Härjedalen

Related Topics:
Härjedalen

, is a historical province or landskap in the north of Sweden. It borders the country of Norway as well as the provinces of Dalarna, Hälsingland, Medelpad, and Jämtland.

The name Härjedalen, from Old West Norse Herjárdalr, literally means the "Valley of the Härje river". A Latinized transliteration is Herdalia, although that name is hardly encountered in the English language today. More prominent are derivations such as Herjedalen or Haerjedalen.

The province originally belonged to Norway, but was ceded to Sweden in the Treaty of Brömsebro, 1645.

County

Provinces have no administrative function in Sweden today. Instead, that task is performed by Sweden's counties, which are in turn subdivided into municipalities.

The province Härjedalen largely corresponds to Härjedalen Municipality, which in turn is located in the southern part of Jämtland County.

History

Jämtland and Härjedalen were originally provinces of Norway, but in early 1645 they were both ceded by Denmark-Norway to Sweden by the Treaty of Brömsebro. The province of Härjedalen is named after a powerful Norseman who had to flee east from the Norwegian court of king Halfdan Svartes after killing one of the king's men (with a horn). Thereafter he was known as "Härjulf Hornbrytaren." For a time he entered the service of the Svea (Swedish today) king Anund, until he eloped with that king's sister, Helga, and together they disappeared into the remote location in the region eventually named after him. Today a statue stands dedicated to them in the village of Lillhärdal. Härjulf and Helga were the foreparents to the Icelander, Barne Härjulfsson, who was the first Norseman to see the "new world" when he was blown off-course whilst on a voyage to Greenland. His boat is the one Leif Eriksson acquired about 15 years later for Leif's famed landing on Vineland.

Heraldry

The arms is represented with a dukal coronet. Blazon: "Argent a Sledgehammer Sable with Core Gules between Tongs of the second and two Hammers adorsed in pale of the second handled Gules."

Geography

Four-fifths of the province is situated above 500 metres of altitude, constituting a part of the Scandinavian mountain range. Sweden's highest village Högvålen, at 835 metres, is also within the province.

Härjedalen is strange in that there is no town at all. The only village of even modest size is the market town Sveg, which used to be the administrive center of the province.

The provincial flower is the Arctic violet. It is prominent on high altitudes in Europe, and is also found in the Alps.

Sånfjället National Park extends through the municipality.

Subdivisions

Härjedalen was historically divided into districts.

External links

Härjedalen - Municipality site
Jämtland Härjedalen - Tourist site
Pictures from Härjedalen - Private site (in Danish)