Editing Arvidsjaur Municipality (section)

==History==
Arvidsjaur Municipality was for a long time inhabited only by the [[Sami people]]. They were back then a [[hunting]] people, living off the abundance of [[fish]] and [[wildlife]] in the area. [[Archaeology|Archaeological]] discoveries suggest that people have been moving through the area for several thousands of years. The name ''Arvidsjaur'' itself comes from a [[Sami languages|Sami]] word which means "generous water" and was originally the name of the adjacent lake.

In the 14th and 15th century some [[farmer]]s settled in the area. They acquired [[fur]]s and skins from the hunters, and traded them off to southern regions, allegedly in vast numbers.

The [[Christianization]] of Arvidsjaur Municipality was slow, as it was in [[Norrland]] as a whole, because of the low population, the harsh climate and the long distances. It was also commonly believed that Norrland was inhabited by [[magician (paranormal)|magicians]].

Not until 1577 did the first settler, Per Käck, settle in Arvidsjaur. The settlers built the first [[chapel]] at the [[marketplace]] at the time, in 1560. The first [[church (building)|church]] was inaugurated in 1604.

The Swedish [[Minister (Christianity)|minister]] and [[missionary]] [[Petrus Læstadius]] (1802–1841; [[sibling|brother]] of [[Lars Levi Læstadius]], founder of the largest [[Christian revival]] movement in Norrland) collected old stories and [[myth]]s in the area in the 19th century, which create the basis for our knowledge from that time.