Editing Valle, Norway (section)

== History ==
[[File:Sigurd Fåvnesbane.jpg|200px|thumb|Sigurd Fåvnesbane featured on the portal plank from Hylestad Stave Church]]
The Hylestad [[stave church]], constructed in the 12th century in Setesdal was [[List of archaeological sites and dismantled stave churches|demolished]] in the 19th century. Its portal, with several carved scenes illustrating the legend of Sigurd Fåvnesbane (Sigurd the Dragon-slayer), is on display at University Museum of Antiquities in [[Oslo]] (''Universitetets Oldsaksamling, Historisk Museum, Oslo''). Sigurd's slaying of [[Fafnir]] with his sword ''Gram'' is described in the [[Prose Edda]] of [[Snorri Sturluson]] and the [[Völsungasaga|Volsunga saga]] as well as alluded to in [[Beowulf]] and [[Njáls saga]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Haimerl |first=Edgar |title=Sigurd—ein Held des Mittelalters |url=http://userpage.fu-berlin.de/~alvismal/2sigurd.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629213936/http://userpage.fu-berlin.de/~alvismal/2sigurd.pdf |archive-date=29 June 2011 |access-date=5 March 2011 |language=de}}</ref>

[[Rygnestadtunet]] is a historical family farm in [[Rygnestad]], built by [[Vonde-Åsmund]] (Åsmund the Evil) in the mid-1500s. Today, it is an [[open-air museum]] that is part of the [[Setesdal Museum]]. The farm was sold to museum by Gyro Rygnestad and her family in the 1920s. Today, it is represented to visitors exactly as it was in 1919. Grave findings around the farm indicate that the site was settled as early as 900 AD. Another farm museum in Valle is [[Tveitetunet]]. There are also several old [[silversmith|silver smithies]] and barns that can be seen in Rysstad.

Historically, Valle was very isolated from other parts of Setesdal. To get from Valle to the Bykle area to the north, residents had to traverse the Byklestigen pass along the river [[Otra]]. The pass was a torturous trail up a steep cliff face. Until the 1870s, it was the only route to travel from Valle in the middle Setesdal valley to Bykle in the north. It runs above the river Otra and was the site of numerous accidents on the hazardous route. Today, the [[Norwegian National Road 9]] passes through the mountain in a tunnel providing a fast, easy route north.

Between Valle in Setesdal on the western side of the mountains and Fyresdal on the eastern side, one finds a [[middle Ages|medieval]] trail over the high plateau that priests and bishops used in order to get between the counties of Agder and Telemark. This track is named [[Bispevegen]] ("Bishop's Road") and every year a march called "Bispevegmarsjen" ("The Bishop's Road March") starts at Kleivgrend in Fyresdal.

Traditional music is popular in this region. There is a [[Jew's harp]] monument in Valle. ([http://www.munnharpe.no/nmf_tidlegare_festivalar-filer/image064.jpg Photo])