Hǫðr Hjørungavåg Viking seat
Communicate Viking history, Viking culture and our national Viking heritage.
The goal of the Hǫðr Hjørungavåg Vikingsete foundation is to convey history, culture and the village through building a longhouse.
according to old tradition, in the long term expand with more buildings, boathouses and boats at Leira in the center of the village. This way one can enjoy beautiful nature, learn and experience Viking history and Viking culture.
In Hjørungavåg 1039 years ago, Håkon Ladejarl first gathered a leadership to defend Norway from Jomsvikingvald. Only 3 battles are described from hour to hour by Snorre Sturlason. The battles at Hjørungavåg, Hafrsfjord and Stiklestad are thus unique in Norwegian Viking history.
Hǫðr Hjørungavåg Viking Site was established to carry on the legacy and history of the battle, to honor our ancestors and to teach future generations and visitors about the Vikings who lived in this area over a thousand years ago. Hǫðr Hjørungavåg Viking Site shall be free and open to all, and no commercial activities shall be allowed except for rental and exhibition purposes to generate income for the team.
The house and area can host cultural meetings, concerts and various events and will be operated and developed by the board elected at the annual meeting of the Hòdr Hjørungavåg Vikingsete foundation.
IDENTITY AND LOCAL ANCHORAGE
The village of Hjørungavåg is located in Hareid municipality in Sunnmøre, has just under 1000 inhabitants and is beautifully situated between the Vartdalsfjorden and the entrance to the Storfjorden towards Tafjordfjella and Geiranger. The village offers spectacular scenery with the fantastic Overåsanden, further into the narrow and crumbling bay and ending in Leira and the 1000-year-old town where the longhouse is built.
The village and municipality are rich in nature experiences with fishing lakes, high mountains and many miles of paved hiking trails. Hjørungavåg has always had good community spirit, a great spirit of volunteerism and is a village with a lot of activity. The village has a rich cultural history dating back to the Viking Age and ancient monuments, monuments and various travel items have been found, most recently in the fall of 2024.
Our important Viking history belongs to everyone and for Hǫðr Hjørungavåg Viking Site it is important that culture, history and identity building are understood as a unifying and creative force to create good lives and a sense of well-being for residents in the region as well as good experiences for visitors.
Now, over 16,000 volunteer hours later, we will open our spectacular longhouse, built according to old traditions and few modern tools. 26 meters long and 10 meters wide. 250 pine trees locally cut, shaped and dried for 15 months. Natural roots form jacks, nails used in joining, moss and tar lie between the rafters, 14,800 roof tiles are dipped in 70 degrees tar and dried. The house shows that the most contemporary hand tools have been used in the construction. Even the foundation wall was laid by hand with natural stones found in rock gardens in the village. The house is a monument. In connection with the house, sanitary buildings and a teaching hut have been set up.
It is our national responsibility to preserve history, culture and identity!
We are Hǫðr Hjørungavåg Viking Seat!
Volunteering and construction
The Leira area was not further developed after the jubilee in 1986, and in 2018 some local zealots got together and started shaping a plan for the area. This is how Hǫðr Hjørungavåg Viking seat was established.
The name Hǫðr comes from the Old Norse name for Hareidlandet which was Hòd. Hǫðr means warrior - and was the blind brother of Balder in Norse mythology. The name aims to connect identity and history to everyone who lives in the municipality, on the island and in the entire region.
The Battle of Hjørungavåg was one of the decisive battles in Norwegian history. At the funeral of Harald Bluetooth in Denmark, Jomsvikings and Danes competed for the throne. Vagn Åkeson, Bue Digre and Sigvalde Jarl were part of the funeral and were feared Vikings at the time. Sigvalde vowed to kill Håkon Ladejarl or drive him out of the country. This was because Håkon had dishonored Harald Bluetooth and would not submit to power in Denmark.
In the spring of 986, the Jomsvikings set off up the Norwegian coast, robbing and killing on their way to Jarl Håkon. A landowner from Jæren managed to survive the plundering and killing and was able to warn Håkon of the army that was on the way. For the first time in history, a "leidang" was gathered to defend the country.
The two armies met in Hjørungavåg. At first the Jomsvikings had success, but after the earl often gave his 7-year-old son Erling to Torgjerd Holgabrud ( a mythical female being ) the tide of war turned. A hailstorm came into the bay and Eirik Jarl had many ships destroyed. The Jomsvikings were killed, driven to flight or captured. Bue Digre took two chests of gold and jumped overboard and into the depths. 30 prisoners were put to the gallows by Haakon Ladejarl and many were left to die. Haakon's son Eirik Jarl intervened in the execution and gave many of them a death sentence.
In Snorri's saga, the Battle of Hjørungavåg is decisive for the Danish king's withdrawal from Norway. Norwegian independence was secured
Battle of Hjørungavåg
Hodr Hjørungavåg Vikingsete is a democratically founded association with the annual meeting as its highest authority.
If you would like to contact the board, please send a message to hovding@vikingsete.no
How to get to Hjørungavåg
Sted | Avstand | Tid | Link til veibeskrivelse |
|---|---|---|---|
Ålesund Sentrum | 30 Km | ca 1t | https://maps.app.goo.gl/vKz5aCzWRocE8whx6 |
Vigra lufthavn | 52 Km | ca 1t 15min | https://maps.app.goo.gl/5LSzK2qfoxL1kqq37 |
Volda sentrum | 45 Km | ca 42min | https://maps.app.goo.gl/BeMVUPuiuCGjk442A |
Hovden lufthavn | 43Km | ca 40min | https://maps.app.goo.gl/EYBsCsjFrjKKpS8e8 |