and Alnes
Alnes
Alnes is a small village on Godøya island in the municipality of Giske in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located on the north side of the island about northwest of the village of Leitebakk, accessible through a tunnel through the mountainous center part of the island.The predominant...
and Leitebakk
Leitebakk
Leitebakk is a small village on the island of Godøya in the municipality of Giske in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The village is located about southeast of the village of Alnes, the location of the Alnes lighthouse. The village has a population of 581, which gives the village a population...
(both on Godøy
Godøy
Godøy is an island in the municipality of Giske in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The island is famous for its beautiful nature, dominated by the tall mountain Storhornet and the large lake Alnesvatnet....
island). The municipality is part of the Ålesund Region
Ålesund Region
The Ålesund Region is a metropolitan region in Møre og Romsdal county in western Norway. It consists of a number of municipalities, centered around the city/municipality of Ålesund....
.
General information
The municipality of Giske was established on 1 January 1908 when it was separated from the large municipality of BorgundBorgund, Møre og Romsdal
Borgund is a former municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The municipality consisted of the islands of Sula, Humla, Tørla, and Ellingsøya, as well as parts of Oksenøya, Hessa, and Nørvøya, plus many minor islands throughout the area...
. The initial population of the new municipality was 1,708. Then on 1 January 1964, the neighboring municipality of Vigra
Vigra
Vigra is an island and former municipality on the west coast of Norway. It is in the present-day municipality of Giske in Møre og Romsdal county. The former municipality was made up of the island of Vigra along with many smaller islets surrounding it...
was merged into Giske. The newly enlarged municipality had a population of 4,644.
Name
The municipality is named after the farm and island Giske (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....
: Gizki), since the first church was built there. The name is (probably) identical with the word gizki which means "tablecloth
Tablecloth
A tablecloth is a cloth used to cover a table. Some are mainly ornamental coverings, which may also help protect the table from scratches and stains. Other tablecloths are designed to be spread on a dining table before laying out tableware and food....
" or "rag
Rag
Rag or rags may refer to:*A torn, threadbare or otherwise inferior piece of textile.*A piece of ragtime music.*Raga, the musical scale of a composition in Indian classical music.*Rag...
" (maybe because 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...
is small and flat).
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. It was granted on 14 June 1985, but it has old roots. It is a gold lion rampant (i.e., in walking position) guardant (i.e., facing the viewer) on a blue shield. The arms are based on the old seal of Erling Vidkunsson
Erling Vidkunsson
Erling Vidkunsson was Lord High Justiciar of Norway, Lord of Bjarkoy and Giske and the Norwegian regent. Erling received the position of drottsete of the country and was probably the most important and wealthy Norwegian noble of his era. Erling Vidkunsson was born into a noble family of Bjarkøy...
, who already used the lion
Lion
The lion is one of the four big cats in the genus Panthera, and a member of the family Felidae. With some males exceeding 250 kg in weight, it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger...
on his seal in 1355. His family was one of the most wealthy and influential families in the county, and had their origins and estate in Giske.
Churches
The Church of NorwayChurch of Norway
The Church of Norway is the state church of Norway, established after the Lutheran reformation in Denmark-Norway in 1536-1537 broke the ties to the Holy See. The church confesses the Lutheran Christian faith...
has three parishes with four churches, within the municipality of Giske. It is part of the Diocese of Møre
Diocese of Møre
The Diocese of Møre is a diocese in the Church of Norway which geographically consists of Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. Its bishop and cathedral are located in the county administrative center of Molde...
and the Rural Deanery
Deanery
A Deanery is an ecclesiastical entity in both the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England. A deanery is either the jurisdiction or residence of a Dean.- Catholic usage :...
(Prosti) of Nordre Sunnmøre.
| Parish (Sokn) | Church Name | Year Built | Location of the Church |
|---|---|---|---|
| Giske | Giske kyrkje | 1170 | Giske |
| Godøy kapell | 1953 | Leitebakk Leitebakk Leitebakk is a small village on the island of Godøya in the municipality of Giske in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The village is located about southeast of the village of Alnes, the location of the Alnes lighthouse. The village has a population of 581, which gives the village a population... |
|
| Valderøy | Valderøy kyrkje | 1961 | Nordstrand Nordstrand, Møre og Romsdal Nordstrand is the administrative center of the municipality of Giske in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The village is located on the east side of Valderøy island. The village has a population of 3,214.... |
| Vigra | Vigra kyrkje | 1894 | Vigra Vigra Vigra is an island and former municipality on the west coast of Norway. It is in the present-day municipality of Giske in Møre og Romsdal county. The former municipality was made up of the island of Vigra along with many smaller islets surrounding it... |
Politics
In the 2007 municipal elections, Giske recorded the highest vote for the Christian Democratic Party in Norway at 43.2 percent.Municipal council
The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Giske is made up of 23 representatives that are elected to every four years. For 2011–2015, the partyPolitical party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
breakdown is as follows:
Geography
The municipality is composed of four islands: Giske, which gives its name to the municipality because of its historical importance, VigraVigra
Vigra is an island and former municipality on the west coast of Norway. It is in the present-day municipality of Giske in Møre og Romsdal county. The former municipality was made up of the island of Vigra along with many smaller islets surrounding it...
, which is where Ålesund's airport
Ålesund Airport, Vigra
Ålesund Airport, Vigra is an airport which serves the city of Ålesund in Norway and the surrounding regions Sunnmøre, Nordfjord and Romsdal. The airport is located on the island of Vigra in the Giske municipality, northeast of Ålesund city centre and easily accessible through underseas tunnels...
is located, Valderøy
Valderøy
Valderøya is an island off the west coast of Norway. It is part of the municipality of Giske in Møre og Romsdal county. The island is connected to Ålesund in the south via undersea tunnels through the island of Ellingsøy, to the island Vigra to the north by a bridge, and to the island of Giske to...
, where the municipal administration is located, and Godøy
Godøy
Godøy is an island in the municipality of Giske in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The island is famous for its beautiful nature, dominated by the tall mountain Storhornet and the large lake Alnesvatnet....
. There are also many smaller islands within its boundaries. The islands are connected by a network of tunnels and the Giske Bridge
Giske Bridge
Giske Bridge is a concrete beam bridge between the islands of Valderøya and Giske in the municipality of Giske in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The bridge is long, the longest span is , and the maximum clearance to the sea is . The bridge has 11 spans....
. The Alnes lighthouse
Alnes lighthouse
Alnes lighthouse was established in 1852 to guide fishing boats safely to the harbor of the small fishing community of Alnes on Godøy island on the west coast of Norway. It is located on the north side of Godøy island in the municipality of Giske in Møre og Romsdal county, about northwest of...
and the Storholmen lighthouse
Storholmen lighthouse
Storholmen Lighthouse is an active lighthouse in the municipality of Giske in Møre og Romsdal county on the west coast of Norway. This remote lighthouse is located on a tiny skerry about due north of the tiny island of Erkna and northwest of the populated island of Vigra. The light is lit from...
are both located on islands in the municipality.
History
Giske is the site of Mjelthaugen, an ancient burial place dating from the Bronze AgeBronze 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...
. The site was the location of excavations in 1847, 1867 and 1878. Giske is also the place where, according to Snorre Sturlason, Harald Fairhair had his hair cut after uniting Norway. The historic Giske church is also located on the island of Giske.
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...