Nord-Audnedal or Nordre Undal is a former municipality in the old Vest-Agder county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1845 until its dissolution in 1911. The area is now divided between Lindesnes Municipality and Lyngdal Municipality in the traditional district of Lister in Agder county. The administrative centre was the village of Vigmostad where Vigmostad Church is located.
General information The municipality of Nordre Undal was established in 1845 when the old Undal Municipality was divided into two parts: the southern part (population: 3,893) became Søndre Undal Municipality and the northern part (population: 802) became Nordre Undal Municipality.
On 1 January 1911, Nordre Undal Municipality ceased to exist when it was divided into two municipalities: the northern district (population: 782) became the new Konsmo Municipality and the southern district (population: 923) became the new Vigmostad Municipality.
Name The municipality (originally the parish) is named after an older name for the Audnedalen valley (). The prefix or nordre means "northern" since it is the northern part of the valley. The first element of the name is the genitive case of the river name Auðna (now Audna). The river name is derived from the word which means "destruction" or "wasteland" (because of the flooding that often happens along the river). The last element is which means "valley" or "dale".
During its existence, the name of the municipality was Nordre Undal Municipality (an older version of the valley name that was a shortened and corrupted version of the original Old Norse name). The municipality ceased to exist in 1911, but on 3 November 1917, a royal resolution changed the spelling of many names in Norway and the church parish name was changed to Nord-Audnedal. This was a more modern spelling of the name which was introduced to bring back the historical Old Norse spelling of the name. During its existence, the municipality was never called Nord-Audnedal Municipality, but since 1917, the old municipality has been known as Nord-Audnedal.
Churches The Church of Norway had one parish () within Nordre Undal Municipality. At the time of the municipal dissolution, it was part of the Nordre Undal prestegjeld and the Mandal prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Agder.
Churches in Nordre Undal MunicipalityParish ()Church nameLocation of the churchYear builtNordre UndalVigmostad ChurchVigmostad1848Konsmo ChurchKonsmo1802
Geography The highest point in the municipality was the tall mountain Feiåsbergan, on the border with Hægebostad Municipality. Grindum Municipality was located to the north, Bjelland Municipality was located to the northeast, Laudal Municipality was located to the east, Øyslebø Municipality was located to the southeast, Søndre Undal Municipality was located to the south, Lyngdal Municipality was located to the southwest, Kvaas Municipality was located to the west, and Hægebostad Municipality was located to the northwest.
Government While it existed, Nordre Undal Municipality was governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor was indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council. The municipality was under the jurisdiction of the Mandal District Court and the Agder Court of Appeal.
Mayors The mayor () of Nordre Undal Municipality was the political leader of the municipality and the chairperson of the municipal council. The following people have held this position:
1845–1845: Salve Eirikson Ougland 1846–1847: Leiv Person Spilling 1848–1851: Abraham Tønnesson Landås 1852–1853: Per Person Spilling 1854–1863: Aanen Egeland 1864–1867: Knud Olsen Vigmostad 1868–1873: Kristian Knudsen Gislefos 1874–1877: Ola Simonson Mosland 1878–1879: Per Aanenson Vigmostad 1880–1904: Per Person Spilling 1905–1910: Aanen Olson Vivlemo
See also List of former municipalities of Norway
References