Härjedalen: Encyclopedia II - Härjedalen - History

Härjedalen - History

Jämtland and Härjedalen were originally provinces of Norway, but in early 1645 they were both ceded by Denmark (who held Norway at the time) to Sweden by the Treaty of Brömsebro. The province of Härjedalen is named after a powerful Norseman who had to flee east from the Norwegian court of king Halfdan Svartes after killing one of the king's men (with a horn). Thereafter he was known as "Härjulf Hornbrytaren." For a time he entered the service of the Svea (Swedish today) king Anund, until he eloped with that king's sister, Helga, and together they disappeared into the remote location in the region eventually named after him. Today a statue stands dedicated to them in the village of Lillhärdal. Härjulf and Helga were the foreparents to the Icelander, Barne Härjulfsson, who was the first Norseman to see the "new world" when he was blown off-course whilst on a voyage to Greenland. His boat is the one Leif Eriksson acquired about 15 years later for Leif's famed landing on Vineland.

Härjedalen - Heraldry

The arms is represented with a dukal coronet. Blazon: "Argent a Sledgehammer Sable with Core Gules between Tongs of the second and two Hammers adorsed in pale of the second handled Gules."

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "History", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki