Upper Telemark Øvre Telemark (Norwegian) | |
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| Coordinates:59°54′00″N8°24′00″E / 59.9000°N 8.4000°E /59.9000; 8.4000 | |
| Country | Norway |
| County | Telemark |
| Region | Østlandet |
| Biggest city | Notodden |
| Area | |
• Total | 12,468 km2 (4,814 sq mi) |
| Population (2022)[2] | |
• Total | 50,984 |
| • Density | 4.1/km2 (11/sq mi) |
| Demonym(s) | Teledøl Telemarking[3] |
Upper Telemark (Norwegian:Øvre Telemark) is atraditional district inTelemark county inNorway. The area includes the inland areas ofTelemark. More than two-thirds of the total area of Telemark—more than 10,000 square kilometres (3,900 sq mi)—belong to the traditional region of Upper Telemark. Conversely, the area of "Lower" Telemark refers to the more densely populated, flatter coastal area ofGrenland and traditionally also includesCentral Telemark. Upper Telemark has a varied and often scenic landscape, with many hills, mountains, valleys and lakes.
Upper Telemark was originally known simply as Telemark and is named for theThelir (Old Norse:Þilir), the ancientNorth Germanic tribe that inhabited what is now called Upper Telemark andNumedal in theMigration Period and theViking Age. Upper Telemark is known for its folk traditions within music, clothing, handcrafts, food and architecture. The region is also distinctly marked by its dialect ofNorwegian.
The district is also conventionally divided intoVest-Telemark andAust-Telemark, with Vest-Telemark consisting ofVinje,Tokke,Seljord,Fyresdal,Kviteseid, andNissedal. Aust-Telemark always consists ofHjartdal,Notodden, andTinn, but more recentlyMidt-Telemark andNome are also usually included as well.
Whereas Lower Telemark was traditionally dominated by theburghers of the cities, Upper Telemark was for centuries dominated by a close-knit "aristocracy of officials" comprised by a handful of families which monopolized the state and church offices in the region, notably the familiesPaus,Blom, Ørn, and Morland.[4]
TheOld Norse form of the name wasÞelamörk orÞilamörk. The first element isÞilir was the name of the inhabitants, and is assumed to be connected withÞelli (pine). The last elementmörk means forest ormarch. The prefixØvre means "upper".[5]
Traditionally, the term Telemark only referred to this area andNumedal.[6] In 1200, the current Upper Telemark andGrenland were merged intoSkiens syssel, which later became Bratsbergsamt, and then later it was renamed Telemark county.[7] Upper Telemark also corresponds to theØvre Telemark prosti, a deanery within theChurch of Norway. Upper Telemark comprises 11 municipalities and more than 80% of Telemark, about 12,468 square kilometres (4,814 sq mi).
The border between Upper Telemark and Grenland has long been discussed amongphilologists. In an old travel book about the county, A.L. Coll has written that the border is defined by the mountainous cleft, that is formed by the lakesBolkesjø, Ørvella, Øverbø-moen,Seljordsvatnet,Flåvatn, and Fjågesund or Bjårvatn.[8]
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