Seljord (; ) is a municipality in Telemark county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Vest-Telemark and the larger Øvre Telemark. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Seljord. Other villages in the municipality include Flatdal and Åmotsdal.

The municipality is the 161st largest by area out of the 357 municipalities in Norway. Seljord Municipality is the 230th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of . The municipality's population density is and its population has decreased by 1.1% over the previous 10-year period.

Seljord is famous for its sea serpent, Selma, who allegedly lives in the lake Seljordsvatnet. The yearly Dyrsku'n market, held since 1866, attracts 60,000 to 80,000 visitors each year. The large fair started as a show of farm animals. More recently, it also includes a huge market with vendors selling a variety of goods including base layer clothing, Bergans outdoors equipment, crafts, and food. Amusement rides are also featured. Seljord folk high school is located in Seljord. The school offers a variety of courses including outdoor adventure, theater, music, and art.

General information Administrative history The formannskapsdistrikt law of 1837 created a system of local government in Norway by establishing each town (ladested or kjøpstad) and each Church of Norway prestegjeld as a civil municipality. On 1 January 1838, Sillejord prestegejdl was established as Sillejord Municipality (later spelled Seljord).

On 11 October 1873, an unpopulated area of Kviteseid Municipality was transferred to Seljord Municipality. On 1 January 1883, an area of southeastern Seljord Municipality (population: 235) was transferred to the neighboring Bø Municipality. On 23 January 1905, an unpopulated part of Hjartdal Municipality was transferred into Seljord Municipality.

In 2020, there were many municipal and county mergers across Norway due to the work of the Solberg cabinet. Historically, this municipality was part of Telemark county. On 1 January 2020, the municipality became a part of the newly-formed Vestfold og Telemark county (after Telemark and Vestfold counties were merged). The merger was shortlived, and on 1 January 2024, the merger was undone and this municipality became part of Telemark county once again.

Name The municipality is named after the old Seljord prestegjeld. The prestegjeld was named after the old Seljord farm () since the first Seljord Church was built there. The first element is the genitive case of the word which means "sallow-tree" or "willow". The last element is which means "field". Prior to 1889, the name was spelled Silgjord or Sillejord.

Coat of arms The coat of arms was granted on 15 September 1989. The official blazon is "Gules, a sea serpent Or" (). This means the arms have a red field (background) and the charge is a sea serpent. The charge has a tincture of Or which means it is commonly colored yellow, but if it is made out of metal, then gold is used. The design symbolizes the local legend of a sea serpent named Selma who allegedly lives in the lake Seljordsvatn. The arms were designed by Trygve Magnus Barstad. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.

Churches The Church of Norway has one parish () within Seljord Municipality. It is part of the Øvre Telemark prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Agder og Telemark.

Churches in Seljord MunicipalityParish ()Church nameLocation of the churchYear builtSeljordFlatdal ChurchFlatdal1654Mandal ChapelMandal1954Seljord ChurchSeljord1180Åmotsdal ChurchÅmotsdal1792

Geography The municipality lies in the central part of Øvre Telemark. There are two large lakes in the municipality: Sundsbarmvatn and Seljordsvatn. The highest point in the municipality is the tall mountain Brattefjell which is located in the northern part of the municipality. Tinn Municipality lies to the north, Hjartdal Municipality lies to the northeast, Notodden Municipality lies to the east, Midt-Telemark Municipality lies to the southeast, Kviteseid Municipality lies to the south, Tokke Municipality lies to the west, and Vinje Municipality lies to the northwest.

Government Seljord Municipality is responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, welfare and other social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads and utilities. The municipality is governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor is indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council. The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the Øvre Telemark District Court and the Agder Court of Appeal.

Municipal council The municipal council of Seljord Municipality is made up of 17 representatives that are elected to four-year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political party.

Mayors The mayor () of Seljord Municipality is the political leader of the municipality and the chairperson of the municipal council. The following people have held this position:

1838–1839: Rev. Mauritz Thønnessen 1840–1844: Paul Hjelm-Hansen 1844–1845: Aasmund L. Grave 1845–1849: Rev. Magnus Brostrup Landstad 1849–1851: Aasmund L. Grave 1851–1852: Eivind Høyesen Nordgarden 1852–1859: Johan Nikolai Berge 1860–1867: Jens Thue 1868–1869: Thomas Thomesen 1870–1873: Halvor Olsen Mæland 1873–1875: Eivind Høyesen Nordgarden 1875–1876: Mr. Valløe 1876–1877: Eivind Høyesen Nordgarden 1878–1884: Jørund Telnes 1884–1885: Sigurd Nes 1886–1887: Jørund Telnes 1888–1891: Sigurd Nes 1892–1893: Eivind Knutson Sundbø 1894–1895: Gunleik Norgaren 1896–1897: Halvor Sveinungson Haugstoga 1898–1900: Gunleik Norgaren 1901–1902: Viggo Ullmann 1902–1904: Tarje Lindstøl 1905–1914: Aslak Groven 1914–1916: Steinar Aase 1917–1919: Aslak Groven 1920–1922: Steinar Aase 1923–1925: Tov Trahaug 1926–1929: Jørund Strand 1929–1931: Hans Sandsdalen 1932–1934: Tov Trahaug 1935–1940: Lavrants Rui 1941–1942: Knut Lofthus (NS) 1942–1943: Håkon Svenneby (NS) 1944–1945: Olav L. Bjørge (NS) 1945–1945: Lavrants Rui 1946–1947: Andreas Sandsdalen (Ap) 1947–1955: Eivind Øverland (V) 1955–1957: Olav H. Sandsdalen (Ap) 1957–1959: Sveinung Aase 1959–1967: Eivind Øverland (V) 1967–1975: Eivind K. Kvaale (V) 1975–1979: Halvor J. Svartdal (LL) 1979–1983: Olaf Slaaen (V) 1983–1987: Gunnar Haugen (Ap) 1987–1991: Oddmund Gåskjenn (Ap) 1991–1995: Olav Sollid (H) 1995–1999: John Kleivstaul (Sp) 1999–2003: Edvard Mæland (H) 2003–2007: John Kleivstaul (Sp) 2007–2013: Solveig Sundbø Abrahamsen (H) 2013–2015: Jon Svartdal (KrF) 2015–2019: Halfdan Haugan (Ap) 2019–2023: Beate Marie Dahl Eide (Sp) 2023–present: Solveig Sundbø Abrahamsen (H)

Media gallery

Notable people

Anne Godlid (1773-1863), a 19th-century storyteller Jacob Andreas Wille (1777–1850), a priest, teacher, and Mayor of Seljord Municipality Daniel Bremer Juell (1808-1855), the Bishop of Tromsø from 1849-1855 Jørund Telnes (1845-1892), a farmer, teacher, writer, and Mayor of Seljord Halvor J. Sandsdalen (1911-1998), a writer and folklore collector Ingebjørg Kasin Sandsdalen (1915-2003), a poet Aslaug Høydal (1916-2007), a schoolteacher, novelist, poet, and children's writer Terje Grøstad (1925–2011), a painter and illustrator who lived in Flatdal Hallvard Flatland (born 1957), a TV personality Kim Leine (born 1961), a Danish-Norwegian author Helga Flatland (born 1984), a novelist and children's writer who was brought up in Flatdal

References

External links Municipal fact sheet from Statistics Norway Seljord Folk High School