Nordfjordeid, Norway

People have been living in the area around Nordfjordeid for over 6,000 years. It’s believed the first peoples were hunter-gatherers because of the suitable location for fishing. Eventually they settled down and agriculture began to emerge around the Bronze Age. Archaeological evidence of human settlements have been found.

During the 7th century, a large farm called Myklebust was established. This farm is well-known during the Viking Age, though archaeological evidence indicates that there was a family dynasty here for centuries prior to the Vikings. There are archaeological finds of Saxon objects from Ireland, so it’s believed that the Vikings here were travelling to Ireland and back. The famous Viking King Audbjörn Frøybjørnsson lived here, but was killed in a battle against Harald Fairhair, who unified Norway, in 870. He was buried in Nordfjordeid at Rundehogjen.

Nordfjordeid was christianised in 997 when King Olav Tryggvason came to the area. King Olav visited and gave the locals the choice: Christianity or death. The first church was built around the year 1000 on the Myklebust farm on the same ground where the Vikings had their worship. The church was lost when the entire farm burned to the ground in the early 13th century. A new church was built in the 13th century at Mel. Eventually the town developed into a trade harbour and communications centre.

Nordfjordeid was transformed in the 17th century to an agricultural and trading society. Eventually the Myklebust farm was sold off and divided into eight parts.

During World War II, The Nazis established a war school here. It was a recruit school and offered anti-tank courses, skiing courses, and educated petty officers. Up to 1000 soldiers were in Nordfjordeid during the war. The Norwegian resistance movement established an arms smuggling route to Nordfjordeid, where the goods would then be transported into eastern Norway.