Vågå

The Norse form of the name was Vaga (accusative and dative), from *Vagi nominative. It was probably originally the name of the lake Vågåvatnet, but the meaning is unknown. (Maybe derived from vage f 'sleigh runner' - the lake has some similarity of form with that.)

Until 1918 the name was written "Vaage," in the period 1918-1920 "Vaagaa," from 1921 on "Vågå." The letter å is a long vowel similar to "oh" or "oa," like the American pronunciation of "cold" or "oar." Thus the name is pronounced similar to "Voh-goh."

[edit] Coat-of-arms

The coat-of-arms is from modern times (1985). It shows a reindeer.

[edit] Geography

Vågå is bordered on the north by the municipality of Lesja, in the east by Dovre and Sel, in the southeast by Nord-Fron, in the south by Vang and Øystre Slidre, and in the West by Lom.

The Vågå community lies in a mountainous region just to the north of Norway's Jotunheimen National Park, west of Rondane National Park and south of the Dovrefjell mountains. The highest peak is the Surtningsuen with a height of 2368 meters. Vågå includes a mountain road to the top of Jetta (1618 meters) which provides an unobstructed view of both the Gudbrandsdal Valley and the surrounding national parks.

The river Otta begins in Skjåk municipality and flows into Vågåvatnet Lake. Exiting Vågåvatnet at Vågåmo, it continues its journey through the Ottadalen leaving Vågå municipality to meet the Gudbrandsdalslågen at Otta, Sel municipality.

The urban areas are Vågåmo and Lalm.

[edit] History

The name Vågå comes from the Old Norse language vega, or travel. The area lies on an ancient east-west route.

Vågå is mentioned in the Heimskringla (The Chronicle of the Kings of Norway) by Snorri Sturluson. The saga relates that after King Olaf stayed several nights in Lesja, he proceeded south across the uplands to the Ottadal, and the beautiful hamlet lying there on both sides of the Otta river. King Olaf remained there five days, summoning the residents of Vågå, Lom, and Heidal to a meeting (ting). They were advised they must either receive Christianity and give their sons as hostages, or see their habitations burnt. Many submitted to his demands.

In Vågå there is the second oldest stave church in the country, which was constructed around 1150 and originally dedicated to St. Peter. It was converted to a cruciform church in 1625; the carved portal and wall planks are original. The baptismal font dates from the original church and a Gothic crucifix from the 13th century can be seen there as well.

In 1130 Ivar Gjesling was the earliest-known owner of Sandbu (just north of Vågåmo) in Vågå. He was also King Magnus IV's lendmann for the Opplands. Sigrid Undset's fictional Lady Ragnfrid, wife of Lavrans, was created a Gjesling from Sandbu.

Ivar Gjesling, allied himself with the Birchlegs (Birkebeinerne) — who chose Sverre as their king at Øreting in 1177. Sverre granted him the valley of Heidal as a reward.

Farmers from Vågå participated in the successful attack on Scottish mercenary troops journeying to join Swedish forces in 1612. The legends of the Battle of Kringen lives on to this day, including the story of how the peasant girl Prillar-Guri lured the Scots into an ambush by playing of the traditional ram's horn.

Ole Haakenstad (1775–1866) was in 1814 summoned by Christian Frederk to plan the defense of the Gudbrandsdalen in the event of a Swedish attack.

Over 150 houses in the municipality are designated as historic landmarks.

[edit] Famous residents

Edvard Storm (1749–1794), poet
Ragnvald Skrede (1904–1983), poet
Arne Brimi (1957–), cook

[edit] References

East Norway and its Frontier by Frank Noel Stagg, George Allen and Unvin, 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
Norway by Graeme Cornwallis, Andrew Bender, & Deana Swaney; Lonely Planet Publications, 2002. ISBN 1-74059-200-X
Norway by Gerhard Lemmer, Elke frey, & Helge Reye; Nelles Verlag GmbH., 2001. ISBN 3-88618-897-3

[edit] External links

Map of Vågå municipality in Kulturnett.no (Norwegian)

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