is a town and municipality in Vest-Agder county, Norway. The administrative center of the municipality is the town of Mandal.

The town of Mandal was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt). The rural municipalities of Halse og Harkmark and Holum were merged with Mandal on 1 January 1964.

Mandal borders Lindesnes to the west and northwest, Marnardal to the north, Søgne to the east. It is the southernmost town of Norway and the skerry Pysen (south of the town) is the southernmost point of land.

Besides Mandal proper, Mandal municipality includes the villages (delområde) of Bykjernen, Skjebstad, Sånum-Lundevik, Skogsfjord-Hesland, Holum, Harkmark, Skinsnes-Ime, Tregde-Skjernøy.

General information

Name

The Old Norse form of the name was Marnardalr. The first element is the genitive case of the river name Mörn (now Mandalselva) and the last element is dalr which means "valley" or "dale".

The old name of the town (before 1653) was Vesterrisør ("western Risør"). The name was originally referring to the island Risøya outside the town, and the first element was added in the 16th century to distinguish it from the town of Østerrisør.

Coat-of-arms

The coat-of-arms is from modern times. They were granted on 2 July 1921. The arms show three salmon, symbolizing the importance of salmon fishing on the Mandalselva. Mandal is the southernmost municipality with a large salmon population. Salmon fishing also played a major role in the development of the village.

Attractions

Mandal is a very popular holiday resort, with its mild and refreshing summer climate. It is famous for its long-stretching beaches surrounding the town. Sjøsanden (The Sea Sand) is the most famous beach, as it stretches for almost a kilometre just outside the town centre. It is frequently ranked as one of Norway's most popular beaches.

The city center is known for its charming concentration of old, white wooden houses and the Mandal river running through it. Another attraction is the city's church: Mandal kirke. It is the largest wooden church in Norway, with 1,800 seats and a pulpit on the wall behind the altar.

The sculptor Gustav Vigeland (1869-1943) was born in Mandal, and has a museum dedicated to him here. Vigeland's main achievement is the Vigeland Sculpture Park (Vigelandsparken) in Oslo.

The painter Adolph Tidemand (1814-1876) was also born in Mandal. His most famous painting is the national romantic image of a traditional wedding on the Hardanger fjord, which he made together with Hans Gude.

Because of these and other artists, like Amaldus Nielsen and Olaf Isaachsen, the town is sometimes called "The Little Town with the Great Artists".

Hogganvik runestone

In September 2009, the discovery of a 5th century runestone, bearing an Elder Futhark inscription, was announced in the Norwegian press. The runestone was found by one Arnfinn Henriksen in Hogganvik, in the Sånum-Lundevik area, while working in the garden. The inscription is on a stone slab of about 1.5 m squared, weighing approximately 800 kg. The inscription extends to some 60 characters, an exceptionally long text for a runic inscription of the early period, rivalling the longest inscription predating the 7th century known previously, that of the Tune stone (known since 1627).

A preliminary report issued in October 2009 provided the following transliteration of the runic inscription, which was in Proto-Norse:

A: [s]kelbaþewas s^tainaR aasrpkf

B: aarpaa inana naloR/naboR/(nawoR)

C: ek naudigastiR

D: ek erafaR

The report gave a preliminary translation of the text into English:

A: Skelba-þewaR’s [“Shaking-servant’s”] stone [=(grave) monument]. | [Alphabet magic:] aaasrpkf

B: [Alphabet magic:] aarpaa | ?Within/From within the ?wheel-nave/?cabin-corner [or: ?needle].

C: I [=the rune carver] [am called] NaudigastiR [=”Need-guest”];

D: I, [nicknamed] the Wolverine.

References

1. Fant runestein i hagen, Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation, 29 September 2009; Kan ha funnet til nå ukjent runestein Verdens Gang, 28 September 2009.
2. Knirk, James E. Runic inscription from Hogganvik, Mandal, Vest-Agder (2009) (preliminary report), October 27, 2009.

External links

• Municipal fact sheet from Statistics Norway
• Photograph of Hogganvik runestone with colored runes
• Some Photographs of Mandal in August 1986, including the Lodsen Restaurant