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 ...
: ''Mollestadeika'' or ''Vetteika'') is a monumental, legendary
oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...
near the Norwegian village of
Mollestad
Mollestad is a village in Birkenes municipality in Agder county, Norway. The village is located on both sides of the river Tovdalselva, just south of the municipal centre of Birkeland. The Birkenes Church is located in eastern Mollestad ''(Østr ...
in the municipality of
Birkenes
Birkenes is a municipality in Agder county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Sørlandet. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Birkeland, where about half the municipal population lives. Other villa ...
,
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 ...
. The oak has a
circumference
In geometry, the circumference (from Latin ''circumferens'', meaning "carrying around") is the perimeter of a circle or ellipse. That is, the circumference would be the arc length of the circle, as if it were opened up and straightened out to ...
of , measured in 2001, and a height of around , which makes the Mollestad Oak one of the largest trees in Norway. Estimates of the age are between 450 and 550 years, but there are also outliers to around 1000 years. The oak is traditionally a
knot
A knot is an intentional complication in cordage which may be practical or decorative, or both. Practical knots are classified by function, including hitches, bends, loop knots, and splices: a ''hitch'' fastens a rope to another object; a ' ...
oak and the trunk extends to a height of four meters. The oak is located on a field. In the direction of the oak from the road, there is a grassy strip over which the oak can be reached.
Additional information is also available in English in a post on site.
The legend
The nickname ''Vetteika'' comes from the
vættir
The vættir (Old Norse: ; singular vættr ) are spirits in Norse mythology. The term can be used to refer to the full cosmos of supernatural beings, including the álfar (elves), dvergar (dwarves), jötnar (giants), and gods (the Æsir and V ...
. She believed that when the farm builder died, he returned as a guardian spirit. The trees that grew around his burial mound were protected and the surrounding land sacred. It was believed that when these trees were damaged this would bring bad luck. To ensure that everything went well, sacrifices were made to the tree, including the first brewed
beer
Beer is one of the oldest and the most widely consumed type of alcoholic drink in the world, and the third most popular drink overall after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches, mainly derived from ce ...