Bygland

Bygland is a municipality in Agder county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Setesdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Bygland. Other villages in the municipality include Åraksbø, Austad, Byglandsfjord, Grendi, Langeid, Lauvdal, Litveit, Longerak, Moi, Ose, Sandnes, Skåmedal, and Tveit. The Norwegian National Road 9 runs through the municipality, following the river Otra where most of the population of Bygland lives.
The municipality is the 76th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Bygland is the 323rd most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 1,136. The municipality's population density is and its population has decreased by 5.9% over the previous 10-year period.

General information

The parish of Bygland was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838. Since that time, the municipal boundaries have not changed.

Name

The municipality is named after the old Bygland farm since the first Bygland Church was built there. The first element is which means "barley". The last element is which means "land" or "farm".

Coat of arms

The coat of arms was granted on 15 November 1991. The official blazon is "Vert, a lynx rampant Or langued gules and the tips of ears and tail sable". This means the arms have a green field and the charge is a European lynx with a red tongue and with the tips of ears and tail being black. The lynx has a tincture of Or which means it is commonly colored yellow, but if it is made out of metal, then gold is used. The green color in the field symbolizes the importance of the agriculture and forests in the municipality. The lynx was chosen to symbolize the wild and rich nature in the rural highlands of the municipality. The arms were designed by Daniel Rike. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.

Churches

The Church of Norway has two parishes within the municipality of Bygland. It is part of the Otredal prosti in the Diocese of Agder og Telemark.

Parish	Church name	Location of the church	Year built
Bygland	Austad Church	Tveit	1880
Bygland	Bygland Church	Bygland	1838
Bygland	Sandnes Church	Åraksbø	1844
Årdal	Årdal Church	Grendi	1828

Geography

Bygland lies in the middle of the Setesdal valley which is also a traditional district in Aust-Agder county. The valley includes the municipalities of Bykle, Valle, Bygland, Iveland, and Evje og Hornnes. The Otra river flows from the glacially scoured Hardangervidda plateau in the north, through the Setesdal valley, and into the sea near the city of Kristiansand. The municipality is bordered on the north by Valle, in the east by Fyresdal and Åmli, in the south by Froland and Evje og Hornnes, and in the west by Åseral, Kvinesdal, and Sirdal.
Bygland is Agder's third largest municipality in area. The majority of the area of the municipality lies in the Setesdalsheiene mountains, at an elevation of over above sea level. The municipality stretches from the small town Byglandsfjord in the south to the farms at Langeid in the north. Lake Byglandsfjorden is long and lies on the river Otra. Other lakes include the Åraksfjorden, Gyvatn, Hovatn, Kvifjorden, Longerakvatnet, Straumsfjorden, and Topsæ. The rivers Otra and Topdalsfjorden both run through Bygland on their way south. The Reiårsfossen waterfall is one of many waterfalls in the municipality.

Climate

Byglandsfjord is situated inland in the southernmost of Norway's main valleys and has a humid continental climate or temperate oceanic climate, depending on winter threshold used. The precipitation pattern, with autumn and winter as wettest seasons, is in line with an oceanic climate. The all-time high was recorded in July 1986. The all-time low is from January 1941. The coldest low after 1980 is recorded February 1986.

History

The Setesdal Line was a narrow-gauge steam railway which went between Vennesla and Byglandsfjord in Bygland. It was built in 1896. The Setesdal Line's operation was terminated in 1962 and the track was removed between Byglandsfjord and Beihølen.
Other transport up the Setesdal valley was provided by the steamships and Dølen. First placed in operation in 1866, the is still in operation as a tourist attraction on lake Byglandsfjorden during the summers.

Government

Bygland Municipality is responsible for primary education, outpatient health services, senior citizen services, welfare and other social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads and utilities. The municipality is governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor is indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council. The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the Agder District Court and the Agder Court of Appeal.

Municipal council

The municipal council of Bygland is made up of 15 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political party.

Mayors

The mayors of Bygland:

1838–1841: C.A. Münster
1841–1851: Andreas Møglestue
1851–1863: Gunstein Grundeson Frøyrak
1863–1866: Gunstein Jørundson Langerak
1866–1869: Daniel Grundeson Aakhus
1869–1879: Gunnar Olavson Nese
1879–1887: Olav Grundeson Aakhus
1887–1889: Tarald Bjørgulvson Langeid
1889–1902: Lars Knutson Liestøl
1902–1908: Aasulv Lande
1908–1911: Tarkjel K. Austad
1911–1914: Aasulv Lande
1914–1917: Olav T. Nordgaren
1917–1923: Aanund O. Langerak
1923-1929: Knut O. Sandnes
1929–1935: Jørund Kvaale
1935-1941: Nere Aakhus
1941-1942: Olav Ottar Abusdal
1942-1945: Gunnar Heistein
1945-1945: Gunnar Lande
1945-1947: Hallvard Lidi
1947-1958: Jørund Kvaale
1958–1959: Osmund Faremo
1960-1963: Tarkjel Langerak
1963–1966: Osmund Faremo
1966–1968: Hallvard Frøysnes
1968-1972: Gunnar Gakkestad
1972–1985: Knut P. Sandnes
1985–1987: Magnhild Rygg
1988-1991: Sigbjørn Horverak
1992-1995: Torbjørn Borgi
1995–2011: Knut A. Austad
2011–2019: Leiv Rygg Langerak
2019–2023: Sigbjørn Åge Fossdal
2023-present: Runar Granheim
Attractions
Byglandsfjord Station, a former railway station constructed in 1896
, a wood-fuelled heritage steamboat that travels the route between Byglandsfjord-Bygland and Bygland-Ose on the lake Byglandsfjorden in the summer.
Bygland tower, a folk museum.
Notable people
Even Torkildsen Lande, a Norwegian farmer and blacksmith who served on the Norwegian Constitutional Assembly
Oscar Castberg, a Norwegian painter and sculptor
Hallvard Sandnes, a Norwegian schoolteacher and writer
Olav Bø, a Norwegian folklorist
Kjell Kristian Rike, a Norwegian sports commentator