Editing Hordaland (section)

== Name and symbols ==

=== Name ===
Hordaland ({{langx|non|Hǫrðaland}}) is the old name of the region which was revived in 1919. The first element is the plural [[genitive case]] of {{lang|non|hǫrðar}}, the name of an old [[Germanic peoples|Germanic]] tribe (see [[Charudes]]). The last element is {{lang|no|land}} which means 'land' or 'region' in the [[Norwegian language]].

Until 1919 the name of the county was {{lang|no|[[Bergenhus len|Søndre Bergenhus amt]]}} which meant '(the) southern (part of) Bergenhus [[amt (subnational entity)|amt]]'. (The old {{lang|da-NO|Bergenhus amt}} was created in 1662 and was divided into Northern and Southern parts in 1763.)

{{See also|Rogaland|Sogn og Fjordane}}

=== Flag ===
[[File:Flag of Hordaland.svg|thumb|left|The flag of Hordaland]]
Hordaland's flag shows two golden axes and a crown in red. The flag is a banner of the [[Coat of arms of Hordaland|coat of arms]] derived from the old seal of the guild of St. Olav from Onarheim in [[Tysnes]] municipality. This seal was used by the delegates of [[Sunnhordland]] in 1344 on the document to install king [[Haakon V of Norway]]. It was thus the oldest symbol used for the region and adapted as the arms and flag in 1961. The symbols refer to the patron saint of the guild, [[Saint Olav]], King of Norway, whose symbol is an axe.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Heraldry of the World|title=Civic heraldry of Norway – Norske Kommunevåpen|url=http://www.ngw.nl/heraldrywiki/index.php?title=Hordaland|access-date=2015-04-12}}</ref>

=== Coat of arms ===
The [[Coat of arms|coat-of-arms]] were officially granted on 1 December 1961.  They were designed by Magnus Hardeland, but the general design had been originally used in the [[Sunnhordland]] region during the 14th century.  In the early 20th century, leaders of the county began using the old arms as a symbol for the county once again.  The arms are on a red background and consist of two golden [[axe]]s that are crossed with a golden [[Heraldic crown|crown]] above them.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://home.no.net/~thuridcs/Kommvpn/Hrdland/beskr-hordal.htm|title=Hordaland fylke|access-date=2008-08-29|language=no|archive-date=2016-10-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161004093132/http://home.no.net/~thuridcs/Kommvpn/Hrdland/beskr-hordal.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref>