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Hvaler is a municipality that is a group of islands in the southern part of Viken County, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of
Skjærhalden Skjærhalden is the administrative centre of Hvaler municipality, Norway. It is located on the island Kirkeøy Kirkeøy is the largest island in the Norwegian municipality of Hvaler. Its name means "church island" and is derived from Hvaler Church ...
, on the island of
Kirkeøy Kirkeøy is the largest island in the Norwegian municipality of Hvaler. Its name means "church island" and is derived from Hvaler Church which is on the island and is also the main church of the municipality. The island covers an area of and had a ...
. The only police station in the municipality is located in Skjærhalden. Hvaler was established as a municipality 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 ...
'').


Name

The name is the plural form of ''hval'', which means " whale". The form and shape of the islands resemble a pod of whales. Prior to 1889, the name was spelled Hvaløerne, meaning the whale isles.


Coat-of-arms

The coat-of-arms is from modern times. It was granted on 9 December 1983. The arms show a silver-colored boat on a blue background. This boat is the type that was typical in the 13th century. This was chosen since this island municipality has been dependent on boats for all its history, and because
fisheries Fishery can mean either the enterprise of raising or harvesting fish and other aquatic life; or more commonly, the site where such enterprise takes place ( a.k.a. fishing ground). Commercial fisheries include wild fisheries and fish farms, both ...
and sailing have been the main economic activities for many centuries.


Culture

''Hvalerdrakten'' is the traditional costume or '' bunad'' for women in Hvaler. The bodice and skirt are blue or black and are made from 100% wool. The shirt is white and made from 100% cotton. Several symbolic expressions exist in the embroideries and the accompanying silver brooches. The embroidered flowers are characteristic to the islands' flora and symbolize the different islands that constitute the municipality. All the silver that belongs to the costume is portraying the locally famous Hvalerbåten (The Boat of Hvaler) and herring, which has been an important commodity to the islands through the ages. All patterns used in this costume have been patented. Since 1999, ''hvalerdrakten'' have been manufactured by Hvalerdraktstua AS.


Hvaler Church

Hvaler Church (''Hvaler Kirke'') is a medieval-era church, probably begun around 1000-1100 AD. Hvaler Church is the main church of the archipelago. It is located on
Kirkeøy Kirkeøy is the largest island in the Norwegian municipality of Hvaler. Its name means "church island" and is derived from Hvaler Church which is on the island and is also the main church of the municipality. The island covers an area of and had a ...
in the extreme south of the parish. It is a stone church with a rectangular nave and narrow choir and apse. The pulpit is from the 1600s. In 1750, the church received a new altar which in 1759 was supplemented with an altarpiece mounted on the altar. Between 1953 and 1955, the church went through a thorough restoration led by antiquarian
Håkon Christie Håkon Andreas Christie (30 August 1922 – 14 December 2010) was a Norway, Norwegian architectural historian, antiquarian and author. Together with his wife, Sigrid Marie Christie (18 April 1923 - 16 May 2004) he worked from 1950 on the history ...
in connection with the church's restoration. The J. H. Jorgensen organ is from 1955.


Geography

South of Skjærhalden lies a chain of a few inhabitable islands and several hundreds of smaller islands and rocks. The bigger islands are named, clockwise,
Nordre Sandøy ''Nordre'' (Northern), formerly known as ''Haramsnytt'' (The Haram News), is a local Norwegian newspaper covering events in the northern part of the municipality of Ålesund in Møre og Romsdal county. History The newspaper was established as '' ...
, Søndre Sandøy, Hærføl, Søndre Lauer, and
Nordre Lauer ''Nordre'' (Northern), formerly known as ''Haramsnytt'' (The Haram News), is a local Norwegian newspaper covering events in the northern part of the municipality of Ålesund in Møre og Romsdal county. History The newspaper was established as ''Ha ...
. Another smaller island is
Tisler Tisler is a small island in southeast Norway. The name of the island comes from the Norse word for thistle, þistill', or tistel' in Norwegian, coming from the round shape of the thistle's pericarp. Tisler is among the southernmost of the Hvaler i ...
. On all of these islands, with the exception of Søndre Lauer, summer houses fill the landscape. The islands of Søndre Sandøy and Hærføl are the two only islands that have local shops and roads which support car traffic. Nordre Sandøy, situated on the north end of this chain of islands in southern Hvaler, is one of the largest islands with a distinct flora and fauna diversity. Although equipped with a good stretch of roads, car traffic is forbidden there and no commercial activity whatsoever exists. In many ways, this gives its population (mostly summertime vacationers) a greater feeling of isolation from the average Norwegian's hectic life, and it acts as a buffer against pollution. Nordre Sandøy is thought to have been one of the bases of Peter Tordenskjold during his time as a privateer. One of the bays on the island is named "Tordenskjoldsbukta" ( no, Bay of Tordenskjold). The remains of two dead pirates have been found on the island. Legend has it that he buried some of his treasure on the island. In 1997, a local boy, Simon Rene Magnussen, found three old golden coins while scuba diving in the area.


Notable people

*
Egil Abrahamsen Egil Abrahamsen (born 7 February 1923) is a Norwegian ships engineer. Abrahamsen was born in Hvaler. He graduated from the Norwegian Institute of Technology in 1949. He was assigned with Det Norske Veritas from 1952, where he served as CEO from ...
(born 1923 in Hvaler) a Norwegian ships engineer *
Vebjørn Sand Vebjørn Sand (born March 11, 1966, in Bærum) is a Norway, Norwegian painter and artist. He is known for his paintings as well as his public arts projects, such as the Vebjørn Sand Da Vinci Project, Da Vinci Project, and the Kepler–Poinsot po ...
(born 1966 in Bærum) a Norwegian painter and artist who was brought up in Hvaler


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 ...

Koster/Yttre Hvaler
{{Authority control Municipalities of Østfold Municipalities of Viken (county)