Alrekstad (

Norwegian Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe *Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway *Demographics of Norway *The Norwegian language, including the ...

: ''Kongsgården på Alrekstad'',

Old Norse Old Norse, Old Nordic, or Old Scandinavian, is a stage of development of North Germanic languages, North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and t ...

: ''Álreksstaðir'') was one of the largest

Kongsgård Kongsgård (Swedish:''Kungsgård'') is a residence, estate, or farmland that has belonged or still belongs to the Scandinavian monarchs or royal families. History During the Viking Age and early Middle Ages, the nations of Scandinavia were organ ...

estates on the west coast of Norway during the early

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

History

Alrekstad was situated at the foot of

Ulriken Ulriken (or the older, ''Ålreken'') is the highest of the Seven Mountains ( no, De syv fjell) that surround the city of Bergen, Norway. It has a height of above sea level. Ulriken has an aerial tramway, Ulriksbanen, that can bring people to the ...

, the highest of the Seven Mountains (''de syv fjell'') that surround

Bergen Bergen (), historically Bjørgvin, is a city and municipality in Vestland county on the west coast of Norway. , its population is roughly 285,900. Bergen is the second-largest city in Norway. The municipality covers and is on the peninsula of ...

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...

. King Harald Hairfair took residence there in the 10th century. Snorre mentions Alrekstad among the five farms where Harold Fairhair remained mostly in his later years. After the Battle of Fitjar in 960, King

Håkon the Good Haakon Haraldsson (c. 920–961), also Haakon the Good (Old Norse: ''Hákon góði'', Norwegian: ''Håkon den gode'') and Haakon Adalsteinfostre (Old Norse: ''Hákon Aðalsteinsfóstri'', Norwegian: ''Håkon Adalsteinsfostre''), was the king of ...

was on his way to Alrek, but died at Håkonshella in

Laksevåg Laksevåg is a borough of the city of Bergen in Vestland county, Norway. The borough is located in the western part of the municipality. Historically, the area was called ''Laxevaag'', and it was a separate municipality until 1972 when it was m ...

. At times the estate was the home of King

Eric Bloodaxe Eric Haraldsson ( non, Eiríkr Haraldsson , no, Eirik Haraldsson; died 954), nicknamed Bloodaxe ( non, blóðøx , no, Blodøks) and Brother-Slayer ( la, fratrum interfector), was a 10th-century Norwegian king. He ruled as King of Norway from ...

, Bloodaxe's children, and King

Haakon I Haakon Haraldsson (c. 920–961), also Haakon the Good (Old Norse: ''Hákon góði'', Norwegian: ''Håkon den gode'') and Haakon Adalsteinfostre (Old Norse: ''Hákon Aðalsteinsfóstri'', Norwegian: ''Håkon Adalsteinsfostre''), was the king of ...

. Later King Olaf III, the founder of Bergen, ruled the city from Alrekstad for 26 years. These early kings moved the court and the royal court to the royal residence. From these estates were ruled kingdom. Alrekstad lost its importance when King

Eystein I of Norway Eystein Magnusson (Old Norse: ''Eysteinn Magnússon'', Norwegian: ''Øystein Magnusson''; c. 1088 – 29 August 1123) was King of Norway (as Eystein I) from 1103 to 1123 together with his brothers Sigurd the Crusader and Olaf Magnusson, although s ...

moved his seat to Holmen in Bergen, located within the city limits. The king's estate was later moved down closer to the sea when

Håkonshallen Bergenhus fortress ( no, Bergenhus festning) is a fortress located in Bergen, Norway. Located at the entrance of Vågen, Bergen, Bergen harbour, the castle is one of the oldest and best preserved stone fortifications in Norway. History The for ...

was built. In 1277, King Magnus Lagabøte bequeathed Alrekstad to the Monastery of Nonneseter.''Alrekstad - Bergens eldste kongsgård'' (Kulturhistorisk vegbok Hordaland, 1993
The parish of Aarstad existed for centuries before the creation of the municipality of Aarstad in 1838. The municipality and parish of Aarstad (later spelled Årstad) was named after Alrekstad.

Etymology

According to the Norwegian Place Name Encyclopedia (''Norsk Stadnamnleksikon'') the name ''Álreksstaðir'' is derived from the place name ''Ulriken''. The name ''Ulriken'' probably came from Old Norse ''Alrekr'', meaning the towering.

Presently

The name ''Alrekstad'' evolved into today's '' Årstad'', the modern name of a borough of the city of

. The location of Alrekstad – today referred to as "Årstadvollen" – is situated outside of the Årstad borough. The original estate houses were probably placed where Haukeland Elementary School (''Haukeland skole'') is situated today. The

fjord In physical geography, a fjord or fiord () is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created by a glacier. Fjords exist on the coasts of Alaska, Antarctica, British Columbia, Chile, Denmark, Germany, Greenland, the Faroe Islands, Ice ...

below (today named ''Store Lunggårdsvann'') was then called Alrekstad bay (''Alrekstadvågen''). Norwegian author

Gunnar Staalesen Gunnar Staalesen (born 19 October 1947) is a Norwegian writer. He is a major figure in the Nordic noir crime fiction genre through his 19 novels featuring Varg Veum, a private detective in Bergen on the rainy west coast of Norway. The Varg Veum ...

has announced plans to write a play centering on Alrekstad. On 10 September 2000, a commemorative plaque was unveiled at the entrance to Årstad Alternative School, supported by Årstad congregation and Årstad schools.

Translation of the plaque

References

Other sources

* Bing, Just ''Aarstads historie'' (Bergens Historiske Forenings Skrifter. November 28, 1922) {{Royal palaces in Norway Geography of Bergen Viking Age populated places Royal residences in Norway Medieval Norway History of Bergen Harald Fairhair