Editing Vestre Slidre (section)

== General information ==
[[File:Einangsteinen, Vestre Slidre.JPG|thumb|upright|left|Einang stone, located at its original location atop the Gardberg site]]
The municipality of Vestre Slidre was established in 1849 when the old municipality of [[Slidre]] was divided into two municipalities: Vestre Slidre (population: 3,130) and [[Øystre Slidre]] (population: 2,406). On 1 January 1899, a small unpopulated part of Øystre Slidre was transferred to Vestre Slidre.<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 2021, the Skjelgrenda area of Vestre Slidre was transferred to [[Øystre Slidre]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-05-13 |title=Vedtak om grensejustering mellom Vestre Slidre og Øystre Slidre kommuner |url=https://www.regjeringen.no/contentassets/d377736a840246f485b389f135ceae0e/vedtak-vestre-slidre-og-oystre-slidre-kommuner.pdf |access-date=2022-08-15 |website=Regjeringen.no |language=no}}</ref>

===Name===
The municipality (originally the [[prestegjeld|parish]]) is named after the old ''[[Slidre]]'' farm ({{langx|non|Slíðrar}}) since the old [[Slidredomen]] church was built there. The name is probably derived from the word {{wikt-lang|non|slíðr}} which means "[[Scabbard|sheath]]" (which is probably referring to a long depression near the church). In 1849, the municipality (and parish) was divided into two separate municipalities. The word {{wikt-lang|no|vestre}} (meaning "western") was added to the beginning of the name. Thus, the meaning of the name ''Vestre Slidre'' is "(the) western (part of) Slidre".<ref>{{Cite book |last=Rygh |first=Oluf |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jJMOAAAAYAAJ |title=Norske gaardnavne: Kristians amt (anden halvdel) |date=1902 |publisher=W. C. Fabritius & sønners bogtrikkeri |edition=4-2 |location=Kristiania, Norge |page=285 |language=no |authorlink=Oluf Rygh}}</ref> {{See also|Øystre Slidre#Name}}

===Coat of arms===
The [[coat of arms]] was granted by royal decree on 20 November 1987. The official [[blazon]] is ''"[[Azure (heraldry)|Azure]], a [[Seeblatt|sea-leaf]] within a [[tressure]] [[invected]] on the outer edge and [[Engrailed (heraldry)|engrailed]] on the inner edge [[argent]]"'' ({{langx|no|På blå grunn eit sølv sjøblad omgjeve av sølv bord laga med taggesnitt}}). This means the arms have a blue [[field (heraldry)|field]] (background) and the [[charge (heraldry)|charge]] is a heart-shaped [[seeblatt]] design with a [[tressure]] border around the edge of the [[Escutcheon (heraldry)|escutcheon]]. 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 design is based on a heraldic decoration found in the local [[Slidredomen]] church that dates back to the year 1170. The design was originally part of a seal that belonged to a [[Middle Ages|medieval]] nobleman from the area. The arms were designed by Kari Ruud Flem. The municipal flag has 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=Vestre_Slidre |access-date=2023-04-22 |publisher=Heraldry of the World}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Vestre Slidre, Oppland (Norway) |url=https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/no-05-43.html |access-date=2023-04-22 |website=Flags of the World}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=1987-11-20 |title=Godkjenning av våpen og flagg |url=https://lovdata.no/dokument/LF/forskrift/1987-11-20-1046 |access-date=2023-04-22 |website=Lovdata.no |publisher=Norges kommunal- og arbeidsdepartementet |language=no}}</ref>

===Churches===
The [[Church of Norway]] has three parishes ({{lang|no|sokn}}) within the municipality of Vestre Slidre. It is part of the [[Valdres prosti]] ([[deanery]]) in the [[Diocese of Hamar]].

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+ style="font-size:medium"|'''''Churches in Vestre Slidre'''''
!Parish ({{lang|no|sokn}})!!Church name!!Location of the church!!Year built
|-
|rowspan="2"|Lomen||[[Lomen Church]]||[[Lomen]]||1914
|-
|[[Lomen Stave Church]]||[[Lomen]]||1179
|-
|rowspan="2"|Røn||[[Røn Church]]||[[Røn]]||1747
|-
|[[Øyjar Chapel]]||[[Øyjar]]||1963
|-
|rowspan="1"|Slidre||[[Slidredomen]]||[[Slidre]]||c. 1200
|}

* The ruins of Mo church (''Mo kirkeruin'') are located on the west side of the [[Slidrefjorden]]. The medieval church of stone was built ca. 1215 and was probably out of use after the [[Reformation in Denmark–Norway and Holstein|Reformation]]. The ruins were excavated and restored from 1972–1977.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mo kirkeruin, Vestre Slidre, Oppland |url=https://brage.bibsys.no/xmlui//handle/11250/176086 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161009120538/https://brage.bibsys.no/xmlui//handle/11250/176086 |archive-date=9 October 2016 |access-date=1 September 2016 |publisher=Riksantikvaren}}</ref>
* [[Slidredomen]], a medieval stone-built church, was once the main church for Valdres. The church is built around 1170. The church is entirely made of stone. Its treasures formerly included a chalice presented by Bishop Salomon of Oslo (1322–1352), the only Bishop in Norway to survive the [[Black Death]]. Slidredomen is also known to have had a local bishop.<ref name="Stagg" />
* [[Lomen Stave Church]] is located in the small village of Lomen. It was built circa 1170. The exterior of the present Lomen church is post-[[Protestant Reformation|Reformation]], and only the wall and roof timbers remain from the original building.<ref name="Stagg" />
<gallery mode="packed" heights="170px">
Slidredomen, Vestre Slidre.JPG|[[Slidredomen]], medieval church
Lomen Stavkyrkje, Vestre Slidre.JPG|[[Lomen Stave Church]] in the summer of 2005
Mo-kirkeruin-picture.jpg|Ruins of Mo church
</gallery>