Sel

Sel is a municipality in the county of Oppland, Norway. It is bordered on the north by Dovre and Vågå municipalities, and on the south by Nord-Fron municipality. To the northeast it is bordered by Folldal municipality in Hedmark county.

Although it has a small population, Sel is one of the more scenic and historically significant areas of the Gudbrandsdal. A large concentration of Norway’s heritage-listed farms is located in Heidal in Sel municipality (Heidal became part of Sel municipality in 1965).

Otta, named after the Otta river, is the population center. Otta lies at the point where the Otta River joins the Gudbrandsdalslågen from the west. The Otta River leads up to the historically important Vågå and Lom regions and the passes to the west over Jotunheimen.

1 Areas of Historic Interest
2 Coat-of-arms
3 References

[edit] Areas of Historic Interest

[edit] Jørundgard Medieval Center

This reconstructed 14th century medieval farm, the location of Sigrid Undset's novel "Kristin Lavransdatter", was the site of a 1994 filming of Kransen. The buildings were furnished in medieval style for the film. It is open to the public and traditional crafts are demonstrated by staff, providing a uniquely medieval look at Norwegian history.

[edit] The Pilgrim's Route and Old Kings Road

The Pilgrim's Route and Old King's Road passes through Sel on its way through the Gudbrandsdal Valley and northwards over Dovrefjell mountains near present day Dombås in the Dovre municipality.

[edit] Selsverket

Sel municipality has a long tradition in mining and quarrying for minerals, soapstone and slate. Selsverket was the copper works from the 18th century which was located approximately 2 kilometers north of Otta. There were also copper works in neighboring Folldal.

[edit] Sel Church

The church at Selsverket was built in 1742. It is constructed of logs.

[edit] Steinberget Fortress

Built in the pre-Christian period, the Steinberget fortress is now a jumble of rock along European route E6.

[edit] Kringen

In 1612, a peasant militia ambushed Scots marching to support Sweden at Kringen (the narrowest part of the Gudbrandsdal valley, just below the confluence of the Otta and the Gudbrandsdalslågen or lågen). As the Scots reached the ambush site of Prillarguri hill, legend has it that Prillar-Guri, riding on the other side of the lågen, distracted the Scots until they were in the right position. She then sounded a blast with her prillarhorn (a ram's horn), and the Battle of Kringen began. A monument can be found there today.

Prillar-Guri can be found on Sel's Coat of Arms today.

[edit] Hilltop Fortress

West of Prillarguri hill is another hilltop fortress, protected by a sheer drop on three sides and walls on the fourth side, which was built in the period from 300 to 600 AD.

[edit] Ula Dam

In 1877-79 the Norwegian parliament ordered construction of the Ula Dam to stop gravel and rock transported by the Ula River from blocking the Gudbrandsdalslågen and flooding the fertile valley floor. The debris washed down by the Ula in 1789 destroyed the houses at Selsverket and rerouted the Gudbrandsdalslågen, such that the farms along the Sel became marshes.

[edit] Coat-of-arms

The coat-of-arms is from modern times (1985). It shows Prillar-Guri.

[edit] References

East Norway and its Frontier by Frank Noel Stagg, George Allen & Unwin, Ltd. 1956
Adventure Roads in Norway by Erling Welle-Strand, Nortrabooks, 1996. ISBN 82-90103-71-9
Norway, edited by Doreen Taylor-Wilkie, Houghton Mifflin, 1996. ISBN 0-395-81912-1

Municipalities of Oppland
Dovre \| Etnedal \| Gausdal \| Gjøvik \| Gran \| Jevnaker \| Lesja \| Lillehammer \| Lom \| Lunner \| Nord-Aurdal \| Nord-Fron \| Nordre Land \| Ringebu \| Sel \| Skjåk \| Søndre Land \| Sør-Aurdal \| Sør-Fron \| Vang \| Vestre Slidre \| Vestre Toten \| Vågå \| Østre Toten \| Øyer \| Øystre Slidre