Editing Sogndal (section)

==General information==
[[File:Loftesnesbrua 01.jpg|thumb|left|Loftesnesbrua 01]]
Sogndal was established as a [[List of municipalities of Norway|municipality]] on 1 January 1838 (see [[formannskapsdistrikt]] law). The original municipality was identical to the Sogndal [[Church of Norway|parish]] ''([[prestegjeld]])'' with the sub-parishes ({{lang|no|sokn}}) of Stedje, [[Nornes, Norway|Norane]], and [[Kaupanger]]. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the [[Schei Committee]]. On 1 January 1964, the Tingstad area (population: 5) was transferred from [[Leikanger Municipality]] to Sogndal Municipality. On 1 January 2000, the sub-parish of [[Fjærland]] was transferred from [[Balestrand Municipality]] to Sogndal because of the completion of the [[Frudal Tunnel]] which connected the previously isolated area of Fjærland to Sogndal rather than Balestrand.<ref name="em">{{Cite web |last=Natvik |first=Oddvar |date=9 February 2005 |title=Some historical data on the 26 Kommunes |url=http://www.emigration.no/sff/emigration3.nsf/0/326D0346278A5909C1256F570048962C?OpenDocument |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080613141425/http://www.emigration.no/sff/emigration3.nsf/0/326D0346278A5909C1256F570048962C?OpenDocument |archive-date=13 June 2008 |access-date=23 June 2008}}</ref><ref name="Dag">{{Cite book |last=Jukvam |first=Dag |url=http://www.ssb.no/emner/00/90/rapp_9913/rapp_9913.pdf |title=Historisk oversikt over endringer i kommune- og fylkesinndelingen |publisher=[[Statistics Norway|Statistisk sentralbyrå]] |year=1999 |isbn=9788253746845 |language=no}}</ref>

On 1 January 2020, a major municipal merger took place. Sogndal Municipality (population: 8,191) was merged with [[Leikanger Municipality]] (population: 2,331) and most of [[Balestrand Municipality]] (except for the Nesse area which was merged into [[Høyanger Municipality]]) to form a much larger municipality called Sogndal. On the same date the [[administrative centre]] was moved from [[Sogndalsfjøra]] to [[Hermansverk]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Nye Sogndal kommune |url=http://www.bls-2020.no/ |access-date=2017-10-22 |language=no}}</ref> Also on that date, the municipality became part of the newly created [[Vestland]] county after [[Sogn og Fjordane]] and [[Hordaland]] counties were merged.

===Name===
The municipality (originally the [[prestegjeld|parish]]) is named after the Sokndalen valley ({{langx|non|Sóknardalr}}) since the historic [[Stedje Church]] was built there. The first element is the [[genitive case]] of the name of the river ''Sókn'' (now called ''Sogndalselvi''). The river name is derived from the verb {{wikt-lang|non|sœkja}} which means "to seek" or "to look for", thus it is "the river which seeks (finds/forces) its way". The last element is {{wikt-lang|non|dalr}} which means "[[valley]]" or "dale".<ref>{{Cite book |last=Rygh |first=Oluf |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lN1LAQAAIAAJ |title=Norske gaardnavne: Nordre Bergenhus amt |date=1919 |publisher=W. C. Fabritius & sønners bogtrikkeri |edition=12 |location=Kristiania, Norge |page=81 |language=no |authorlink=Oluf Rygh}}</ref> {{See also|Sokndal#Name}}

===Coat of arms===
[[File:Sogndal komm.svg|thumb|left|100px|Arms: 1984-2019]]
[[File:Sogndal komm 2020.svg|thumb|100px|left|Arms: since 2020]]
The original [[coat of arms]] was granted on 14 December 1984 and was used until 31 December 2019. The official [[blazon]] is ''"[[Azure (heraldry)|Azure]], a ship's stern issuant [[Or (heraldry)|Or]]"'' ({{langx|no|På blå grunn ein oppveksande gull skipsstamn}}). This means the arms have a blue [[field (heraldry)|field]] (background) and the [[charge (heraldry)|charge]] is the front of a [[Viking ship]]. The charge has a [[tincture (heraldry)|tincture]] of [[Or (heraldry)|Or]] which means it is commonly colored yellow, but if it is made out of metal, then gold is used. The ship symbolized the nearby naval [[Battle of Fimreite]] between King [[Sverre of Norway]] and the local King [[Magnus V of Norway|Magnus Erlingsson]] in the year 1184. The latter was killed in battle together with many nobles of the time. The arms were designed by the artist Inge Rotevatn from Nordfjordeid. The municipal flag had the same design as the coat of arms.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Civic heraldry of Norway - Norske Kommunevåpen |url=https://www.heraldry-wiki.com/heraldrywiki/index.php?title=Sogndal |access-date=2023-05-13 |publisher=Heraldry of the World}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Sogndal, Sogn og Fjordane (Norway) |url=https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/no-14-20.html |access-date=2023-05-13 |website=Flags of the World}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=1984-12-14 |title=Godkjenning av våpen og flagg |url=https://lovdata.no/dokument/LF/forskrift/1984-12-14-2086 |access-date=2023-05-13 |website=Lovdata.no |publisher=Norges kommunal- og arbeidsdepartementet |language=no}}</ref>

A new [[coat of arms]] was granted in 2019 for use starting on 1 January 2020 when the municipality was enlarged. The [[blazon]] is ''"Azure, an S-shape argent narrowing to chief"''. This means the arms have a blue [[field (heraldry)|field]] (background) and the [[charge (heraldry)|charge]] is an S-shaped curve that narrows towards the top of the design. The charge has a [[tincture (heraldry)|tincture]] of [[argent]] which means it is commonly colored white, but if it is made out of metal, then silver is used. The arms symbolize a [[fjord]] curving between the mountains. The curving shape is also similar to an "S" which is the first letter of the name of the municipality.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Nytt kommunevåpen for nye Sogndal kommune |url=http://www.nye.sogndal.kommune.no/nytt-kommunevaapen-for-nye-sogndal-kommune.6198263-419866.html |access-date=2019-12-08 |publisher=Nye Sogndal kommune |language=no}}</ref>

===Churches===
[[File:Kaupanger stave church.jpg|thumb|right|280px|[[Kaupanger stave church]].]]
The [[Church of Norway]] has six parishes ({{lang|no|sokn}}) within the municipality of Sogndal. It is part of the [[Sogn prosti]] ([[deanery]]) in the [[Diocese of Bjørgvin]].

The main church of the parish is in Stedje. This is probably one of the oldest church sites in [[Sogn]], probably erected in the first half of the 11th century. The present church was built in 1867, at the same time the old [[stave church]] was torn down. A [[runestone]] stands near the church, and traces of a [[Viking]] settlement have been found nearby.

Sogndal has historically had three sub-parishes (under Stedje): Kaupanger, Norane, and Fjærland. All three of these are also old church sites. The first churches in Kaupanger and Norane were probably built as early as the 11th century and in Fjærland the original church was built around 1600. The present church in Fjærland was built in 1861 and in Norane in 1863. In [[Kaupanger]], the old [[Stave church]] from the 12th century is still standing. Excavations show that this was probably the third church on this site. The church was rebuilt in 1862 and lost most of its original character. But today, as a result of a restoration project you will find the church much as it was prior to 1862.<ref name=his/>

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+ style="font-size:medium"|'''''Churches in Sogndal'''''
!Parish ({{lang|no|sokn}})!!Church name!!Location of the church!!Year built
|-
|rowspan="3"|Balestrand||[[Kvamsøy Church]]||[[Kvamsøy, Sogn og Fjordane|Kvamsøy]]||1290
|-
|[[Sæle Church]]||[[Sæle, Sogn og Fjordane|Sæle]]||1903
|-
|[[Tjugum Church]]||[[Tjugum]]||1863
|-
|Fjærland||[[Fjærland Church]]||[[Fjærland]]||1861
|-
|Kaupanger||[[Kaupanger Stave Church]]||[[Kaupanger]]||12th century
|-
|Leikanger||[[Leikanger Church]]||[[Leikanger (village)|Leikanger]]||1166
|-
|Norum||[[Ølmheim Church]]||[[Nornes, Norway|Nornes]]||1863
|-
|Stedje||[[Stedje Church]]||[[Sogndalsfjøra]]||1867
|}