Hadeland | |
|---|---|
 Randsfjorden, seen northwards fromJevnaker. | |
| Country | Norway |
| County | Innlandet andAkershus |
| Region | Austlandet |
| Urban Center | Jaren |
| Area | |
• Total | 1,274 km2 (492 sq mi) |
| Population (2021)[2] | |
• Total | 29,540 |
| • Density | 23/km2 (60/sq mi) |
| Demonym | Hadelending |
Hadeland (locally[ˈhɑːlæn][3]) is atraditional district in the southeastern part ofNorway. It is centered on the southern part of the large lakeRandsfjorden inInnlandet andAkershus counties. The district consists of themunicipalitiesGran in Innlandet county andJevnaker andLunner in Akershus county. Hadeland occupies the area north of the hills ofNordmarka close to the Norwegian capitalOslo. The soil around the Randsfjorden is amongst the most fertile in Norway. Hadeland accounts for just 5% of the country's area, but it represents 13% of its agricultural land. Farmers harvestgrains andpotatoes.Pigs, dairycattle, andhorses are also bred at farms there.[4]
Jevnaker is located to the southern and western side of the Randsfjorden. Gran's rolling countryside is home to about two-thirds of the nearly 30,000 people living in Hadeland. The village ofJaren serves as the area's main center of commerce. The municipality of Gran is divided by the Randsfjorden, and its western part is known as theFjorda district.
The Hadeland area includes large stretches of woodlands. About 70% of Lunner is covered by forest. Nearly half of the wooded area in Lunner and Jevnaker iscommon land (almenning). The local forestry cooperative plays a key role in the economies of the two areas. Their woods are home to a variety of flora and fauna, and host a number of species ofbirds,deer,moose, and other wildlife. Populations oftrout,char, bass, and other freshwater fish have dwindled in the inland lakes and streams, but restocking efforts are now made.[4]
The name of Hadeland comes from theOld Norse name for the inhabitants,haðar, which is assumed to be connected towar. The name would then mean "the land of the warriors."[5][4]
A number ofStone Age sites have been discovered around the Randsfjorden and over 200 artifacts - including jewelry, tools, and weapons - have been unearthed. During this period the people here, as in most of southern Norway, lived ashunter-gatherers, exploiting the resources of the large forests.
By the end of theBronze Age, agriculture had evolved and archaeological evidence points to the division of land into family or clan-based farms. Several Bronze Age burial mounds have been identified in Hadeland.
Roman references to this area as Hadeland may be found in documents dating from AD200-400. The name refers to thehaðar people. It is thought thathaðar may relate to one of the many tribes or clans in the area, thus Hadeland would meanland of the haðar. Archaeologists have found a wide variety of weapons inIron Age burial sites throughout Hadeland. In the late Iron Age, Hadeland was apetty kingdom. One of the more prominent kings of Hadeland wasHalfdan Hvitbeinn who lived in the 8th century.
According to theIcelandic sagas earlyViking Agechieftains enjoyed hunting and entertaining their entourages in the forests and on the lakes in this area. KingHalfdan the Black, father of kingHarald Fairhair who united Norway, often visited Hadeland. According to historical sources he and his men attended a banquet here in the winter of 860. As they were crossing the ice on Randsfjorden on their way home to Ringerike, the ice gave way and horses, men, and the 40-year-old king himself drowned. TheHadeland Folkemuseum is built around a Vikingburial mound at Granavollen which according tofolklore contains the torso of King Halvdan.
The name Hadeland appears on theDynna stone, arunestone from about 1040-1050. Norway formally adoptedChristianity in 1030, and the Dynna stone, with its scenes from the Nativity is one of the first Christian monuments in Norway. A number of medieval churches survive in Hadeland. Notable among them is theOld Tingelstad Church. This was built in the 13th century. Other churches includeLunner Church and theSister Churches atGranavollen. TheBlack Death arrived in Norway in the mid 14th century, and it is estimated that two-thirds of the population of Hadeland was wiped out.
60°14′20″N10°23′47″E / 60.2389°N 10.3964°E /60.2389; 10.3964
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