Verdal is a

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

Trøndelag Trøndelag (; sma, Trööndelage) is a county in the central part of Norway. It was created in 1687, then named Trondhjem County ( no, Trondhjems Amt); in 1804 the county was split into Nord-Trøndelag and Sør-Trøndelag by the King of Denmar ...

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

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 ...

. It is part of the

Innherad Innherred or Innherad is a traditional district in Trøndelag county in the central part of Norway. It consists of the areas around the inner part of the Trondheimsfjord in the central-east part of the county. The district includes the municipalit ...

region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...

. The

administrative centre An administrative center is a seat of regional administration or local government, or a county town, or the place where the central administration of a commune is located. In countries with French as administrative language (such as Belgium, Lu ...

of the municipality is the

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...

of Verdalsøra. Some villages in the municipality include Forbregd/Lein, Lysthaugen, Stiklestad, Trones, Vera, Vinne, and Vuku. The municipality is the 53rd largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Verdal is the 81st most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 14,955. The municipality's

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

is and its population has increased by 3.9% over the previous 10-year period.

General information

The municipality of ''Værdalen'' was established on 1 January 1838 (see

formannskapsdistrikt () is the name for Norwegian local self-government districts that were legally enacted on 1 January 1838. This system of municipalities was created in a bill approved by the Parliament of Norway and signed into law by King Carl Johan on 14 January ...

law). It is one of very few municipalities in Norway with unchanged borders since that date, although the spelling of the name was modified to ''Verdal''. On 1 January 2018, the municipality switched from the old Nord-Trøndelag county to the new

county.

Name

The

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 ...

form of the name was ''Veradalr'' (from the word ''Verardalr''). The first element is the

genitive case In grammar, the genitive case (abbreviated ) is the grammatical case that marks a word, usually a noun, as modifying another word, also usually a noun—thus indicating an attributive relationship of one noun to the other noun. A genitive can al ...

of the river name ''Ver'' (now called

Verdalselva Verdalselva ( en, Verdal River) is a long river in the municipality of Verdal in Trøndelag county, Norway. The river begins at Holmen in the village of Vuku at the confluence of the rivers Inna and Helgåa. The river Inna drains the lake Inn ...

) and the last element is ''dalr'' which means "

valley A valley is an elongated low area often running between Hill, hills or Mountain, mountains, which will typically contain a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers ...

" or "dale". The meaning of the river name is probably "the quiet one". The name was historically spelled Værdalen.

Coat of arms

The

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central ele ...

was granted on 15 December 1972. They show a gold

cross A cross is a geometrical figure consisting of two intersecting lines or bars, usually perpendicular to each other. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally. A cross of oblique lines, in the shape of the Latin letter X, is termed a sa ...

on a red background. The cross is taken from a large painting in the

Nidaros Cathedral Nidaros Cathedral ( no, Nidarosdomen / Nidaros Domkirke) is a Church of Norway cathedral located in the city of Trondheim in Trøndelag county. It is built over the burial site of Olav II of Norway, King Olav II (c. 995–1030, reigned 1015–102 ...

Trondheim Trondheim ( , , ; sma, Tråante), historically Kaupangen, Nidaros and Trondhjem (), is a city and municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. As of 2020, it had a population of 205,332, was the third most populous municipality in Norway, and ...

, in which the death of King Olav Haraldsson (Saint Olaf) is shown. He died in the

Battle of Stiklestad The Battle of Stiklestad ( no, Slaget på Stiklestad, non, Stiklarstaðir) in 1030 is one of the most famous battles in the history of Norway. In this battle, King Olaf II of Norway () was killed. During the pontificate of Pope Alexander III, ...

, the site of which is in Verdal municipality. In the painting, he holds a shield with the typical cross. To commemorate the battle, the cross was taken as arms for the municipality.

Churches

The

Church of Norway The Church of Norway ( nb, Den norske kirke, nn, Den norske kyrkja, se, Norgga girku, sma, Nöörjen gærhkoe) is an evangelical Lutheran denomination of Protestant Christianity and by far the largest Christian church in Norway. The church b ...

has four parishes () within the municipality of Verdal. It is part of the Sør-Innherad prosti (

deanery A deanery (or decanate) is an ecclesiastical entity in the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Anglican Communion, the Evangelical Church in Germany, and the Church of Norway. A deanery is either the jurisdiction or residenc ...

) in the

Diocese of Nidaros Nidaros is a diocese in the Lutheran Church of Norway. It covers Trøndelag county in Central Norway and its cathedral city is Trondheim, which houses the well-known Nidaros Cathedral. Since 10 September 2017, the Bishop of Nidaros is Herbor ...

History

Battle of Stiklestad

The most famous battle in Norwegian history, the

, took place at Stiklestad in Verdal in the year 1030. The Stiklestad Church was built afterwards at the place where King Olav Haraldsson, later redesigned as St. Olaf, died during the battle. Olavsstøtta, a memorial pillar dedicated to St. Olaf, was erected in 1807 to commemorate the Battle of Stiklestad.

Verdalsraset

Early on the night of 19 May 1893, the most deadly

landslide Landslides, also known as landslips, are several forms of mass wasting that may include a wide range of ground movements, such as rockfalls, deep-seated grade (slope), slope failures, mudflows, and debris flows. Landslides occur in a variety of ...

in modern Norwegian history, known as ''Verdalsraset'', took place in Verdal. It killed 116 people and at least 500 animals when approximately 100 farms were swept away. A wet winter and several spring floods in the river made the

quick clay Quick clay, also known as Leda clay and Champlain Sea clay in Canada, is any of several distinctively sensitive glaciomarine clays found in Canada, Norway, Russia, Sweden, Finland, the United States and other locations around the world. The clay ...

under the topsoil in a large area of the valley turn into a fluid. The slide moved about of clay, completely reshaping the topography of the area, including moving the course of the river.

Culture

Råning

This culture is known for young people interested in cars, spending most of their time improving, enhancing, and styling their cars, and then driving them for display on a particular route around the town centre. This is not only positive, as they do show some general disregard for common laws and regulations. People living in the town center are at times bothered by noise, usually music being played at high volumes from their cars.

Stiklestad

Verdal is the location of the Stiklestad National Cultural Centre.

The Saint Olav Drama ''Saint Olav Drama'' ( no, Spelet om Heilag Olav) is an outdoor theatre performance played every end of July in Stiklestad in Verdal, Norway. The play commemorates the Battle of Stiklestad that took place in the year 1030, and which resulted in ...

appears here on an open stage every year in July. The play centers on events leading up to the Battle of Stiklestad.

Geography

Verdal is centered on the Verdal valley. The river

runs through the valley into the

Trondheimsfjord The Trondheim Fjord or Trondheimsfjorden (), an inlet of the Norwegian Sea, is Norway's third-longest fjord at long. It is located in the west-central part of the country in Trøndelag county, and it stretches from the municipality of Ørland in ...

at Verdalsøra. The rivers

Helgåa Helgåa is a river in the municipality of Verdal in Trøndelag county, Norway. The river begins at the lake Veresvatnet and runs through the valley Helgådalen for about to Holmen in the village of Vuku, where it merges with the river Inna to cr ...

and

Inna Elena Alexandra Apostoleanu (born 16 October 1986), known professionally as Inna (stylized in all caps), is a Romanian singer. Born in Mangalia and raised in Neptun, she studied political science at Ovidius University before meeting the Roma ...

join at Vuku to form the Verdalselva. The lake Veresvatnet flows into the river Helgåa and the lake Innsvatnet flows into the river Inna. The large lake

Leksdalsvatnet Leksdalvatnet is a lake in Trøndelag county, Norway that lies in the municipalities of Steinkjer and Verdal. It is located south of the town of Steinkjer (town), Steinkjer and northeast of the town of Verdalsøra, about east of the Trondheimsfj ...

lies on the Verdal-

Steinkjer Steinkjer is a municipality in Trøndelag Counties of Norway, county, Norway. It is part of the Innherad Districts of Norway, region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the Steinkjer (town), town of Steinkjer which is located on th ...

border. The southern tip of the large

Blåfjella–Skjækerfjella National Park Blåfjella–Skjækerfjella National Park ( no, Blåfjella-Skjækerfjella nasjonalpark, sma, Låarte-Skæhkere vaarjelimmiedajve) lies in Trøndelag county, Norway. It is the third largest national park on the Norwegian mainland and one of the la ...

lies in the northeastern part of Verdal.

Rinnleiret Rinnleiret is an area on the border of the municipalities of Levanger and Verdal in Trøndelag county, Norway. It is partially a nature reserve and it contains one of the county's largest beaches. Also located in the area is a former Royal Norwe ...

is a beach area along the

Levanger Levanger is a municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the district of Innherred. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Levanger. Some of the notable villages in the municipality include Alstadhaug, Ekne ...

-Verdal border in the west.

Climate

Verdal is situated along the innermost part of

and has a

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freezing ...

(Dfb) with mild winters for this climate. Using the winter threshold as in the original

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

, Verdal has an oceanic climate (Cfb). The all-time high was recorded in July 2018. The all-time low was set in January 1987. The average date for first overnight freeze (below ) in autumn is October 6 (1981-2010 average).

Government

All municipalities in Norway, including Verdal, are responsible for

primary education Primary education or elementary education is typically the first stage of formal education, coming after preschool/kindergarten and before secondary school. Primary education takes place in ''primary schools'', ''elementary schools'', or first ...

(through 10th grade), outpatient health services,

senior citizen Old age refers to ages nearing or surpassing the life expectancy of human beings, and is thus the end of the human life cycle. Terms and euphemisms for people at this age include old people, the elderly (worldwide usage), OAPs (British usage ...

services,

unemployment Unemployment, according to the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), is people above a specified age (usually 15) not being in paid employment or self-employment but currently available for Work (human activity), w ...

and other

social services Social services are a range of public services intended to provide support and assistance towards particular groups, which commonly include the disadvantaged. They may be provided by individuals, private and independent organisations, or administe ...

zoning Zoning is a method of urban planning in which a municipality or other tier of government divides land into areas called zones, each of which has a set of regulations for new development that differs from other zones. Zones may be defined for a si ...

economic development In the economics study of the public sector, economic and social development is the process by which the economic well-being and quality of life of a nation, region, local community, or an individual are improved according to targeted goals and o ...

, and municipal

road A road is a linear way for the conveyance of traffic that mostly has an improved surface for use by vehicles (motorized and non-motorized) and pedestrians. Unlike streets, the main function of roads is transportation. There are many types of ...

s. The municipality is governed by a

municipal council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural counci ...

of elected representatives, which in turn elect a

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...

. The municipality falls under the

Trøndelag District Court Trøndelag District Court ( no, Trøndelag tingrett) is a district court located in Trøndelag county, Norway. This court is based at four different courthouses which are located in Brekstad, Namsos, Steinkjer, and Trondheim. The court serves the ...

and the

Frostating Court of Appeal The Frostating Court of Appeal ( no, Frostating lagmannsrett) is one of six courts of appeal in the Kingdom of Norway. The Court is located in the city of Trondheim. The court has jurisdiction over the counties of Trøndelag and Møre og Romsdal. ...

Municipal council

The

() of Verdal is made up of 35 representatives that are elected to four-year terms. The

party A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, recreation, or as part of a festival or other commemoration or celebration of a special occasion. A party will often feature f ...

breakdown of the council is as follows:

Mayor

The mayors of Verdal (incomplete list): *2019–present: Pål Sverre Fikse ( Sp) *2005-2019: Bjørn Iversen ( Ap) *1999-2005: Gerd Janne Kristoffersen (Ap) *1995-1999: Knut Einar Steinsli (Sp)

Economy

Offshore

industry Industry may refer to: Economics * Industry (economics), a generally categorized branch of economic activity * Industry (manufacturing), a specific branch of economic activity, typically in factories with machinery * The wider industrial sector ...

( Aker Verdal) and

agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...

are two of the most important parts of Verdal's economy. Despite its small size, Verdal is a municipality with great personality and cultural integrity. After several

lottery A lottery is a form of gambling that involves the drawing of numbers at random for a prize. Some governments outlaw lotteries, while others endorse it to the extent of organizing a national or state lottery. It is common to find some degree of ...

grand prizes were received by some lucky inhabitants of Verdal, it is also known as one of the great ''"Lotto-bygds"'' of Norway (Small places with high a concentration of lottery wins in the national game of Lotto).

Transportation

European route E6 European route E6 ( no, Europavei 6, sv, Europaväg 6, or simply E6) is the main north-south thoroughfare through Norway as well as the west coast of Sweden. It is long and runs from the southern tip of Sweden at Trelleborg, into Norway and t ...

runs north and south through Verdalsøra, connecting the municipality with

to the north and

to the south. The

Nordland Line The Nordland Line ( no, Nordlandsbanen, ) is a railway line between Trondheim and Bodø, Norway. It is the longest in Norway and lacks electrification. The route runs through the counties of Trøndelag (formerly Sør-Trøndelag and Nord-Trønd ...

also runs north and south through the municipality. There are two stations in Verdal: Verdal Station in Verdalsøra and Bergsgrav Station in Vinne.

Notable people

Ingrid Storholmen @ Oslo bokfestival 2011

* Johannes Brun (1832 in Verdal – 1890) a Norwegian stage actor *

Oluf Rygh Oluf Rygh (5 September 1833 – 19 August 1899) was a noted Norwegian archaeologist, philologist and historian. Oluf Rygh is recognized as one of the founders of professional archaeology in Norway. He led the 1867 excavation of the Tune ship (''Tu ...

(1833 in Verdal – 1899) a noted archaeologist, philologist and historian * Olav Braarud (1885 in Verdal – 1969) operational engineer of

Holmenkolbanen A/S Holmenkolbanen was a company that owned and operated part of the Oslo Tramway and Oslo Metro in Norway from 1898 until 1975 when services were taken over by the majority owner Oslo Sporveier. Holmenkolbanen opened the Holmenkoll Line in 1898, ...

Sig Haugdahl Sigurd Olson "Sig" Haugdahl (January 10, 1891 – February 4, 1970) was an IMCA "Big Car" (now sprint car) champion 1927 – 1932 and an early promoter of stock car racing in the United States. Background Sig Haugdahl was born on the Tiller ...

(1891 in Verdal – 1970) an IMCA "Big Car" champion 1927–1932, promoted stock car racing in the USA *

Trygve Braarud Trygve Braarud (15 September 1903 – 9 July 1985) was a Norwegian botanist. He specialized in marine biology, and was affiliated with the University of Oslo for most of his career. Career He was born in Verdal, and had ten older siblings as wel ...

(1903 in Verdal – 1985) a Norwegian botanist and academic *

Knut Getz Wold Knut Getz Wold (3 August 1915 – 9 October 1987) was a Norwegian economist and civil servant, who served as the governor of the Central Bank of Norway from 1970 to 1985. He was born in Verdal in Nord-Trøndelag, as a son of district physician ...

(1915 in Verdal – 1987) an economist, civil servant and governor of the

Central Bank of Norway Norges Bank / Noregs Bank is the central bank of Norway. The bank shall promote economic stability in Norway. Norges Bank also manages the Government Pension Fund of Norway and the bank’s own foreign exchange reserves. History The history of ...

1970–1985. * Arnold Haukeland (1920 in Verdal – 1983) a Norwegian sculptor * Asmund Bjørken (1933 in Verdal – 2018) a Norwegian musician who played the jazz and folk accordion and saxophone *

Vigdis Ystad Vigdis Ystad (13 January 1942 – 7 December 2019) was a Norwegian literary historian. Biography She was born in Verdal, Norway. In 1974 she became dr.philos. at the University of Oslo. She was a university lecturer at the University of Oslo ...

(1942 in Verdal – 2019) a Norwegian literary historian and academic * Nils Nordberg (born 1942 in Verdal) a crime writer, anthology editor and audio play director *

Hans Rotmo Hans Per Rotmo (born 10 March 1948) is a Norwegian singer and songwriter, known by most Norwegians as the leading figure of 1970s folk-rock band Vømmøl Spellmannslag, and also known as the writer of hit songs like "Fire fine lænestola" and ...

(born 1948), musician, published the first album sung in a Norwegian dialect Børre Haugstad. 2 November 2020. "''Du'' kunne nominert Rotmo!".

Klassekampen ''Klassekampen'' ( en, The Class Struggle) is a Norwegian daily newspaper. It describes itself as "the newspaper of the Left." The paper's net circulation is 34,000 (2021), and it has around 111,000 daily readers on paper (160,000 on Saturdays). ...

. P. 20. "forfatter av boken Vinylens historie 2 - Norge 1970-1990" * Bjørn Iversen (born 1953) a Norwegian politician, Mayor of Verdal since 2005 *

Rune Rebellion Turbonegro (Turboneger in Norway) is a Norwegian rock band, active from 1989 to 1998 and from 2002 to the present. The band combines glam rock, punk rock, and hard rock into a self-described "deathpunk" musical style. History Early years ( ...

(born 1965 in Verdal) stage name of ''Rune Grønn'', a guitarist * Ingrid Storholmen (born 1976 in Verdal) a Norwegian poet, novelist and literary critic *

Gjermund Larsen Gjermund Larsen (born 29 July 1981 in Verdal, Norway) is a Norwegian traditional folk musician (violin) and composer, known from several bands and recordings. Career Larsen is a trained musician from the Ole Bull Academy at Voss, and the tradi ...

(born 1981 in Verdal) a traditional folk musician (violin) and composer

Sport

* Pål Benum (born 1935 in Verdal) an orthopediatrician and former long-distance runner, competed at 1964 Olympic Games * Trond Viggo Toresen (born 1978 in Verdal) a footballer with over 250 club caps *

Even Barli Even Barli (born 24 July 1991) is a former Norwegian footballer. Career Barli was reserve goalkeeper in Rosenborg from 2009 to 2011, but did not play a single game there, so in 2012 he transferred to Ranheim. Barli made his debut for Ranheim i ...

(born 1991 in Verdal) a Norwegian goalkeeper for

Ranheim Ranheim is a neighbourhood in the city of Trondheim in Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located in the borough of Østbyen. The neighbourhood approximately to the east of the centre of Trondheim. It comprises Olderdalen, Væretrøa, Reppe, and ...

with 234 caps. * Jonas Svensson (born 1993 in Verdal) a footballer with over 270 club caps and 18 for

References

External links

*
Municipal fact sheet
from

Statistics Norway Statistics Norway ( no, Statistisk sentralbyrå, abbreviated to ''SSB'') is the Norwegian statistics bureau. It was established in 1876. Relying on a staff of about 1,000, Statistics Norway publish about 1,000 new statistical releases every yea ...

Stiklestad National Culture Centre Official WebsiteBattle of Stiklestad
{{use dmy dates, date=October 2022 Municipalities of Trøndelag 1838 establishments in Norway