Berle

This article is about the village in Norway. For the surname, see Berle (surname).
Berle
Village
Berle

Location in Sogn og Fjordane county

Coordinates: 61°49′52″N 05°07′04″E / 61.83111°N 5.11778°E / 61.83111; 5.11778Coordinates: 61°49′52″N 05°07′04″E / 61.83111°N 5.11778°E / 61.83111; 5.11778
Country Norway
Region Western Norway
County Sogn og Fjordane
District Nordfjord
Municipality Bremanger Municipality
Elevation[1] 21 m (69 ft)
Time zone CET (UTC+01:00)
 • Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+02:00)
Post Code 6727 Berle

Berle is a village on the west coast of Norway. It is located on the eastern coast of Bremangerlandet island in the municipality of Bremanger in Sogn og Fjordane county. The village lies along the Berlepollen fjord, a small inlet off the Frøysjøen strait which separates it from the mainland. The village of Berle lies about 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) west of the Hornelen cliff and about a 20-kilometre (12 mi) drive west from the village of Bremanger. Berle Church is located in the village, serving the people in this part of the municipality. The population (2001) of the village is 135.[2]

Name

The name of the village comes from the name of the small river nearby (Old Norse: Berðla). The small Berlepollen fjord nearby is similarly named. The name Berðla comes from the Old Norse word barð, meaning "edge", possibly since it is on the edge of the island. The village's name is mentioned as early as in the Egils saga.[3]

History

Berle has a rich history, which goes back to the year 750. Berle was then populated by Vikings. The best known Viking who lived there was Berle Kåre. Snorri Sturluson, the Icelandic historian, writes about the King in Berle, and his sons were a central subject in the histories of Harald Fairhair.[4]

During World War II, German soldiers built a defense station there to prevent the allies from entering the Frøysjøen strait, as part of Festung Norwegen.

References

  1. ↑ "Berle, Bremanger" (in Norwegian). yr.no. Retrieved 2013-10-30.
  2. ↑ Statistisk sentralbyrå (2001). "Folke- og boligtellingen 2001, kommune- og bydelshefter 1438 Bremanger" (PDF) (in Norwegian).
  3. ↑ Rygh, Oluf (1919). Norske gaardnavne: Nordre Bergenhus amt (in Norwegian) (12 ed.). Kristiania, Norge: W. C. Fabritius & sønners bogtrikkeri. p. 418.
  4. ↑ "Viking kings from Berle" (in Norwegian). NRK Sogn og Fjordane. Retrieved 2010-06-08.


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