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110-539: Gudbrandsdalen ( Urban East Norwegian: [ˈɡʉ̂ː(d)brɑnsˌdɑːɳ] ; English: Gudbrand Valley ) is a valley and traditional district in the Norwegian county of Innlandet (formerly Oppland ). The valley is oriented in a north-westerly direction from Lillehammer and the lake of Mjøsa , extending 230 kilometers (140 mi) toward the Romsdalen valley. The river Gudbrandsdalslågen (Lågen) flows through

220-513: A patron saint by farmers, fishermen, sailors and merchants of the Hanseatic League , who turned to him for good yield and protection. From Thor, he inherited the quick temper, physical strength and merits of a giant-slayer. Popular tradition also made marks in the ecclesiastical material. Early depictions of Olaf portray him as clean-shaven, but after 1200 he appears with a red beard, which may have been absorbed from Thor. The Passio

330-726: A petty king in Vestfold , Norway, he was posthumously given the title Rex Perpetuus Norvegiae (English: Eternal/Perpetual King of Norway ) and canonised at Nidaros ( Trondheim ) by Bishop Grimketel , one year after his death in the Battle of Stiklestad on 29 July 1030. His remains were enshrined in Nidaros Cathedral , built over his burial site. His sainthood encouraged the widespread adoption of Christianity by Scandinavia 's Vikings / Norsemen . Pope Alexander III confirmed Olaf's local canonisation in 1164, making him

440-645: A Moroccan waiter they mistakenly thought was Ali Hassan Salameh , who was involved in the Munich Massacre. The 1994 Winter Olympics were celebrated at Lillehammer . The 2016 Youth Olympics were celebrated at Lillehammer. 61°08′N 10°21′E  /  61.133°N 10.350°E  / 61.133; 10.350 Valley At lower latitudes and altitudes, these glacially formed valleys may have been created or enlarged during ice ages but now are ice-free and occupied by streams or rivers. In desert areas, valleys may be entirely dry or carry

550-414: A broader floodplain may result. Deposition dominates over erosion. A typical river basin or drainage basin will incorporate each of these different types of valleys. Some sections of a stream or river valleys may have vertically incised their course to such an extent that the valley they occupy is best described as a gorge , ravine , or canyon . Rapid down-cutting may result from localized uplift of

660-533: A cirque glacier. During glacial periods, for example, the Pleistocene ice ages, it is in these locations that glaciers initially form and then, as the ice age proceeds, extend downhill through valleys that have previously been shaped by water rather than ice. Abrasion by rock material embedded within the moving glacial ice causes the widening and deepening of the valley to produce the characteristic U or trough shape with relatively steep, even vertical sides and

770-637: A designation which goes back to the 13th century. St. Olaf is attested having been born in Ringerike , yet Ringerike must not be conflated with the modern notion of the district named after the legendary Ringerike of Ivar Vidfamne and Sigurd Hring, which may be regarded as the confederation of five petty kingdoms conferring with the five kings that established Olaf Haraldson as their High King at Hringsakri according to Saint Olafs Saga, King Hrœrekr, King Guðrøðr, King Hring and two others of less certain identity. Olaf Haraldsson did not become King of Norway until

880-523: A fairly unsuccessful ruler, whose power was based on an alliance with the much more powerful King Cnut the Great ; who was driven into exile when he claimed power of his own; and whose attempt at a reconquest was swiftly crushed. This calls for an explanation of the status he gained after his death. Three factors are important: the later myth surrounding his role in the Christianisation of Norway,

990-643: A few hundred metres from St Olav's Church , which is the Norwegian Church in London . It also led to the naming of St Olave's Grammar School , which was established in 1571 and was in Tooley Street until 1968, when it moved to Orpington , Kent. The village of St Olaves in Norfolk bears the name as it is the location of the remains of a 13th-century Augustinian priory dedicated to Olaf. St. Olaf

1100-479: A larger scale the inhabitants of the former Viking territories, namely the Scandinavian countries and, even more so, Norway . This choice can be explained by the time in which Olaf lived and when the exchanges between Normandy and the Scandinavian countries were common. There were also many kinships between the inhabitants of the brand new Norman state, as illustrated by the choice of Archbishop Robert II for

1210-448: A later date. Olaf most likely did try to bring Christianity to the interior of Norway, where it was less prevalent. Questions have also been raised about the nature of Olaf's Christianity. Modern historians generally agree that Olaf was inclined to violence and brutality, and note that earlier scholars often neglected this side of his character. It seems that, like many Scandinavian kings, Olaf used his Christianity to gain more power for

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1320-474: A miracule beati Olavi , the official record of Olaf's miracles, contains an episode where Olaf helps a man escape from the huldrefolk , the "hidden people" of Norwegian folklore . In Normandy , Saint Olaf represents an important figure and was chosen unofficially as the patron saint of the Normans , this term mainly designating the inhabitants of continental Normandy and of channel islands , but also on

1430-594: A narrow valley with steep sides. Gill is used to describe a ravine containing a mountain stream in Cumbria and the Pennines . The term combe (also encountered as coombe ) is widespread in southern England and describes a short valley set into a hillside. Other terms for small valleys such as hope, dean, slade, slack and bottom are commonly encountered in place-names in various parts of England but are no longer in general use as synonyms for valley . The term vale

1540-678: A person a saint, and a formal canonisation procedure through the papal curia was not customary; in Olaf's case, this did not happen until 1888. But Olaf II died before the East-West Schism and a strict Roman Rite was not well-established in Scandinavia at the time. He is also venerated in the Eastern Orthodox Church . Grimketel was later appointed bishop in the diocese of Selsey in southeastern England. This

1650-655: A recognised saint of the Catholic Church , and Olaf started to be known as Rex Perpetuus Norvegiae – eternal king of Norway . Following the Reformation , he was a commemorated historical figure among some members of the Lutheran and Anglican Communions. The saga of Olav Haraldsson and the legend of Olaf the Saint became central to a national identity. Especially during the period of romantic nationalism , Olaf

1760-432: A relatively flat bottom. Interlocking spurs associated with the development of river valleys are preferentially eroded to produce truncated spurs , typical of glaciated mountain landscapes. The upper end of the trough below the ice-contributing cirques may be a trough-end . Valley steps (or 'rock steps') can result from differing erosion rates due to both the nature of the bedrock (hardness and jointing for example) and

1870-610: A rising storm. The Finns pursued them and made the same progress on land as Olaf and his men made on water. Despite these events they survived. The exact location of the battle is uncertain and the Finnish equivalent of Herdaler is unknown, but it has been suggested that it could be in Uusimaa , probably near present-day Ingå . As a teenager Olaf went to the Baltic , then to Denmark and later to England . Skaldic poetry suggests he led

1980-522: A shallow lake. Drainage efforts from 1860 abolished the lake and left some 1,000 hectares (2,500 acres) of farmland. The central part of the valley is covered by the Losna lake, some 50–60 metres (160–200 ft) deep. The valley of Gudbrandsdalen is of considerable antiquity considering the overall development of the relief of Norway. The valley runs across the height axis of the southern Scandinavian Mountains —a characteristic that could be indicating that

2090-453: A slayer of trolls and giants, and as a protector against malicious forces. He was said to have healing power, which attracted people to his shrine, and various springs were claimed to have sprung forth where he or his body had been. Around the 12th century, folk traditions and iconography of Olaf absorbed elements of the gods Thor and Freyr from Norse mythology . Like Freyr, he became associated with fertility, which led to his adoption as

2200-465: A slower rate than that of the main valley floor; thus the difference in the two valleys' depth increases over time. The tributary valley, composed of more resistant rock, then hangs over the main valley. Trough-shaped valleys also form in regions of heavy topographic denudation . By contrast with glacial U-shaped valleys, there is less downward and sideways erosion. The severe downslope denudation results in gently sloping valley sides; their transition to

2310-538: A successful seaborne attack that took down London Bridge , though Anglo-Saxon sources do not confirm this. This may have been in 1014, restoring London and the English throne to Æthelred the Unready and removing Cnut. According to Snorri's Heimskringla , the attack happened soon after the death of Sweyn Forkbeard with the city being held by Danish forces. Snorri's account claims that Olaf assisted Æthelred in driving

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2420-427: A valley between its sides is referred to as the valley floor. The valley floor is typically formed by river sediments and may have fluvial terraces . The development of a river valley is affected by the character of the bedrock over which the river or stream flows, the elevational difference between its top and bottom, and indeed the climate. Typically the flow will increase downstream and the gradient will decrease. In

2530-510: A variety of transitional forms between V-, U- and plain valleys can form. The floor or bottom of these valleys can be broad or narrow, but all valleys have a shoulder. The broader a mountain valley, the lower its shoulders are located in most cases. An important exception is canyons where the shoulder almost is near the top of the valley's slope. In the Alps – e.g. the Tyrolean Inn valley –

2640-670: A watercourse only rarely. In areas of limestone bedrock , dry valleys may also result from drainage now taking place underground rather than at the surface. Rift valleys arise principally from earth movements , rather than erosion. Many different types of valleys are described by geographers, using terms that may be global in use or else applied only locally. Valleys may arise through several different processes. Most commonly, they arise from erosion over long periods by moving water and are known as river valleys. Typically small valleys containing streams feed into larger valleys which in turn feed into larger valleys again, eventually reaching

2750-577: A year after his death. The cult of Olaf unified the country and consolidated the Christianisation of Norway. He is also recognized as the patron saint of the Faroe Islands . Owing to Olaf's later status as Norway's patron saint, and to his importance in later medieval historiography and in Norwegian folklore, it is difficult to assess the historical Olaf's character. Judging from the bare outlines of known historical facts, he appears to have been

2860-640: Is The Passion and the Miracles of the Blessed Olafr . A widely used account of Olaf's life is found in Heimskringla from c.  1225 . Although its facts are dubious, the saga recounts Olaf's deeds as follows: In 1008, Olaf landed on the Estonian island of Saaremaa (Osilia). The Osilians , taken by surprise, had at first agreed to Olaf's demands, but then gathered an army during

2970-754: Is Ólafur [ˈouːlaːvʏr̥] , in Faroese Ólavur , in Danish Olav , in Swedish Olof , and in Finnish Olavi . Olave was the traditional spelling in England, preserved in the name of medieval churches dedicated to him. Other names, such as Óláfr hinn helgi , Olavus rex , and Olaf are used interchangeably (see the Heimskringla of Snorri Sturluson ). He is sometimes called Rex Perpetuus Norvegiae (English: "Norway's Eternal King" ),

3080-405: Is a tributary valley that is higher than the main valley. They are most commonly associated with U-shaped valleys, where a tributary glacier flows into a glacier of larger volume. The main glacier erodes a deep U-shaped valley with nearly vertical sides, while the tributary glacier, with a smaller volume of ice, makes a shallower U-shaped valley. Since the surfaces of the glaciers were originally at

3190-497: Is divided into three parts: Norddalen (Northern valley; the municipalities of Lesja , Dovre , Skjåk , Lom , Vågå and Sel ), Midtdalen (middle valley; the municipalities of Nord-Fron , Sør-Fron and Ringebu ), and Sørdalen (Southern valley; the municipalities of Øyer , Gausdal and Lillehammer ). The municipalities within the valley fall under the Vestre Innlandet District Court . Until 2016,

3300-762: Is generally accepted to be the earliest datable church foundation dedicated to Olaf and is further evidence of a cult of St. Olaf in the early 1050s in England. St Olave Hart Street in the City of London is the burial place of Samuel Pepys and his wife. Another St. Olave's Church south of London Bridge gave its name to Tooley Street and to the St Olave's Poor Law Union , later the Metropolitan Borough of Bermondsey : its workhouse in Rotherhithe became St Olave's Hospital and then an old people's home

3410-501: Is only 50 meters (160 ft) deep while the main fjord is around 1,300 meters (4,300 ft) at the same point. Glaciated terrain is not the only site of hanging streams and valleys. Hanging valleys are also simply the product of varying rates of erosion of the main valley and the tributary valleys. The varying rates of erosion are associated with the composition of the adjacent rocks in the different valley locations. The tributary valleys are eroded and deepened by glaciers or erosion at

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3520-496: Is probably why the earliest traces of a liturgical cult of Olaf are found in England. An office , or prayer service, for Olaf is found in the so-called Leofric collectar (c. 1050), which Bishop Leofric of Exeter bequeathed in his last will and testament to Exeter Cathedral . This English cult seems to have been short-lived. Writing around 1070, Adam of Bremen mentions pilgrimage to St. Olaf's shrine in Nidaros , but this

3630-535: Is the greatest flood recorded in the Gudbrand Valley; several farms were devastated, and many people died. In 1827, the town of Lillehammer is established. The paddle steamer Skibladner on Mjøsa and Hovedbanen (the first railroad in Norway) connected the valley to the capital city, Christiania , in 1856. The Hamar-Selbanen railway was completed to Tretten in 1894. Hamar-Selbanen changed its name to

3740-538: Is the largest flood recorded in Norway and the valley was particularly affected. 61 people perished. About 3000 houses were totally damaged and some thousand livestock drowned. All bridges disappeared. Lågen rose up to 7 metres (23 ft) above its normal level and covered most of the valley floor. A number of farmers abandoned their damaged farms and settled in Målselv , Troms county. The second largest flood occurred in

3850-425: Is the main valley in a web of smaller valleys. On the western (right hand) side there are long adjacent valleys: Ottadalen stretches 100 kilometers (62 mi) from Otta village, Gausdal some 50 kilometers (31 mi) from Lillehammer and Heidal some 40 kilometers (25 mi) from Sjoa. Gudbrandsdalen runs between the major mountain ranges of Norway including Jotunheimen and Dovrefjell – Rondane . Together with

3960-495: Is the only firm trace we have of a cult of St. Olaf in Norway before the mid-12th century. By this time he was also being called Norway's Eternal King . In 1152/3, Nidaros was separated from Lund as the archbishopric of Nidaros . It is likely that whatever formal or informal veneration of Olaf as a saint may have existed in Nidaros before that was emphasised and formalised on this occasion. Miracles performed by St. Olaf appear for

4070-488: Is the word cwm borrowed from Welsh . The word dale occurs widely in place names in the north of England and, to a lesser extent, in southern Scotland. As a generic name for a type of valley, the term typically refers to a wide valley, though there are many much smaller stream valleys within the Yorkshire Dales which are named "(specific name) Dale". Clough is a word in common use in northern England for

4180-574: Is used in England and Wales to describe a wide river valley, usually with a particularly wide flood plain or flat valley bottom. In Southern England, vales commonly occur between the outcrops of different relatively erosion-resistant rock formations, where less resistant rock, often claystone has been eroded. An example is the Vale of White Horse in Oxfordshire. Some of the first human complex societies originated in river valleys, such as that of

4290-453: The Heimskringla (Chronicle of the Kings of Norway) by Snorri Sturluson . The account of King Olaf 's (A.D. 1015–1021) conversion of Dale-Gudbrand to Christianity is popularly recognized. According to the saga Gudbrand built a church there "in the valleys", possibly at Haave farm near Hundorp where archaeological evidence indicates what may have been the first church in the valley. In 1206,

4400-429: The Battle of Nesjar he defeated Earl Sweyn , one of the earls of Lade and hitherto the de facto ruler of Norway. He founded the town of Borg, later known as Sarpsborg , by the waterfall Sarpsfossen in Østfold county. Within a few years he had won more power than any of his predecessors on the throne had enjoyed. Olaf annihilated the petty kings of the south, subdued the aristocracy, asserted his suzerainty in

4510-399: The Battle of Nesjar . St. Olaf was the son of Åsta Gudbrandsdatter and Harald Grenske , a petty king in Vestfold , whom later Icelandic sagas would describe as a great-great-grandchild of Harald Fairhair (who had unified Norway as one Kingdom, establishing a feudalist structure with the kingship far less dependent of local rulers, earls, herses and the so called petty kings). Harald

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4620-571: The Battle of the Helgeå . In 1029 the Norwegian nobles, seething with discontent, supported the invasion of King Cnut the Great of Denmark. Olaf was driven into exile in Kievan Rus . He stayed for some time in the Swedish province of Nerike , where, according to local legend, he baptised many locals. In 1029, King Cnut's Norwegian regent, Jarl Håkon Eiriksson , was lost at sea and Olaf seized

4730-559: The Christianisation of Norway, but most scholars of the period now believe that Olaf had little to do with the process. Olaf brought with him Grimketel , who is usually credited with helping him create episcopal sees and further organising the Norwegian church, but Grimketel was only a member of Olaf's household and no permanent sees were created until c. 1100. Also, Olaf and Grimketel most likely did not introduce new ecclesiastical laws to Norway; these were ascribed to Olaf at

4840-725: The Dominican Monastery in the Altstadt ("Old City") neighborhood of Koblenz. He was the Archbishop of Nidaros in Norway from 1452 to 1458. When he died in 1464, he was buried in front of the shrine's altar. However, the shrine did not last: the Dominican Monastery was secularized in 1802 and bulldozed in 1955. Only the Rokokoportal (" Rococo Portal"), built in 1754, remains to mark the spot. In

4950-468: The Dovre Line in 1921, and the new main railway between Oslo and Trondheim , was completed through the valley. The outdoor museum of Maihaugen , exhibiting historical architecture from all parts of the valley, opened at Lillehammer in 1904. From around 1865 the population declined substantially because of emigration to North America. Until 1946 the majority of inhabitants worked in farming. There

5060-518: The Faroe Islands , the day of St. Olaf's death is celebrated as Ólavsøka , a nation-wide holiday. Recently the pilgrimage route to Nidaros Cathedral , the site of St. Olaf's tomb, has been reinstated. The route is known as The Pilgrim's Way ( Pilegrimsleden ). The main route, approximately 640 km long, starts in the ancient part of Oslo and heads north, along Lake Mjosa , up the Gudbrandsdal Valley, over Dovrefjell and down

5170-587: The Glomma river and the Østerdalen valley, the river Lågen and the Gudbrandsdalen valley form Norway's largest drainage system covering major parts of Eastern Norway . Gudbrandsdalen is home to Dovre Line railway and the European route E6 highway. The valley is the main land transport corridor through Eastern Norway, from Oslo and central eastern lowlands to Trondheim and Møre og Romsdal . The valley

5280-660: The Latin terms for 'valley, 'gorge' and 'ditch' respectively. The German term ' rille ' or Latin term 'rima' (signifying 'cleft') is used for certain other elongate depressions on the Moon. See also: Olaf II of Norway Olaf II Haraldsson ( c.  995 – 29 July 1030), also Olav Haraldsson and Olaf the Stout , later known as Saint Olaf and Olaf the Holy , was King of Norway from 1015 to 1028. Son of Harald Grenske ,

5390-504: The Nile , Tigris-Euphrates , Indus , Ganges , Yangtze , Yellow River , Mississippi , and arguably the Amazon . In prehistory , the rivers were used as a source of fresh water and food (fish and game), as well as a place to wash and a sewer. The proximity of water moderated temperature extremes and provided a source for irrigation , stimulating the development of agriculture . Most of

5500-728: The Orkdal Valley, ending at Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim . A Pilgrim's Office in Oslo gives advice to pilgrims, and a Pilgrim Centre in Trondheim, under the aegis of the Cathedral, awards certificates to pilgrims when they complete their journeys. However, the relics are no longer exposed in the cathedral, and it is not sure where exactly in the cathedral crypt his remains are buried. For centuries, Olaf figured in folk traditions as

5610-610: The Orkney Islands , and conducted a successful raid on Denmark. He made peace with King Olof Skötkonung of Sweden through Þorgnýr the Lawspeaker , and was for some time engaged to Olof's daughter, Ingegerd , though without Olof's approval. In 1019 Olaf married Astrid Olofsdotter , King Olof's illegitimate daughter and the half-sister of his former fiancée. The union produced a daughter, Wulfhild , who married Ordulf, Duke of Saxony in 1042. In 1026 he participated in

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5720-668: The first civilizations developed from these river valley communities. Siting of settlements within valleys is influenced by many factors, including the need to avoid flooding and the location of river crossing points. Numerous elongate depressions have been identified on the surface of Mars , Venus , the Moon , and other planets and their satellites and are known as valles (singular: 'vallis'). Deeper valleys with steeper sides (akin to canyons) on certain of these bodies are known as chasmata (singular: 'chasma'). Long narrow depressions are referred to as fossae (singular: 'fossa'). These are

5830-524: The rain shadow of the mountains west (including Jotunheimen ), north, and east of the valley. The valley is less incised than the valleys of western Norway. Farming is mostly confined to the relatively narrow areas along the rivers. Gudbrandsdalen and adjacent valleys are surrounded by wide uplands and mountain plateaus traditional used as seter or summer farms. In July 1789 the Storofsen flood disaster occurred and Gudbrandsdalslågen overflooded. This

5940-654: The Byzantine military forces, is believed to have been kept in this chapel in times of peace. Thus St. Olaf was also the last saint venerated by both the Western and Eastern churches before the Great Schism . The basilica of Sant'Ambrogio e Carlo al Corso in Rome has a Chapel of St Olav. Its altarpiece contains a painting of the saint, shown as a martyr king defeating a dragon, representing victory over his pagan past. It

6050-570: The Commonwealth of Uppsala posing a possible threat to the royal House of Munsö under King Olof Skötkonung. The Earls of Hlaðir and the petty kings of Hringerike had been in conflict since at least King Harald Fairhair assumed power of all of Norway. Many texts have information about Olaf Haraldsson. The oldest is the Glælognskviða or "Sea-Calm Poem", composed by Þórarinn loftunga , an Icelander. It praises Olaf and mentions some of

6160-536: The Danes out of England. Olaf is also said by Snorri to have aided the sons of Æthelred after his death. Olaf is said to have won battles but been unable to assist Æthelred's sons in driving Cnut out. After this, he set his sights on Norway. Olaf saw it as his calling to unite Norway into one kingdom, as Harald Fairhair had largely succeeded in doing. On the way home he wintered with Duke Richard II of Normandy . Marauding Vikings had conquered this region in 881. Richard

6270-464: The Good (c. 920–961) were Christians (however Håkon later reverted to Heathenism as an apostate ), as was Olaf's main opponent, Cnut the Great . What seems clear is that Olaf made efforts to establish a church organization on a broader scale than before, among other things by importing bishops from England , Normandy and Germany , and that he tried to enforce Christianity in the inland areas, which had

6380-599: The Middle Ages were probably compiled or written by Eystein Erlendsson , the second Archbishop of Nidaros (1161–1189). The nine miracles reported in Glælognskviða form the core of the catalogue of miracles in this office. St. Olaf was widely popular throughout Scandinavia. Numerous churches in Norway, Sweden, and Iceland were dedicated to him. His presence was even felt in Finland and many travelled from all over

6490-438: The Norman and Plantagenet kings promoted the cult of St. Edward the Confessor at Westminster Abbey , their coronation church. Sigrid Undset noted that Olaf was baptised in Rouen , the capital of Normandy , and suggested that Olaf may have used priests of Norman descent for his missionaries. Normans were somewhat familiar with the culture of the people they were to convert and in some cases may have been able to understand

6600-404: The Norse god Odin , or in the case of the kings of the Swedes at Old Uppsala , from Freyr . In Christian times this legitimation of a dynasty's right to rule and its national prestige was based on its descent from a saintly king. Thus the kings of Norway promoted the cult of St. Olaf, the kings of Sweden the cult of St. Erik and the kings of Denmark the cult of Saint Canute , just as in England

6710-445: The Norse world in order to visit his shrine. Apart from the early traces of a cult in England, there are only scattered references to him outside the Nordic area. Several churches in England were dedicated to him (often as St Olave ); the name was presumably popular with Scandinavian immigrants. St Olave's Church, York , is referred to in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle for 1055 as the place of burial of its founder, Earl Siward . This

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6820-406: The Scandinavian ice sheet during the various ice ages advanced slightly uphill against the lie of the land. As a result, its meltwaters flowed parallel to the ice margin to reach the North Sea basin, forming huge, flat valleys known as Urstromtäler . Unlike the other forms of glacial valleys, these were formed by glacial meltwaters. Depending on the topography , the rock types , and the climate ,

6930-448: The actual valley bottom is unclear. Trough-shaped valleys occur mainly in periglacial regions and in tropical regions of variable wetness. Both climates are dominated by heavy denudation. Box valleys have wide, relatively level floors and steep sides. They are common in periglacial areas and occur in mid-latitudes, but also occur in tropical and arid regions. Rift valleys, such as the Albertine Rift and Gregory Rift are formed by

7040-404: The baptism of Olaf. The normand flag with a Scandinavian cross, which recalls the Scandinavian origins of Normandy, has been baptized "Cross of Saint Olav" (or "Cross of Saint Olaf") in honor of the saint. Baptized in Rouen by the brother of a Duke of Normandy, a church in Rouen is dedicated to Saint-Olaf. The Norwegian Saint-Olaf Church was built in 1926, rue Duguay-Trouin, near the home of

7150-400: The district was also referred to as i Dalom ("in the valleys") because of the many valleys. Dale-Gudbrand settled in Hundorp , Sør-Fron . At the time of Halfdan the Black there was a "chief Gudbrand north in Gubrandsdalen" ( Gudbrand herse nord i Dalom ). Later Eric Bloodaxe had an opponent called Dale-Gudbrand. According to the sage Olaf II of Norway met one Dale-Gudbrand, supposedly

7260-498: The earlier Fagrskinna . The sources seem to say that he had been raised in the Norse pagan religion, but converted to Christ early in his adulthood. The Oldest Saga of St. Olaf ( c.  1200 ) is important to scholars for its constant use of skaldic verses, many of which are attributed to Olaf himself. Finally, many hagiographic sources describe St. Olaf, but these focus mostly on miracles attributed to him and cannot be used to accurately recreate his life. A notable one

7370-475: The effects of the Lutheran iconoclasm in 1536–37. King Cnut, though distracted by the task of governing England, ruled Norway for five years after Stiklestad, with his son Svein and Svein's mother Ælfgifu (known as Álfífa in Old Norse sources) as regents. But their regency was unpopular, and when Olaf's illegitimate son Magnus ('the Good') laid claim to the Norwegian throne, Svein and Ælfgifu were forced to flee. Olaf has traditionally been seen as leading

7480-400: The end of the last ice age a large but an ephemeral ice-dammed lake formed in the valley. The valley was shaped by the recent ice age and rivers from the present glacial areas in Jotunheimen and Dovre . Bones and teeth from mammoths and musk oxen , living in the area at that time, are found in the valley. Several traces of hunters from the Stone Age are found in the valley (and in

7590-454: The expansion of the Earth 's crust due to tectonic activity beneath the Earth's surface. There are many terms used for different sorts of valleys. They include: Similar geographical features such as gullies , chines , and kloofs , are not usually referred to as valleys. The terms corrie , glen , and strath are all Anglicisations of Gaelic terms and are commonly encountered in place-names in Scotland and other areas where Gaelic

7700-629: The famous miracles attributed to him. The Norwegian synoptic histories also mention Olaf. These include the Ágrip af Nóregskonungasögum ( c.  1190 ), the Historia Norwegiae ( c.  1160 –1175) and a Latin text, Historia de Antiquitate Regum Norwagiensium by Theodoric the Monk ( c.  1177 –1188). Icelanders also wrote extensively about Olaf and there are several Icelandic sagas about him, including Fagrskinna ( c.  1220 ) and Morkinskinna ( c.  1225–1235 ). Heimskringla ( c.  1225 ), by Snorri Sturluson , largely bases its account of Olaf on

7810-424: The first time in Þórarinn loftunga 's skaldic poem Glælognskviða , or "Sea-Calm Poem", from about 1030–34. One is the killing and throwing onto a mountain of a sea serpent still visible on the cliffside. Another took place on the day of his death, when a blind man regained his sight after rubbing his eyes with hands stained with Olaf's blood. The texts used for the liturgical celebration of St. Olaf during most of

7920-443: The flow slower and both erosion and deposition may take place. More lateral erosion takes place in the middle section of a river's course, as strong currents on the outside of its curve erode the bank. Conversely, deposition may take place on the inside of curves where the current is much slacker, the process leading to the river assuming a meandering character. In the lower valley, gradients are lowest, meanders may be much broader and

8030-667: The heir to the Norwegian throne , Håkon Håkonsson , was saved by birkebeiners with a ski-run from Lillehammer to Rena . Until the Black Plague settlement expanded and new farms were established at outskirts. Farms with names -gard , -rud , -hus , and -li are mostly from this expansion period. During the High Middle Ages about 40 churches existed, most built in wood except for instances masonry churches in Easter Gausdal and Follebu . Hamar episcopal see

8140-427: The land surface or rejuvenation of the watercourse as a result for example of a reduction in the base level to which the river is eroded, e.g. lowered global sea level during an ice age . Such rejuvenation may also result in the production of river terraces . There are various forms of valleys associated with glaciation. True glacial valleys are those that have been cut by a glacier which may or may not still occupy

8250-505: The language. Among the bishops Olaf is known to have brought with him from England was Grimketel ( Latin : Grimcillus ). He was probably the only one of the missionary bishops left in the country at the time of Olaf's death, and he stood behind the translation and beatification of Olaf on 3 August 1031. Grimketel later became the first bishop of Sigtuna in Sweden. At this time, local bishops and their people recognised and proclaimed

8360-497: The last Dale-Gudbrand, in 1021. Historians believe there was a regional centre at Hundorp during the Viking era and that the name Gudbrand was used for many generations by the ruling family. Burial mounds ( tumulus ) at Hundorp suggest that powerful men are buried there. The Gudbrandsdalen valley includes the most arid area in Norway. At Skjåk the average annual precipitation is only 278 millimetres (10.9 in). The valley sits in

8470-476: The least communication with the rest of Europe, and which economically were more strongly based on agriculture, so that the inclination to hold on to the former fertility cult was stronger than in the more diversified and expansive western parts of Norway. Many believe Olaf introduced Christian law into Norway in 1024, based upon the Kuli stone , but this stone is hard to interpret. The codification of Christianity as

8580-477: The legal religion of Norway was attributed to Olaf, and his legal arrangements for the Church of Norway came to stand so high in the Norwegian people's and clergy's eyes that when Pope Gregory VII attempted to make clerical celibacy binding on the priests of Western Europe in 1074–75, Norwegians largely ignored it, since there was no mention of clerical celibacy in Olaf's legal code for their church. Only after Norway

8690-441: The main valley and other areas with vacant land. A large number of clergy also perished during the plague and churches fell into disrepair. During the 1600s the population again reached the same level as in 1300. During the 1500s the area had about 6000 inhabitants. No census was taken before 1665 and population figures are based on estimates. This resulted in a temporary improvement for the lower classes as crofters became scarce and

8800-495: The monarchy and centralise control in Norway. The skaldic verses attributed to Olaf do not speak of Christianity at all, but use pagan references to describe romantic relationships. In his book The Conversion of Scandinavia , Anders Winroth argues that there was a "long process of assimilation, in which the Scandinavians adopted, one by one and over time, individual Christian practices." Winroth does not claim that Olaf

8910-519: The mountain areas around). There is a rock carving of moose in the northern part of Lillehammer . Gudbrandsdalen has always hosted the main road between Trondheim and the central eastern lowlands. In Old Norse known as þjóðvegr ( tjodvei ), "people's road" or "everybody's road". Raum the Old was the father of Dale-Gudbrand, and he settled in Hundorp . The Gudbrand Valley is mentioned extensively in

9020-635: The negotiations and attacked the Norwegians. Olaf nevertheless won the battle. It is said that Olaf participated alongside fellow Viking Thorkell the Tall in the siege of Canterbury in 1011. Olaf sailed to the southern coast of Finland sometime in 1008. The journey resulted in the Battle at Herdaler , where Olaf and his men were ambushed by the Finns in the woods. Olaf lost many men but made it back to his boats. He ordered his ships to depart despite

9130-463: The ocean or perhaps an internal drainage basin . In polar areas and at high altitudes, valleys may be eroded by glaciers ; these typically have a U-shaped profile in cross-section, in contrast to river valleys, which tend to have a V-shaped profile. Other valleys may arise principally through tectonic processes such as rifting . All three processes can contribute to the development of a valley over geological time. The flat (or relatively flat) portion of

9240-638: The opportunity to win back the kingdom. Given military and logistical support by the Swedish king Anund Jacob he tried to bypass the formidable "Øresundfleet" of the Danish king by traveling across the Jämtland -mountains to take Nidaros, the Norwegian capital at the time, in 1030. However, Olaf was killed in Battle of Stiklestad on 29 July 1030, where some of his own subjects from central and northern Norway took arms against him. The exact position of Saint Olaf's grave in Nidaros has been unknown since 1568, due to

9350-600: The poor were able to rent the better farms. During the Reformation in 1537, the Church of Norway was subordinated to the lendmenn or sheriffs. Church property was appropriated by the Crown and the King became the biggest landowner in the valley. The Battle of Kringen took place in 1612, near Otta, Norway , and the local "Gudbrandsdøls" defeated a Scottish mercenary army. The legends of this battle live on to this day, including

9460-436: The power of the moving ice. In places, a rock basin may be excavated which may later be filled with water to form a ribbon lake or else by sediments. Such features are found in coastal areas as fjords . The shape of the valley which results from all of these influences may only become visible upon the recession of the glacier that forms it. A river or stream may remain in the valley; if it is smaller than one would expect given

9570-446: The same elevation , the shallower valley appears to be 'hanging' above the main valley. Often, waterfalls form at or near the outlet of the upper valley. Hanging valleys also occur in fjord systems underwater. The branches of Sognefjord are much shallower than the main fjord. The mouth of Fjærlandsfjord is about 400 meters (1,300 ft) deep while the main fjord nearby is 1,200 meters (3,900 ft) deep. The mouth of Ikjefjord

9680-550: The shoulders are quite low (100–200 meters above the bottom). Many villages are located here (esp. on the sunny side) because the climate is very mild: even in winter when the valley's floor is filled with fog, these villages are in sunshine . In some stress-tectonic regions of the Rocky Mountains or the Alps (e.g. Salzburg ), the side valleys are parallel to each other, and are hanging . Smaller streams flow into rivers as deep canyons or waterfalls . A hanging valley

9790-849: The size of its valley, it can be considered an example of a misfit stream . Other interesting glacially carved valleys include: A tunnel valley is a large, long, U-shaped valley originally cut under the glacial ice near the margin of continental ice sheets such as that now covering Antarctica and formerly covering portions of all continents during past glacial ages. Such valleys can be up to 100 km (62 mi) long, 4 km (2.5 mi) wide, and 400 m (1,300 ft) deep (its depth may vary along its length). Tunnel valleys were formed by subglacial water erosion . They once served as subglacial drainage pathways carrying large volumes of meltwater. Their cross-sections exhibit steep-sided flanks similar to fjord walls, and their flat bottoms are typical of subglacial glacial erosion. In northern Central Europe,

9900-492: The story of how the peasant girl Prillar-Guri lured the Scots into an ambush by playing the traditional ram's horn. The 1665 census indicates a population of 13,000. In 1670 to 1725, most of the royal property was sold off to pay for war debts, first to established property holders, but increasingly to peasant proprietors. A freeholders' era began and a new "upper class" of landholders was formed. Storofsa happened in 1789, and

10010-672: The summer of 1995 and again the valley floor was largely covered by water. After Storofsen the valley floor upstream from Sel Church changed into bogs and shallow lakes because stone and gravel changed the flow of Lågen. From around 1910 drainage efforts left some 500 hectares (1,200 acres) of dry farmland on what is still known as the Sel bogs. The toxic cicuta virosa thrived on those bogs before they were drained and are known in Norwegian as selsnepe (literally Sel turnip ). The valley floor in Lesja (between Dombås and Lora) were originally covered by

10120-407: The upper valley, the stream will most effectively erode its bed through corrasion to produce a steep-sided V-shaped valley. The presence of more resistant rock bands, of geological faults , fractures , and folds may determine the course of the stream and result in a twisting course with interlocking spurs . In the middle valley, as numerous streams have coalesced, the valley is typically wider,

10230-407: The valley at the present day. Such valleys may also be known as glacial troughs. They typically have a U-shaped cross-section and are characteristic landforms of mountain areas where glaciation has occurred or continues to take place. The uppermost part of a glacial valley frequently consists of one or more 'armchair-shaped' hollows, or ' cirques ', excavated by the rotational movement downslope of

10340-582: The valley formed before the tectonic uplift of Norway . The valley is one of several valleys of southern Norway that existed already as part of the ancient Paleic relief but had at the time gentler slopes. Gudbrandsdalen formed and developed originally as a valley of fluvial origin. Only millions of year later was the valley re-shaped by glaciers during the Quaternary period . As the Fennoscandian Ice Sheet melted and retreated during

10450-414: The valley in 1862 and collected local stories, legends and poems. Ibsen also made drawings from his trip, including "Elstad in Gudbrandsdalen". The name Gudbrandsdalen means 'the valley/dale of Gudbrand'. Gudbrand ( Old Norse Guðbrandr ) is an old male name compounded of guð , 'god' and brandr , 'sword'. The name may be derived from a chief ( hersir ) called Gudbrand. According to Snorri Sturluson

10560-496: The valley was also a police district. The Gudbrandsdalen district covers about 60% of the former Oppland county. The invention of the modern, firm, fatty variant of Brunost cheese is commonly attributed to the milkmaid Anne Hov from the rural valley. The main character in Henrik Ibsen 's play Peer Gynt was inspired by a real or legendary person living in the valley in the 18th or 17th century. Ibsen travelled through

10670-405: The valley, starting from the lake Lesjaskogsvatnet and ending at the lake Mjøsa. The Otta river which flows through Otta valley is a major tributary to the main river Lågen. The valleys of the tributary rivers such as Otta and Gausa ( Gausdal ) are usually regarded as part of Gudbrandsdalen. The total area of the valley is calculated from the areas of the related municipalities . Gudbrandsdalen

10780-507: The various dynastic relationships among the ruling families, and the need for legitimisation in a later period. Olaf Haraldsson and Olaf Tryggvason (Olaf Haraldsson's godfather ) are both traditionally regarded as the driving forces behind Norway's final conversion to Christianity. But large stone crosses and other Christian symbols suggest that at least Norway's coastal areas were deeply influenced by Christianity long before Olaf's time; with one exception, all of Norway's rulers since Håkon

10890-531: The years after Olaf's death in 1030, Olaf's illegitimate son with the concubine Alvhild, Magnus the Good , assumed power in Norway, and eventually also in Denmark. Numerous Danish churches were dedicated to Olaf during his reign, and the sagas give glimpses of the young king's efforts to promote the cult of his deceased father. This became typical of Scandinavian monarchies. In pagan times, Scandinavian kings derived their right to rule from their claims of descent from

11000-587: Was a symbol of Norwegian independence and pride. Saint Olaf is symbolised by the axe in Norway's coat of arms and Olsok (29 July) is still his day of celebration. Many Christian institutions with Scandinavian links as well as Norway's Order of St. Olav are named after him. Olaf's Old Norse name is Óláfr Haraldsson [ˈoːlɑːvz̠ ˈhɑrɑldsˌson] . During his lifetime he was known as Olaf "the fat" or "the stout" or simply as Olaf "the big" ( Ólafr digri [ˈdiɣre] ; Modern Norwegian Olav Digre ). He

11110-753: Was also called Olaf 'the Lawbreaker' for his many brutal ways of converting the Norwegian populace. In modern Norway he is commonly called Olav den hellige ( Bokmål ; Olaf the Holy) or Heilag-Olav ( Nynorsk ; the Holy Olaf) in recognition of his sainthood. Olaf Haraldsson had the given name Óláfr in Old Norse (etymology: Anu- "forefather", -laibaR — "heir"). Olav is the modern equivalent in Norwegian , formerly often spelt Olaf . His name in Icelandic

11220-814: Was also, together with the Mother of God , the patron saint of the chapel of the Varangians , the Scandinavian warriors who served as the bodyguard of the Byzantine emperor. This church is believed to have been near the church of Hagia Irene in Constantinople. The icon of the Madonna Nicopeia , presently in St. Mark's Basilica in Venice, which is believed to have been traditionally carried into combat by

11330-535: Was established in 1152 and its jurisdiction included Gudbrandsdalen. Garmo Stave Church and Ringebu Stave Church are examples of ancient wooden churches. Fåvang Stave Church and Vågå Church include parts from older churches. The Black Plague reduced the population in Gudbrandsdal by 50 to 70% during 1349 to 1350. Saksum, Brekkom, Skåbo, Venabygd and other districts were left largely deserted for centuries. Inhabitants from marginal areas presumably relocated to

11440-570: Was himself an ardent Christian, and the Normans had also previously converted to Christianity. Before leaving, Olaf was baptised in Rouen in the pre-Romanesque Notre-Dame Cathedral by Richard's brother Robert the Dane , archbishop of Normandy. Olaf returned to Norway in 1015 and declared himself king, obtaining the support of the five petty kings of the Norwegian Uplands . In 1016 at

11550-510: Was made a metropolitan province with its own archbishop in 1153—making the Norwegian church, on the one hand, more independent of its king, but on the other hand, more directly responsible to the Pope—did canon law gain a greater prominence in the life and jurisdiction of the Norwegian church. For various reasons, most importantly the death of King Cnut the Great in 1035 but perhaps also a certain discontent among Norwegian nobles with Danish rule in

11660-480: Was not Christian, but argues that we cannot think of any Scandinavians as fully converting as portrayed in the later hagiographies or sagas. Olaf himself is portrayed in later sources as a saintly miracle-working figure to help support this quick view of conversion for Norway, but the historical Olaf did not act this way, as seen especially in the skaldic verses attributed to him. Olaf swiftly became Norway's patron saint; Bishop Grimketel performed his canonisation only

11770-414: Was once widespread. Strath signifies a wide valley between hills, the floor of which is either level or slopes gently. A glen is a river valley which is steeper and narrower than a strath. A corrie is a basin-shaped hollow in a mountain. Each of these terms also occurs in parts of the world formerly colonized by Britain . Corrie is used more widely by geographers as a synonym for (glacial) cirque , as

11880-677: Was originally a gift presented to Pope Leo XIII in 1893 for the golden jubilee of his ordination as a bishop by Norwegian nobleman and papal chamberlain Baron Wilhelm Wedel-Jarlsberg . The chapel was restored in 1980 and reinaugurated by Bishop John Willem Gran , bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oslo . In Germany , there used to be a shrine of St. Olaf in Koblenz . It was founded in 1463 or 1464 by Heinrich Kalteisen at his retirement home,

11990-701: Was severe fighting in the valley at Tretten and Kvam , as well as in Dombås , during World War II . The Battle of Dombås was an attempt to stop the German advance . British troops engaged German troops in land battles for the first time in World War 2 after many months of Phoney War . Lillehammer was the site of the Lillehammer affair in 1973, wherein operatives of the Israeli Mossad shot and killed

12100-528: Was the son of Gudrød Bjørnsson , King Bjørn Farmann in Vestfold, that is, son of King Harald I Fairhair Halvdansson. Harald Grenske died when Åsta Gudbrandsdatter was pregnant with Olaf. Åsta later married Sigurd Syr , with whom she had other children, including Harald Hardrada , who later reigned as king of Norway. The petty kings of Ringerike seem to have had some claims to the High Kingship of

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