Sogn
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sogn is a traditional district in Western Norway (Vestlandet). It is located in the county of Sogn og Fjordane, surrounding the Sognefjord.
Sogn consists of the municipalities of Aurland, Balestrand, Hyllestad, Høyanger, Gulen, Leikanger, Luster, Lærdal, Sogndal, Solund, Vik, and Årdal.
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[edit] Name
Sogn og Fjordane is known for its many fjords, mountains, and glaciers. The name Sogn is very old, and it originally belonged to the fjord (now called Sognefjord). The name is derived from the verb súga which means "suck"--referring to the strong tidal streams at the mouth of the fjord. The Sognefjord is the second longest fjord in the world. Sogn og Fjordane county is approximately 18,634 square kilometers.
- Sogn is also the name of an area in the northern part of Oslo, often associated with Sogn Studentby, a residential area for students.
[edit] History
[edit] Viking Age
Since early in the Viking Age, Sogn was a petty kingdom called Sygnafylki. Some notable Kings of Sogn were:
- Harald Gullskjegg (Goldbeard), father of Ragnhild, first wife of Halfdan the Black
- Halfdan the Black
- Harald Fairhair
The Gulating met in the district of Sogn in the present day municipality of Gulen.
[edit] 1662-present
In 1662, Sogn fogderi was created as part of the Nordre Bergenhus amt. Sogn was further divided into Indre Sogn (Inner Sogn) and Ytre Sogn (Outer Sogn).[1]
- Indre Sogn consisted of the present day municipalities of Aurland, Leikanger, Luster, Lærdal, Sogndal, and Årdal. The village of Sogndalsfjøra was the administrative center.
- Ytre Sogn consisted of the present day municipalities of Balestrand, Gulen, Hyllestad, Høyanger, Solund, and Vik. The village of Høyanger was the administrative center.
In 1919, Nordre Bergenhus amt was re-named Sogn og Fjordane fylke.
[edit] References
- ^ "Sogn (distrikt)". Bokmål Wikipedia. http://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sogn_%28distrikt%29. Retrieved on 24 June 2008.
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