The Gulating; Sogn & Fjordane County

The Gulating - the cradle of Norwegian democracy - has been silent for many hundreds of years. But new life is stirring. This most renowned of all the assembly sites in medieval Norway will once again to function as a meeting place for political debate, cultural exchange and learning.

Avsnitt 1 The Gulating is the Millennium Site of Sogn and Fjordane County. The park is established to mark the Gulating which existed from 900 a.d. until 1350 a.d. when it was moved to Bergen and continued as a court of law – the Gulating Lagmannsrett which still exists today. The Gulating was the place where ideas of democracy and a civil society was first formulated and developed - and later conveyed to other nations around the North Sea. Political decisions were made here which have had a defining impact on the development of Norway as a democratic nation. Now the Gulating millennium site will once again be a place for dialogue and democracy.Avsnitt 2 At the Gulating, the country farmers gathered once a year to formulate the laws of medieval Norway. This was done in direct negotiations with the King. The law was first transmitted verbally by the “lawsayer”, a man of phenomenal memory. Later, at the introduction of literate culture the laws were written down. The result was The Gulating Law - the oldest known law code in the Nordic countries. The jurisdiction of the Gulating court included most of coastal Norway. The historic significance of the Gulating has been realised by few outside the historians’ circles. But as a result of increased awareness and interest in culture and history, the heritage and significance of the Gulating legacy has finally been recognized.Avsnitt 3 The Gulating contains three monumental installations by the Norwegian sculptor B

Monday, 18 December 2006 13:12