Jämtland
Encyclopedia
Jämtland (ˈjɛmtˌlanː) or Jamtland (ˈjamtˌlanː) is a historical province
or landskap
in the center of Sweden
in northern Europe
. It borders to Härjedalen
and Medelpad
in the south, Ångermanland
in the east, Lapland in the north and Trøndelag
and Norway
in the west. Jämtland covers an area of 34,009 square kilometres, 8.3% of Sweden's total area and is the second largest province in Sweden. It has a population of 112,717, the majority of whom live in Storsjöbygden, the area surrounding lake Storsjön
. Östersund
is Jämtland's only city and is the 24th most populous city in Sweden.
Jämtland was originally an autonomous peasant
republic
, its own nation
with its own law
, currency
and parliament
. However, Jämtland lacked a public administration
and is thus best regarded as an anarchy
, in its true meaning. Jämtland was conquered by Norway
in 1178 and stayed Norwegian for over 450 years until it was ceded to Sweden in 1645. The province has since been Swedish for roughly 350 years, though the population did not gain Swedish citizenship until 1699. The province's identity is manifested with the concept of a republic within the kingdom of Sweden, although this is only done semi-seriously.
Carl XVI Gustaf
became the Duke of Jämtland
after his christening, a nominal title he still retains.
Historically
, socially and politically Jämtland has been a special territory between Norway and Sweden. This in itself is symbolized in the province's coat of arms where Jämtland, the silver moose, is threatened from the east and from the west. During the unrest period in Jämtland's history (1563–1677) it shifted alignment between the two states no less than 13 times. Jämtland has been linked to the lands west and east of itself, which has been in complete contrast to the competitive Dano-Norwegian and Swedish state's interest. These historical and cultural bonds to Trøndelag and Härjedalen have expressed themselves in the name Øst-Trøndelag
, in addition to the fact that the Jamts historically never considered themselves to be Norrland
ers.
Jämtland has gotten its name from its inhabitants - the Jamts. The name can be traced back to Europe's northernmost runestone, the Frösö Runestone
from the 11th century, where it is found as eotalont (normalized Old Norse
: Jamtaland). The root
of Jamt (Old West Norse: jamti), and thus Jämtland, derives from the Proto-Germanic word stem
emat- meaning persistent, efficient, enduring and hardworking. The Proto-Norse prefix
eota (jamta) is a genitive plural
case.
It is not known how the Jamts got their name. One possible explanation is presented in the Iceland
ic work Heimskringla
from the 13th century. In a saga
, Snorri Sturluson
narrates about Kettil Jamti, a son of Anund
Jarl from Sparbu
in Trøndelag who fled from Norway when Harald Fairhair
united the country with brute force in the 9th century. His descendants then came to bear his name
. An alternative explanation comes from the excessive iron production that took place in the province before the Viking age
. A folk etymological theory is that the name ought to have something to do with the "even" (as in level or flat) parts around the lake
Storsjön
. This theory is based on the similarity between the Swedish words jämt (from emat-) and jämnt (from Germanic *ebna, "even").
The name Jämtland with an ä
is a 20th century Swedish alteration of the older spelling Jemtland (both ˈjɛmtˌlanː or ˈjɛmtˌland, depending on the speaker). Localities settled by Jamtish emigrants such as Jemtland in Ringsaker
, Norway and Jemtland in Maine
, USA were founded before the alteration occurred. In the nearby Norwegian province of Trøndelag old settlements such as Jamtøya, Jamtgarden and Jamtåsen all use the prefix Jamt-, just like the regional name, however the Trøndersk
name for Jämtland is Jamtlainn, whilst the Jamtish name is Jamtland. As the d is silent the form Jamtlann is also common. The most genuine Jamtish pronuncuation of the name is however the now uncommon form Jamplann [ˈjampˌlanː], deriving from older names such as Jamptaland, found in ancient documents. The regional name Jamtland has only status as an official form in Nynorsk
and Icelandic
, but is popularly used among locals which is one of the reasons as to why the regional museum was given the dialectal name Jamtli
(Swedish jämtsk backsluttning), "Jamtish hillside".
Some finds from the time before humans have been discovered in Jämtland, most notably the remains from a woolly mammoth
in Pilgrimstad
.
The first humans came to Jämtland from the west across the Keel
approximately 7 000-6 000 BC, after the last ice age. The climate was at the time much warmer than today and trees such as oak
were growing at the top of today's mountains. Several thousand archaeological remains have been located in the province, predominately near old camp-sites, beaches and lakes. The oldest settlement found is located at Foskvattnet, not far way from the so called Fosna culture
, this settlement has been dated to 6 600 BC. In Jämtland the moose was the dominant prey, which is clearly shown on petroglyph
s and rock paintings in for example Gärde
and Glösa
. Jämtland has over 20 000 documented ancient monument
s, the oldest one being an arrowhead found in Åflo near Kaxås
in Offerdal
parish possibly older than 8 000 year, which would make it one of the oldest stone age finds in all of Sweden.
Rock paintings found in Jämtland often collocates with various trapping pit
s and well over 10 000 pits used for hunting have been located, which is much more than any other Scandinavian region. Trapping or hunting pits were placed in areas in close proximity of the hunted animal in question, usually in known places where the animals moved. Because of this there are several places where pits have been dug separately in lines stretching on for miles throughout the landscape. Several place names in Jämtland still display the significance these pits had to the tribes.
A Jamtish Neolithic
culture emerged during late Roman Iron Age
in Storsjöbygden, although the hunter-gatherers had come in contact with this lifestyle long before they settled down themselves. Since the hunts were rich and successful in Jämtland, it took a long time before a change occurred.
The Neolithic revolution
happened quickly once initiated since the Trønders had been farmers for a long time and some of the Jamts had already begun herding
. The Jamtish farmers grew first and foremost barley
, although palynological study bear witness of hemp
. At the end of the 4th century a fortress, Mjälleborgen, was established on Frösön to control the iron production and trade
that took place. At the same time Kurgan
s starts appearing in the Jamtish landscape, just like in Bertnem in Trøndelag and Högom in Medelpad. The western influence from Trøndelag through Jämtland to Norrland was at the time extensive.
The expansion of settlement was somewhat halted in the 7th century and Mjälleborgen was abandoned in the 8th century. A human migration
occurred at the same time and the people concentrated themselves around Storsjön with villages such as Frösön
, Brunflo
, Rödön, Hackås, Lockne and Näs being larger communities. Storsjöbygden became an oasis
in the middle of the Scandinavian inland, surrounded by dense forest. Horse
s were the only reliable mean of communications and a necessity.
During the viking age
, the settlement in the province grew. This confirms the sagas written by Snorri Sturluson
, where he narrates about the Vikings who fled from Harald Fairhair and Norway and took residence in Jämtland, just like many Norwegians at the same time fled and colonized Iceland. When a climate change
(which later resulted in the Medieval Warm Period
) took place, Frösön acquired the position as regional centre. The warmer climate made the agriculture
flourish, the stock-raising and the special inland Scandinavian herding
or "livestock drifting", buföring, was developed further. This is especially true for the southern parts of Jämtland when the so called "fell
cow" was introduced. The hunt for moose and other wild animals increased during this period. Religiously
the Jamts had abandoned the indigenous Germanic tribal religion
in favour of the Norse faith. In religious practice, Jämtland was dominated by the older Vanir
gods (Freyr
, Njord
, Ullr
etc.), although the Æsir
s were also worshiped.
As the population continued to grow, the Jamts established an Thing (assembly)
, just like other Germanic tribes. Jamtamót
came into existence shortly after the world's oldest parliament, the Icelandic Althing
, was instituted in 930 CE. Jamtamót is unique in Scandinavia since it is the only one referred to as mót (a Gothic
word) instead of þing, although they have the same meaning.
since it also decided on matters such as taxation. However Jämtland was more of anarchy due to the lack of a central government administration. All free men were allowed to participate and the most prominent ones from each family, e.g. chieftain
s deliberated and discussed certain topics among themselves concerning the country. Important questions and issues were however always solved after an assemblage.
Jämtland was Christianized
in the middle of the 11th century when the Frösö Runestone
appeared (the only one in the world that tells about the christening of a country), shortly after Olaf II of Norway
died in the Battle of Stiklestad
just west of Jämtland. During this period Jämtland turned into a Christian region and the first church, Västerhus chapel was built shortly after the runestone appeared.
According to Sturluson's Sagas the Jamts sometimes paid taxes to Norwegian kings such as Håkon Adalsteinsfostre
and Øystein Magnusson
for protection. The Sagas also mentions that the Jamts at one occasion also paid taxes to a king in Svealand
. The Sagas reliability on the matter has been defined as low. In the oldest written source for Norway, Historia Norwegiæ, it's however clearly stated that Norway borders in the north-east to Jämtland.
During the civil war era in Norway
Jämtland was defeated by king Sverre of Norway
after losing the Battle of Storsjön. This was the last war fought by the Jamts under their own elected leaders. The consequences of this defeat was less autonomy
. Jämtland never became a fully integrated part of Norway and had the same status in the Norwegian Empire as the Atlantic isles like Shetland and Orkney, even though Jämtland was connected by land with the rest of Norway. This is clearly shown when Haakon V of Norway
refers to Jämtland as his "eastern realm — öystræ rikinu".
After Norway was forced into a personal union
with Denmark
(Denmark-Norway) in 1536 Jämtland came to be governed from Copenhagen
. When the reformation
(Catholicism
survived in some places into the 17th century) was forced upon the population when the kings took control of the church. Sweden's separation from the Kalmar Union
transferred Jämtland from a central Scandinavian region into a border region between two aggressive states. This eventually led to conflict, first in 1563 during the Nordic Seven Years' War (after which Jämtland was put under the diocese of Nidaros
), then in 1611 during the Kalmar War
. Conflict continued,and Jämtland was occupied yet again in 1644 during the Hannibal War
, although the Swedes were quickly driven out by Norwegians and locals. Sweden did however win that war in the south and received Jämtland as a part of the Treaty of Brömsebro in 1645.
After this Denmark-Norway tried to regain the province, first in 1657 (Dano Swedish war of 1657
) where the Norwegians were hailed as liberators. Then for a longer period in 1677 with the conquest of Jemtland
. The Jamts conducted snapphane
(guerilla) warfare against the Swedish army and during this time a Jamt from Lockne, the first known Jamtish poet, wrote a scurrilous song that was sung throughout the province during the war. It involved the Swedish governor of Jämtland and he had the song translated into Swedish
from Jamtish and sent to the king. The last segment of the song was the most derisive one (direct English translation to the right):
The conquest failed and once Jämtland was in Swedish hands a Swedification process began. The Diocese of Härnösand was instituted at the Swedish coast. Schools were established (to direct the Jamts away from Trondheim). The population did not receive Swedish citizenship until 1699. Thus the Jamts were the last people from an acquired territory in Sweden to become Swedish.
The Jamtish people maintained some self-governance
. The Jamtamót had been transformed into a Danish landsting
in the early 16th century. Even though it was banned in the end of the same century, it continued to be held in secret. After the transition to Sweden some parts were transmitted into a Swedish landsjämnadsting.
Sweden's intentions in the province were first and foremost focused on defense, which led to a burden on the Jamtish farmers. The Jamts managed to enforce a treaty in 1688 which stated that Jamts were under no circumstances obligated to defend anything but their own province. This treaty was eventually broken by king Charles XII
and Jamts participated in Carl Gustaf Armfeldt
's Norwegian campaign during the Great Northern War
. The campaign was unsuccessful and when Charles XII died in southern Norway Armfeldt marched back to Jämtland. On New Year's Eve
1718 a massive blizzard
arose and over 3 000 Caroleans
succumbed in Jämtland's mountains mostly due to poor clothing. The time that followed "the Age of Liberty" brought changes to the province's agriculture, with significances such as the potato
and better granaries
through national politics. The standard of living
was greatly improved during this period. However, the visions and ideas behind the improvements also led to one of the greatest natural disaster in Scandinavia when the lake Ragundasjön was drained and the great rapid Gedungsen was silent, creating the dead waterfall
. It was the result of a project that sought to evade the obstacle this waterfall was for timber
transportation on Indalsälven
.
, was founded by Gustaf III 1786, though plans had existed since the province was seceded. It took almost one hundred years after this before the province began industrializing when the rail road Mittbanan
-Meråkerbanen
was established between Sundsvall
, Östersund and Trondheim. This evolved the logging
process and also led to more people migrating to Jämtland, not to mention all the tourists who came for the "fresh air". As a side effect the rail road also meant the end of the faring traditions.
After the unsuccessful (or successful, depending on the viewer) channelling of Gedungsen Jämtland's rich forests could be used in sawmill
s along the coast. A great deal of the forest was sold to large corporations since for the first time in history the farmers could earn money from their forests.
In the late 19th century the province was struck by popular movement
s. In Jämtland the "free minded
" Good Templar movement
(a part of the temperance movement
) came to dominate completely, in fact, the movement drew its strongest support (in relation to the population) in Jämtland in the entire world, and it was also here, in Östersund, that the world's largest order house was built. Jämtland failed to industrialize, mostly due to the residents opposition to industries, which were seen as the destroyers of society. Keeping Jämtland as a clean environment, but also making it a region of raw material
extraction. Due to the rail road the city of Östersund quickly grew with settlers arriving from the countryside and southern Sweden, giving it the true character of a city, rather than a mere village with city status. The rise of Östersund brought a more excessive trade than before, handicraft
s etc. Just like in the rest of the Western world
a modernisation process started in the 20th century. New items such as car
s, fridges, television
etc. made their way into peoples' lives.
With the establishment of the socialist
Folkhemmet
(the people's home) and the Rehn-Meidner model Jämtland became a true neglected area in Sweden. The model deemed it necessary to concentrate the Swedish population in cities, at the coast and in the south. Jämtland an inland region in Norrland with the largest part of the population living in the countryside in Sweden was by far the most unprofitable region one could imagine. When the politics were launched Jämtland experienced the largest population loss in modern Swedish history. Local companies were forced into bankruptcy and unemployed people were encourage to move to cities at the coast or in the south through subsidies and governmental commercials. At the same time taxes were rising and the public sector
growing. Opposition to the loss of population and the centralist
plans among officials regarding Jämtland County
led to the creation of the Republic of Jamtland (see below).
Jämtland was originally divided into four parts, so called farthings (fjalingan or fjålingan in Jamtish), just like Iceland (fjórðungr in Icelandic
). This division is similar to the hundred subdivision the rest of Scandinavia had. Just like on Iceland these farthings were named after cardinal direction
s. Exactly how the borders for each farthing went is unknown although it has been suggested that they all reached Storsjön in the center of the province. The eastern farthing at Brunflo
, the western from Trångsviken
to the Rödö peninsula
and the south farthing from Oviken and Hackås and southwards. The northern farthing is assumed to have covered all the northern parts in addition to all the islands in Storsjön (like Frösön, Norderön, Andersön
etc.) and Mörsil
plus Hallen parish all the way to Oviksfjällen.
The farthings were lesser administrative regions, more or less juridical districts
with their own assemblies, all parallel with the common assembly on Frösön. The old law
used in Jämtland is the so called Jamtish Law, referred to in old documents as e.g. Jamptskum laughom. Old documents also makes reference to a specific law book — Jamskre loghbok. The law book has never been recovered and it's assumed to have been destroyed in the 16th century, or never having existed at all. Nevertheless the Jamtish law was either the same, or strongly influenced by the Frostating
law applied on Trøndelag.
When Magnus the law-mender
became the king of Norway he instituted a national law for Norway in 1276, however Jämtland was not applied by this law. Jämtland came under this law either in 1365 or in the middle of the 16th century. The divisions by farthings were replaced in the 16th century by Court Districts, shortly after Jämtland got its own Norwegian law thing.
Court Districts in Jämtland
There's also an historical subdivision of Jämtland in Jamtlandic. One area is referred to as Nol i bygdom "the north countryside" and consist of Lit-Hammerdal and the area further north. Sö i bygdom "the south countryside" or Sunna sjön consists of the area just south of Storsjön; Oviken, Berg, Sunne and Hallen. Öst i bygdom (also ast, äst, ust, åst etc. instead of "öst") for eastern Jämtland, mainly Ragunda, Revsund and Brunflo. Opp i lännan "up in the lands" refers to western Jämtland, Undersåker and Offerdal. Fram på lännan "the front", "central lands" or in på lännan "in on the lands" consists of the area around Storsjön like Frösön, Rödön etc. A person from this area is called a framlänning "front lander".
After the conversion to Christianity
several parish
es (so called socknar, related to "seek") were established in Jämtland, these are now replaced by over 40 församlingar, meaning "assemblage". These are organized by so called kontrakt "contracts", collaboration units within the Swedish church's
each diocese
. Jämtland is a part of the Härnösand diocese, established two years after Jämtland was ceded to Sweden. In Jämtland there are five contracts; Bräcke-Ragunda, Krokom-Åre, Strömsund and Östersund's contract, along with Berg-Härjedalen. Alhough only half of the parishes in the last one are actually located in Jämtland, the rest are located in Härjedalen.
When the first churches were established in Jämtland during the medieval period they were done so by a small number of farmers. Estimations show that there were seldom more than 30 to 40 farmers in each parish. In some cases, like in Kyrkås, Marby and Norderö parish the farmers were probably 20 or less. These original parishioners built churches that's lasted for centuries, many are still existing and functioning today. This is quite remarkable given that they built these churches in stones, much larger than their ordinary timber houses and in a material the parishioners were not accustomed to (given that they only used timber). The churches became a matter of concern for every parishioner, the centre in each parish. Everybody had to help build them and their descendants had to maintain them, this carried on for generations. Families have decorated the churches throughout history with various ornaments and art such as valuable inventories, wood carving
s, painting
s (predominately biblical illustrations), textile
s, silver
and tin
along with various handicraft
s. Almost the entire older popular culture
in Jämtland is tied to the churches. Making them the core of Jämtland's cultural heritage.
The churches have symbolized a connection between Jämtland's population through generations and this is still the case for many today. People are joined together through cheerful moments such as christening
, Holy Matrimony
, confirmation, through crisis
and mournful times like funeral
s. In Jämtland-Härjedalen the free church
movement did not become near as wide spread as in the rest of Sweden. Because of this Jämtland and Härjedalen have a large number of members in the Swedish church since nine out of ten in fact are members. Although nowadays church attendance is much lower, back then every parishioner gathered on the Sabbath because no one was allowed to work. Within each parish distinctive customs, bunad
s and dialects developed because of this, especially the dialects are known to differ from parish to parish in Jämtland.
Jämtland also had a great deal of equality
between each parishioner, Jämtland lacked a nobility
and there are no noble family coats of arms nor authorial marks in the churches, which is very common in the rest of Sweden. Jämtland also lacked a specific "bench order" (an order based on rank that defined where you were allowed to sit in the church), something that other churches had. In Jämtland the principle "among farmers no other rank except age and life-time" applied.
Each parish also had an assembly, where every parishioner was present and decisions were only taken unanimously. If they were not able to come to a mutual understanding the matter had to rest and be resumed later until everybody agreed. In the community houses the village's prominent people, so called byalag, gathered to decide on mutual concerns such as split-rail fence
s, ditch
construction and agricultural related stuff. The central figure in each district was the priest
. He dealt with most matters since he was in contact with every parishioner. He meddled in conflicts and gave advice and comfort in various situations. Besides preaching and informing the priest was also a farmer himself, often a forerunner in the field. The priest did not always go the authority's errand, sometimes he tried to help his fellow parishioners fend off extra taxes and military services.
(or åarjelsaemien giele, as it's known in Southern Sami) a language mutually unintelligible with the other Sami languages. The Sami in Jämtland have historically been referred to as "Lapps" and sometimes by using the vague word "Finns" (supposedly related to English "find", see Fenni
), though they prefer to call themselves Sami. There have been Sami peoples in Jämtland from pre-historic times, exactly how many is however disputed. The northernmost part of Jämtland, Frostviken, is an originally Sami area, historically referred to as a Finnmark. Though the ancestors to the Sami people who live south of this area today probably did not come to the area before the 16th century when the large scale reindeer
herding began, leading to a nomadic lifestyle among the Sami people. This also led to several conflicts in court between Sami people in Jämtland and the land owners
. At the dawn of the 20th century the Swedish state had an official policy which stated that "Lapp should be Lapp" and that they all should live a "traditional" Sami life and not integrate in the society. This has now changed and only a minority are in fact reindeer-herders. The Sami people in Jämtland are closely connected to their brethren living in Trøndelag and a distinctive feature of the Southern Sami culture is the yoik
called vuoille.
The arm is represented with a ducal coronet
. Blazon
:
English
translation:
The coat of arms of Jämtland derives from the third Jamtish seal, given to Jämtland in 1635 by the Danish king. It has been disputed what the beasts on each side of the moose (representing Jämtland), are in this third seal. Is it a wolf or a domesticated dog? An eagle
, a raven
or a falcon
? The Swedish authority decided in 1884 (when Sweden and Norway were in a union) that it indeed was a wolf and an eagle. Though this decision was revised in 1935 and it has since been claimed to be portraying a hunting scene with a trained falcon and a dog.
Jämtland's first seal was the one depicted above from the medieval period. It was abolished after the Nordic Seven Years' War and the second seal of Jämtland was used between 1575-1614. This seal contained two Olav-axes and was also abolished after a Swedish occupation, the one during the Kalmar War
. When Jämtland became Swedish it was not suitable to use one of the older seals with such a strong Norwegian influence as a basis for a new Swedish coat of arms. So the latest seal was used instead, even though it was in fact of Danish origin.
Jämtland County
, though a small uninhabited part in northern Jämtland is a part of Västerbotten County
and the area around Överturingen is a part of Västernorrland County
. The landsting, County Council
, is an elected assembly and the successor of Jamtamót. This County Council was the role model for the rest of the Swedish County Councils when they were established in 1863.
The province is also divided into primarily seven municipalities; Berg Municipality
, Bräcke Municipality
, Krokom Municipality
, Ragunda Municipality
, Strömsund Municipality
, Åre Municipality
and Östersund Municipality
. The uninhabited part in northern Jämtland belongs to Dorotea Municipality
and the area around Överturingen is a part of Ånge Municipality
.
Though, even if these municipalities and the county are serving as administrative regions most Jamts still identify themselves with the parishes and with Jämtland as a province.
Jämtland is a large land-locked province in the heart of the Scandinavian peninsula
in northern Europe
. Jämtland stretches 315 kilometers in north-south direction and 250 kilometers in east-west direction and is equal in size with e.g. Ireland
. Jämtland's western border is made out by Kölen
which stretches throughout the province from north to south with branches into the landscape's southeastern parts. The fell massif
is broken at some places by large valleys stretching all the way to the Norwegian Sea
. These valleys have been used for centuries as paths connecting Jämtland to the west. The valleys were particularly heavily used during pilgrimage
s to Nidaros
, the fourth most visited pilgrimage site during the medieval period. In fact no less than three pilgrim roads went through Jämtland.
The entire province is more or less a highland region
with the highest peak being Storsylen
, a peak in the Sylan
mountain range with an altitude
of 1 728 meters above sea level. Though this is not the highest peak in the mountain range, since that peak is in fact located on the other side of the border. Another large peak in Jämtland worthy of mention is Åreskutan
(1 420 meters above sea level).
The lowest point in the province is as low as 35 meters above sea level and is located in the eastern part of Jämtland.
Approximately 8 per cent of Jämtland's area is covered by water and the province has two larger stream
s, Ljungan
and Indalsälven
(also known as Jämtlandsälven). Both of which emanates from the Scandinavian Mountains and drains several lakes on their way eastwards to lower altitudes.
Jämtland has a temperate climate and belongs to the temperate zone's northernmost area. The climate in Jämtland is both humid continental
and subarctic
, depending on the location. The climate is greatly affected by the Norwegian Sea
and the Atlantic Ocean
, due to several mountain pass
es in Scandinavian mountain range.
In western Jämtland mild winters with excessive precipitation
are common. This is because of the warm winds brought to the area by the Gulf Stream
. The average precipitation in the Jamtish Fells is roughly 1 000 millimetre
s per year, with Skäckerfjällen as extreme with about 1 500 mm. The precipitation rates in the middle of the province are much more moderate. In fact the central and eastern parts of Jämtland have precipitation shortages, in Storsjöbygden the annual averages is as low as 500 mm. Due to the warm winds the temperature during the winters reaches its maximum in the fell region with about -7-8°C in Storlien
and the environs. The coldest winter temperatures are found in the province's outskirts like Börtnan with roughly -11 °C. Maximum temperatures in the summer months average from the 14 °C in Jämtland's eastern parts to around 11 °C in the fell region. Though on certain mountain peaks the averages are usually as low as 5 °C.
The highest (34.0 °C) and lowest (-45.8 °C) temperatures ever recorded in Jämtland were found in its easternmost parts near Hammarstrand
in 1947 and 1950.
Blizzard
s are common in Jämtland, and especially in the fell region. The most notable blizzard is the one that arose on New Year's Eve
1718 (see above). The heaviest winds in Jämtland may gust to 55 metres/s.
The Jamtish flora
is heavily characterized by temperate coniferous forest, taiga
, a forest inhabited by Norway spruce
and pine
trees. Among the two the Norway spruce is more common. The Norway spruce actually grows most densely in Jämtland together with the southern parts of Lapland. Here roughly 60 percent of the forests consist of spruces.
In Jämtland over 2,300 mineral-rich marsh
es (wetland
s) containing a very high pH
level have been located. These marshes cover an area of 550 square kilometers. 400 of these marshes are also very rich in chalk
and because of the chalk-rich soil Jämtland displays the largest concentration of these type of marshes on the entire European continent. The chalk-rich soil has attracted several chalk-dependent plants, such as orchids, in Jämtland there are 19 different kinds of orchids.
Each province in Sweden has symbols associated with them and Jämtland's provincial flower
is an extremely rare orchid, the Gymnadenia nigra, an orchid that's only common in the province and a few other places in central Scandinavia. Several kinds of berries
are found in Jämtland like e.g. bilberry
(blåbär) , lingonberry (lyngbär) and cloudberry
(referred to as mylhta in Jämtland).
in Jämtland it displays a great deal of different animal
s. The animal most commonly associated with Jämtland is (as already hinted) the moose
. It is Jämtland's provincial animal and is referred to in dialect as simply djur, "animal". Moose may be found throughout Jämtland but to a lesser extent in the mountainous area in the province's eastern parts and in the north.
However northern Jämtland is the most densely populated brown bear
habitat in the world. The brown bear (bjenn in Jamtish) is also more or less common throughout Jämtland. Other large predators in Jämtland include the cat
gaupa (Eurasian lynx
), the filfras meaning the glutton (wolverine
) and smaller such as the arctic fox
. Jämtland has had populations of wolves (skrågg, gråbein) from time to time after it practically went extinct in Scandinavia during the 20th century. There are however currently no wolves with an established territory
in Jämtland. There is also one large raptor
in the province, the golden eagle
.
The last native beaver
in Sweden was shot in northern Jämtland 1871 at Bjurälven
(bjur or björ is the Jamtish word for beaver). It was also in Jämtland that the beaver was reintroduced in Sweden from Norway in 1922. The current beaver population is quite large and common. Among the smaller mammals inhabiting Jämtland that are rare in the rest of Scandinavia are e.g. the taiga shrew
and the northern birch mouse
. The læmel, Norway lemming
is also present in Jämtland and the latest major population boom usual for this species occurred in 2001.
Jämtland is inhabited by several mammals from the weasel family. Besides the already mentioned wolverine the oter, otter, is widespread in the province and common near several streams, the least or snow weasel
exists, along with planted, released and escaped mink
s. The province is also home to the pine marten
and the ermine
. These mammals have often been hunted for their valuable fur, for Jämtland this is especially true for the ermine.
Among the deer
the moose is as already stated common. Other deer are roe deer
, red deer
and reindeer
, in the shape of Sami herds or wilded originally tame reindeers.
The provincial fish
is the brown trout
which is found together with common whitefish
, grayling
, European perch
, arctic char
, burbot
, salmon
and the carnivorous northern pike
. Roughly 250 types of bird
s have been observed in Jämtland. The species presence greatly varies, in the fells bluethroat
, long-tailed skua
, Eurasian dotterel
, ptarmigan, Lapland
and Snow bunting
are found. The forested region is inhabited by species such as hazel hen, black grouse
, capercaillie
, Siberian jay
, three-toed woodpecker
and rustic bunting
. Several different types of owl
s dwells in the province and the provincial owl is the northern hawk owl
.
The first humans came to Jämtland after the last ice age and later switched to a more agricultural lifestyle. Though the agriculture could not sustain the population so it was combined with a great deal of trading, hunting and iron production. When the rise of industrialism begun, Jämtland was one of the few Swedish regions that never became fully industrialized. Instead Jämtland supplied the Norrlandic coast with raw materials, mainly lumber
. The focus in Jämtland's economy
was directed towards tourism after the construction of the railroad, starting with the "clean air tourists" who came to experience the fresh air, to see the snow clad fells, the waterfalls and the natural environment. Today the tourism in Jämtland is dominated by winter sports and especially alpine skiing in various facilities in Åre
, Bydalen, Storlien
, Klövsjö
, etc.
As Jämtland never industrialized the agricultural sector is larger compared to the rest of Sweden. In Jämtland County this sector employs 4,4 per cent of the labour force compared to 1,8 per cent for Sweden as whole. Just like the rest of Sweden the public sector
in Jämtland is large and the high taxes fund the public welfare
.
Jämtland has large concentrations of uranium
and deposits of e.g. gold
, zinc
, mica
, silver
, lead
, iron
and copper
have been found. However, the only mines
of importance in Jämtland's history are the former copper mines in Fröå and Huså
.
Jämtland is heavily dominated by many small business
es and together with Härjedalen Jämtland has the second highest number of company owners in Sweden (in relation to the population), the highest number of enterprising women and by far the most cooperative
s. Östersund
is the centre of trade and commerce in Jämtland.
, founded 1786 (now including Frösön), Krokom
, Ås
, Svenstavik
, Nälden
and Jämtland's second largest town Brunflo
. This region is actually quite densely populated. The largest urban areas outside Storsjöbygden are primly the municipality seats Strömsund
, Järpen
, Bräcke
and Hammarstrand
. Along with towns such as Åre
, Hammerdal
and Lit.
A resident or native of Jämtland is commonly referred to as Jamt (Swedish: jämte).
, since the population have mostly consisted of free sovereign farmers with wide connections and a strong regional identity. This has been the case for many generations. When Christian IV of Denmark
punished the Jamts severely after having sworn the Swedish king their allegiance (see above) by turning them into tenant farmer
s and abolished their seal, he told them to stay put on their farms. They did not heed this call but instead sought help from their own organized advisors and "the land's defense", an insolence that further outraged the Danish king. Jämtland started out free and remained autonomous during its time as a Norwegian dependency
. Because of Jämtland's historical background the local culture shows great similarities with the Norwegian farm culture
.
Today, the history of Jämtland is exhibited in the regional museum Jamtli
in Östersund
. The museum consists of an open-air section
with historical buildings, as well as an indoor museum which houses exhibitions about the regions cultural history, from the stone age until modern times. Local history has been very popular in Jämtland for over 100 years, due to the extensive cultural home ground movement that emerged in the late 19th and early 20th century. The movement founded Jamtli to preserve the cultural heritage.
Remnants from the hunter-gathering stage is first and foremost hunting itself. Jämtland's population remained in this stage for a very long time due to the hunters ability to sustain the population. Today the moose hunt is regarded by many Jamts as the major holiday of the year. When the first humans came to Jämtland they brought dogs with them as helpers. The local dog, Jämthund
, is a canine breed eponymous to Jämtland. Even if it is not explicitly stated, popular perception holds that the dog depicted in the coat of arms is of that breed. The Jämthund is often described having a wolf-like appearance.
One of the first things Tacitus
mentions in his work Germania
is that the Germanic people treasure their animals above all else. Tacitus also concludes that the Germanic people found cultivation repulsive. Instead, he states, the Germanic people devote themselves to food and sleep and besides that they prefer to remain idle. All of this, to certain extents, applied to Jämtland. When the people of Jämtland settled down they relied mostly on pastoralism
(transhumance
). Their animals were the source of wealth and they were therefore loved by their owners. This love for the livestock
has manifested itself in the dialect, a male nipple
is called bokkjen (the buck) and a female nipple is known as geita (the goat
).
In Jämtland the Scandinavian inland transhumance, buföring, has always been more important than cultivation. In fact it was crucial to take care of the livestock and supply them with food, and rewarding. Every summer for several weeks, from May to September, gjetaran (herd boys) and butøusan (herd girls, bu is cognate to "booth") followed and guarded kreka, the critter, on their way to a grazing land on higher altitudes where several critter houses had been raised. The common animals taken out on these journeys were gjettran (Jämtland goats) and kynnan (the fell cows) a white, brisk and headstrong cow race, lacking horns. It was a hard work and it depended on cooperation between males and females. This lifestyle lived on for thousand years and it was first in the 1950s it became obsolete. This tradition has however been resurrected as of late, mostly for touristic purposes.
When the population settled down the society greatly changed, first coexisting with the older societies, later absorbing them. Trade became much more important, a political institution elected by the people came into existence, the very same institution whose successor is the current County Council. Jämtland got its name and a somewhat hierarchical
social structure emerged, though, as already pointed out, Jämtland never had an upper class. Strong families such as Skanke
and Blix did exist though and on the countryside in Jämtland people still live in networks of relatives, families. Where they provide a second social security
for many, in the rest of Sweden and in e.g. Östersund this has completely or almost entirely been replaced by public welfare.
Much of Jämtland's cuisine is remnant from the herding stage. Just like other Scandinavians it's common among Jamts to drink milk
throughout their entire life. There are many different types of Jamtish dairy products, especially cheese, since it was by far the easiest way to conserve milk. Mesost
is particularly associated with Jämtland and also e.g. a local variant of cottage cheese
called grynost. In Jämtland there are several small dairies
in the villages, most famous is the one in Skärvången. Other products associated with Jämtland are the soft whey butter, long fil, kjesfil, flautgröt "cream
porridge
", tunnbröd
, a version of palt
called kams, klobb etc.
The ancient practice of brewing Julöl (yule beer) persists even today with the microbrewery
Jämtlands Bryggeri
in Pilgrimstad
.
Local projects such as the internet portal Food of Jamtland and the trading mark Smakriket Jämtland (the "taste realm" Jämtland) are two major contributors in marketing, preserving and developing the cuisine of Jämtland.
Some of the newest merchandises in Jämtland are a sparkling wine
made of birch
sap
and a sausage
called Jämtlandsfalu, wilderness juice, the snaps
kallsup and tunnbröd chips
.
The folklore of Jämtland mostly correspond to Scandinavian folklore
as whole, although the folklore is seldom regarded as popular belief nowadays, with one major exception, Storsjöodjuret
.
According to legend it is believed that Storsjön
(literally the Great Lake) harbors a large lake creature, Storsjöodjuret. There are many witness reports but the creature's existence remains to be established conclusively. Regardless of any proven existence, Storsjöodjuret was officially placed under the protection of a degree issued in 1986 by the County Administrative Board
to guarantee its safety from hunters and fortune seekers, the protection was lifted in November 2005. The first description of Storsjöodjuret was made in this tale from 1635;
Puken is a magical ball of yarn
summoned by a witch to draw objects to her. It often steals milk to the witch by milking cows.
Just like in the rest of the world dragon
s have been known for a long time. In Jämtland they resemble broom
s, that flies quickly and strikes down where treasuries
are buried.
Sjörå
is a keeper of freshwater, that master fish, aas
and lakes. It is similar to the Jamtish skogskjæringa
"wife of the forest". A being that, at day, takes the appearance of a rauvtjuksa
"red tail", a bird seen as ominous in Jamtish folklore. When in physical form her tail is always apparent. She tries to lure men to have sexual intercourse
with her. The skogsrå is not the same creature as skogskjæringa in Jamtish folklore, it is the keeper of the forest and master all the animals in it. It takes on the shape of a moose during hunting season, and grows larger and larger if hit by bullets and eventually forces the hunters out. It can however, be slain with a silver bullet.
Tomte
n is a common creature, it is quite tall and has an eye in the middle of his forehead. It is the keeper of barn
s and a very capricious being, though he usually brings luck.
The Nix
, Näkkjen, is a common mythical creature, in Jämtland it refers to a male water spirit whose music was dangerous to women. Each year in the town of Hackås in southern Jämtland an annual traditional music
contest Årets Näck
is held where each contestant impersonates the Nix.
In Jämtland the vættir
/dwarves goes by the name jolbyggar "earth builders". They herd large white goats and cows and live underground, they are considered innocuous though sometimes they exchange an unbaptized child for a so called bytningsbarn. They are commonly associated with the grazing lands. They also go by the names småruskan, smågubban and småtussan.
s. Unlike certain regions in Scandinavia a unitary bunad did not exist in Jämtland's parishes, with the exception of Hammerdal parish with its brown
-striped clothing.
Usually Jämtland is divided into three different clothing parts, the North Jamtish (Hammerdal), the East Jamtish (Ragunda) and the Great Jamtish area, covering the rest and the majority of Jämtland.
The North Jamtish clothing part is typically influenced by the folk costumes of northern Ångermanland and to a lesser degree Lapland, with the exception of Frostviken parish settled by Trønders in the 18th century. The East Jamtish part is the least old-fashioned of the three with many changes done to the costumes through time, making them closer to the kind used at the Swedish coast, rather than the others in Jämtland. The Great Jamtish part has typically old-fashioned and conservative homogeneous bunads with blue socks, red knitted caps among the males, dark bounded caps for ladies and coloured for girls. The skirts are usually of a single colour and the men have blue or black hodden
coat
s, with yellow Chamois leather
pants made from moose skin.
Jamtish is in fact a group of dialects and there are distinctive dialects in every parish. Though they are usually classified in four groups; framlänningsmålet "the Central Jamtish tongue", opplänningsmålet (spoken in Western Jämtland), Southwest Jamtish and Northern Jamtish. The dialects in eastern Jämtland are sometimes considered as a fifth group of Jamtish, but also as dialects more related to the Swedish dialects spoken in Ångermanland
. In the very north of Jämtland lidmål, a version of Trøndersk
, is spoken. Jamtish is spoken by 50 000 people at most living in Jämtland and in other areas of Sweden, particularly the capital Stockholm
.
. This was a field of intense research in Sweden earlier but is viewed somewhat unmodern and considered prejudice today.
The provincial character of Jämtland was often portrayed as cheerful and the population have historically been known for their hospitality. Before the dawn of the railway it was common among farmers to leave their doors unlocked when the annual summer journey to the critter houses was due, often with the table set with food for travelers.
The faring traditions of Jämtland are also very characteristic. The Jamts were known to neglect the agriculture and instead take on long trading journeys all over Scandinavia to various market
s such as the ancients ones in Levanger
and Gregorius market on Frösön. This was regarded as sheer pleasure in itself and not as something they were obligated to do. In the middle of the 18th century Jämtland's population was roughly and it was common that over were present during Marsimartnan in Levanger, it is also claimed that the city was built solely on spikes from Jämtland before the fire in the 19th century. The journeys took place during the winters when the landscape was more accessible (when swamp
s, lakes and tarn
s froze to ice) and was conducted by males, which left the females in complete charge of the household
and the property
. The journeys were well-organized expedition
s and no one traveled alone. These traditions has awarded the Jamt with traits such as enterprising and energetic. The Jamts' attempts to avoid tariffs were very successful which greatly angered Swedish officials through time. These journeys eventually stopped once the railway came, though it's recently been renewed by locals. Some say that the heritage from this age lives on, given the high number of enterprises per capita.
In the 1960s, an independence movement calling itself the "Republic of Jamtland" was created by humorist/actor/director Yngve Gamlin
. Motivated on paper as an attempt to return the province to Jamtlandic control, the republic was given some form of recognition in 1967 when Mr. Gamlin was invited to an event for visiting statesmen hosted by Swedish prime minister Tage Erlander
. Described in some sources as a form of criticism against centralized Swedish government and in others as a marketing
ploy, it is likely that both played some part in its foundation (Republic officials typically describe it as "51 percent serious"). The republic has a self-styled flag
and national anthem (Jämtlandssången) and the independence movement hosts the annual Storsjöyran
event in the capital, Östersund
.
. The clubs overseen by the association include Myssjö-Ovikens IF
.
Provinces of Sweden
The provinces of Sweden, landskap, are historical, geographical and cultural regions. Sweden has 25 provinces and they have no administrative function, but remain historical legacies and the means of cultural identification....
or landskap
Landskap
Landskap is common Scandinavian word which means landscape or province and can refer to:*Districts of Norway, the historical provinces of Norway*Provinces of Sweden, the historical provinces of Sweden and Finland...
in the center of Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
in northern Europe
Northern Europe
Northern Europe is the northern part or region of Europe. Northern Europe typically refers to the seven countries in the northern part of the European subcontinent which includes Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Finland and Sweden...
. It borders to Härjedalen
Härjedalen
' is a historical province or landskap in the centre of Sweden. It borders the country of Norway as well as the provinces of Dalarna, Hälsingland, Medelpad, and Jämtland...
and Medelpad
Medelpad
' is a historical province or landskap in the north of Sweden. It borders to Hälsingland, Härjedalen, Jämtland, Ångermanland and the Gulf of Bothnia....
in the south, Ångermanland
Ångermanland
' is a historical province or landskap in the north of Sweden. It borders to Medelpad, Jämtland, Lapland, Västerbotten and the Gulf of Bothnia. The name "Ångermanland" comes from the Old Norse "anger", which means "deep fjord" and refers to the deep mouth of the river Ångermanälven...
in the east, Lapland in the north and Trøndelag
Trøndelag
Trøndelag is the name of a geographical region in the central part of Norway, consisting of the two counties Nord-Trøndelag and Sør-Trøndelag. The region is, together with Møre og Romsdal, part of a larger...
and 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...
in the west. Jämtland covers an area of 34,009 square kilometres, 8.3% of Sweden's total area and is the second largest province in Sweden. It has a population of 112,717, the majority of whom live in Storsjöbygden, the area surrounding lake Storsjön
Storsjön
Storsjön is the fifth largest lake in Sweden, with an area of 464 km² and a greatest depth of 74 m. It is located in the province of Jämtland in modern Jämtland County. From Storsjön runs the river Indalsälven and the lake contains the major island Frösön...
. Östersund
Östersund
Östersund is an urban area in Jämtland in the middle of Sweden. It is the seat of Östersund Municipality and the capital of Jämtland County. Östersund is located at the shores of Sweden's fifth largest lake, Storsjön, opposite the island Frösön, and is the only city in Jämtland. Östersund is the...
is Jämtland's only city and is the 24th most populous city in Sweden.
Jämtland was originally an autonomous peasant
Peasant
A peasant is an agricultural worker who generally tend to be poor and homeless-Etymology:The word is derived from 15th century French païsant meaning one from the pays, or countryside, ultimately from the Latin pagus, or outlying administrative district.- Position in society :Peasants typically...
republic
Republic
A republic is a form of government in which the people, or some significant portion of them, have supreme control over the government and where offices of state are elected or chosen by elected people. In modern times, a common simplified definition of a republic is a government where the head of...
, its own nation
Nation
A nation may refer to a community of people who share a common language, culture, ethnicity, descent, and/or history. In this definition, a nation has no physical borders. However, it can also refer to people who share a common territory and government irrespective of their ethnic make-up...
with its own law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
, currency
Currency
In economics, currency refers to a generally accepted medium of exchange. These are usually the coins and banknotes of a particular government, which comprise the physical aspects of a nation's money supply...
and parliament
Parliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
. However, Jämtland lacked a public administration
Public administration
Public Administration houses the implementation of government policy and an academic discipline that studies this implementation and that prepares civil servants for this work. As a "field of inquiry with a diverse scope" its "fundamental goal.....
and is thus best regarded as an anarchy
Anarchy
Anarchy , has more than one colloquial definition. In the United States, the term "anarchy" typically is meant to refer to a society which lacks publicly recognized government or violently enforced political authority...
, in its true meaning. Jämtland was conquered by 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...
in 1178 and stayed Norwegian for over 450 years until it was ceded to Sweden in 1645. The province has since been Swedish for roughly 350 years, though the population did not gain Swedish citizenship until 1699. The province's identity is manifested with the concept of a republic within the kingdom of Sweden, although this is only done semi-seriously.
Carl XVI Gustaf
Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden
Carl XVI Gustaf is the reigning King of Sweden since 15 September 1973, succeeding his grandfather King Gustaf VI Adolf because his father had predeceased him...
became the Duke of Jämtland
Dukes of Swedish provinces
Duchies in Sweden have been allotted since the 13th century to powerful Swedes, almost always to Princes of Sweden and wives of the latter. From the beginning these duchies were often centers of regional power, where their dukes and duchesses had considerable executive authority of their own,...
after his christening, a nominal title he still retains.
Historically
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
, socially and politically Jämtland has been a special territory between Norway and Sweden. This in itself is symbolized in the province's coat of arms where Jämtland, the silver moose, is threatened from the east and from the west. During the unrest period in Jämtland's history (1563–1677) it shifted alignment between the two states no less than 13 times. Jämtland has been linked to the lands west and east of itself, which has been in complete contrast to the competitive Dano-Norwegian and Swedish state's interest. These historical and cultural bonds to Trøndelag and Härjedalen have expressed themselves in the name Øst-Trøndelag
Øst-Trøndelag
Øst-Trøndelag is an unofficial and polemic name for the Swedish regions of Jämtland and Härjedalen which until 1645 belonged to Norway. As the name suggests, the region lies to the east of the Norwegian region of Trøndelag....
, in addition to the fact that the Jamts historically never considered themselves to be Norrland
Norrland
Norrland is one of the three lands of Sweden , the northern part, consisting of nine provinces. The term Norrland is not used for any administrative purpose, but it is common in everyday language, e.g...
ers.
Etymology
Frösö Runestone
Frösöstenen is the northern-most raised runestone in the World and Jämtland's only runestone. It originally stood at the tip of ferry terminal on the sound between the island of Frösön and Östersund.On it is inscribed:...
from the 11th century, where it is found as eotalont (normalized 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....
: Jamtaland). The root
Root (linguistics)
The root word is the primary lexical unit of a word, and of a word family , which carries the most significant aspects of semantic content and cannot be reduced into smaller constituents....
of Jamt (Old West Norse: jamti), and thus Jämtland, derives from the Proto-Germanic word stem
Word stem
In linguistics, a stem is a part of a word. The term is used with slightly different meanings.In one usage, a stem is a form to which affixes can be attached. Thus, in this usage, the English word friendships contains the stem friend, to which the derivational suffix -ship is attached to form a new...
emat- meaning persistent, efficient, enduring and hardworking. The Proto-Norse prefix
Prefix
A prefix is an affix which is placed before the root of a word. Particularly in the study of languages,a prefix is also called a preformative, because it alters the form of the words to which it is affixed.Examples of prefixes:...
eota (jamta) is a genitive plural
Plural
In linguistics, plurality or [a] plural is a concept of quantity representing a value of more-than-one. Typically applied to nouns, a plural word or marker is used to distinguish a value other than the default quantity of a noun, which is typically one...
case.
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
ic work Heimskringla
Heimskringla
Heimskringla is the best known of the Old Norse kings' sagas. It was written in Old Norse in Iceland by the poet and historian Snorri Sturluson ca. 1230...
from the 13th century. In a saga
Saga
Sagas, are stories in Old Norse about ancient Scandinavian and Germanic history, etc.Saga may also refer to:Business*Saga DAB radio, a British radio station*Saga Airlines, a Turkish airline*Saga Falabella, a department store chain in Peru...
, Snorri Sturluson
Snorri Sturluson
Snorri Sturluson was an Icelandic historian, poet, and politician. He was twice elected lawspeaker at the Icelandic parliament, the Althing...
narrates about Kettil Jamti, a son of Anund
Anund
Anund, Swedish: Bröt-Anund meaning trail-blazer Anund or Anund the Land Clearer; alternate names Brøt-Anundr or Braut-Önundr , was a legendary Swedish king of the House of Yngling who reigned in the mid-seventh century...
Jarl from Sparbu
Sparbu
Sparbu is a village and former municipality in Nord-Trondelag county, Norway. It is located in the present-day municipality of Steinkjer. The village has a population of 584. The population density of Sparbu is ....
in Trøndelag who fled from Norway when Harald Fairhair
Harald 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...
united the country with brute force in the 9th century. His descendants then came to bear his name
Family name
A family name is a type of surname and part of a person's name indicating the family to which the person belongs. The use of family names is widespread in cultures around the world...
. An alternative explanation comes from the excessive iron production that took place in the province before 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,...
. A folk etymological theory is that the name ought to have something to do with the "even" (as in level or flat) parts around the lake
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
Storsjön
Storsjön
Storsjön is the fifth largest lake in Sweden, with an area of 464 km² and a greatest depth of 74 m. It is located in the province of Jämtland in modern Jämtland County. From Storsjön runs the river Indalsälven and the lake contains the major island Frösön...
. This theory is based on the similarity between the Swedish words jämt (from emat-) and jämnt (from Germanic *ebna, "even").
The name Jämtland with an ä
Ä
"Ä" and "ä" are both characters that represent either a letter from several extended Latin alphabets, or the letter A with an umlaut mark or diaeresis.- Independent letter :...
is a 20th century Swedish alteration of the older spelling Jemtland (both ˈjɛmtˌlanː or ˈjɛmtˌland, depending on the speaker). Localities settled by Jamtish emigrants such as Jemtland in Ringsaker
Ringsaker
is a municipality in Hedmark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Hedmarken. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Brumunddal.The municipality of Ringsaker was established on 1 January 1838...
, Norway and Jemtland in Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, USA were founded before the alteration occurred. In the nearby Norwegian province of Trøndelag old settlements such as Jamtøya, Jamtgarden and Jamtåsen all use the prefix Jamt-, just like the regional name, however the Trøndersk
Trøndersk
Trøndersk is the Norwegian dialect spoken in the region Trøndelag, the district Nordmøre and the municipality Bindal in Norway as well as in Frostviken in northern Jämtland, Sweden, which was colonized in the 18th century by settlers from Nord-Trøndelag and transferred to Sweden as...
name for Jämtland is Jamtlainn, whilst the Jamtish name is Jamtland. As the d is silent the form Jamtlann is also common. The most genuine Jamtish pronuncuation of the name is however the now uncommon form Jamplann [ˈjampˌlanː], deriving from older names such as Jamptaland, found in ancient documents. The regional name Jamtland has only status as an official form in Nynorsk
Nynorsk
Nynorsk or New Norwegian is one of two official written standards for the Norwegian language, the other being Bokmål. The standard language was created by Ivar Aasen during the mid-19th century, to provide a Norwegian alternative to the Danish language which was commonly written in Norway at the...
and Icelandic
Icelandic language
Icelandic is a North Germanic language, the main language of Iceland. Its closest relative is Faroese.Icelandic is an Indo-European language belonging to the North Germanic or Nordic branch of the Germanic languages. Historically, it was the westernmost of the Indo-European languages prior to the...
, but is popularly used among locals which is one of the reasons as to why the regional museum was given the dialectal name Jamtli
Jamtli
Jamtli is the name of the regional museum of Jämtland and Härjedalen in Östersund, Sweden. It consists of an open air museum with historical buildings, and an indoor museum with both permanent and temporary exhibitions. “Jamtli” literally means “hillside of Jämtland” in the local dialect...
(Swedish jämtsk backsluttning), "Jamtish hillside".
Prehistory
Woolly mammoth
The woolly mammoth , also called the tundra mammoth, is a species of mammoth. This animal is known from bones and frozen carcasses from northern North America and northern Eurasia with the best preserved carcasses in Siberia...
in Pilgrimstad
Pilgrimstad
Pilgrimstad is a locality situated in Bräcke Municipality, Jämtland County, Sweden with 405 inhabitants in 2005.It is mostly known for the small micro-brewery, Jämtlands Bryggeri that is located in the village....
.
The first humans came to Jämtland from the west across the Keel
Scandinavian Mountains
The Scandinavian Mountains or the Scandes, in Swedish Skanderna, Fjällen or Kölen , in Finnish Köli and in Norwegian Kjølen, with the three latter meaning The Keel, are a mountain range that runs through the Scandinavian Peninsula...
approximately 7 000-6 000 BC, after the last ice age. The climate was at the time much warmer than today and trees such as oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
were growing at the top of today's mountains. Several thousand archaeological remains have been located in the province, predominately near old camp-sites, beaches and lakes. The oldest settlement found is located at Foskvattnet, not far way from the so called Fosna culture
Fosna-Hensbacka culture
The Fosna/Hensbacka ,or , were two very similar Late Palaeolithic/early Mesolithic cultures in Scandinavia, and are often subsumed under the name Fosna-Hensbacka culture. This complex includes the Komsa culture that, notwithstanding different types of tools, is also considered to be a part of the...
, this settlement has been dated to 6 600 BC. In Jämtland the moose was the dominant prey, which is clearly shown on petroglyph
Petroglyph
Petroglyphs are pictogram and logogram images created by removing part of a rock surface by incising, picking, carving, and abrading. Outside North America, scholars often use terms such as "carving", "engraving", or other descriptions of the technique to refer to such images...
s and rock paintings in for example Gärde
Gärde
Gärde is a locality in the north of Offerdal in the historical province Jämtland in the middle of Sweden. Gärde is situated in Krokom Municipality, 70 kilometres northwest of Östersund, the capital of Jämtland. Gärde is a traditional village in a genuine agricultural area with a long history...
and Glösa
Glösa
Glösa is a locality in Alsen in the historical province Jämtland in the middle of Sweden. Glösa is situated in Krokom Municipality, 50 kilometres northwest of Östersund, the capital of Jämtland. Glösa is a village in an agricultural area and has a long history.Petroglyphs in Glösa were made...
. Jämtland has over 20 000 documented ancient monument
Ancient monument
An ancient monument is an early historical structure or monument worthy of preservation and study due to archaeological or heritage interest. In the United Kingdom it is a legal term, differing from the American term National Monument in being far more numerous and always man-made...
s, the oldest one being an arrowhead found in Åflo near Kaxås
Kaxås
Kaxås is a locality in the historical province Jämtland in the middle of Sweden. Kaxås is situated in Offerdal in Krokom Municipality, 60 kilometres northwest of Östersund, the capital of Jämtland....
in Offerdal
Offerdal
Offerdal is a parish and former municipality in Krokom Municipality, Jämtland in the middle of Sweden. The seat of the former municipality Offerdal, Änge, is situated 50 kilometres northwest of Östersund, the capital of Jämtland.-Geography and culture:Offerdal is a highland region with the...
parish possibly older than 8 000 year, which would make it one of the oldest stone age finds in all of Sweden.
Rock paintings found in Jämtland often collocates with various trapping pit
Trapping pit
Trapping pits are deep pits dug into the ground, or built from stone, in order to trap animals.European rock drawings and cave paintings reveal that the elk and moose have been hunted since the stone age using trapping pits. In Northern Scandinavia one can still find remains of trapping pits used...
s and well over 10 000 pits used for hunting have been located, which is much more than any other Scandinavian region. Trapping or hunting pits were placed in areas in close proximity of the hunted animal in question, usually in known places where the animals moved. Because of this there are several places where pits have been dug separately in lines stretching on for miles throughout the landscape. Several place names in Jämtland still display the significance these pits had to the tribes.
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| Trapping pit | A moose painted with red ochre near Fångsjön | Fångsjön rock art site, dated to 2500-2000 BC | Burned rocks in northern Jämtland |
A Jamtish Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
culture emerged during late Roman Iron Age
Roman Iron Age
The Roman Iron Age is the name that Swedish archaeologist Oscar Montelius gave to a part of the Iron Age in Scandinavia, Northern Germany and the Netherlands....
in Storsjöbygden, although the hunter-gatherers had come in contact with this lifestyle long before they settled down themselves. Since the hunts were rich and successful in Jämtland, it took a long time before a change occurred.
The Neolithic revolution
Neolithic Revolution
The Neolithic Revolution was the first agricultural revolution. It was the transition from hunting and gathering to agriculture and settlement. Archaeological data indicates that various forms of plants and animal domestication evolved independently in 6 separate locations worldwide circa...
happened quickly once initiated since the Trønders had been farmers for a long time and some of the Jamts had already begun herding
Herding
Herding is the act of bringing individual animals together into a group , maintaining the group and moving the group from place to place—or any combination of those. While the layperson uses the term "herding", most individuals involved in the process term it mustering, "working stock" or...
. The Jamtish farmers grew first and foremost barley
Barley
Barley is a major cereal grain, a member of the grass family. It serves as a major animal fodder, as a base malt for beer and certain distilled beverages, and as a component of various health foods...
, although palynological study bear witness of hemp
Hemp
Hemp is mostly used as a name for low tetrahydrocannabinol strains of the plant Cannabis sativa, of fiber and/or oilseed varieties. In modern times, hemp has been used for industrial purposes including paper, textiles, biodegradable plastics, construction, health food and fuel with modest...
. At the end of the 4th century a fortress, Mjälleborgen, was established on Frösön to control the iron production and trade
Trade
Trade is the transfer of ownership of goods and services from one person or entity to another. Trade is sometimes loosely called commerce or financial transaction or barter. A network that allows trade is called a market. The original form of trade was barter, the direct exchange of goods and...
that took place. At the same time Kurgan
Kurgan
Kurgan is the Turkic term for a tumulus; mound of earth and stones raised over a grave or graves, originating with its use in Soviet archaeology, now widely used for tumuli in the context of Eastern European and Central Asian archaeology....
s starts appearing in the Jamtish landscape, just like in Bertnem in Trøndelag and Högom in Medelpad. The western influence from Trøndelag through Jämtland to Norrland was at the time extensive.
Human migration
Human migration is physical movement by humans from one area to another, sometimes over long distances or in large groups. Historically this movement was nomadic, often causing significant conflict with the indigenous population and their displacement or cultural assimilation. Only a few nomadic...
occurred at the same time and the people concentrated themselves around Storsjön with villages such as Frösön
Frösön
Frösön is a small island in the lake Storsjön located west of the city Östersund in Jämtland. For ages this island was the regional centre of Jämtland....
, Brunflo
Brunflo
Brunflo is a locality situated in Östersund Municipality, Jämtland County, Sweden with 3,916 inhabitants in 2005. It is situated some 15 km south-east of Östersund....
, Rödön, Hackås, Lockne and Näs being larger communities. Storsjöbygden became an oasis
Oasis
In geography, an oasis or cienega is an isolated area of vegetation in a desert, typically surrounding a spring or similar water source...
in the middle of the Scandinavian inland, surrounded by dense forest. Horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
s were the only reliable mean of communications and a necessity.
During 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,...
, the settlement in the province grew. This confirms the sagas written by Snorri Sturluson
Snorri Sturluson
Snorri Sturluson was an Icelandic historian, poet, and politician. He was twice elected lawspeaker at the Icelandic parliament, the Althing...
, where he narrates about the Vikings who fled from Harald Fairhair and Norway and took residence in Jämtland, just like many Norwegians at the same time fled and colonized Iceland. When a climate change
Climate change
Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average...
(which later resulted in the Medieval Warm Period
Medieval Warm Period
The Medieval Warm Period , Medieval Climate Optimum, or Medieval Climatic Anomaly was a time of warm climate in the North Atlantic region, that may also have been related to other climate events around the world during that time, including in China, New Zealand, and other countries lasting from...
) took place, Frösön acquired the position as regional centre. The warmer climate made the agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
flourish, the stock-raising and the special inland Scandinavian herding
Herding
Herding is the act of bringing individual animals together into a group , maintaining the group and moving the group from place to place—or any combination of those. While the layperson uses the term "herding", most individuals involved in the process term it mustering, "working stock" or...
or "livestock drifting", buföring, was developed further. This is especially true for the southern parts of Jämtland when the so called "fell
Fell
“Fell” is a word used to refer to mountains, or certain types of mountainous landscape, in Scandinavia, the Isle of Man, and parts of northern England.- Etymology :...
cow" was introduced. The hunt for moose and other wild animals increased during this period. Religiously
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
the Jamts had abandoned the indigenous Germanic tribal religion
Norse paganism
Norse paganism is the religious traditions of the Norsemen, a Germanic people living in the Nordic countries. Norse paganism is therefore a subset of Germanic paganism, which was practiced in the lands inhabited by the Germanic tribes across most of Northern and Central Europe in the Viking Age...
in favour of the Norse faith. In religious practice, Jämtland was dominated by the older Vanir
Vanir
In Norse mythology, the Vanir are a group of gods associated with fertility, wisdom and the ability to see the future. The Vanir are one of two groups of gods and are the namesake of the location Vanaheimr . After the Æsir–Vanir War, the Vanir became a subgroup of the Æsir...
gods (Freyr
Freyr
Freyr is one of the most important gods of Norse paganism. Freyr was highly associated with farming, weather and, as a phallic fertility god, Freyr "bestows peace and pleasure on mortals"...
, Njord
Njord
In Norse mythology, Njörðr is a god among the Vanir. Njörðr is father of the deities Freyr and Freyja by his unnamed Van sister, was in an ill-fated marriage with the goddess Skaði, lives in Nóatún and is associated with sea, seafaring, wind, fishing, wealth, and crop fertility.Njörðr is attested...
, Ullr
Ullr
In early Germanic paganism, *Wulþuz appears to have been a major god, or an epithet of an important god, in prehistoric times....
etc.), although the Æsir
Æsir
In Old Norse, áss is the term denoting a member of the principal pantheon in Norse paganism. This pantheon includes Odin, Frigg, Thor, Baldr and Tyr. The second pantheon comprises the Vanir...
s were also worshiped.
As the population continued to grow, the Jamts established an Thing (assembly)
Thing (assembly)
A thing was the governing assembly in Germanic and introduced into some Celtic societies, made up of the free people of the community and presided by lawspeakers, meeting in a place called a thingstead...
, just like other Germanic tribes. Jamtamót
Jamtamót
Jamtamót was the old assembly of Jämtland. Unlike other Scandinavian things, it is referred to as a mót, not þing, both meaning 'assembly'. Instead, the word mót is found in e.g...
came into existence shortly after the world's oldest parliament, the Icelandic Althing
Althing
The Alþingi, anglicised variously as Althing or Althingi, is the national parliament of Iceland. The Althingi is the oldest parliamentary institution in the world still extant...
, was instituted in 930 CE. Jamtamót is unique in Scandinavia since it is the only one referred to as mót (a Gothic
Gothic language
Gothic is an extinct Germanic language that was spoken by the Goths. It is known primarily from the Codex Argenteus, a 6th-century copy of a 4th-century Bible translation, and is the only East Germanic language with a sizable Text corpus...
word) instead of þing, although they have the same meaning.
Medieval period
At the beginning of the medieval period Jämtland's political status is best described as a peasant republic. At Jamtamót disputes were solved and criminals received sentences. The assembly also functioned as some sort of governmentGovernment
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
since it also decided on matters such as taxation. However Jämtland was more of anarchy due to the lack of a central government administration. All free men were allowed to participate and the most prominent ones from each family, e.g. chieftain
Chieftain
Chieftain may refer to:The leader or head of a group:* a tribal chief or a village head.* a member of the 'House of chiefs'.* a captain, to which 'chieftain' is etymologically related.* Clan chief, the head of a Scottish clan....
s deliberated and discussed certain topics among themselves concerning the country. Important questions and issues were however always solved after an assemblage.
Christianization of Scandinavia
The Christianization of Scandinavia took place between the 8th and the 12th century. The realms of Scandinavia proper, Denmark, Norway and Sweden, established their own Archdioceses, responsible directly to the Pope, in 1104, 1154 and 1164, respectively...
in the middle of the 11th century when the Frösö Runestone
Frösö Runestone
Frösöstenen is the northern-most raised runestone in the World and Jämtland's only runestone. It originally stood at the tip of ferry terminal on the sound between the island of Frösön and Östersund.On it is inscribed:...
appeared (the only one in the world that tells about the christening of a country), shortly after Olaf II of Norway
Olaf II of Norway
Olaf II Haraldsson was King of Norway from 1015 to 1028. He was posthumously given the title Rex Perpetuus Norvegiae and canonised in Nidaros by Bishop Grimkell, one year after his death in the Battle of Stiklestad on 29 July 1030. Enshrined in Nidaros Cathedral...
died in the Battle of Stiklestad
Battle of Stiklestad
The Battle of Stiklestad in 1030 is one of the most famous battles in the history of Norway. In this battle, King Olaf II of Norway was killed. He was later canonized...
just west of Jämtland. During this period Jämtland turned into a Christian region and the first church, Västerhus chapel was built shortly after the runestone appeared.
According to Sturluson's Sagas the Jamts sometimes paid taxes to Norwegian kings such as Håkon Adalsteinsfostre
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:...
and Øystein Magnusson
Eystein I of Norway
Eystein I Magnusson was king of Norway from 1103 to 1123.-Biography:Eystein became king, together with his brothers Sigurd and Olaf, when his father Magnus Barefoot died in 1103...
for protection. The Sagas also mentions that the Jamts at one occasion also paid taxes to a king in Svealand
Svealand
Svealand , Swealand or Sweden proper is the historical core region of Sweden. It is located in south central Sweden and is one of three lands of Sweden, bounded to the north by Norrland and to the south by Götaland. Deep forests, Tiveden, Tylöskog, Kolmården, separated Svealand from Götaland...
. The Sagas reliability on the matter has been defined as low. In the oldest written source for Norway, Historia Norwegiæ, it's however clearly stated that Norway borders in the north-east to Jämtland.
During the civil war era in Norway
Civil war era in Norway
The Civil war era of Norwegian history is a term used for the period in the history of Norway between 1130 and 1240. During this time, a series of civil wars were fought between rival kings and pretenders to the throne of Norway. The reasons for the wars is one of the most debated topics in...
Jämtland was defeated by king Sverre of Norway
Sverre of Norway
Sverre Sigurdsson was king of Norway from 1177 to 1202. He married Margareta Eriksdotter, the daughter of the Swedish king Eric the Saint, by whom he had the daughter Kristina Sverresdotter....
after losing the Battle of Storsjön. This was the last war fought by the Jamts under their own elected leaders. The consequences of this defeat was less autonomy
Autonomy
Autonomy is a concept found in moral, political and bioethical philosophy. Within these contexts, it is the capacity of a rational individual to make an informed, un-coerced decision...
. Jämtland never became a fully integrated part of Norway and had the same status in the Norwegian Empire as the Atlantic isles like Shetland and Orkney, even though Jämtland was connected by land with the rest of Norway. This is clearly shown when Haakon V of Norway
Haakon V of Norway
Haakon V Magnusson was king of Norway from 1299 until 1319.-Biography:Haakon was the younger surviving son of Magnus the Lawmender, King of Norway, and his wife Ingeborg of Denmark. Haakon was descended from king Saint Olav and is considered to have been the last Norwegian king in the Fairhair...
refers to Jämtland as his "eastern realm — öystræ rikinu".
Turbulent times
Personal union
A personal union is the combination by which two or more different states have the same monarch while their boundaries, their laws and their interests remain distinct. It should not be confused with a federation which is internationally considered a single state...
with Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
(Denmark-Norway) in 1536 Jämtland came to be governed from Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
. When the reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
(Catholicism
Catholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
survived in some places into the 17th century) was forced upon the population when the kings took control of the church. Sweden's separation from the Kalmar Union
Kalmar Union
The Kalmar Union is a historiographical term meaning a series of personal unions that united the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway , and Sweden under a single monarch, though intermittently and with a population...
transferred Jämtland from a central Scandinavian region into a border region between two aggressive states. This eventually led to conflict, first in 1563 during the Nordic Seven Years' War (after which Jämtland was put under the diocese of Nidaros
Diocese of Nidaros
Nidaros is a diocese in the Lutheran Church of Norway. It covers Nord-Trøndelag and Sør-Trøndelag counties and its cathedral city is Trondheim, which houses the well-known Nidaros Cathedral. The diocese is divided into 12 deaneries . Finn Wagle was the bishop from 1991 to 2008...
), then in 1611 during the Kalmar War
Kalmar War
The Kalmar War was a war between Denmark–Norway and Sweden. Though Denmark soon gained the upper hand, she was unable to defeat Sweden entirely...
. Conflict continued,and Jämtland was occupied yet again in 1644 during the Hannibal War
Hannibal War
The Torstenson war, Hannibal controversy or Hannibal War was a short period of conflict between Sweden and Denmark–Norway which occurred in 1643 to 1645 during the waning days of the Thirty Years' War...
, although the Swedes were quickly driven out by Norwegians and locals. Sweden did however win that war in the south and received Jämtland as a part of the Treaty of Brömsebro in 1645.
Dano-Swedish War (1657-1658)
The Dano-Swedish War of 1657–58 was a war between Sweden and Denmark. In 1657 Charles X of Sweden and his Swedish army was bogged down in Poland. Frederick III saw this as an opportunity to recover the territories lost in 1645 and attacked Sweden...
) where the Norwegians were hailed as liberators. Then for a longer period in 1677 with the conquest of Jemtland
Conquest of Jemtland
The Conquest of Jemtland refers to the Norwegian conquest of the province of Jämtland in the summer of 1677 during the Scanian War...
. The Jamts conducted snapphane
Snapphane
A snapphane was a member of a 17th century pro-Danish guerrilla organization that fought against the Swedes in the Second Northern and Scanian Wars, primarily in the former eastern Danish provinces which in the course of these wars became southern Sweden....
(guerilla) warfare against the Swedish army and during this time a Jamt from Lockne, the first known Jamtish poet, wrote a scurrilous song that was sung throughout the province during the war. It involved the Swedish governor of Jämtland and he had the song translated into Swedish
Swedish language
Swedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Åland islands. It is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish...
from Jamtish and sent to the king. The last segment of the song was the most derisive one (direct English translation to the right):
|
We have now lived for 30 years time certainly under the Swedish crown through battle and tyranny no person to spare You be praised oh God, our friend who gave us the Danish king again with joy. |
The conquest failed and once Jämtland was in Swedish hands a Swedification process began. The Diocese of Härnösand was instituted at the Swedish coast. Schools were established (to direct the Jamts away from Trondheim). The population did not receive Swedish citizenship until 1699. Thus the Jamts were the last people from an acquired territory in Sweden to become Swedish.
The Jamtish people maintained some self-governance
Self-governance
Self-governance is an abstract concept that refers to several scales of organization.It may refer to personal conduct or family units but more commonly refers to larger scale activities, i.e., professions, industry bodies, religions and political units , up to and including autonomous regions and...
. The Jamtamót had been transformed into a Danish landsting
Landsting
Landsting can mean*Thing - the supreme assembly of a land in Scandinavia, during Viking and mediaeval times*The Parliament of Greenland.*Landstinget - one of the two houses of the Danish parliament between 1849 and 1953...
in the early 16th century. Even though it was banned in the end of the same century, it continued to be held in secret. After the transition to Sweden some parts were transmitted into a Swedish landsjämnadsting.
Charles XII of Sweden
Charles XII also Carl of Sweden, , Latinized to Carolus Rex, Turkish: Demirbaş Şarl, also known as Charles the Habitué was the King of the Swedish Empire from 1697 to 1718...
and Jamts participated in Carl Gustaf Armfeldt
Carl Gustaf Armfeldt
Carl Gustaf Armfeldt was a Swedish officer, general and friherre who took part in the Great Northern War....
's Norwegian campaign during the Great Northern War
Great Northern War
The Great Northern War was a conflict in which a coalition led by the Tsardom of Russia successfully contested the supremacy of the Swedish Empire in northern Central Europe and Eastern Europe. The initial leaders of the anti-Swedish alliance were Peter I the Great of Russia, Frederick IV of...
. The campaign was unsuccessful and when Charles XII died in southern Norway Armfeldt marched back to Jämtland. On New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve is observed annually on December 31, the final day of any given year in the Gregorian calendar. In modern societies, New Year's Eve is often celebrated at social gatherings, during which participants dance, eat, consume alcoholic beverages, and watch or light fireworks to mark the...
1718 a massive blizzard
Blizzard
A blizzard is a severe snowstorm characterized by strong winds. By definition, the difference between blizzard and a snowstorm is the strength of the wind. To be a blizzard, a snow storm must have winds in excess of with blowing or drifting snow which reduces visibility to 400 meters or ¼ mile or...
arose and over 3 000 Caroleans
Caroleans
Caroleans were the soldiers of the Swedish kings Charles XI and Charles XII.-The Carolean army:To compensate for the lack of manpower and resources Sweden strived for innovative ways to make an effective army...
succumbed in Jämtland's mountains mostly due to poor clothing. The time that followed "the Age of Liberty" brought changes to the province's agriculture, with significances such as the potato
Potato
The potato is a starchy, tuberous crop from the perennial Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae family . The word potato may refer to the plant itself as well as the edible tuber. In the region of the Andes, there are some other closely related cultivated potato species...
and better granaries
Granary
A granary is a storehouse for threshed grain or animal feed. In ancient or primitive granaries, pottery is the most common use of storage in these buildings. Granaries are often built above the ground to keep the stored food away from mice and other animals.-Early origins:From ancient times grain...
through national politics. The standard of living
Standard of living
Standard of living is generally measured by standards such as real income per person and poverty rate. Other measures such as access and quality of health care, income growth inequality and educational standards are also used. Examples are access to certain goods , or measures of health such as...
was greatly improved during this period. However, the visions and ideas behind the improvements also led to one of the greatest natural disaster in Scandinavia when the lake Ragundasjön was drained and the great rapid Gedungsen was silent, creating the dead waterfall
Döda Fallet
Döda Fallet is an extinct whitewater rapid in Ragunda Municipality in the eastern part of the province of Jämtland in Sweden....
. It was the result of a project that sought to evade the obstacle this waterfall was for timber
Timber
Timber may refer to:* Timber, a term common in the United Kingdom and Australia for wood materials * Timber, Oregon, an unincorporated community in the U.S...
transportation on Indalsälven
Indalsälven
Indalsälven is one of Sweden's longest rivers with a total length of 430 kilometers. Among its tributaries are Kallströmmen, Långan, Hårkan and Ammerån. A total of 26 hydropower plants are placed along its course, making it the third most power producing river of Sweden.-References:...
.
Modern period
In order to end the free trade conducted by "faring-men" or "faring-farmers" (fælmännan or fælbönnran in dialect) Jämtland's first and only city, ÖstersundÖstersund
Östersund is an urban area in Jämtland in the middle of Sweden. It is the seat of Östersund Municipality and the capital of Jämtland County. Östersund is located at the shores of Sweden's fifth largest lake, Storsjön, opposite the island Frösön, and is the only city in Jämtland. Östersund is the...
, was founded by Gustaf III 1786, though plans had existed since the province was seceded. It took almost one hundred years after this before the province began industrializing when the rail road Mittbanan
Mittbanan
The Central Line is a long railway line between Sundsvall and Storlien in Sweden. It continues as the long Meråker Line through Norway to Hell Station and onwards to Trondheim. The railway shares line with Inland Line between Brunflo and Östersund while the line between Ånge and Bräcke is double...
-Meråkerbanen
Meråkerbanen
The Meråker Line is a railway line which runs from Hell, outside Stjørdal, through the municipalities of Stjørdal and Meråker in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway, to the village of Storlien in Sweden. On the Swedish side, it continues as the Central Line to the city of Sundsvall...
was established between Sundsvall
Sundsvall
-External links:* - Official site from Nordisk Familjebok - Sundsvalls tourist information bureau. - The alternative guide to Sundsvall. - Blog with photos from Sundsvall....
, Östersund and Trondheim. This evolved the logging
Logging
Logging is the cutting, skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks.In forestry, the term logging is sometimes used in a narrow sense concerning the logistics of moving wood from the stump to somewhere outside the forest, usually a sawmill or a lumber yard...
process and also led to more people migrating to Jämtland, not to mention all the tourists who came for the "fresh air". As a side effect the rail road also meant the end of the faring traditions.
After the unsuccessful (or successful, depending on the viewer) channelling of Gedungsen Jämtland's rich forests could be used in sawmill
Sawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
s along the coast. A great deal of the forest was sold to large corporations since for the first time in history the farmers could earn money from their forests.
Popular Movement
The Popular Movement is a conservative liberal party in Morocco established in 1957 by the Berber Caid Mahjoubi Aherdane with help from Dr. Abdelkrim al-Khatib who founded later a splinter party that became the Justice and Development Party.The present party results from a 25 March 2006 merger...
s. In Jämtland the "free minded
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
" Good Templar movement
International Organisation of Good Templars
The IOGT International is an international non-governmental organisation working in the field of temperance...
(a part of the temperance movement
Temperance movement
A temperance movement is a social movement urging reduced use of alcoholic beverages. Temperance movements may criticize excessive alcohol use, promote complete abstinence , or pressure the government to enact anti-alcohol legislation or complete prohibition of alcohol.-Temperance movement by...
) came to dominate completely, in fact, the movement drew its strongest support (in relation to the population) in Jämtland in the entire world, and it was also here, in Östersund, that the world's largest order house was built. Jämtland failed to industrialize, mostly due to the residents opposition to industries, which were seen as the destroyers of society. Keeping Jämtland as a clean environment, but also making it a region of raw material
Raw material
A raw material or feedstock is the basic material from which a product is manufactured or made, frequently used with an extended meaning. For example, the term is used to denote material that came from nature and is in an unprocessed or minimally processed state. Latex, iron ore, logs, and crude...
extraction. Due to the rail road the city of Östersund quickly grew with settlers arriving from the countryside and southern Sweden, giving it the true character of a city, rather than a mere village with city status. The rise of Östersund brought a more excessive trade than before, handicraft
Handicraft
Handicraft, more precisely expressed as artisanic handicraft, sometimes also called artisanry, is a type of work where useful and decorative devices are made completely by hand or by using only simple tools. It is a traditional main sector of craft. Usually the term is applied to traditional means...
s etc. Just like in the rest of the Western world
Western world
The Western world, also known as the West and the Occident , is a term referring to the countries of Western Europe , the countries of the Americas, as well all countries of Northern and Central Europe, Australia and New Zealand...
a modernisation process started in the 20th century. New items such as car
Čar
Čar is a village in the municipality of Bujanovac, Serbia. According to the 2002 census, the town has a population of 296 people.-References:...
s, fridges, television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
etc. made their way into peoples' lives.
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
Folkhemmet
Folkhemmet
Folkhemmet is a political concept that played an important role in the history of the Swedish Social Democratic Party and the Swedish welfare state. It is also sometimes used to refer to the long period between 1932-76 when the Social democrats were in power and the concept was put into practice...
(the people's home) and the Rehn-Meidner model Jämtland became a true neglected area in Sweden. The model deemed it necessary to concentrate the Swedish population in cities, at the coast and in the south. Jämtland an inland region in Norrland with the largest part of the population living in the countryside in Sweden was by far the most unprofitable region one could imagine. When the politics were launched Jämtland experienced the largest population loss in modern Swedish history. Local companies were forced into bankruptcy and unemployed people were encourage to move to cities at the coast or in the south through subsidies and governmental commercials. At the same time taxes were rising and the public sector
Public sector
The public sector, sometimes referred to as the state sector, is a part of the state that deals with either the production, delivery and allocation of goods and services by and for the government or its citizens, whether national, regional or local/municipal.Examples of public sector activity range...
growing. Opposition to the loss of population and the centralist
Centralization
Centralisation, or centralization , is the process by which the activities of an organisation, particularly those regarding planning and decision-making, become concentrated within a particular location and/or group....
plans among officials regarding Jämtland County
Jämtland County
Jämtland County is a county or län in the middle of Sweden consisting of the provinces of Jämtland and Härjedalen, along with minor parts of Hälsingland and Ångermanland, plus two tiny uninhabited strips of Lapland and Dalarna. Jämtland County constitutes 12 percent of Sweden's total area, and is...
led to the creation of the Republic of Jamtland (see below).
Subdivision and law
Icelandic language
Icelandic is a North Germanic language, the main language of Iceland. Its closest relative is Faroese.Icelandic is an Indo-European language belonging to the North Germanic or Nordic branch of the Germanic languages. Historically, it was the westernmost of the Indo-European languages prior to the...
). This division is similar to the hundred subdivision the rest of Scandinavia had. Just like on Iceland these farthings were named after cardinal direction
Cardinal direction
The four cardinal directions or cardinal points are the directions of north, east, south, and west, commonly denoted by their initials: N, E, S, W. East and west are at right angles to north and south, with east being in the direction of rotation and west being directly opposite. Intermediate...
s. Exactly how the borders for each farthing went is unknown although it has been suggested that they all reached Storsjön in the center of the province. The eastern farthing at Brunflo
Brunflo
Brunflo is a locality situated in Östersund Municipality, Jämtland County, Sweden with 3,916 inhabitants in 2005. It is situated some 15 km south-east of Östersund....
, the western from Trångsviken
Trångsviken
Trångsviken is a locality situated in Alsen, Krokom Municipality, Jämtland County, Sweden with 269 inhabitants in 2005....
to the Rödö peninsula
Peninsula
A peninsula is a piece of land that is bordered by water on three sides but connected to mainland. In many Germanic and Celtic languages and also in Baltic, Slavic and Hungarian, peninsulas are called "half-islands"....
and the south farthing from Oviken and Hackås and southwards. The northern farthing is assumed to have covered all the northern parts in addition to all the islands in Storsjön (like Frösön, Norderön, Andersön
Anderson
-People:* Anderson Cooper, American television personality, son of Gloria Vanderbilt* Anderson Luís de Abreu Oliveira, Manchester United football player-Places:In Canada:* Anderson, British Columbia* Anderson Bay, British Columbia...
etc.) and Mörsil
Mörsil
Mörsil is a locality situated in Åre Municipality, Jämtland County, Sweden with 674 inhabitants in 2005....
plus Hallen parish all the way to Oviksfjällen.
The farthings were lesser administrative regions, more or less juridical districts
Jurisdiction
Jurisdiction is the practical authority granted to a formally constituted legal body or to a political leader to deal with and make pronouncements on legal matters and, by implication, to administer justice within a defined area of responsibility...
with their own assemblies, all parallel with the common assembly on Frösön. The old law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
used in Jämtland is the so called Jamtish Law, referred to in old documents as e.g. Jamptskum laughom. Old documents also makes reference to a specific law book — Jamskre loghbok. The law book has never been recovered and it's assumed to have been destroyed in the 16th century, or never having existed at all. Nevertheless the Jamtish law was either the same, or strongly influenced by the Frostating
Frostating
Frostating was the site of an early Norwegian court. Frostating had its seat at Tinghaugen in Frosta municipality in the county of Nord-Trøndelag.-Tinghaugen:...
law applied on Trøndelag.
When Magnus the law-mender
Magnus VI of Norway
Magnus VI Lagabøte or Magnus Håkonsson , was king of Norway from 1263 until 1280.-Early life:...
became the king of Norway he instituted a national law for Norway in 1276, however Jämtland was not applied by this law. Jämtland came under this law either in 1365 or in the middle of the 16th century. The divisions by farthings were replaced in the 16th century by Court Districts, shortly after Jämtland got its own Norwegian law thing.
Court Districts in Jämtland
- Berg Court District
- Brunflo Court District
- Hackås Court DistrictHackås Court DistrictHackås is a locality situated in Berg Municipality, Jämtland County, Sweden with 518 inhabitants in 2005.Hackås Court District, or Hackås tingslag, was a district of Jämtland in Sweden. The provinces in Norrland were never divided into hundreds and instead the court district served as the basic...
- Hallen Court District
- Hammerdal Court District
- Lits Court District
- Offerdal Court District
- Oviken Court District
- Ragunda Court District
- Revsund Court District
- Rödön Court District
- Sunne Court District
- Undersåker Court District
There's also an historical subdivision of Jämtland in Jamtlandic. One area is referred to as Nol i bygdom "the north countryside" and consist of Lit-Hammerdal and the area further north. Sö i bygdom "the south countryside" or Sunna sjön consists of the area just south of Storsjön; Oviken, Berg, Sunne and Hallen. Öst i bygdom (also ast, äst, ust, åst etc. instead of "öst") for eastern Jämtland, mainly Ragunda, Revsund and Brunflo. Opp i lännan "up in the lands" refers to western Jämtland, Undersåker and Offerdal. Fram på lännan "the front", "central lands" or in på lännan "in on the lands" consists of the area around Storsjön like Frösön, Rödön etc. A person from this area is called a framlänning "front lander".
Churches
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
several parish
Parish
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...
es (so called socknar, related to "seek") were established in Jämtland, these are now replaced by over 40 församlingar, meaning "assemblage". These are organized by so called kontrakt "contracts", collaboration units within the Swedish church's
Church of Sweden
The Church of Sweden is the largest Christian church in Sweden. The church professes the Lutheran faith and is a member of the Porvoo Communion. With 6,589,769 baptized members, it is the largest Lutheran church in the world, although combined, there are more Lutherans in the member churches of...
each diocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
. Jämtland is a part of the Härnösand diocese, established two years after Jämtland was ceded to Sweden. In Jämtland there are five contracts; Bräcke-Ragunda, Krokom-Åre, Strömsund and Östersund's contract, along with Berg-Härjedalen. Alhough only half of the parishes in the last one are actually located in Jämtland, the rest are located in Härjedalen.
Wood carving
Wood carving is a form of working wood by means of a cutting tool in one hand or a chisel by two hands or with one hand on a chisel and one hand on a mallet, resulting in a wooden figure or figurine, or in the sculptural ornamentation of a wooden object...
s, painting
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
s (predominately biblical illustrations), textile
Textile
A textile or cloth is a flexible woven material consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibres often referred to as thread or yarn. Yarn is produced by spinning raw fibres of wool, flax, cotton, or other material to produce long strands...
s, silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
and tin
Tin
Tin is a chemical element with the symbol Sn and atomic number 50. It is a main group metal in group 14 of the periodic table. Tin shows chemical similarity to both neighboring group 14 elements, germanium and lead and has two possible oxidation states, +2 and the slightly more stable +4...
along with various handicraft
Handicraft
Handicraft, more precisely expressed as artisanic handicraft, sometimes also called artisanry, is a type of work where useful and decorative devices are made completely by hand or by using only simple tools. It is a traditional main sector of craft. Usually the term is applied to traditional means...
s. Almost the entire older popular culture
Popular culture
Popular culture is the totality of ideas, perspectives, attitudes, memes, images and other phenomena that are deemed preferred per an informal consensus within the mainstream of a given culture, especially Western culture of the early to mid 20th century and the emerging global mainstream of the...
in Jämtland is tied to the churches. Making them the core of Jämtland's cultural heritage.
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
, Holy Matrimony
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
, confirmation, through crisis
Crisis
A crisis is any event that is, or expected to lead to, an unstable and dangerous situation affecting an individual, group, community or whole society...
and mournful times like funeral
Funeral
A funeral is a ceremony for celebrating, sanctifying, or remembering the life of a person who has died. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember the dead, from interment itself, to various monuments, prayers, and rituals undertaken in their honor...
s. In Jämtland-Härjedalen the free church
Free church
The term "free church" refers to a Christian denomination that is intrinsically separated from government . A free church does not define government policy, nor have governments define church policy or theology, nor seeks or receives government endorsement or funding for its general mission...
movement did not become near as wide spread as in the rest of Sweden. Because of this Jämtland and Härjedalen have a large number of members in the Swedish church since nine out of ten in fact are members. Although nowadays church attendance is much lower, back then every parishioner gathered on the Sabbath because no one was allowed to work. Within each parish distinctive customs, bunad
Bunad
Bunad is an umbrella term encompassing, in its broadest sense, a range of both traditional rural garments as well modern 20th century folk costumes. In its narrow sense the word Bunad does only refer to garments constructed in the early 20th century very loosely based on tradition...
s and dialects developed because of this, especially the dialects are known to differ from parish to parish in Jämtland.
Social equality
Social equality is a social state of affairs in which all people within a specific society or isolated group have the same status in a certain respect. At the very least, social equality includes equal rights under the law, such as security, voting rights, freedom of speech and assembly, and the...
between each parishioner, Jämtland lacked a nobility
Nobility
Nobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...
and there are no noble family coats of arms nor authorial marks in the churches, which is very common in the rest of Sweden. Jämtland also lacked a specific "bench order" (an order based on rank that defined where you were allowed to sit in the church), something that other churches had. In Jämtland the principle "among farmers no other rank except age and life-time" applied.
Each parish also had an assembly, where every parishioner was present and decisions were only taken unanimously. If they were not able to come to a mutual understanding the matter had to rest and be resumed later until everybody agreed. In the community houses the village's prominent people, so called byalag, gathered to decide on mutual concerns such as split-rail fence
Split-rail fence
A split-rail fence or log fence is a type of fence constructed out of timber logs, usually split lengthwise into rails and typically used for agricultural or decorative fencing. Such fences require much more timber than other types of fences, and so are generally only common in areas where wood is...
s, ditch
Ditch
A ditch is usually defined as a small to moderate depression created to channel water.In Anglo-Saxon, the word dïc already existed and was pronounced 'deek' in northern England and 'deetch' in the south. The origins of the word lie in digging a trench and forming the upcast soil into a bank...
construction and agricultural related stuff. The central figure in each district was the priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
. He dealt with most matters since he was in contact with every parishioner. He meddled in conflicts and gave advice and comfort in various situations. Besides preaching and informing the priest was also a farmer himself, often a forerunner in the field. The priest did not always go the authority's errand, sometimes he tried to help his fellow parishioners fend off extra taxes and military services.
Sami people
In Jämtland there are also Sami people. The Sami in Jämtland are Southern Sami people and speak Southern SamiSouthern Sami
Southern Sami is the southwestern-most of the Sami languages. It is a seriously endangered language; the last strongholds of this language are the municipalities of Snåsa and Hattfjelldal in Norway...
(or åarjelsaemien giele, as it's known in Southern Sami) a language mutually unintelligible with the other Sami languages. The Sami in Jämtland have historically been referred to as "Lapps" and sometimes by using the vague word "Finns" (supposedly related to English "find", see Fenni
Fenni
The Fenni were an ancient people of northeastern Europe first described by Cornelius Tacitus in Germania in AD 98.- Ancient accounts :The Fenni are first mentioned by Cornelius Tacitus in Germania in 98 A.D...
), though they prefer to call themselves Sami. There have been Sami peoples in Jämtland from pre-historic times, exactly how many is however disputed. The northernmost part of Jämtland, Frostviken, is an originally Sami area, historically referred to as a Finnmark. Though the ancestors to the Sami people who live south of this area today probably did not come to the area before the 16th century when the large scale reindeer
Reindeer
The reindeer , also known as the caribou in North America, is a deer from the Arctic and Subarctic, including both resident and migratory populations. While overall widespread and numerous, some of its subspecies are rare and one has already gone extinct.Reindeer vary considerably in color and size...
herding began, leading to a nomadic lifestyle among the Sami people. This also led to several conflicts in court between Sami people in Jämtland and the land owners
Property
Property is any physical or intangible entity that is owned by a person or jointly by a group of people or a legal entity like a corporation...
. At the dawn of the 20th century the Swedish state had an official policy which stated that "Lapp should be Lapp" and that they all should live a "traditional" Sami life and not integrate in the society. This has now changed and only a minority are in fact reindeer-herders. The Sami people in Jämtland are closely connected to their brethren living in Trøndelag and a distinctive feature of the Southern Sami culture is the yoik
Yoik
A joik, , luohti, vuolle, leu'dd, or juoiggus is a traditional Sami form of song.Originally, joik referred to only one of several Sami singing styles, but in English the word is often used to refer to all types of traditional Sami singing...
called vuoille.
Heraldry
Coronet
A coronet is a small crown consisting of ornaments fixed on a metal ring. Unlike a crown, a coronet never has arches.The word stems from the Old French coronete, a diminutive of coronne , itself from the Latin corona .Traditionally, such headgear is – as indicated by the German equivalent...
. Blazon
Blazon
In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct the appropriate image...
:
- Azure moose passant argent armed gules attacked from behind by a falcon volant and from in front by a dog rampant to the sinister or.
English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
translation:
- On a blue background, a silver mooseMooseThe moose or Eurasian elk is the largest extant species in the deer family. Moose are distinguished by the palmate antlers of the males; other members of the family have antlers with a dendritic configuration...
with red antlers walks with a reared falcon on its back and a hound on its haunches, facing the left. Both animals are fashioned in gold.
The coat of arms of Jämtland derives from the third Jamtish seal, given to Jämtland in 1635 by the Danish king. It has been disputed what the beasts on each side of the moose (representing Jämtland), are in this third seal. Is it a wolf or a domesticated dog? An eagle
Golden Eagle
The Golden Eagle is one of the best known birds of prey in the Northern Hemisphere. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. Once widespread across the Holarctic, it has disappeared from many of the more heavily populated areas...
, a raven
Raven
Raven is the common name given to several larger-bodied members of the genus Corvus—but in Europe and North America the Common Raven is normally implied...
or a falcon
Falcon
A falcon is any species of raptor in the genus Falco. The genus contains 37 species, widely distributed throughout Europe, Asia, and North America....
? The Swedish authority decided in 1884 (when Sweden and Norway were in a union) that it indeed was a wolf and an eagle. Though this decision was revised in 1935 and it has since been claimed to be portraying a hunting scene with a trained falcon and a dog.
Jämtland's first seal was the one depicted above from the medieval period. It was abolished after the Nordic Seven Years' War and the second seal of Jämtland was used between 1575-1614. This seal contained two Olav-axes and was also abolished after a Swedish occupation, the one during the Kalmar War
Kalmar War
The Kalmar War was a war between Denmark–Norway and Sweden. Though Denmark soon gained the upper hand, she was unable to defeat Sweden entirely...
. When Jämtland became Swedish it was not suitable to use one of the older seals with such a strong Norwegian influence as a basis for a new Swedish coat of arms. So the latest seal was used instead, even though it was in fact of Danish origin.
Current administration
Just like every other historical province of Sweden Jämtland serves no administrative purposes, but serves as an historical, geographical and cultural region. Jämtland makes up three quarters of the Swedish administrative provinceLän
Län and lääni refer to the administrative divisions used in Sweden and previously in Finland. The provinces of Finland were abolished on January 1, 2010....
Jämtland County
Jämtland County
Jämtland County is a county or län in the middle of Sweden consisting of the provinces of Jämtland and Härjedalen, along with minor parts of Hälsingland and Ångermanland, plus two tiny uninhabited strips of Lapland and Dalarna. Jämtland County constitutes 12 percent of Sweden's total area, and is...
, though a small uninhabited part in northern Jämtland is a part of Västerbotten County
Västerbotten County
Västerbotten County is a county or län in the north of Sweden. It borders the counties of Västernorrland, Jämtland, and Norrbotten, as well as the Norwegian county of Nordland and the Gulf of Bothnia.- Provinces :...
and the area around Överturingen is a part of Västernorrland County
Västernorrland County
Västernorrland County is a county or län in the north of Sweden. It is bordered by the counties of Gävleborg, Jämtland, Västerbotten and the Gulf of Bothnia.- Province :...
. The landsting, County Council
County Councils of Sweden
A county council, or landsting, is an elected assembly of a county in Sweden. A county council is a political entity, elected by the county electorate and typically its main responsibilities lie within the public health care system. In each county there is also a county administrative board which...
, is an elected assembly and the successor of Jamtamót. This County Council was the role model for the rest of the Swedish County Councils when they were established in 1863.
The province is also divided into primarily seven municipalities; Berg Municipality
Berg Municipality
Berg Municipality is a municipality in Jämtland County in northern Sweden. Its seat is located in Svenstavik.The present municipality was formed in 1971 when "old" Berg Municipality was amalgamated with four other entities....
, Bräcke Municipality
Bräcke Municipality
Bräcke Municipality is a municipality in Jämtland County in northern Sweden. Its seat is located in Bräcke.The present municipality was formed in 1974 when "old" Bräcke Municipality was amalgamated with Kälarne and Revsund. The three former municipalities had been created in 1952. The number of...
, Krokom Municipality
Krokom Municipality
Krokom Municipality is a municipality in Jämtland County in northern Sweden. Its seat is located in Krokom.The present municipality was formed in 1974, when the former municipalities of Alsen, Föllinge, Offerdal and Rödön were amalgamated...
, Ragunda Municipality
Ragunda Municipality
Ragunda Municipality is a municipality in Jämtland County in northern Sweden. Its seat is in Hammarstrand.The present municipality was formed in 1974, when "old" Ragunda Municipality was amalgamated with the municipalities of Fors and Stugun...
, Strömsund Municipality
Strömsund Municipality
Strömsund Municipality is a municipality in Jämtland County in northern Sweden. Its seat is located in Strömsund.The nearest larger city is Östersund, the provincial capital of Jämtland, which is located approximately 100 km to the south.-History:...
, Åre Municipality
Åre Municipality
Åre Municipality is a municipality in Jämtland County in northern Sweden. Its seat is located in Järpen.The present municipality was formed in 1974 through the amalgamation of "old" Åre Municipality with the surrounding municipalities Hallen, Kall, Mörsil and Undersåker...
and Östersund Municipality
Östersund Municipality
Östersund Municipality is a municipality in Jämtland County in northern Sweden. Its seat is located in Östersund, which is also the county seat of Jämtland County....
. The uninhabited part in northern Jämtland belongs to Dorotea Municipality
Dorotea Municipality
Dorotea Municipality is a municipality in Västerbotten County in northern Sweden. Its seat is located in Dorotea.When the first local government acts were implemented in Sweden in 1863 Dorotea parish was made a rural municipality. In 1974 it was merged into Åsele Municipality. Already in 1980 it...
and the area around Överturingen is a part of Ånge Municipality
Ånge Municipality
Ånge Municipality is a municipality in Västernorrland County, northern Sweden. Its seat is located in Ånge.The railway junction Ånge was in 1947 made a market town and detached from Borgsjö...
.
Though, even if these municipalities and the county are serving as administrative regions most Jamts still identify themselves with the parishes and with Jämtland as a province.
Physical geography
Scandinavian Peninsula
The Scandinavian Peninsula is a peninsula in Northern Europe, which today covers Norway, Sweden, and most of northern Finland. Prior to the 17th and 18th centuries, large parts of the southern peninsula—including the core region of Scania from which the peninsula takes its name—were part of...
in northern Europe
Northern Europe
Northern Europe is the northern part or region of Europe. Northern Europe typically refers to the seven countries in the northern part of the European subcontinent which includes Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Finland and Sweden...
. Jämtland stretches 315 kilometers in north-south direction and 250 kilometers in east-west direction and is equal in size with e.g. Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. Jämtland's western border is made out by Kölen
Scandinavian Mountains
The Scandinavian Mountains or the Scandes, in Swedish Skanderna, Fjällen or Kölen , in Finnish Köli and in Norwegian Kjølen, with the three latter meaning The Keel, are a mountain range that runs through the Scandinavian Peninsula...
which stretches throughout the province from north to south with branches into the landscape's southeastern parts. The fell massif
Massif
In geology, a massif is a section of a planet's crust that is demarcated by faults or flexures. In the movement of the crust, a massif tends to retain its internal structure while being displaced as a whole...
is broken at some places by large valleys stretching all the way to the Norwegian Sea
Norwegian Sea
The Norwegian Sea is a marginal sea in the North Atlantic Ocean, northwest of Norway. It is located between the North Sea and the Greenland Sea and adjoins the North Atlantic Ocean to the west and the Barents Sea to the northeast. In the southwest, it is separated from the Atlantic Ocean by a...
. These valleys have been used for centuries as paths connecting Jämtland to the west. The valleys were particularly heavily used during pilgrimage
Pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
s 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...
, the fourth most visited pilgrimage site during the medieval period. In fact no less than three pilgrim roads went through Jämtland.
Highland (geography)
The term highland or upland is used to denote any mountainous region or elevated mountainous plateau. Generally speaking, the term upland tends to be used for ranges of hills, typically up to 500-600m, and highland for ranges of low mountains.The Scottish Highlands refers to the mountainous...
with the highest peak being Storsylen
Storsylen
Storsylen is the highest mountain in the Sylan mountain range. It is located in the municipality of Tydal, Sør-Trøndelag, Norway, less than west of the border with Sweden. The tall mountain lies about east of the lake Nesjøen...
, a peak in the Sylan
Sylan
Sylan , Sylarna , Bealjehkh is a mountain range on the border between Norway and Sweden, in the counties Sør-Trøndelag and Jämtland....
mountain range with an altitude
Altitude
Altitude or height is defined based on the context in which it is used . As a general definition, altitude is a distance measurement, usually in the vertical or "up" direction, between a reference datum and a point or object. The reference datum also often varies according to the context...
of 1 728 meters above sea level. Though this is not the highest peak in the mountain range, since that peak is in fact located on the other side of the border. Another large peak in Jämtland worthy of mention is Åreskutan
Åreskutan
Åreskutan is a high mountain at Åre in Jämtland in central Sweden is one of the better-known mountains in Sweden. The mountain is easily accessible by train. The mountain massif features the largest ski resort area in Sweden....
(1 420 meters above sea level).
The lowest point in the province is as low as 35 meters above sea level and is located in the eastern part of Jämtland.
Approximately 8 per cent of Jämtland's area is covered by water and the province has two larger stream
Stream
A stream is a body of water with a current, confined within a bed and stream banks. Depending on its locale or certain characteristics, a stream may be referred to as a branch, brook, beck, burn, creek, "crick", gill , kill, lick, rill, river, syke, bayou, rivulet, streamage, wash, run or...
s, Ljungan
Ljungan
Ljungan is a 322 kilometer long river in Sweden. It originates near Trondheim and the Norwegian border. The river runs through the Swedish counties of Jämtland and Västernorrland...
and Indalsälven
Indalsälven
Indalsälven is one of Sweden's longest rivers with a total length of 430 kilometers. Among its tributaries are Kallströmmen, Långan, Hårkan and Ammerån. A total of 26 hydropower plants are placed along its course, making it the third most power producing river of Sweden.-References:...
(also known as Jämtlandsälven). Both of which emanates from the Scandinavian Mountains and drains several lakes on their way eastwards to lower altitudes.
Climate
Humid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot summers and cold winters....
and subarctic
Subarctic climate
The subarctic climate is a climate characterized by long, usually very cold winters, and short, cool to mild summers. It is found on large landmasses, away from the moderating effects of an ocean, generally at latitudes from 50° to 70°N poleward of the humid continental climates...
, depending on the location. The climate is greatly affected by the Norwegian Sea
Norwegian Sea
The Norwegian Sea is a marginal sea in the North Atlantic Ocean, northwest of Norway. It is located between the North Sea and the Greenland Sea and adjoins the North Atlantic Ocean to the west and the Barents Sea to the northeast. In the southwest, it is separated from the Atlantic Ocean by a...
and the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
, due to several mountain pass
Mountain pass
A mountain pass is a route through a mountain range or over a ridge. If following the lowest possible route, a pass is locally the highest point on that route...
es in Scandinavian mountain range.
In western Jämtland mild winters with excessive precipitation
Precipitation (meteorology)
In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation (also known as one of the classes of hydrometeors, which are atmospheric water phenomena is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravity. The main forms of precipitation...
are common. This is because of the warm winds brought to the area by the Gulf Stream
Gulf Stream
The Gulf Stream, together with its northern extension towards Europe, the North Atlantic Drift, is a powerful, warm, and swift Atlantic ocean current that originates at the tip of Florida, and follows the eastern coastlines of the United States and Newfoundland before crossing the Atlantic Ocean...
. The average precipitation in the Jamtish Fells is roughly 1 000 millimetre
Millimetre
The millimetre is a unit of length in the metric system, equal to one thousandth of a metre, which is the SI base unit of length....
s per year, with Skäckerfjällen as extreme with about 1 500 mm. The precipitation rates in the middle of the province are much more moderate. In fact the central and eastern parts of Jämtland have precipitation shortages, in Storsjöbygden the annual averages is as low as 500 mm. Due to the warm winds the temperature during the winters reaches its maximum in the fell region with about -7-8°C in Storlien
Storlien
Storlien is a village and ski resort in the Åre municipality, in Jämtland, Sweden, a kilometre from the Swedish-Norwegian border.The village has only 78 permanent inhabitants. The work opportunities are based on tourism and shopping. Most tourists are Norwegians or Swedes. Shopping tourists arrive...
and the environs. The coldest winter temperatures are found in the province's outskirts like Börtnan with roughly -11 °C. Maximum temperatures in the summer months average from the 14 °C in Jämtland's eastern parts to around 11 °C in the fell region. Though on certain mountain peaks the averages are usually as low as 5 °C.
The highest (34.0 °C) and lowest (-45.8 °C) temperatures ever recorded in Jämtland were found in its easternmost parts near Hammarstrand
Hammarstrand
Hammarstrand is a locality and the seat of Ragunda Municipality in Jämtland County, Sweden with 1,061 inhabitants in 2005. The town is host to a bobsleigh and luge track...
in 1947 and 1950.
Blizzard
Blizzard
A blizzard is a severe snowstorm characterized by strong winds. By definition, the difference between blizzard and a snowstorm is the strength of the wind. To be a blizzard, a snow storm must have winds in excess of with blowing or drifting snow which reduces visibility to 400 meters or ¼ mile or...
s are common in Jämtland, and especially in the fell region. The most notable blizzard is the one that arose on New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve is observed annually on December 31, the final day of any given year in the Gregorian calendar. In modern societies, New Year's Eve is often celebrated at social gatherings, during which participants dance, eat, consume alcoholic beverages, and watch or light fireworks to mark the...
1718 (see above). The heaviest winds in Jämtland may gust to 55 metres/s.
Flora
Flora
Flora is the plant life occurring in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring or indigenous—native plant life. The corresponding term for animals is fauna.-Etymology:...
is heavily characterized by temperate coniferous forest, taiga
Taiga
Taiga , also known as the boreal forest, is a biome characterized by coniferous forests.Taiga is the world's largest terrestrial biome. In North America it covers most of inland Canada and Alaska as well as parts of the extreme northern continental United States and is known as the Northwoods...
, a forest inhabited by Norway spruce
Norway Spruce
Norway Spruce is a species of spruce native to Europe. It is also commonly referred to as the European Spruce.- Description :...
and pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
trees. Among the two the Norway spruce is more common. The Norway spruce actually grows most densely in Jämtland together with the southern parts of Lapland. Here roughly 60 percent of the forests consist of spruces.
In Jämtland over 2,300 mineral-rich marsh
Marsh
In geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of wetland that is subject to frequent or continuous flood. Typically the water is shallow and features grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, other herbaceous plants, and moss....
es (wetland
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
s) containing a very high pH
PH
In chemistry, pH is a measure of the acidity or basicity of an aqueous solution. Pure water is said to be neutral, with a pH close to 7.0 at . Solutions with a pH less than 7 are said to be acidic and solutions with a pH greater than 7 are basic or alkaline...
level have been located. These marshes cover an area of 550 square kilometers. 400 of these marshes are also very rich in chalk
Chalk
Chalk is a soft, white, porous sedimentary rock, a form of limestone composed of the mineral calcite. Calcite is calcium carbonate or CaCO3. It forms under reasonably deep marine conditions from the gradual accumulation of minute calcite plates shed from micro-organisms called coccolithophores....
and because of the chalk-rich soil Jämtland displays the largest concentration of these type of marshes on the entire European continent. The chalk-rich soil has attracted several chalk-dependent plants, such as orchids, in Jämtland there are 19 different kinds of orchids.
Each province in Sweden has symbols associated with them and Jämtland's provincial flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
is an extremely rare orchid, the Gymnadenia nigra, an orchid that's only common in the province and a few other places in central Scandinavia. Several kinds of berries
Berry
The botanical definition of a berry is a fleshy fruit produced from a single ovary. Grapes are an example. The berry is the most common type of fleshy fruit in which the entire ovary wall ripens into an edible pericarp. They may have one or more carpels with a thin covering and fleshy interiors....
are found in Jämtland like e.g. bilberry
Bilberry
Bilberry is any of several species of low-growing shrubs in the genus Vaccinium , bearing edible berries. The species most often referred to is Vaccinium myrtillus L., but there are several other closely related species....
(blåbär) , lingonberry (lyngbär) and cloudberry
Cloudberry
Rubus chamaemorus is a rhizomatous herb native to alpine and arctic tundra and boreal forest, producing amber-colored edible fruit similar to the raspberry or blackberry...
(referred to as mylhta in Jämtland).
Fauna
Due to the diversified natural environmentNatural environment
The natural environment encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth or some region thereof. It is an environment that encompasses the interaction of all living species....
in Jämtland it displays a great deal of different animal
Animal
Animals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously and...
s. The animal most commonly associated with Jämtland is (as already hinted) the moose
Moose
The moose or Eurasian elk is the largest extant species in the deer family. Moose are distinguished by the palmate antlers of the males; other members of the family have antlers with a dendritic configuration...
. It is Jämtland's provincial animal and is referred to in dialect as simply djur, "animal". Moose may be found throughout Jämtland but to a lesser extent in the mountainous area in the province's eastern parts and in the north.
However northern Jämtland is the most densely populated brown bear
Brown Bear
The brown bear is a large bear distributed across much of northern Eurasia and North America. It can weigh from and its largest subspecies, the Kodiak Bear, rivals the polar bear as the largest member of the bear family and as the largest land-based predator.There are several recognized...
habitat in the world. The brown bear (bjenn in Jamtish) is also more or less common throughout Jämtland. Other large predators in Jämtland include the cat
Felidae
Felidae is the biological family of the cats; a member of this family is called a felid. Felids are the strictest carnivores of the thirteen terrestrial families in the order Carnivora, although the three families of marine mammals comprising the superfamily pinnipedia are as carnivorous as the...
gaupa (Eurasian lynx
Eurasian Lynx
The Eurasian lynx is a medium-sized cat native to European and Siberian forests, South Asia and East Asia. It is also known as the European lynx, common lynx, the northern lynx, and the Siberian or Russian lynx...
), the filfras meaning the glutton (wolverine
Wolverine
The wolverine, pronounced , Gulo gulo , also referred to as glutton, carcajou, skunk bear, or quickhatch, is the largest land-dwelling species of the family Mustelidae . It is a stocky and muscular carnivore, more closely resembling a small bear than other mustelids...
) and smaller such as the arctic fox
Arctic fox
The arctic fox , also known as the white fox, polar fox or snow fox, is a small fox native to Arctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere and is common throughout the Arctic tundra biome. The Greek word alopex, means a fox and Vulpes is the Latin version...
. Jämtland has had populations of wolves (skrågg, gråbein) from time to time after it practically went extinct in Scandinavia during the 20th century. There are however currently no wolves with an established territory
Territory (animal)
In ethology the term territory refers to any sociographical area that an animal of a particular species consistently defends against conspecifics...
in Jämtland. There is also one large raptor
Bird of prey
Birds of prey are birds that hunt for food primarily on the wing, using their keen senses, especially vision. They are defined as birds that primarily hunt vertebrates, including other birds. Their talons and beaks tend to be relatively large, powerful and adapted for tearing and/or piercing flesh....
in the province, the golden eagle
Golden Eagle
The Golden Eagle is one of the best known birds of prey in the Northern Hemisphere. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. Once widespread across the Holarctic, it has disappeared from many of the more heavily populated areas...
.
Beaver
The beaver is a primarily nocturnal, large, semi-aquatic rodent. Castor includes two extant species, North American Beaver and Eurasian Beaver . Beavers are known for building dams, canals, and lodges . They are the second-largest rodent in the world...
in Sweden was shot in northern Jämtland 1871 at Bjurälven
Bjurälven
Bjurälven is a river in Jämtland, Sweden. The river is partially underground and has a famous cave area.-External links:* *...
(bjur or björ is the Jamtish word for beaver). It was also in Jämtland that the beaver was reintroduced in Sweden from Norway in 1922. The current beaver population is quite large and common. Among the smaller mammals inhabiting Jämtland that are rare in the rest of Scandinavia are e.g. the taiga shrew
Taiga Shrew
The Taiga Shrew , also known as the Even-toothed Shrew can achieve a body length of about 67 millimeters, with a tail of about 43 millimeters. This shrew is very similar to the Long-Clawed Shrew. This species inhabits forested mountain valleys, and is found across northern Eurasia...
and the northern birch mouse
Northern Birch Mouse
The Northern Birch Mouse is a small rodent about 5 to 8 cm long , weighing 4.5 to 13 g. It lives in Siberia in forest and marsh zones....
. The læmel, Norway lemming
Norway lemming
The Norway lemming , Lemmus lemmus, is a common species of lemming found in northern Scandinavia and adjacent areas of Russia. It is the only vertebrate species endemic to the region. The Norway lemming dwells in tundra and fells, and prefers to live near water. Adults feed primarily on...
is also present in Jämtland and the latest major population boom usual for this species occurred in 2001.
Least Weasel
The least weasel is the smallest member of the Mustelidae , native to Eurasia, North America and North Africa, though it has been introduced elsewhere. It is classed as Least Concern by the IUCN, due to its wide distribution and presumably large population...
exists, along with planted, released and escaped mink
Mink
There are two living species referred to as "mink": the European Mink and the American Mink. The extinct Sea Mink is related to the American Mink, but was much larger. All three species are dark-colored, semi-aquatic, carnivorous mammals of the family Mustelidae, which also includes the weasels and...
s. The province is also home to the pine marten
Pine Marten
The European Pine Marten , known most commonly as the pine marten in Anglophone Europe, and less commonly also known as Pineten, baum marten, or sweet marten, is an animal native to Northern Europe belonging to the mustelid family, which also includes mink, otter, badger, wolverine and weasel. It...
and the ermine
Ermine
Ermine has several uses:* A common name for the stoat * The white fur and black tail end of this animal, which is historically worn by and associated with royalty and high officials...
. These mammals have often been hunted for their valuable fur, for Jämtland this is especially true for the ermine.
Among the deer
Deer
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
the moose is as already stated common. Other deer are roe deer
Roe Deer
The European Roe Deer , also known as the Western Roe Deer, chevreuil or just Roe Deer, is a Eurasian species of deer. It is relatively small, reddish and grey-brown, and well-adapted to cold environments. Roe Deer are widespread in Western Europe, from the Mediterranean to Scandinavia, and from...
, red deer
Red Deer
The red deer is one of the largest deer species. Depending on taxonomy, the red deer inhabits most of Europe, the Caucasus Mountains region, Asia Minor, parts of western Asia, and central Asia. It also inhabits the Atlas Mountains region between Morocco and Tunisia in northwestern Africa, being...
and reindeer
Reindeer
The reindeer , also known as the caribou in North America, is a deer from the Arctic and Subarctic, including both resident and migratory populations. While overall widespread and numerous, some of its subspecies are rare and one has already gone extinct.Reindeer vary considerably in color and size...
, in the shape of Sami herds or wilded originally tame reindeers.
The provincial fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
is the brown trout
Brown trout
The brown trout and the sea trout are fish of the same species....
which is found together with common whitefish
Common whitefish
Coregonus lavaretus is a species of freshwater whitefish, in the family Salmonidae. It is the type species of its genus Coregonus.There are widely different concepts about the number of species in the genus Coregonus and the delimitation of the species Coregonus lavaretus.-Lavaret:In a narrow...
, grayling
Grayling (species)
The grayling is a species of freshwater fish in the salmon family of order Salmoniformes. It is the type species of its genus. Native to the Palearctic ecozone, the grayling is widespread throughout northern Europe, from the United Kingdom and France to the Ural Mountains in Russia...
, European perch
European perch
The European perch, Perca fluviatilis, is a predatory species of perch found in Europe and Asia. In some areas it is known as the redfin perch or English perch, and it is often known simply as perch. The species is a popular quarry for anglers and has been widely introduced beyond its native area,...
, arctic char
Arctic char
Arctic char or Arctic charr is both a freshwater and saltwater fish in the Salmonidae family, native to Arctic, sub-Arctic and alpine lakes and coastal waters. No other freshwater fish is found as far north. It is the only species of fish in Lake Hazen, on Ellesmere Island in the Canadian Arctic...
, burbot
Burbot
The burbot is the only gadiform fish inhabiting freshwaters. It is also known as mariah, the lawyer, and eelpout. It is closely related to the marine common ling and the cusk...
, salmon
Salmon
Salmon is the common name for several species of fish in the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the same family are called trout; the difference is often said to be that salmon migrate and trout are resident, but this distinction does not strictly hold true...
and the carnivorous northern pike
Northern Pike
The northern pike , is a species of carnivorous fish of the genus Esox...
. Roughly 250 types of bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s have been observed in Jämtland. The species presence greatly varies, in the fells bluethroat
Bluethroat
The Bluethroat is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae...
, long-tailed skua
Long-tailed Skua
The Long-tailed Skua, Stercorarius longicaudus is a seabird in the skua family Stercorariidae....
, Eurasian dotterel
Eurasian Dotterel
The Eurasian Dotterel , or in Europe just Dotterel, is a small wader in the plover family of birds.It breeds in the Arctic tundra of northern Eurasia, from Norway to eastern Siberia, and on suitable mountain plateaus such as the Scottish highlands and the Alps...
, ptarmigan, Lapland
Lapland Bunting
The Lapland Longspur or Lapland Bunting, Calcarius lapponicus, is a passerine bird in the longspur family Calcariidae, a group separated by most modern authors from the Fringillidae ....
and Snow bunting
Snow Bunting
The Snow Bunting , sometimes colloquially called a snowflake, is a passerine bird in the longspur family Calcariidae. It is an arctic specialist, with a circumpolar Arctic breeding range throughout the northern hemisphere...
are found. The forested region is inhabited by species such as hazel hen, black grouse
Black Grouse
The Black Grouse or Blackgame is a large bird in the grouse family. It is a sedentary species, breeding across northern Eurasia in moorland and bog areas near to woodland, mostly boreal...
, capercaillie
Capercaillie
The Western Capercaillie , also known as the Wood Grouse, Heather Cock or Capercaillie , is the largest member of the grouse family, reaching over 100 cm in length and 6.7 kg in weight. The largest one ever recorded in captivity had a weight of 7.2 kg....
, Siberian jay
Siberian Jay
The Siberian Jay Perisoreus infaustus, is a jay found in north Eurasia. The species has a wide range and a large global population . It is one of three members of the genus Perisoreus, the others being the Sichuan Jay, P...
, three-toed woodpecker
Eurasian Three-toed Woodpecker
The Three-toed Woodpecker, Picoides tridactylus, is a medium-sized woodpecker.The adult is 21.5-24 cm in length. It is black on the head, wings and rump, and white from the throat to the belly; the flanks are white with black bars. The back is white with black bars, and the tail is black with the...
and rustic bunting
Rustic Bunting
The Rustic Bunting, Emberiza rustica, is a passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae, a group now separated by most modern authors from the finches, Fringillidae....
. Several different types of owl
Owl
Owls are a group of birds that belong to the order Strigiformes, constituting 200 bird of prey species. Most are solitary and nocturnal, with some exceptions . Owls hunt mostly small mammals, insects, and other birds, although a few species specialize in hunting fish...
s dwells in the province and the provincial owl is the northern hawk owl
Northern Hawk Owl
The Northern Hawk-Owl is a non-migratory owl that usually stays within its breeding range. It sometimes irrupts southward.-General:It is the only living species in the genus Surnia...
.
Economy
Lumber
Lumber or timber is wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural material for construction, or wood pulp for paper production....
. The focus in Jämtland's economy
Economy
An economy consists of the economic system of a country or other area; the labor, capital and land resources; and the manufacturing, trade, distribution, and consumption of goods and services of that area...
was directed towards tourism after the construction of the railroad, starting with the "clean air tourists" who came to experience the fresh air, to see the snow clad fells, the waterfalls and the natural environment. Today the tourism in Jämtland is dominated by winter sports and especially alpine skiing in various facilities in Åre
Åre (ski area)
Åre is an alpine ski area in Sweden, founded in 1909. It is located in Åre Municipality, Jämtland, just outside and above the village of Åre, approximately 80 km from the city of Östersund. The ski lift system is on the Åreskutan mountain, at an elevation of 1420 meters ; its absolute summit...
, Bydalen, Storlien
Storlien
Storlien is a village and ski resort in the Åre municipality, in Jämtland, Sweden, a kilometre from the Swedish-Norwegian border.The village has only 78 permanent inhabitants. The work opportunities are based on tourism and shopping. Most tourists are Norwegians or Swedes. Shopping tourists arrive...
, Klövsjö
Klövsjö
Klövsjö is a locality situated in Berg Municipality, Jämtland County, Sweden with 312 inhabitants in 2005.- External links :* - Official site...
, etc.
Public sector
The public sector, sometimes referred to as the state sector, is a part of the state that deals with either the production, delivery and allocation of goods and services by and for the government or its citizens, whether national, regional or local/municipal.Examples of public sector activity range...
in Jämtland is large and the high taxes fund the public welfare
Swedish welfare
Social welfare in Sweden is made up of several organizations and systems dealing with welfare. It is mostly funded by taxes, and executed by the public sector on all levels of government as well as private organisations...
.
Jämtland has large concentrations of uranium
Uranium
Uranium is a silvery-white metallic chemical element in the actinide series of the periodic table, with atomic number 92. It is assigned the chemical symbol U. A uranium atom has 92 protons and 92 electrons, of which 6 are valence electrons...
and deposits of e.g. gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
, zinc
Zinc
Zinc , or spelter , is a metallic chemical element; it has the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is the first element in group 12 of the periodic table. Zinc is, in some respects, chemically similar to magnesium, because its ion is of similar size and its only common oxidation state is +2...
, mica
Mica
The mica group of sheet silicate minerals includes several closely related materials having highly perfect basal cleavage. All are monoclinic, with a tendency towards pseudohexagonal crystals, and are similar in chemical composition...
, silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
, lead
Lead
Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
, iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
and copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
have been found. However, the only mines
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
of importance in Jämtland's history are the former copper mines in Fröå and Huså
Husa
Husa is a village in the Ølve district of Kvinnherad municipality, Norway....
.
Jämtland is heavily dominated by many small business
Small business
A small business is a business that is privately owned and operated, with a small number of employees and relatively low volume of sales. Small businesses are normally privately owned corporations, partnerships, or sole proprietorships...
es and together with Härjedalen Jämtland has the second highest number of company owners in Sweden (in relation to the population), the highest number of enterprising women and by far the most cooperative
Cooperative
A cooperative is a business organization owned and operated by a group of individuals for their mutual benefit...
s. Östersund
Östersund
Östersund is an urban area in Jämtland in the middle of Sweden. It is the seat of Östersund Municipality and the capital of Jämtland County. Östersund is located at the shores of Sweden's fifth largest lake, Storsjön, opposite the island Frösön, and is the only city in Jämtland. Östersund is the...
is the centre of trade and commerce in Jämtland.
Population
Jämtland is a very sparsely populated region, more so than Sweden and Scandinavia as wholes. There are only 3.3 people per square kilometre and the population of 112,717 is unevenly distributed. In Jämtland County (including the province of Härjedalen) the number of people living outside an urban area is 34% of the total population, making Jämtland one of the largest rural regions in Scandinavia. Most people in Jämtland live in Storsjöbygden, the area around lake Storsjön in larger towns such as the only chartered city in Jämtland, ÖstersundÖstersund
Östersund is an urban area in Jämtland in the middle of Sweden. It is the seat of Östersund Municipality and the capital of Jämtland County. Östersund is located at the shores of Sweden's fifth largest lake, Storsjön, opposite the island Frösön, and is the only city in Jämtland. Östersund is the...
, founded 1786 (now including Frösön), Krokom
Krokom
Krokom is a locality and the seat of Krokom Municipality in Jämtland County, Sweden with 2,087 inhabitants in 2005.- References :...
, Ås
Ås
Ås is a municipality in Akershus county, Norway. It is part of the Follo traditional region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Ås...
, Svenstavik
Svenstavik
Svenstavik is a locality and the seat of Berg Municipality in Jämtland County, Sweden with 948 inhabitants in 2005.- References :...
, Nälden
Nälden
Nälden is a locality situated in Krokom Municipality, Jämtland County, Sweden with 881 inhabitants in 2005....
and Jämtland's second largest town Brunflo
Brunflo
Brunflo is a locality situated in Östersund Municipality, Jämtland County, Sweden with 3,916 inhabitants in 2005. It is situated some 15 km south-east of Östersund....
. This region is actually quite densely populated. The largest urban areas outside Storsjöbygden are primly the municipality seats Strömsund
Strömsund
Strömsund is a locality and the seat of Strömsund Municipality in Jämtland County, Sweden with 3,516 inhabitants in 2005.-Tourism:Strömsund is famous for being pictured in famous Swedish movie Dunderklumpen....
, Järpen
Järpen
Järpen is a locality and the seat of Åre Municipality in Jämtland County, Sweden with 1,439 inhabitants in 2005. Järpen is located at an altitude of 324m/1,063ft above sea level, on the river Indalsälv....
, Bräcke
Bräcke
Bräcke is a locality and the seat of Bräcke Municipality in Jämtland County, Sweden with 1,566 inhabitants in 2005.- References :...
and Hammarstrand
Hammarstrand
Hammarstrand is a locality and the seat of Ragunda Municipality in Jämtland County, Sweden with 1,061 inhabitants in 2005. The town is host to a bobsleigh and luge track...
. Along with towns such as Åre
Åre
Åre is a locality and one of the leading Scandinavian ski resorts situated in Åre Municipality, Jämtland County, Sweden with 1,260 inhabitants in 2005. It is however, not the seat of the municipality, which is Järpen. 25% of the municipal industry is based on tourism, most notably the downhill...
, Hammerdal
Hammerdal
Hammerdal is a locality situated in Strömsund Municipality, Jämtland County, Sweden with 996 inhabitants in 2005. It is historically associated with Hammond, Louisiana, USA, by way of a Swedish immigrant who founded the Louisiana city....
and Lit.
A resident or native of Jämtland is commonly referred to as Jamt (Swedish: jämte).
Famous natives
- Kjell Albin AbrahamsonKjell Albin AbrahamsonKjell Albin Abrahamson is a Swedish journalist and author. He is currently Swedish National Radio's senior correspondent to Warsaw, Poland, a position he previously held in Moscow, USSR , twice in Vienna, Austria and once before in Warsaw...
, journalist and author - Georg AdlersparreGeorg AdlersparreCount Georg Adlersparre was a Swedish army commander.Adlersparre was born in Hovermo . Having entered the army at the age of 15, he received from King Gustav III, in 1791, a secret commission to excite the Norwegians to rebellion...
, army commander, revolutionary leader of 1809 - Ann-MargretAnn-MargretAnn-Margret Olsson is a Swedish-American actress, singer and dancer whose professional name is Ann-Margret. She became famous for her starring roles in Bye Bye Birdie, Viva Las Vegas, The Cincinnati Kid, Carnal Knowledge, and Tommy...
, actress, singer - Ulf DahlénUlf DahlénUlf Dahlén is a retired ice hockey player, currently head coach for HV71 in the Swedish elite league Elitserien.-Biography:...
, hockey player - Alx DanielssonAlx DanielssonAlx [Alexander] Danielsson is a Swedish racing driver and the 2006 champion of the Formula Renault 3.5 Series.Danielsson's career started in karting in 1998, where he stayed until 1999 before moving up to Formula Ford...
, racing driver - Alexander EdlerAlexander EdlerAlexander Edler is a Swedish professional ice hockey defenceman for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League . He was drafted out of Sweden's third-tier ice hockey league by the Canucks 91st overall in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft and played junior hockey with Modo of the J20 SuperElit and...
, hockey player in Vancouver CanucksVancouver CanucksThe Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,... - Allan EdwallAllan EdwallJohan Allan Edwall was a Swedish actor, director, author, composer and singer, best-known outside Sweden for the small roles he played in some of Ingmar Bergman's films such as Fanny and Alexander...
, actor - Gunder HäggGunder HäggGunder Hägg was a Swedish runner and multiple world record breaker of the 1940s. Gunder Hägg set over a dozen middle distance world records at events ranging from 1500 metres to 5000 meters, including three at both the 1500 meters and the mile, one at 3000 meters and one at 5000 meters.Hägg and...
, runner - Emma HärdelinEmma HärdelinEmma Härdelin is a Swedish musician. She is a violinist and lead singer in folk-rock band Garmarna, which she joined in 1993 for their first album, and also lead singer for the folk band Triakel....
, singer in bands GarmarnaGarmarnaGarmarna is a Swedish folk rock band. Their songs are mainly old Scandinavian ballads.- Biography :Garmarna was founded in 1990. Stefan Brisland-Ferner, Gotte Ringqvist and Rickard Westman were inspired by old Swedish music, which they had heard in a theatre. They began searching for old tunes and...
and Triakel - Peja LindholmPeja LindholmPeter "Peja" Rutger Lindholm is a Swedish curler. He is a three-time world champion skip, winning in 1997, 2001 and 2004. He is also a two-time European champion and a former world junior champion .Lindholm announced his retirement from curling following the 2007 European Curling Championships...
, curler - Henrik LundqvistHenrik LundqvistHenrik Lundqvist is a Swedish professional ice hockey goaltender for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League . He was nominated for the Vezina Trophy in his first three seasons in the NHL, finishing third all three times, and is the only goaltender in NHL history to record 30 wins in...
, RangersNew York RangersThe New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
hockey player - Bodil MalmstenBodil MalmstenBodil Malmsten is a Swedish poet and novelist. She was born close to Östersund in Jämtland, Sweden and grew up at her grandparents....
, novelist - Annika NorlinAnnika NorlinAnnika Norlin , of Östersund, Sweden, is a Swedish pop artist who makes music under the names Hello Saferide and Säkert! .-Albums:*2005 - Introducing...Hello Saferide...
, pop artist - Anna OttossonAnna OttossonAnna Ottosson is a Swedish alpine skier who won an Olympic bronze medal in the Giant Slalom race at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin. She stands 1.66 meters tall and weighs 64 kg .-References:...
, alpine skier - Helge PalmcrantzHelge PalmcrantzHelge Palmcrantz , Swedish inventor and industrialist. He was born in Hammerdal, in the province of Jämtland, as the son of a captain at Jämtlands fältjägarregemente. He was recruited as a cadet to his father's regiment, where he worked with land survey...
, inventor - Pehr Wilhelm WargentinPehr Wilhelm WargentinPehr Wilhelm Wargentin , Swedish astronomer and demographer....
, astronomer and father of Statistics Sweden - Hans BlixHans Blixis a Swedish diplomat and politician for the Liberal People's Party. He was Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs . Blix was also the head of the United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission from March 2000 to June 2003, when he was succeeded by Dimitris Perrikos...
former UNMOVIC chairman
Culture
The culture of Jämtland has been greatly affected by the fact that Jämtland's never had an upper classUpper class
In social science, the "upper class" is the group of people at the top of a social hierarchy. Members of an upper class may have great power over the allocation of resources and governmental policy in their area.- Historical meaning :...
, since the population have mostly consisted of free sovereign farmers with wide connections and a strong regional identity. This has been the case for many generations. When Christian IV of Denmark
Christian IV of Denmark
Christian IV was the king of Denmark-Norway from 1588 until his death. With a reign of more than 59 years, he is the longest-reigning monarch of Denmark, and he is frequently remembered as one of the most popular, ambitious and proactive Danish kings, having initiated many reforms and projects...
punished the Jamts severely after having sworn the Swedish king their allegiance (see above) by turning them into tenant farmer
Tenant farmer
A tenant farmer is one who resides on and farms land owned by a landlord. Tenant farming is an agricultural production system in which landowners contribute their land and often a measure of operating capital and management; while tenant farmers contribute their labor along with at times varying...
s and abolished their seal, he told them to stay put on their farms. They did not heed this call but instead sought help from their own organized advisors and "the land's defense", an insolence that further outraged the Danish king. Jämtland started out free and remained autonomous during its time as a Norwegian dependency
Dependent territory
A dependent territory, dependent area or dependency is a territory that does not possess full political independence or sovereignty as a State, and remains politically outside of the controlling state's integral area....
. Because of Jämtland's historical background the local culture shows great similarities with the Norwegian farm culture
Norwegian farm culture
The Norwegian farm culture was a rural movement unique in values and practices which assumed a form in Viking Age Norway, and continued with little change into the age of firearms - and in many respects even to the early 20th century...
.
Today, the history of Jämtland is exhibited in the regional museum Jamtli
Jamtli
Jamtli is the name of the regional museum of Jämtland and Härjedalen in Östersund, Sweden. It consists of an open air museum with historical buildings, and an indoor museum with both permanent and temporary exhibitions. “Jamtli” literally means “hillside of Jämtland” in the local dialect...
in Östersund
Östersund
Östersund is an urban area in Jämtland in the middle of Sweden. It is the seat of Östersund Municipality and the capital of Jämtland County. Östersund is located at the shores of Sweden's fifth largest lake, Storsjön, opposite the island Frösön, and is the only city in Jämtland. Östersund is the...
. The museum consists of an open-air section
Open air museum
An open-air museum is a distinct type of museum exhibiting its collections out-of-doors. The first open-air museums were established in Scandinavia towards the end of the nineteenth century, and the concept soon spread throughout Europe and North America. Open-air museums are variously known as...
with historical buildings, as well as an indoor museum which houses exhibitions about the regions cultural history, from the stone age until modern times. Local history has been very popular in Jämtland for over 100 years, due to the extensive cultural home ground movement that emerged in the late 19th and early 20th century. The movement founded Jamtli to preserve the cultural heritage.
Lifestyle
The culture in Jämtland has been marked by the stages in human development; the hunting-gathering stage, the semi-nomadic herding stage, the fully agricultural stage and the modern technological stage.Remnants from the hunter-gathering stage is first and foremost hunting itself. Jämtland's population remained in this stage for a very long time due to the hunters ability to sustain the population. Today the moose hunt is regarded by many Jamts as the major holiday of the year. When the first humans came to Jämtland they brought dogs with them as helpers. The local dog, Jämthund
Jämthund
The Jämthund, also called the Swedish Elkhound, is a breed of dog of the Spitz type that are found in Northern Europe. The Jämthund is eponymous to Jämtland, a province in the middle of Sweden. The dog is described as having a wolf-like appearance....
, is a canine breed eponymous to Jämtland. Even if it is not explicitly stated, popular perception holds that the dog depicted in the coat of arms is of that breed. The Jämthund is often described having a wolf-like appearance.
One of the first things Tacitus
Tacitus
Publius Cornelius Tacitus was a senator and a historian of the Roman Empire. The surviving portions of his two major works—the Annals and the Histories—examine the reigns of the Roman Emperors Tiberius, Claudius, Nero and those who reigned in the Year of the Four Emperors...
mentions in his work Germania
Germania (book)
The Germania , written by Gaius Cornelius Tacitus around 98, is an ethnographic work on the Germanic tribes outside the Roman Empire.-Contents:...
is that the Germanic people treasure their animals above all else. Tacitus also concludes that the Germanic people found cultivation repulsive. Instead, he states, the Germanic people devote themselves to food and sleep and besides that they prefer to remain idle. All of this, to certain extents, applied to Jämtland. When the people of Jämtland settled down they relied mostly on pastoralism
Pastoralism
Pastoralism or pastoral farming is the branch of agriculture concerned with the raising of livestock. It is animal husbandry: the care, tending and use of animals such as camels, goats, cattle, yaks, llamas, and sheep. It may have a mobile aspect, moving the herds in search of fresh pasture and...
(transhumance
Transhumance
Transhumance is the seasonal movement of people with their livestock between fixed summer and winter pastures. In montane regions it implies movement between higher pastures in summer and to lower valleys in winter. Herders have a permanent home, typically in valleys. Only the herds travel, with...
). Their animals were the source of wealth and they were therefore loved by their owners. This love for the livestock
Livestock
Livestock refers to one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor. The term "livestock" as used in this article does not include poultry or farmed fish; however the inclusion of these, especially poultry, within the meaning...
has manifested itself in the dialect, a male nipple
Nipple
In its most general form, a nipple is a structure from which a fluid emanates. More specifically, it is the projection on the breasts or udder of a mammal by which breast milk is delivered to a mother's young. In this sense, it is often called a teat, especially when referring to non-humans, and...
is called bokkjen (the buck) and a female nipple is known as geita (the 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...
).
In Jämtland the Scandinavian inland transhumance, buföring, has always been more important than cultivation. In fact it was crucial to take care of the livestock and supply them with food, and rewarding. Every summer for several weeks, from May to September, gjetaran (herd boys) and butøusan (herd girls, bu is cognate to "booth") followed and guarded kreka, the critter, on their way to a grazing land on higher altitudes where several critter houses had been raised. The common animals taken out on these journeys were gjettran (Jämtland goats) and kynnan (the fell cows) a white, brisk and headstrong cow race, lacking horns. It was a hard work and it depended on cooperation between males and females. This lifestyle lived on for thousand years and it was first in the 1950s it became obsolete. This tradition has however been resurrected as of late, mostly for touristic purposes.
When the population settled down the society greatly changed, first coexisting with the older societies, later absorbing them. Trade became much more important, a political institution elected by the people came into existence, the very same institution whose successor is the current County Council. Jämtland got its name and a somewhat hierarchical
Hierarchy
A hierarchy is an arrangement of items in which the items are represented as being "above," "below," or "at the same level as" one another...
social structure emerged, though, as already pointed out, Jämtland never had an upper class. Strong families such as Skanke
Skanke
Skanke is the name of several Norwegian families.The name was not generally used in Middle Ages, it is a later retrospectively constructed surname for families who had their crest depicting shank, or leg...
and Blix did exist though and on the countryside in Jämtland people still live in networks of relatives, families. Where they provide a second social security
Social security
Social security is primarily a social insurance program providing social protection or protection against socially recognized conditions, including poverty, old age, disability, unemployment and others. Social security may refer to:...
for many, in the rest of Sweden and in e.g. Östersund this has completely or almost entirely been replaced by public welfare.
Cuisine
Milk
Milk is a white liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals before they are able to digest other types of food. Early-lactation milk contains colostrum, which carries the mother's antibodies to the baby and can reduce the risk of many...
throughout their entire life. There are many different types of Jamtish dairy products, especially cheese, since it was by far the easiest way to conserve milk. Mesost
Brunost
Brunost , or mesost , mysuostur or myseost is a brown Scandinavian whey cheese. The Norwegian name brunost means brown cheese, and the others mean simply whey cheese...
is particularly associated with Jämtland and also e.g. a local variant of cottage cheese
Cottage cheese
Cottage cheese is a cheese curd product with a mild flavor. It is drained, but not pressed, so some whey remains and the individual curds remain loose. The curd is usually washed to remove acidity, giving sweet curd cheese. It is not aged or colored. Different styles of cottage cheese are made from...
called grynost. In Jämtland there are several small dairies
Dairy
A dairy is a business enterprise established for the harvesting of animal milk—mostly from cows or goats, but also from buffalo, sheep, horses or camels —for human consumption. A dairy is typically located on a dedicated dairy farm or section of a multi-purpose farm that is concerned...
in the villages, most famous is the one in Skärvången. Other products associated with Jämtland are the soft whey butter, long fil, kjesfil, flautgröt "cream
Cream
Cream is a dairy product that is composed of the higher-butterfat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. In un-homogenized milk, over time, the lighter fat rises to the top. In the industrial production of cream this process is accelerated by using centrifuges called "separators"...
porridge
Porridge
Porridge is a dish made by boiling oats or other cereal meals in water, milk, or both. It is usually served hot in a bowl or dish...
", tunnbröd
Tunnbröd
Tunnbröd is the Swedish version of flatbread. Tunnbröd can be soft or crisp, and comes in many variants depending on choice of grain, leavening agent and rolling pin. The dough is made from any combination of wheat, barley and rye.Soft tunnbröd is commonly used as a wrap for other food, not...
, a version of palt
Palt
Palt is a traditional Swedish meat-filled dumpling, of which there are many different variants. Palt is traditionally served with butter and lingonberry preserves, and a glass of cold milk on the side....
called kams, klobb etc.
The ancient practice of brewing Julöl (yule beer) persists even today with the microbrewery
Microbrewery
A microbrewery or craft brewer is a brewery which produces a limited amount of beer, and is associated by consumers with innovation and uniqueness....
Jämtlands Bryggeri
Jämtlands Bryggeri
Jämtlands Bryggeri is a microbrewery located in the small village of Pilgrimstad located in the Municipality of Bräcke in Jämtland, in north western part Sweden....
in Pilgrimstad
Pilgrimstad
Pilgrimstad is a locality situated in Bräcke Municipality, Jämtland County, Sweden with 405 inhabitants in 2005.It is mostly known for the small micro-brewery, Jämtlands Bryggeri that is located in the village....
.
Local projects such as the internet portal Food of Jamtland and the trading mark Smakriket Jämtland (the "taste realm" Jämtland) are two major contributors in marketing, preserving and developing the cuisine of Jämtland.
Some of the newest merchandises in Jämtland are a sparkling wine
Sparkling wine
Sparkling wine is a wine with significant levels of carbon dioxide in it making it fizzy. The carbon dioxide may result from natural fermentation, either in a bottle, as with the méthode champenoise, in a large tank designed to withstand the pressures involved , or as a result of carbon dioxide...
made of birch
Birch
Birch is a tree or shrub of the genus Betula , in the family Betulaceae, closely related to the beech/oak family, Fagaceae. The Betula genus contains 30–60 known taxa...
sap
Sap
Sap may refer to:* Plant sap, the fluid transported in xylem cells or phloem sieve tube elements of a plant* Sap , a village in the Dunajská Streda District of Slovakia...
and a sausage
Sausage
A sausage is a food usually made from ground meat , mixed with salt, herbs, and other spices, although vegetarian sausages are available. The word sausage is derived from Old French saussiche, from the Latin word salsus, meaning salted.Typically, a sausage is formed in a casing traditionally made...
called Jämtlandsfalu, wilderness juice, the snaps
Snaps
Snaps is a Danish and Swedish word for a small shot of a strong alcoholic beverage taken during the course of a meal. A ritual that is associated with drinking snaps is a tradition in Scandinavia, especially in Denmark and Sweden, where it is very common to drink snaps at holidays such as...
kallsup and tunnbröd chips
Chips
-Food:*A thick version of French fries, strips of deep-fried potato*Potato chips , a snack food comprising thin slices of fried potatoes*Tortilla chips, a snack food made from corn tortillas*Corn chips a snack food made from corn...
.
Folklore
Scandinavian folklore
Scandinavian folklore is the folklore of Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, and the Swedish speaking parts of Finland.Collecting folklore began when Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden sent out instructions to all of the priests in all of the parishes to collect the folklore of their area...
as whole, although the folklore is seldom regarded as popular belief nowadays, with one major exception, Storsjöodjuret
Storsjöodjuret
Storsjöodjuret is a lake monster reported to live in the lake Storsjön in Jämtland in the middle of Sweden. The lake monster was first reported in 1635 and is the only one of its kind in Sweden...
.
According to legend it is believed that Storsjön
Storsjön
Storsjön is the fifth largest lake in Sweden, with an area of 464 km² and a greatest depth of 74 m. It is located in the province of Jämtland in modern Jämtland County. From Storsjön runs the river Indalsälven and the lake contains the major island Frösön...
(literally the Great Lake) harbors a large lake creature, Storsjöodjuret. There are many witness reports but the creature's existence remains to be established conclusively. Regardless of any proven existence, Storsjöodjuret was officially placed under the protection of a degree issued in 1986 by the County Administrative Board
County Administrative Boards of Sweden
A County Administrative Board is a Government appointed board of a County in Sweden. It is led by a Governor or Landshövding appointed for a term of six years and the list of succession, in most cases, stretches back to 1634 when the counties were created...
to guarantee its safety from hunters and fortune seekers, the protection was lifted in November 2005. The first description of Storsjöodjuret was made in this tale from 1635;
Puken is a magical ball of yarn
Yarn
Yarn is a long continuous length of interlocked fibres, suitable for use in the production of textiles, sewing, crocheting, knitting, weaving, embroidery and ropemaking. Thread is a type of yarn intended for sewing by hand or machine. Modern manufactured sewing threads may be finished with wax or...
summoned by a witch to draw objects to her. It often steals milk to the witch by milking cows.
Just like in the rest of the world dragon
Dragon
A dragon is a legendary creature, typically with serpentine or reptilian traits, that feature in the myths of many cultures. There are two distinct cultural traditions of dragons: the European dragon, derived from European folk traditions and ultimately related to Greek and Middle Eastern...
s have been known for a long time. In Jämtland they resemble broom
Broom
A broom is a cleaning tool consisting of stiff fibers attached to, and roughly parallel to, a cylindrical handle, the broomstick. It is thus a variety of brush with a long handle. It is commonly used in combination with a dustpan....
s, that flies quickly and strikes down where treasuries
Treasury
A treasury is either*A government department related to finance and taxation.*A place where currency or precious items is/are kept....
are buried.
Sjörå
Sjora
SJORA is a light-tasting drink available in Mango Peach and Tropical Pineapple flavors, both in regular and diet versions, that was introduced in 2007 by Nestlé....
is a keeper of freshwater, that master fish, aas
Aa River
Aa River may refer to:* Aa River , a river in northern France* Aa River , a river in North Brabant, Netherlands* Aa of Weerijs, a river in North Brabant, Netherlands* Drentsche Aa, a river in Groningen, Netherlands...
and lakes. It is similar to the Jamtish skogskjæringa
Huldra
In Scandinavian folklore, the Huldra , or the skogsrå or skogsfru/skovfrue or Tallemaja in Swedish culture, is a seductive forest creature...
"wife of the forest". A being that, at day, takes the appearance of a rauvtjuksa
Siberian Jay
The Siberian Jay Perisoreus infaustus, is a jay found in north Eurasia. The species has a wide range and a large global population . It is one of three members of the genus Perisoreus, the others being the Sichuan Jay, P...
"red tail", a bird seen as ominous in Jamtish folklore. When in physical form her tail is always apparent. She tries to lure men to have sexual intercourse
Sexual intercourse
Sexual intercourse, also known as copulation or coitus, commonly refers to the act in which a male's penis enters a female's vagina for the purposes of sexual pleasure or reproduction. The entities may be of opposite sexes, or they may be hermaphroditic, as is the case with snails...
with her. The skogsrå is not the same creature as skogskjæringa in Jamtish folklore, it is the keeper of the forest and master all the animals in it. It takes on the shape of a moose during hunting season, and grows larger and larger if hit by bullets and eventually forces the hunters out. It can however, be slain with a silver bullet.
Tomte
A tomte , nisse or tonttu is a mythical creature of Scandinavian folklore. The tomte or nisse was believed to take care of a farmer's home and children and protect them from misfortune, in particular at night, when the housefolk were asleep...
n is a common creature, it is quite tall and has an eye in the middle of his forehead. It is the keeper of barn
Barn
A barn is an agricultural building used for storage and as a covered workplace. It may sometimes be used to house livestock or to store farming vehicles and equipment...
s and a very capricious being, though he usually brings luck.
The Nix
Nix
The Neck/Nixie are shapeshifting water spirits who usually appear in human form. The spirit has appeared in the myths and legends of all Germanic peoples in Europe....
, Näkkjen, is a common mythical creature, in Jämtland it refers to a male water spirit whose music was dangerous to women. Each year in the town of Hackås in southern Jämtland an annual traditional music
Traditional Nordic dance music
Traditional Nordic dance music is a type of traditional music or folk music that once was common in the mainland part of the Nordic countries — Scandinavia plus Finland. The person who plays this kind of music might be called speleman , spelman , spelemann , pelimanni or spillemand...
contest Årets Näck
Årets Näck
Årets Näck is an annual competition to select the year's incarnation of the Näcken or Nix, a male fairy creature in Sweden. The competition takes place at the Tannery Holmen located in Billstaån, Hackås, Bergs kommun, in southern Jämtland...
is held where each contestant impersonates the Nix.
In Jämtland the vættir
Vættir
Vættir or wights are nature spirits in the Norse religion. These nature spirits divide up into 'families', including the Álfar , Dvergar , Jötnar , and even gods, the Æsir and Vanir, who are understood to be prominent families among them. The term 'families' is often translated as 'clans' or...
/dwarves goes by the name jolbyggar "earth builders". They herd large white goats and cows and live underground, they are considered innocuous though sometimes they exchange an unbaptized child for a so called bytningsbarn. They are commonly associated with the grazing lands. They also go by the names småruskan, smågubban and småtussan.
Folk costumes
Jämtland has several different types of folk costumes or bunadBunad
Bunad is an umbrella term encompassing, in its broadest sense, a range of both traditional rural garments as well modern 20th century folk costumes. In its narrow sense the word Bunad does only refer to garments constructed in the early 20th century very loosely based on tradition...
s. Unlike certain regions in Scandinavia a unitary bunad did not exist in Jämtland's parishes, with the exception of Hammerdal parish with its brown
Brown
Brown is a color term, denoting a range of composite colors produced by a mixture of orange, red, rose, or yellow with black or gray. The term is from Old English brún, in origin for any dusky or dark shade of color....
-striped clothing.
Usually Jämtland is divided into three different clothing parts, the North Jamtish (Hammerdal), the East Jamtish (Ragunda) and the Great Jamtish area, covering the rest and the majority of Jämtland.
The North Jamtish clothing part is typically influenced by the folk costumes of northern Ångermanland and to a lesser degree Lapland, with the exception of Frostviken parish settled by Trønders in the 18th century. The East Jamtish part is the least old-fashioned of the three with many changes done to the costumes through time, making them closer to the kind used at the Swedish coast, rather than the others in Jämtland. The Great Jamtish part has typically old-fashioned and conservative homogeneous bunads with blue socks, red knitted caps among the males, dark bounded caps for ladies and coloured for girls. The skirts are usually of a single colour and the men have blue or black hodden
Hodden
Hodden or wadmel is a coarse kind of cloth made of undyed wool, formerly much worn by the peasantry of Scotland. It was usually made on small hand-looms by the peasants themselves. Grey hodden was made by mixing black and white fleeces together in the proportion of one to twelve when weaving...
coat
Coat (clothing)
A coat is a long garment worn by both men and women, for warmth or fashion. Coats typically have long sleeves and are open down the front, closing by means of buttons, zippers, hook-and-loop fasteners, toggles, a belt, or a combination of some of these...
s, with yellow Chamois leather
Chamois leather
Chamois leather , sometimes known as a shammy, is a type of porous leather that is favored for its gentle, non-abrasive composition and exceptional absorption properties...
pants made from moose skin.
Dialects
The genuine dialect of Jämtland is Jamtish. The speakers of the dialect refer to it as Jamska ([ˈjamskɐ]), which is a definite form that translates to English as "the Jamtish". However, due to the lack of a well-established English name of the dialect both Jamtish and Jamtlandic are used.Jamtish is in fact a group of dialects and there are distinctive dialects in every parish. Though they are usually classified in four groups; framlänningsmålet "the Central Jamtish tongue", opplänningsmålet (spoken in Western Jämtland), Southwest Jamtish and Northern Jamtish. The dialects in eastern Jämtland are sometimes considered as a fifth group of Jamtish, but also as dialects more related to the Swedish dialects spoken in Ångermanland
Ångermanland
' is a historical province or landskap in the north of Sweden. It borders to Medelpad, Jämtland, Lapland, Västerbotten and the Gulf of Bothnia. The name "Ångermanland" comes from the Old Norse "anger", which means "deep fjord" and refers to the deep mouth of the river Ångermanälven...
. In the very north of Jämtland lidmål, a version of Trøndersk
Trøndersk
Trøndersk is the Norwegian dialect spoken in the region Trøndelag, the district Nordmøre and the municipality Bindal in Norway as well as in Frostviken in northern Jämtland, Sweden, which was colonized in the 18th century by settlers from Nord-Trøndelag and transferred to Sweden as...
, is spoken. Jamtish is spoken by 50 000 people at most living in Jämtland and in other areas of Sweden, particularly the capital Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
.
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Where d'you find a life of ease, green grass and greener trees, gently waving in the breeze? Where d'you think the bugs don't bite And the work, as quick and light? Where's it hardly dark at night? It's to the east of the waning moon And to the west of the wide horizon, North of where the sun goes down And south of where it's rising. English version of the same song, though not a literal translation. |
Provincial character
Historically each province in Sweden has been known for a specific provincial character or volksgeistVolksgeist
Volksgeist is a German loanword for a unique "spirit" possessed collectively by each people or nation. The idea has its origins in the Romantic era and was proposed by Johann Gottfried Herder.Herder used this to create cultural sentiments on the people of Germany....
. This was a field of intense research in Sweden earlier but is viewed somewhat unmodern and considered prejudice today.
The provincial character of Jämtland was often portrayed as cheerful and the population have historically been known for their hospitality. Before the dawn of the railway it was common among farmers to leave their doors unlocked when the annual summer journey to the critter houses was due, often with the table set with food for travelers.
Market
A market is one of many varieties of systems, institutions, procedures, social relations and infrastructures whereby parties engage in exchange. While parties may exchange goods and services by barter, most markets rely on sellers offering their goods or services in exchange for money from buyers...
s such as the ancients ones in Levanger
Levanger
Levanger is a town and municipality in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Innherred region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Levanger...
and Gregorius market on Frösön. This was regarded as sheer pleasure in itself and not as something they were obligated to do. In the middle of the 18th century Jämtland's population was roughly and it was common that over were present during Marsimartnan in Levanger, it is also claimed that the city was built solely on spikes from Jämtland before the fire in the 19th century. The journeys took place during the winters when the landscape was more accessible (when swamp
Swamp
A swamp is a wetland with some flooding of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water. A swamp generally has a large number of hammocks, or dry-land protrusions, covered by aquatic vegetation, or vegetation that tolerates periodical inundation. The two main types of swamp are "true" or swamp...
s, lakes and tarn
Tarn (lake)
A tarn is a mountain lake or pool, formed in a cirque excavated by a glacier. A moraine may form a natural dam below a tarn. A corrie may be called a cirque.The word is derived from the Old Norse word tjörn meaning pond...
s froze to ice) and was conducted by males, which left the females in complete charge of the household
Household
The household is "the basic residential unit in which economic production, consumption, inheritance, child rearing, and shelter are organized and carried out"; [the household] "may or may not be synonymous with family"....
and the property
Property
Property is any physical or intangible entity that is owned by a person or jointly by a group of people or a legal entity like a corporation...
. The journeys were well-organized expedition
Exploration
Exploration is the act of searching or traveling around a terrain for the purpose of discovery of resources or information. Exploration occurs in all non-sessile animal species, including humans...
s and no one traveled alone. These traditions has awarded the Jamt with traits such as enterprising and energetic. The Jamts' attempts to avoid tariffs were very successful which greatly angered Swedish officials through time. These journeys eventually stopped once the railway came, though it's recently been renewed by locals. Some say that the heritage from this age lives on, given the high number of enterprises per capita.
Republic of Jamtland
Yngve Gamlin
Yngve Gamlin was a Swedish actor and film director. His 1965 film The Chasers was entered into the 16th Berlin International Film Festival where it won the Silver Bear Extraordinary Jury Prize.-Selected filmography:...
. Motivated on paper as an attempt to return the province to Jamtlandic control, the republic was given some form of recognition in 1967 when Mr. Gamlin was invited to an event for visiting statesmen hosted by Swedish prime minister Tage Erlander
Tage Erlander
was a Swedish politician. He was the leader of the Swedish Social Democratic Party and Prime Minister of Sweden from 1946 to 1969...
. Described in some sources as a form of criticism against centralized Swedish government and in others as a marketing
Marketing
Marketing is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments...
ploy, it is likely that both played some part in its foundation (Republic officials typically describe it as "51 percent serious"). The republic has a self-styled flag
Flag of the Republic of Jamtland
The flag of the Republic of Jamtland was created in 1983 by activists Kent Backman and Bo Oscarsson as a horizontal tricolor of blue, white and green, symbolising the sky, snow-clad mountains and woodland...
and national anthem (Jämtlandssången) and the independence movement hosts the annual Storsjöyran
Storsjöyran
Storsjöyran, or just Yran is an annual Swedish musical event going back to the early sixties.-Festival history:...
event in the capital, Östersund
Östersund
Östersund is an urban area in Jämtland in the middle of Sweden. It is the seat of Östersund Municipality and the capital of Jämtland County. Östersund is located at the shores of Sweden's fifth largest lake, Storsjön, opposite the island Frösön, and is the only city in Jämtland. Östersund is the...
.
Sports
Football in the province is administered by Jämtland-Härjedalens FotbollförbundJämtland-Härjedalens Fotbollförbund
The Jämtland-Härjedalens Fotbollförbund is one of the 24 district organisations of the Swedish Football Association...
. The clubs overseen by the association include Myssjö-Ovikens IF
Myssjö-Ovikens IF
Myssjö-Ovikens IF is a Swedish football club located in Oviken. -Background:The football club was formed following the merger of the Myssjö IF and Ovikens IF clubs in 1970...
.
External links
- Jamtland - Official tourist site of Jämtland & Härjedalen
- Experience Winter in Jämtland Härjedalen - Tourist info
- Jamtland - history and language