Lau | |
|---|---|
 The Castal adjacent Lau Church | |
  Lau | |
| Coordinates:57°16′58″N18°37′13″E / 57.28278°N 18.62028°E /57.28278; 18.62028 | |
| Country | Sweden |
| Province | Gotland |
| County | Gotland County |
| Municipality | Gotland Municipality |
| Area | |
• Total | 28 km2 (11 sq mi) |
| Population (2014)[2] | |
• Total | 227 |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Website | www |
Lau is a populated area, asocken (not to be confused withparish), on the Swedish island ofGotland.[3] It comprises the same area as theadministrative Lau District, established on 1 January 2016.[4] Originally an island, it is now part of the main Gotland island due to theisostasy. It is mostly known for the good water from the springLau Käldu.
Lau is the name of the socken as well as the district. It is also the name of the small village surrounding the medievalLau Church,[5] sometimes referred to asLau kyrkby. It is situated south ofLjugarn on the east coast of Gotland, at Lau Cove (Lauviken). The area is rural with farms and a forest by the coast.[6][7][1]
As of 2019[update], Lau Church belongs to När-Lauparish in Burspastorat, along with the church inNär.[8][9]
One of theasteroids in theasteroid belt,10811 Lau, isnamed after this place.[10]
Off the coast of Lau are three islands, known as theLaus Holmar (the Lau Islets). Despite their name, they belong to the neighboringAlskog socken and not to Lau.[11] Their names areSkarpholmen,Gräsholmen andStorholmen. The two first ones are owned by theSwedish government, and have been designated asbird reserves. The last one,Storholmen, is divided into allotments belonging to farms in Lau and Alskog. It is mainly used for grazing sheep. The lighthouse onStorholmen is calledStorholms-Annika. When theSwedish Maritime Administration wanted to decommission it, the lighthouse was bought by the Lau Heritage Society since it was deemed vital for localpleasure crafts and fishermen. It is built on the foundation of an oldsea mark and issolar-powered.[12][13]
The spring at Lau Hills, theLau Käldu, has become a symbol for the socken. The spring is the most prominent of several sources emerging from the water-richlimestone and gravel hills of Lau. The spring was originally just some rivulets forming a brook. Later on the water was led through wood lined channels to a wooden trough. In 1918, the channels were replaced with iron pipes and a well house with a small fountain was built. A pond for watering livestock was also added. As of 2015[update], people from all of Gotland still come to fetch the renowned water from the spring.[14]
On the east side of the Lau Hills, besideLau Käldu and facing the sea is a small cave called the Godung Cave. Even though the cave is called a Stone Age cave, it is unlikely that it has ever been inhabited.[15]
The name Lau, in 1318Law, means a "low meadow" or "meadow by water".[16][7]
Lau dates back toMedieval times. It was originally part of the Bursthing, which in turn was in the southernmost of the three original districts (similar toridings) that Gotland was divided into during the Middle Ages. In 1862, Lau became an independent municipality. In 1952, it was incorporated withLjugarn municipality until all of Gotland became onemunicipality in 1971.[17] Theboatswains from Lau under theallotment system, were part of the Second Gotlandic Boatswains Company.[18]
During theStone Age, Lau was an oblong island where the inhabitants lived on the inside of the island's small points. A strait separated the Lau Island from the rest of Gotland. During theBronze Age theisostasy elevated the land enough for a sandbank to form in the strait. The area became more populated and people settled down on the side of the island facing Gotland and along the bank.[19]
The cross roads, where the road from the island met with the road along the coast, became a hub for the Lau socken. The area was high with a good view of the surrounding area, dry but with plenty of fresh water. This is where the first buildings in Lau for worship and assembly were built. The place is just west of the present-day graveyard. It is calledStavgard, a common name for places on Gotland where meetings were held during pre-Christian time.[20]
The distribution of the farms in Lau was established during theIron Age and has remained almost the same since then.[19] During that time ahillfort, the remains of which can still be seen, was built atBotvidebackar on the northern tip ofLausbackars. It was protected on three sides by the steep slopes of the hill and on the fourth side was a dug moat with a bridge.[21] During the 1890s, several of the smaller farms and fields were merged into larger units due to new land reforms.[22]
There are grave mounds andstone ships from theBronze Age in Lau. From the Iron Age, there are seven grave fields, house foundations, collapsed stone walls andgroove stones.[23][6][24][25][7] Two of the stone ships and a round grave are situated atBandeläins täppu on the edge ofLausbackar. They are dated from about 900 BC. 100 m (330 ft) south of the stone ships is astanding stone.[26]
Just north of Lau Church are the ruins from a "castal", or a defense tower. The tower was built during the 12th century, further additions to it were made during the 13th and 14th century and it is assumed that it was converted into aclergy house.[27]
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