Trøndelag
Encyclopedia
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 districts of Nordmøre
and Romsdal
, and the municipality of Bindal
, originally also were parts of Trøndelag - and the inhabitants there still speak dialects similar to Trøndersk
.) The region is, together with Møre og Romsdal
, part of a larger administrative division called Central Norway.
A person from Trøndelag is called a Trønder. The largest city, unofficial capital of Trøndelag and also the first capital of Norway, is Trondheim
(Sør-Trøndelag). The dialect
spoken in the area is characterized by dropping out most vowel
endings; see apocope
.
, Gulaþingslǫg
and Njarðarlǫg
). A parallel name for the same district was Þróndheimr 'the home/homeland (heim) of the þrœndr '. The last name is probably older since the first element has a stem form
without umlaut
.
(See also Trondheim
and Trondheimsfjord
)
Trøndelag was divided into several petty kingdom
s called fylki. The different fylki had a common law, and an early parliament
or thing
. It was called Frostating
and was held at the Frosta
-peninsula. By some this is regarded as the first real democracy
.
In the time after Håkon Grjotgardsson (838-900), Trøndelag was ruled by the Jarl
of Lade. Lade is located in the eastern part of Trondheim
, bordering the Trondheimsfjord
. The powerful Jarls of Lade continued to play a very significant political role in Norway up to 1030.
Jarls of Lade (Ladejarl) were:
Trøndelag (together with parts of Møre og Romsdal
) was briefly ceded in 1658 to Sweden
in the Treaty of Roskilde
and was ruled by king Charles X
until it was returned to Denmark-Norway after the Treaty of Copenhagen in 1660. During that time, the Swedes conscripted
2,000 men in Trøndelag, forcing young boys down to 15 years of age to join the Swedish armies fighting against Poland
and Brandenburg
. Charles X feared the Trønders would rise against their Swedish occupiers, and thought it wise to keep a large part of the men away. Only about one third of the men ever returned to their homes; some of them were forced to settle in the then Swedish province of Estonia
, as the Swedes thought it would be easier to rule the Trønders there, utilising the ancient maxim of divide and rule
.
In the fall of 1718, during the Great Northern War
, General Carl Gustaf Armfeldt
was ordered by king Charles XII of Sweden
to lead a Swedish army of 10,000 men into Trøndelag and take Trondheim. Because of his poor supply lines back to Sweden, Armfeldt's army had to live off the land, causing great suffering to the people of the region. Armfeldt's campaign failed: the defenders of Trondheim succeeded in repelling his siege. After Charles XII was killed in the siege of Fredriksten
in south Norway, Armfeldt was ordered back into Sweden. During the ensuing retreat, his 6,000 surviving threadbare and starving Caroleans
were caught in a fierce blizzard
. Thousands of Caroleans froze to death in the Norwegian mountains, and hundreds more were crippled for life.
The region was divided into two administrative counties in 1804.
, in Trondheim. At Stiklestad
in Verdal
a historical play, The Saint Olav Drama
, has been played each year since 1954, depicting the last days of Saint Olaf .
Arnstein, a folk musical group, was formed in Trøndelag in the 1970s. The original lineup consisted of Arnstein Moen on accordion and vocals, Håkon Renanger on vocals and guitar, Per Haugan on bass and vocals and Knut Sjøvold on accordion. They established themselves quickly as a popular dance band and received the Norwegian silver plate in 1980. In addition to the self-written material, the band also played some Scandinavian standards, preferably by composers such as Calle Jularbo
, Alf Prøysen
, Thore Skogman
and Evert Taube
.
The region is popularly known for its moonshine homebrew
, the karsk
. Although officially prohibited, the art of producing as pure home-made spiritus as possible still has a strong following in parts of Trøndelag. Traditionally served mixed with coffee, local variations apply. In southern regions, people tend to use normal filter coffee, while in the north they choose to serve karsk
with as weak coffee as possible.
The "national dish" of the region is sodd
, sheep or beef meat and meatballs in boiled stock. Trøndelag is one of the most fertile regions of Norway, with large agricultural output. The majority of the production ends up in the Norwegian cooperative system for meat and milk, but farm produce is a steadily growing business. The municipality of Inderøy
can boast a large gathering of locally produced food commodities, and use this heavily in their tourist marketing approaches.
Jazz on a very high level is frequently heard in Trondheim, due to the high-level jazz education in Trondheim. Trondheim is also the national centre of rock music, with the rock museum Rockheim (opening in 2010) aiming to be the future spearhead of musical invention in the area. Trøndelag is also known for its local variety of rock music, often performed in local dialect, called "Trønder-Rock".
The Norwegian Grey Troender
(Norwegian: Grå trøndersau) is an endangered breed of domesticated sheep that originated from Trøndelag in the late 19th century. There are currently approximately 50 individual animals remaining and efforts are being made to revive the breed.
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...
, consisting of the two counties Nord-Trøndelag
Nord-Trøndelag
is a county constituting the northern part of Trøndelag in Norway. As of 2010, the county had 131,555 inhabitants, making it the country's fourth-least populated county. The largest municipalities are Stjørdal, Steinkjer—the county seat, Levanger, Namsos and Verdal, all with between 21,000 and...
and Sør-Trøndelag
Sør-Trøndelag
- References :...
. (The districts of Nordmøre
Nordmøre
Nordmøre is a traditional district in the Norwegian county of Møre og Romsdal. The area comprises the northern third of the county including the municipalities of Kristiansund, Averøy, Tingvoll, Surnadal, Rindal, Aure, Halsa, Eide, Sunndal, Gjemnes, and Smøla...
and Romsdal
Romsdal
Romsdal is the name of a traditional district in the Norwegian county Møre og Romsdal, located between Nordmøre and Sunnmøre. The district of Romsdal comprises Aukra, Fræna, Midsund, Molde, Nesset, Rauma, Sandøy, and Vestnes. It is named for the valley of Romsdalen, which covers part of Rauma.The...
, and the municipality of Bindal
Bindal
Bindal is a municipality in the Helgeland region in the extreme southwest part of Nordland county, Norway. The administrative centre is the village of Terråk...
, originally also were parts of Trøndelag - and the inhabitants there still speak dialects similar to 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...
.) The region is, together with Møre og Romsdal
Møre og Romsdal
is a county in the northernmost part of Western Norway. It borders the counties of Sør-Trøndelag, Oppland and Sogn og Fjordane. The county administration is located in Molde, while Ålesund is the largest city.-The name:...
, part of a larger administrative division called Central Norway.
A person from Trøndelag is called a Trønder. The largest city, unofficial capital of Trøndelag and also the first capital of Norway, is Trondheim
Trondheim
Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of...
(Sør-Trøndelag). The dialect
Norwegian dialects
The Norwegian dialects are commonly divided into 4 main groups, North Norwegian , Trøndelag Norwegian , West Norwegian , and East Norwegian...
spoken in the area is characterized by dropping out most vowel
Vowel
In phonetics, a vowel is a sound in spoken language, such as English ah! or oh! , pronounced with an open vocal tract so that there is no build-up of air pressure at any point above the glottis. This contrasts with consonants, such as English sh! , where there is a constriction or closure at some...
endings; see apocope
Apocope
In phonology, apocope is the loss of one or more sounds from the end of a word, and especially the loss of an unstressed vowel.-Historical sound change:...
.
The name
The Norse form of the name was Þrœndalǫg. The first element is the genitive plural of þrœndr m 'person from Trøndelag', the last element is lǫg (plural of lag n) 'law; district/people with a common law' (compare DanelawDanelaw
The Danelaw, as recorded in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle , is a historical name given to the part of England in which the laws of the "Danes" held sway and dominated those of the Anglo-Saxons. It is contrasted with "West Saxon law" and "Mercian law". The term has been extended by modern historians to...
, Gulaþingslǫg
Gulating
Gulaþing is both the name of one of the first Norwegian legislative assemblies or Þing and one of the present day law courts of western Norway.-History:...
and Njarðarlǫg
Tysnes
Tysnes is a municipality in the county of Hordaland, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Sunnhordland. The administrative centre is the village of Uggdal....
). A parallel name for the same district was Þróndheimr 'the home/homeland (heim) of the þrœndr '. The last name is probably older since the first element has a stem form
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...
without umlaut
Germanic umlaut
In linguistics, umlaut is a process whereby a vowel is pronounced more like a following vowel or semivowel. The term umlaut was originally coined and is used principally in connection with the study of the Germanic languages...
.
(See also Trondheim
Trondheim
Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of...
and Trondheimsfjord
Trondheimsfjord
The Trondheimsfjord , an inlet of the Norwegian Sea, is Norway's third longest fjord at long. It is located in the west central part of the country, and it stretches from Ørland in west to Steinkjer in north, passing the city of Trondheim on its way...
)
History
People have lived in this region for thousands of years. In the early iron-ageGermanic Iron Age
The Germanic Iron Age is the name given to the period 400–800 in Northern Europe and it is part of the continental Age of Migrations.-Germanic Iron :...
Trøndelag was divided into several petty kingdom
Petty kingdom
A petty kingdom is one of a number of small kingdoms, described as minor or "petty" by contrast to an empire or unified kingdom that either preceded or succeeded it...
s called fylki. The different fylki had a common law, and an early 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...
or thing
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...
. It was called 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:...
and was held at the Frosta
Frosta
Frosta is the smallest municipality in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. The administrative centre is the village of Frosta. The municipality is located in the middle of the Trondheimsfjord, on a peninsula just north of Trondheim...
-peninsula. By some this is regarded as the first real democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
.
In the time after Håkon Grjotgardsson (838-900), Trøndelag was ruled by the Jarl
Earl
An earl is a member of the nobility. The title is Anglo-Saxon, akin to the Scandinavian form jarl, and meant "chieftain", particularly a chieftain set to rule a territory in a king's stead. In Scandinavia, it became obsolete in the Middle Ages and was replaced with duke...
of Lade. Lade is located in the eastern part of Trondheim
Trondheim
Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of...
, bordering the Trondheimsfjord
Trondheimsfjord
The Trondheimsfjord , an inlet of the Norwegian Sea, is Norway's third longest fjord at long. It is located in the west central part of the country, and it stretches from Ørland in west to Steinkjer in north, passing the city of Trondheim on its way...
. The powerful Jarls of Lade continued to play a very significant political role in Norway up to 1030.
Jarls of Lade (Ladejarl) were:
- Håkon GrjotgardssonHåkon GrjotgardssonHåkon Grjotgardsson , nicknamed Håkon the Rich was the son and heir of Grjotgard Herlaugsson Lade. Håkon became the ruler of the petty kingdom of Trøndelag, the Earl of Lade in the eastern part of Trondheim, Norway, when he succeeded his father...
, the first jarl of Lade. - Sigurd Håkonsson, son of Håkon. Killed by Harald Greyhide.
- Håkon Sigurdsson, son of Sigurd. Conspired with Harald Bluetooth against Harald Greyhide, and subsequently became vassal of Harald Bluetooth, and in reality independent ruler of Norway. After the arrival of Olaf Trygvason, Håkon quickly lost all support, and was killed by his own slave, Tormod KarkTormod KarkTormod Kark was the slave and friend of Håkon Sigurdsson . Hoping for a reward, Kark killed the wanted earl and brought his head to enemy Olaf Tryggvason, later king of Norway. The murder happened at Rimul in Melhus...
, in 995. - Eirik Håkonsson, son of Håkon. Together with his brother, Svein, governor of Norway under Sweyn Forkbeard of Denmark from 1000 to 1012.
- Håkon EirikssonHåkon EirikssonHåkon Eiriksson was Earl of Lade and king of Norway as a vassal under Knut the Great.Håkon Eiriksson was from a dynasty of Norwegian rulers in the eastern part of Trondheim, bordering the Trondheimsfjord. He was the son of Eirik Håkonson, ruler of Norway and earl of Northumbria...
, son of Eirik. Governor of Norway under Sweyn Forkbeard of Denmark from 1012 to 1015.
Møre og Romsdal
is a county in the northernmost part of Western Norway. It borders the counties of Sør-Trøndelag, Oppland and Sogn og Fjordane. The county administration is located in Molde, while Ålesund is the largest city.-The name:...
) was briefly ceded in 1658 to 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 the Treaty of Roskilde
Treaty of Roskilde
The Treaty of Roskilde was concluded on 26 February or 8 March 1658 during the Second Northern War between Frederick III of Denmark–Norway and Charles X Gustav of Sweden in the Danish city of Roskilde...
and was ruled by king Charles X
Charles X Gustav of Sweden
Charles X Gustav also Carl Gustav, was King of Sweden from 1654 until his death. He was the son of John Casimir, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken-Kleeburg and Catherine of Sweden. After his father's death he also succeeded him as Pfalzgraf. He was married to Hedwig Eleonora of Holstein-Gottorp, who...
until it was returned to Denmark-Norway after the Treaty of Copenhagen in 1660. During that time, the Swedes conscripted
Conscription
Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...
2,000 men in Trøndelag, forcing young boys down to 15 years of age to join the Swedish armies fighting against Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
and Brandenburg
Brandenburg
Brandenburg is one of the sixteen federal-states of Germany. It lies in the east of the country and is one of the new federal states that were re-created in 1990 upon the reunification of the former West Germany and East Germany. The capital is Potsdam...
. Charles X feared the Trønders would rise against their Swedish occupiers, and thought it wise to keep a large part of the men away. Only about one third of the men ever returned to their homes; some of them were forced to settle in the then Swedish province of Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
, as the Swedes thought it would be easier to rule the Trønders there, utilising the ancient maxim of divide and rule
Divide and rule
In politics and sociology, divide and rule is a combination of political, military and economic strategy of gaining and maintaining power by breaking up larger concentrations of power into chunks that individually have less power than the one implementing the strategy...
.
In the fall of 1718, 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...
, General Carl Gustaf Armfeldt
Carl Gustaf Armfeldt
Carl Gustaf Armfeldt was a Swedish officer, general and friherre who took part in the Great Northern War....
was ordered by king Charles XII of Sweden
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...
to lead a Swedish army of 10,000 men into Trøndelag and take Trondheim. Because of his poor supply lines back to Sweden, Armfeldt's army had to live off the land, causing great suffering to the people of the region. Armfeldt's campaign failed: the defenders of Trondheim succeeded in repelling his siege. After Charles XII was killed in the siege of Fredriksten
Fredriksten
-History:This Fortresses was constructed ny Denmark-Norway in the 17th century as a replacement for the border fortress at Bohus, which had been lost when the province of Bohuslän was ceded to Sweden by the terms of the Treaty of Roskilde in 1658...
in south Norway, Armfeldt was ordered back into Sweden. During the ensuing retreat, his 6,000 surviving threadbare and starving 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...
were caught in a fierce blizzard
Carolean Death March
The Carolean Death March or the Catastrophe of Øyfjellet refers to the disastrous retreat by a Swedish Carolean army under the command of Carl Gustaf Armfeldt across the Tydal mountain range in Trøndelag around the new year 1718-1719.-Background:...
. Thousands of Caroleans froze to death in the Norwegian mountains, and hundreds more were crippled for life.
The region was divided into two administrative counties in 1804.
Culture
The region's official theatre is Trøndelag TeaterTrøndelag Teater
Trøndelag Teater is a large theater in the city of Trondheim, in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway.-Background:Trøndelag Teater stages large-scale dance and musical performances. Originally built in 1816, the theater is the oldest stage in Scandinavia in continuous use...
, in Trondheim. At Stiklestad
Stiklestad
Stiklestad is a village and parish in the municipality of Verdal in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located east of the municipal center of Verdalsøra and about southeast of Forbregd/Lein. The village is mainly known as the site of the Battle of Stiklestad on 29 July 1030...
in Verdal
Verdal
Verdal is a municipality in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Innherad region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Verdalsøra...
a historical play, The Saint Olav Drama
The Saint Olav Drama
The Saint Olav Drama is an outdoor theatre performance played every end of July in Stiklestad in Verdal, Norway, to commemorate the Battle of Stiklestad. The play was written by Olav Gullvåg, and has been staged every year since 1954....
, has been played each year since 1954, depicting the last days of Saint Olaf .
Arnstein, a folk musical group, was formed in Trøndelag in the 1970s. The original lineup consisted of Arnstein Moen on accordion and vocals, Håkon Renanger on vocals and guitar, Per Haugan on bass and vocals and Knut Sjøvold on accordion. They established themselves quickly as a popular dance band and received the Norwegian silver plate in 1980. In addition to the self-written material, the band also played some Scandinavian standards, preferably by composers such as Calle Jularbo
Calle Jularbo
Carl Jularbo, well known as Calle Jularbo and born as Karl Karlsson was the most famous Swedish accordionist of his time. He had a very distinct personal style, that has played a significant part in forming the Swedish accordion tradition. He was extremely productive, recording 1577 tunes and he...
, Alf Prøysen
Alf Prøysen
Alf Prøysen , was a writer and musician from Norway. He was born at Rudshøgda in Ringsaker. Prøysen was one of the most important Norwegian cultural personalities in the second half of the twentieth century, and he made significant contributions to literature, music, TV and radio.His childhood was...
, Thore Skogman
Thore Skogman
Thore Skogman was a Swedish entertainer.Skogman was born in Hallstahammar, Sweden. He made his debut recording in 1955 and came third in Sweden's national song contest Melodifestivalen in 1963. In the 1960s he wrote "Fröken Fräken" that became one of his most successful hits...
and Evert Taube
Evert Taube
Evert Axel Taube was a Swedish author, artist, composer and singer. He is best known for his folk songs, and is widely regarded as one of Sweden's most respected musicians.-Biography:...
.
The region is popularly known for its moonshine homebrew
Moonshine
Moonshine is an illegally produced distilled beverage...
, the karsk
Karsk
Karsk is a Norwegian name for liqueur coffee with moonshine or vodka as the liqueur, and maybe a spoon of sugar...
. Although officially prohibited, the art of producing as pure home-made spiritus as possible still has a strong following in parts of Trøndelag. Traditionally served mixed with coffee, local variations apply. In southern regions, people tend to use normal filter coffee, while in the north they choose to serve karsk
Karsk
Karsk is a Norwegian name for liqueur coffee with moonshine or vodka as the liqueur, and maybe a spoon of sugar...
with as weak coffee as possible.
The "national dish" of the region is sodd
Sodd
Sodd is a traditional Norwegian soup-like meal with mutton and meatballs. Usually vegetables such as potatoes and/or carrots also are included. It is often a part of festive activities, such as weddings, in the middle parts of Norway together with water or ginger ale ....
, sheep or beef meat and meatballs in boiled stock. Trøndelag is one of the most fertile regions of Norway, with large agricultural output. The majority of the production ends up in the Norwegian cooperative system for meat and milk, but farm produce is a steadily growing business. The municipality of Inderøy
Inderøy
Inderøy is a municipality in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Innherad region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Straumen. Other villages include Gangstadhaugen, Hylla, Kjerknesvågen, Røra, Sakshaug, Sandvollan, Småland, Utøy, and Vangshylla.The...
can boast a large gathering of locally produced food commodities, and use this heavily in their tourist marketing approaches.
Jazz on a very high level is frequently heard in Trondheim, due to the high-level jazz education in Trondheim. Trondheim is also the national centre of rock music, with the rock museum Rockheim (opening in 2010) aiming to be the future spearhead of musical invention in the area. Trøndelag is also known for its local variety of rock music, often performed in local dialect, called "Trønder-Rock".
The Norwegian Grey Troender
Grey Troender sheep
The Norwegian Grey Troender is an endangered breed of domesticated sheep that originated from crossbreeding native landrace sheep with the now extinct Tautra sheep in the late 19th century...
(Norwegian: Grå trøndersau) is an endangered breed of domesticated sheep that originated from Trøndelag in the late 19th century. There are currently approximately 50 individual animals remaining and efforts are being made to revive the breed.