Vigeland, Norway

Vigeland is a village in Lindesnes municipality in Agder county, Norway. The village is located along the river Audna, about north of the river's mouth at the Snigsfjorden. The European route E39 highway runs east-west through Vigeland, connecting it to the town of Mandal, about to the southeast. The village has a population of 1,471 which gives the village a population density of. Prior to 1 January 2020, the village was the administrative center of Lindesnes municipality.

Name

The village of Vigeland was named for the historic Vigeland farm which was located where the village is now. The farm was first documented in 1390. The first element is the genitive case of the Old Norse personal name Víkingi meaning "land owned by Víkingi". The first element could also be the genitive plural case of the Old Norse word víkingr meaning "Viking" but the use of such a name would be a bit obscure.

Valle Church

Valle Church is located on the east side of the Audna river at Vigeland. It is the church for the Valle parish which covers the northeastern half of the municipality. The church has a cruciform shape and was built in 1793. It was internally restored for its 200th anniversary in 1993. A statue created by Gustav Vigeland of Peder Claussøn Friis, who was once a priest in Lindesnes, stands outside the Valle Church rectory.

Notable residents

The family of the artist Gustav Vigeland and his brother Emanuel both originally came from Vigeland. The brothers both lived for a time with their grandparents on a farm called Mjunebrokka in Vigeland. Both of Gustav Vigeland's parents were buried in the Valle Church cemetery.