Editing Setesdal

{{Short description|Valley in Agder, Norway}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2019}}
[[File:Åraksbø.JPG|thumb|290px|Åraksbø in Setesdal in September 2008. Byglandsfjorden to the right]]
[[File:Setesdal map.jpg|thumb|200px|Setesdal is north of Kristiansand]]
[[File:Setesdalsbunaden6.jpg|thumb|290px|Traditional Silver Jewelry used in addition to the [[Setesdalsbunad]]]]
'''Setesdal''' ({{IPA|no-NO-03|ˈsêːtəsdɑːɫ|lang}};<ref>{{cite book|last=Berulfsen|first=Bjarne|title=Norsk Uttaleordbok|language=Norwegian|year=1969|publisher=[[Aschehoug|H. Aschehoug & Co (W Nygaard)]]|location=Oslo|page=281}}</ref> older name: '''Sætersdal''') is a [[valley]] and a [[Districts of Norway|traditional district]] in [[Agder]] [[counties of Norway|County]] in [[southern Norway]]. It consists of the municipalities of [[Bykle]], [[Valle, Norway|Valle]], [[Bygland]], [[Iveland]], and [[Evje og Hornnes]].

The [[Otra]] river flows through the valley of Setesdal into the sea near [[Kristiansand]]. It flows southward from the [[Hardangervidda]] plateau in [[Telemark]]. The historic Setesdal starts at Evje and extends as far as the farm Bjåen, at the edge of the traditional region of Telemark. Øvre (Upper) Setesdal is in the municipality of Bykle. The municipalities of Iveland, Evje & Hornes and Bygland comprise the Nedre (Lower) Setesdal. Valle municipality is in the middle of the Setesdal valley. [[Norwegian National Road 9]] runs through Setesdal.

== Etymology ==
The oldest [[Old Norse|Norse]] form of the name was just ''Setr'', and this was later replaced by ''Setrsdalr'' ('the dale/valley of Setr'). The common word ''setr'' has the meaning 'homestead, farm' – and ''Setr'' was probably originally the name of an old, large farm in the central part of [[Valle, Norway|Valle]]. The old farm was then later divided into a lot of smaller parts, but the name survived as the name of the district.

== History ==
The ''[[Historia Norwegiæ]]'', a short history of Norway written by a [[monk]] in the second half of the 12th century, reports that Setesdal was then part of the law district "''Telemark with Råbyggelag''". A ''Raabygger'' or ''Råbygger'' is one who lives in a corner; this is an apt description for the valley of Setesdal, which runs like a wedge into the heights of the mountain called Haukelifjell.

Ascending the Otra valley from [[Evje og Hornnes|Evje]], one reaches the lake [[Byglandsfjorden|Byglandsfjord]]. At this point one historically found one of the more pronounced cultural transitions in Norway; there was a radical change in racial characteristics, dress (folk costumes or [[Bunad]]), architecture, dialect, folk music, dance (e.g., the ganger, a form of [[Bygdedans]]), customs, and cuisine. Particularly obvious north of the mountain pass of [[Bykle#Geography|Byklestigen]], the people of upper Setesdal were observed to be more closely related in blood and speech to their eastern neighbours in Telemark, as well as their immediate neighbours in adjoining districts of [[Rogaland]] to the west than to those people down the valley.
[[File:Sigurd Fåvnesbane.jpg|150px|thumb|Sigurd Fåvnesbane featured on the portal plank from [[Hylestad Stave Church]]]]
Between Valle in Setesdal on the western side of the mountains and [[Fyresdal]] on the eastern side, one finds a [[middle Ages|medieval]] trail that priests and bishops used to get between the counties of Agder and Telemark. This trail is named "The Bishop's Road"(''Bispevegen'') and every year a march called "The Bishop's Road March" (''Bispevegmarsjen'') starts at [[Kleivgrend]] in [[Fyresdal]].

The [[Hylestad Stave Church|Hylestad stave church]], constructed in the 13th century in Setesdal, was demolished in the 17th century. Its portal, with several carved scenes illustrating the legend of Sigurd Fåvnesbane (Sigurd the Dragon-slayer), is on display at the [[Museum of Cultural History, Oslo|University Museum of National Antiquities]] in Oslo (''Universitetets Oldsaksamling, Historisk Museum, Oslo''). Sigurd's slaying of [[Fafnir]] is described in the ''[[Prose Edda]]'' of [[Snorri Sturluson]] and the ''[[Völsungasaga]]'', both from the 13th century, as well as alluded to in ''[[Beowulf]]'' and ''[[Njáls saga]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://userpage.fu-berlin.de/~alvismal/2sigurd.pdf |title=''Sigurd—ein Held des Mittelalters'' (Edgar Haimerl) |access-date=5 March 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629213936/http://userpage.fu-berlin.de/~alvismal/2sigurd.pdf |archive-date=29 June 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref>

The [[Setesdal Line]] ({{langx|no|Setesdalsbanen}}) is a railroad between [[Kristiansand]] and [[Byglandsfjord]] in southern [[Norway]]. It was opened to [[Hægeland]] in 1895, and to Byglandsfjord in 1896. This railroad was closed down in 1962 but parts of it exist today as a hobby railroad and it is in regular tourist use during the summer months.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Welcome to the Setesdalsbanen @ Setesdalsbanens Venner|url=http://setesdalsbanen.no/welcome-to-the-setesdalsbanen/|access-date=2020-12-01|language=nb-NO}}</ref>

The [[SS Bjoren]] is an old steamboat that is in regular tourist use on a lake in the river [[Otra]] called [[Byglandsfjord]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Bjoren|url=https://www.setesdalsmuseet.no/faste-utstillingar/bjoren/|access-date=2020-12-01|website=www.setesdalsmuseet.no|language=no}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Setesdalsbunad]]
* [[Setesdalsgenser]] ("Setesdal sweater")
* ''[[Setesdølen]]'', local paper

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== Other sources ==
* ''South Norway'' by Frank Noel Stagg, George Allen & Unwin, Ltd., 1958.
* {{cite EB1911|wstitle=Saetersdal|volume=23 | page=994}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category-inline|Setesdal}}
* [https://www.visitnorway.com/places-to-go/southern-norway/setesdal/?lang=usa Setesdal] www.visitnorway.com

{{Coord|58.92025|N|7.72064|E|source:placeopedia|display=title}}

{{Metropolitan areas of Southern Norway}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Setesdal| ]]
[[Category:Districts of Agder]]
[[Category:Valleys of Agder]]