A municipal coat of arms is originally a so-called heraldic crest (coat of arms).
Excerpt from the LOfoten yearbook 2019. Text Magnus Eilertsen
In earlier eras, it was a widespread custom to paint motifs on warriors’ battle shields.
In this article, we will present the six municipal coats of arms of the Lofoten region, and take a closer look at the background to the chosen motifs.
Historical sweep
Shields with colors, decorations and symbols have been used by many cultures throughout history, including in antiquity. However, the variant known today as a coat of arms first gained a foothold in the 12th century in French-speaking areas of Western Europe. It then quickly spread to the rest of Europe, and later to the rest of the world.
What is distinctive about such coats of arms is that they were given the status of fixed and stable characteristics; the use of colors, symbols and their composition was limited – and the design itself was simplified. The shield motif could also be used on other parts of the armor.
The emergence and “institutionalization” of decorated coats of arms was primarily linked to military considerations. At this time, riders had begun to wear helmets that covered their entire face, and seen from horseback it was an obvious advantage that the shields were painted in bright and clear colors. That way, the warrior could clearly make himself known.
Norwegian seals and coats of arms
In the Middle Ages, there were several towns with their own governing bodies and seal marks. According to Store Norske Leksikon (snl.no), however, there is no evidence of Norwegian town coats of arms with figures (inserted into a shield shape) before the Reformation. In the period after the Reformation, however, several Norwegian cities were given their own coat of arms.
In the years from 1850 to 1900, the Norwegian city coats of arms were made known through drawings printed in annual calendars.
Following the introduction of the Formannskapsloven in 1837, city coats of arms were increasingly used as a symbol of municipal self-government. During the second half of the 20th century, a significant number of new municipal coats of arms were created, adopted by the municipalities, approved and established by royal decree. The municipal coats of arms in use in Lofoten today were all created during this period.
As illustrations for the article, we have used the original drawings that formed the basis for the graphic design of the weapons. They are available from the National Archives (link: foto.digitalarkivet.no).
Røst: The three cormorants
On June 25, 1986, the municipal council of Røst adopted its municipal coat of arms. The local regulation states that “Røst municipality’s coat of arms will be: In silver three rising black cormorants”. The choice is based on the old folk tale about the “Cormorants of Utrøst”.
The legend of Utrøst was originally written down by Asbjørnsen and Moe, and was included in Norwegian Folk Tales. According to the legend, Utrøst is an island to the west of Røst, where three brothers lived who could transform themselves into cormorants. Visual artist Arvid Sveen created the original drawing of the cormorants in Røst’s municipal coat of arms.
– It was in 1986, I had become a member of the municipal council at the time, and there were discussions about whether we should have the puffin in the municipal coat of arms. Because we’ve had a lot of puffins on Røst. But then we decided that three cormorants would be a good and, not least, appropriate motif, based on the fairy tale about the “Cormorants of Utrøst”, Røst mayor Tor Arne Andreassen told NRK Nordland in 2015.
Værøy: A puffin
As the municipal council on Røst eventually rejected the puffin option in favor of the fairy cormorants, the neighboring island of Værøy was free to choose the sea parrot for its municipal coat of arms. But initially, it was the puffin’s old, bitter enemy – the puffin dog – that was Værøy municipality’s preferred first choice.
– Initially, Værøy wanted a puffin. But we thought it was a bit too similar to the municipal coat of arms in Hamarøy, which has a lynx. So the puffin was rejected,” outgoing Værøy mayor Harald Adolfsen (1953-2015) told NRK Nordland in 2015.
Moskenes: The Lofoten Vortex
Between the mountain island of Mosken and Lofotodden, the mythical Moskenesstraumen lives its own wild life. It is said that “Moskenesstraumen is a wide tidal current with a speed of up to six knots. Powerful eddies form in the current.”
The world’s strongest ocean current, the ocean swell, the Maelstrom with a capital M. These are some of the characteristics used to describe this infamous stretch of sea. A number of dramatic stories are linked to the strait, not only locally, but also in world literature through famous authors such as Hermann Melville, Edgar Allen Poe and Jules Verne.
With Moskenesstraumen as its closest neighbor, it was no big bombshell that Moskenes chose a spiral – inspired by the powerful straum vortices – for its municipal coat of arms. The municipal council made its decision on 21. April 1986: “The coat of arms of the municipality of Moskenes will be: In blue a silver spiral.” The municipal coat of arms was designed by Arvid Sveen, the same artist who designed the fairytale cormorants in Røst’s coat of arms.
The current mayor of Moskenes, Lillian Rasmussen, makes no secret of the fact that she is proud to have the Moskenes Straumen in the municipal coat of arms.
– Yes, of course I am. Historically famous as it is. Moskstraumen [Moskenesstraumen] is something we’re completely alone in,” she told NRK Nordland in 2015.
Flakstad: A iron bolt
If you search for the word “tørnbolt” in the digital dictionaries, you apparently get no hits. But for coastal people who have lived a few years, the term makes a lot of sense. The peat bolt is meant to symbolize permanence, shelter and security. That’s why Flakstad municipality has given it a place of honor – in its municipal coat of arms.
– In the past, the peat bolt was the tool that boats used to get to shore. There were no quays at the time. That’s why peat bolts were built along the shore. Especially here in Flakstad. Also on islets and reefs, so that the boats could have a point to moor and anchor,” former mayor of Flakstad, Stein Iversen, told NRK Nordland in 2015.
When Flakstad’s municipal council chose the peat bolt for its coat of arms on 21. October 1988, all the Lofoten municipalities had their own unique municipal coats of arms. The decision in Flakstad read as follows: “Flakstad municipality’s coat of arms will be: In blue a silver thornbolt”. The background to the choice of thorn bolt was a local drawing competition, which was won by Jorunn Thomassen, a needlework teacher at Ramberg. Jarle Henriksen was given the honor of “finely drawing” the original motif.
Vestvågøy: Two “standing” stockfish
Lofoten’s most populous municipality, Vestvågøy, secured the stockfish in its municipal coat of arms back in 1984. The municipal council decision was made in the middle of the best Lofoten fishing season, on March 6. March: “Vestvågøy municipality’s coat of arms will be: In blue, two upright and opposed silver stockfish.”
Historically, Vestvågøy has been a major exporter of stockfish – and drying skrei on the reels has been a characteristic sight in the municipality in the spring. The municipal coat of arms is intended to symbolize the importance of stockfish production as an important livelihood in the municipality. Kjell Kvivesen is the architect behind the original drawing of the coat of arms.
– The dried fish has great historical significance, having built up both the city of Bergen and Nidaros Cathedral, and it accounted for the largest export income for Norway as a nation for several hundred years. We are very proud to be able to symbolize this through our municipal coat of arms. I applaud those who made the decision to put stockfish on the municipal coat of arms,” former mayor Jonny Finstad told NRK Nordland in 2015.
Vågan: The arctic Cod
Vågan was an early adopter of a municipal coat of arms – in fact, it was the first among the Lofoten municipalities. And since much of Lofoten has been about fish, it was probably anything but coincidence that Vågan secured the Lofoten crayfish in its coat of arms. More than a decade before Vestvågøy chose the dry version of cod, the municipal council in Vågan decided to go for a fresh version of the same species. The historic decision was ratified on 2. February 1973, and thus the decision also fell during the Lofoten season: “Vågan municipality’s coat of arms will be: On a blue background, a vertically positioned forward-bent silver cod.”
It’s part of the story that the original drawing, which was made by Hallvard Tretteberg (first archives in the National Archives), had to be fine-tuned somewhat by regional artist Dagfinn Bakke. Among other things, it turned out that the fins were drawn excessively square, so Dagfinn Bakke made sure to give the cod a more lifelike appearance. It is Bakke’s edited version that is now officially used by the municipality, and if you compare it with Tretteberg’s drawing, which is pictured here, you will be able to see quite clear differences in nuance.
But will the cod in the shell “survive” if Vågan is subject to merger?
– As a good Vågan resident, I would argue that we have a fantastic municipal coat of arms. And that we should be able to retain it,” long-time Vågan mayor Eivind Holst told NRK Nordland in 2015.
Lofoten’s very first “municipal coat of arms”
But before we conclude, let’s take a look at the history of the very first municipal coat of arms used in Lofoten. Or rather, the town coat of arms. Before 1964, Svolvær was a separate town municipality.
Vågan municipality was first established in 1964 – through the merger of Svolvær bykommune, Gimsøy herred and Vågan herred, as it was called at the time.
Gimsøy and Vågan did not have their own municipal coats of arms, but Svolvær had a town coat of arms that had been in use since 1941. However, this coat of arms was not continued when the new Vågan municipality came into being.
Svolvær’s old coat of arms was approved by the Ministry of the Interior on January 20. January 1941. It was designed by John Johns. The coat of arms showed a horizontal cod between two wavy strings.
Future municipal structure decides
When municipalities merge, there are often two main options when it comes to choosing a new coat of arms: In some cases, one of the coats of arms has been continued in the new large municipality, while in other cases the merged municipality has had a completely new coat of arms drawn up. So it remains to be seen what the future will bring – both in terms of the new municipal structure and any new coat of arms.
Sources:
- Norwegian municipal coat of arms (1987, printed)
- Kunsthitorie.com
- Digitalarkivet.no
- NRK
- Store Norske Leksikon
- The National Library of Norway
