Hareidlandet
Encyclopedia
Hareidlandet is an island
in Møre og Romsdal
county, Norway
. It is located in the municipalities of Hareid
and Ulstein
. The 166 square kilometres (64.1 sq mi) island has a population (2008) of 11,687. The island is mentioned by Snorri in his reports about the Battle of Hjörungavágr
(today this is Hjørungavåg) in 986 where Haakon Jarl
defeated Bue Digre and the Jomsvikings
. The island is then referred to as Höð.
The island is home to a town, Ulsteinvik
, and several larger villages: Eiksund
, Haddal
, Hasund, Brandal, Hareid
, and Hjørungavåg. The island is connected to the mainland via the Eiksund Bridge
to the island of Eika
which in turn is connected to the mainland through the Eiksund Tunnel
. On the west side, the island has bridge connections to the islands of Dimnøya
and Gurskøy
a.
god Höðr
(the blind god who unwittingly killed Baldr, the Norse god of light, beauty and fertility). A different theory states that the name is derived from the Norse word for battle, hoð, and that it either is a reference to the Battle of Hjörungavágr
that was fought on the island, or to a certain warrior or warrior tribe inhabiting it. The name may also be a derivative of the Norse word for goat
, hod.
The Norse name of the island was actually adopted by the local association football team of the municipality Ulstein, IL Hødd (an abstraction of Höð), when the team was established in 1919.
Theories on how the name Höð over the course of time became Hareidlandet are many and often diverging. Some linguists claim that the name Hareid is derived from the genitive form of höð, "haðar", and the word eid, which is the Norwegian word for a piece of land dividing two areas of water (e.g. a strip of land dividing a lake or a river ford). This combination led to the name Haðareid which in time has been simplified to Hareid. The suffix, -landet, which in Norwegian means “the land” has probably been added in later times. Other linguists claim that the name Hareid actually could have arisen separately from Höð and from completely other origins, and that it in later centuries has replaced the old name.
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...
in Møre og Romsdal
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, 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 municipalities of Hareid
Hareid
Hareid is a village and municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the Sunnmøre region. The administrative centre is the village of Hareid...
and Ulstein
Ulstein
Ulstein is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the Sunnmøre region. The commercial and administrative centre of Ulstein is Ulsteinvik, population 5,251 . The municipality occupies the western half of the island of Hareidlandet, as well as about 30 or more smaller...
. The 166 square kilometres (64.1 sq mi) island has a population (2008) of 11,687. The island is mentioned by Snorri in his reports about the Battle of Hjörungavágr
Battle of Hjörungavágr
The Battle of Hjörungavágr is a semi-legendary naval battle that took place in the late 10th century between the Jarls of Lade and a Danish invasion fleet led by the fabled Jomsvikings...
(today this is Hjørungavåg) in 986 where Haakon Jarl
Haakon Sigurdsson
Haakon Sigurdarsson was the de facto ruler of Norway from about 975 to 995.-Background:Haakon was the son of Sigurd Haakonsson, Jarl of Lade and ruler of Trøndelag and Hålogaland. His mother was Bergljot Toresdatter, daughter of Tore Ragnvaldsson, Earl of Møre...
defeated Bue Digre and the Jomsvikings
Jomsvikings
The Jomsvikings were a possibly-legendary company of Viking mercenaries or brigands of the 10th century and 14th century AD, dedicated to the worship of such deities as Odin and Thor. They were staunchly pagan, but they reputedly would fight for any lord able to pay their substantial fees, and...
. The island is then referred to as Höð.
The island is home to a town, Ulsteinvik
Ulsteinvik
is the commercial and administrative centre of the municipality of Ulstein in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The urban area of Ulsteinvik has a population of 5,251 people. As such, Ulsteinvik contains 74% of the population of the municipality of Ulstein...
, and several larger villages: Eiksund
Eiksund
Eiksund is a village in the municipality of Ulstein in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located on the southern tip of the island of Hareidlandet...
, Haddal
Haddal
Haddal is a village in the municipality of Ulstein in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The village has a population of 292. The village is located on the western side of Hareidlandet island about northwest of Eiksund, about southeast of the island of Dimnøya, and about south of Ulsteinvik....
, Hasund, Brandal, Hareid
Hareid
Hareid is a village and municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the Sunnmøre region. The administrative centre is the village of Hareid...
, and Hjørungavåg. The island is connected to the mainland via the Eiksund Bridge
Eiksund Bridge
Eiksund Bridge is a cantilever bridge in the municipality of Ulstein in the Sunnmøre region of Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The bridge is connected to the Eiksund Tunnel as part of the Eiksund Sambandet which joins several islands in the municipalities of Ulstein, Herøy, Sande, and Hareid to...
to the island of Eika
Eika, Møre og Romsdal
Eika is an island in the municipality of Ulstein in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is connected to the village of Eiksund on the island of Hareidlandet by the Eiksund Bridge. Eika is connected to the mainland of Norway by the Eiksund Tunnel....
which in turn is connected to the mainland through the Eiksund Tunnel
Eiksund Tunnel
The Eiksund tunnel is an undersea tunnel between the municipalities of Ørsta and Ulstein in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The Eiksund Bridge joins Hareidlandet island and the village of Eiksund with the nearby island Eika. The Eiksund Tunnel begins at the south end of the bridge and connects...
. On the west side, the island has bridge connections to the islands of Dimnøya
Dimnøya
Dimnøya is an island in the municipality of Ulstein in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is connected to the island of Hareidlandet to the east by a bridge. The town of Ulsteinvik lies northeast of the island....
and Gurskøy
Gurskøy
Gurskøy is an island in the municipalities of Sande and Herøy in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The island has an area of . The villages of Gursken, Larsnes, and Moldtustranda are located on the island...
a.
Etymology
The main belief amongst linguists and historians is that the name Hareidlandet is derived from Höð. There are many theories about the meaning of the name Höð. One of the most plausible theories is that Höð was a reference to a central place of worship for the NorseNorse 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...
god Höðr
Höðr
Höðr is the brother of Baldr in Norse mythology. Guided by Loki he shot the mistletoe missile which was to slay the otherwise invulnerable Baldr....
(the blind god who unwittingly killed Baldr, the Norse god of light, beauty and fertility). A different theory states that the name is derived from the Norse word for battle, hoð, and that it either is a reference to the Battle of Hjörungavágr
Battle of Hjörungavágr
The Battle of Hjörungavágr is a semi-legendary naval battle that took place in the late 10th century between the Jarls of Lade and a Danish invasion fleet led by the fabled Jomsvikings...
that was fought on the island, or to a certain warrior or warrior tribe inhabiting it. The name may also be a derivative of the Norse word for goat
Goat
The domestic goat is a subspecies of goat domesticated from the wild goat of southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the Bovidae family and is closely related to the sheep as both are in the goat-antelope subfamily Caprinae. There are over three hundred distinct breeds of...
, hod.
The Norse name of the island was actually adopted by the local association football team of the municipality Ulstein, IL Hødd (an abstraction of Höð), when the team was established in 1919.
Theories on how the name Höð over the course of time became Hareidlandet are many and often diverging. Some linguists claim that the name Hareid is derived from the genitive form of höð, "haðar", and the word eid, which is the Norwegian word for a piece of land dividing two areas of water (e.g. a strip of land dividing a lake or a river ford). This combination led to the name Haðareid which in time has been simplified to Hareid. The suffix, -landet, which in Norwegian means “the land” has probably been added in later times. Other linguists claim that the name Hareid actually could have arisen separately from Höð and from completely other origins, and that it in later centuries has replaced the old name.