Hedmarken


Hedmarken is a traditional district in Innlandet county in Eastern Norway.
Hedmarken consists of the municipalities Stange, Hamar, Løten, and Ringsaker. In the past, it also contained the former municipalities of Romedal, Vang, Furnes, and Nes, but those municipalities were merged into Hamar, Stange, and Ringsaker during the 20th century. Traditionally, it also included Gjøvik Municipality on the other side of the lake, but this is no longer the case. The old county of Hedmark was named after the district of Hedmarken, but the county included several other districts as well, namely Østerdalen and Glåmdalen.
The district is dominated by rolling agricultural terrain, hilly green mountains, and pine forests.

Etymology

The Old Norse form of the name was Heiðmǫrk. The first element is, the name of an old Germanic tribe and is related to the word which means "moorland". The last element is which means "woodland", "borderland", or "march". "In Hedmarken" is translated på Hedmarken which literally means "on Hedmarken".

History

In the early Viking Age, before Harald Fairhair, Hedmarken was a petty kingdom, part of the Eidsivating. Kings of Hedmarken included: