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Alstahaug Municipality

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Municipalities in Norway are the basic unit of local government. Norway is divided into 15 administrative regions, called counties . These counties are subdivided into 357 municipalities (as of 2024). The capital city Oslo is both a county and a municipality.

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76-560: Alstahaug is a municipality in Nordland county , Norway . It is part of the Helgeland region . The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Sandnessjøen . Some of the villages in Alstahaug include Søvika and Tjøtta . Most residents of Alstahaug live in the town of Sandnessjøen which is situated on the island of Alsta . The characteristic Seven Sisters mountain range

152-435: A chance to do some birding in spectacular scenery, be it coastal or inland where The Seven Sisters mountain chain marks the boundary between the habitats . One of the better areas to birdwatch is the island of Tjøtta . Here you will find the small nature reserve Ostjønna. Alstahaug is a municipality consisting entirely of islands. Most residents live on the main islands of Alsta and Tjøtta , and Alstahaug stretches from

228-554: A different vocabulary; it calls the colours by their everyday names. In its original sense, tincture refers only to the group conventionally referred to as "colours". But as the word "colour" seems inapplicable to the heraldic furs, and no other term clearly encompasses all three classes, the word "tincture" has come to be used in this broader sense, while "colour" has acquired the more restricted sense originally given to "tincture". Thus, when consulting various heraldic authorities, care must be taken to determine which meaning each term

304-528: A label or collar blazoned as "white" rather than "argent" appears on a supporter blazoned argent or or. The use of "white" in place of "argent" would be consistent with the Victorian practice of heraldic blazon that discouraged repeating the name of a tincture in describing a coat of arms, but if it were merely intended as a synonym of "argent", this placement would clearly violate the rule against placing metal on metal or colour on colour (see below). This difficulty

380-420: A lion passant gules, armed and langued argent", one might say, "gules, on a fess or between three chess-rooks argent, a lion passant of the field , armed and langued of the third ." Similar phrases include "of the last" and "of the like". Alternately, descriptions such as "gold" and "silver" might be substituted for "or" and "argent" on a subsequent occurrence. Another rule of blazon relating to tinctures suggests

456-598: A metal or a colour), and horizon blue . Silver gray has appeared in the heraldry of both the Army and the Air Force . Bronze appears as a colour in the arms of the Special Troops Battalion of the 2nd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division. There seems to be some confusion about the colour crimson , as in some cases it is treated as a separate tincture, while in others it is used to specify the shade of gules to be employed by

532-447: A much redder purple than the modern heraldic colour; and in fact earlier depictions of purpure are far redder than recent ones. As a heraldic colour, purpure may have originated as a variation of gules. Three more tinctures were eventually acknowledged by most heraldic authorities: sanguine , a blood red, murrey , a dark red or mulberry colour; and tenné , an orange or dark yellow to brownish colour. These were termed "stains" by some of

608-423: A range of different colours is found in nature; for instance, a popinjay proper is green, even though wild parrots occur in a variety of colours. In some cases, a charge depicted in a particular set of colours may be referred to as "proper", even though it consists entirely of heraldic tinctures; a rose proper , whether red or white, is barbed vert and seeded or . The most extensive use of non-heraldic colours

684-542: A regular basis. Sanguine from the Latin sanguineus , "blood red", one the so-called "stains" in British armory, is a dark blood red between gules and purpure in hue. It probably originated as a mere variation of red and may in fact represent the original hue of purpure , which is now treated as a much bluer colour than when it first appeared in heraldry. It was long shunned in the belief that it represented some dishonour on

760-545: A small group of municipalities in the Hardanger region of Western Norway still use the name herad such as Voss herad , Ulvik herad , and Kvam herad . Ullensvang Municipality used the name herad until 2020. Norway also has some municipalities that are bilingual or trilingual due to the presence of many native Sami people living there. In Northern Sámi , there are two words for a municipality: suohkan and gielda . Both are loan words from Scandinavian languages,

836-580: Is indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council. The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the Helgeland District Court and the Hålogaland Court of Appeal . The municipal council ( Kommunestyre ) of Alstahaug is made up of 27 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political party . The mayor ( Norwegian : ordfører ) of Alstahaug

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912-442: Is avoided if "white" is considered a colour in this particular instance, rather than a synonym of "argent". This interpretation has neither been accepted nor refuted by any heraldic authority, but a counter-argument is that the labels are not intended to represent a heraldic tincture, but are in fact white labels proper. Other exceptional colours have occasionally appeared during the twentieth and twenty-first centuries: The arms of

988-454: Is coloured as it naturally appears is blazoned proper (Fr. propre ), or "the colour of nature". Strictly speaking, proper is not a tincture in itself, and if, as is sometimes the case, a charge is meant to be depicted in particular colours that are not apparent from the word "proper" alone, they may be specified in whatever detail is necessary. Certain charges are considered "proper" when portrayed with particular colours, even though

1064-450: Is designated by a letter or abbreviation. Historically, particularly between the fifteenth and seventeenth centuries, the tinctures were sometimes associated with the planets, precious stones, virtues, and elements. However, in contemporary heraldry they are not assigned any particular meaning. The use of tinctures dates back to the formative period of European heraldry in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. The range of tinctures and

1140-420: Is found on the eastern part of the island. Local legend has made this chain of peaks into seven sisters, two adjacent peaks representing twin sisters. The island is connected to the mainland via the large Helgeland Bridge along Norwegian County Road 17 . The Sandnessjøen Airport, Stokka is located 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) south of Sandnessjøen . The 188-square-kilometre (73 sq mi) municipality

1216-504: Is from Latin viridis , "green". The alternative name in French, sinople , is derived from the ancient city of Sinope in Asia Minor ( Turkey ), which was famous for its pigments. Purpure (Fr. purpure or pourpre , Ger. Purpur ) is from Latin purpura , in turn from Greek porphyra , the dye known as Tyrian purple . This expensive dye, known from antiquity, produced

1292-468: Is given. In most heraldic tradition, the various metals and colours have no fixed appearance, hue, or shade. The heraldic artist is free to choose a lighter or darker blue or green, a deeper or brighter red; to choose between depicting or with yellow or any of various gold paints, to depict argent as white or silver. Recently the College of Arms explained, "there are no fixed shades for heraldic colours. If

1368-479: Is governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor is indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council. Law enforcement and church services are provided at a national level in Norway. Municipalities are undergoing continuous change by dividing, consolidating, and adjusting boundaries. In 1930, there were 747 municipalities in Norway. As of 2024, there are 357 municipalities. See

1444-459: Is loaned from the French word commune , which ultimately derives from Latin word communia , communis ("common"). The Kven equivalent is kommuuni . Historically, the word herred   ( Bokmål ) or herad   ( Nynorsk ) was used in Norway as the name for municipalities. That word derived from the old hundred that was used all over northern Europe. Since the 1960s, that name has fallen out of use across Norway, although

1520-548: Is more often represented by white, in part because of the tendency for silver paint to oxidize and darken over time, and in part because of the pleasing effect of white against a contrasting colour. Notwithstanding the widespread use of white for argent, some heraldic authorities have suggested the existence of white as a distinct heraldic colour. The five common colours in heraldry are gules , or red; sable , or black; azure , or blue; vert , or green; and purpure , or purple. Gules (Fr. gueules , Ger. Rot )

1596-449: Is not, and internal commas are entirely omitted. The first so-called "rule" of heraldry is the rule of tincture : metal should not be placed upon metal, nor colour upon colour , for the sake of contrast. The main duty of a heraldic device is to be recognized, and the dark colours or light metals are supposed to be too difficult to distinguish if they are placed on top of other dark or light colours, particularly in poor light. Though this

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1672-616: Is of uncertain derivation; outside of the heraldic context, the modern French word refers to the mouth of an animal. Sable (Ger. Schwarz ) is named for a type of marten , known for its dark, luxuriant fur. Azure (Fr. azur or bleu , Ger. Blau ) comes through the Arabic lāzaward , from the Persian lāžavard both referring to the blue mineral lapis lazuli , used to produce blue pigments. Vert (Fr. vert or sinople , Ger. Grün )

1748-405: Is probably associated with "landscape heraldry", a common feature of British and German armory during the latter part of the eighteenth century, and the early part of the nineteenth. Although rarely used for the field itself, landscapes were often granted as augmentations , typically depicting a fortress successfully captured or defended, or a particular ship, or a battle in which the armiger to whom

1824-463: Is that municipalities should only merge voluntarily, and studies are underway to identify potential gains. There are two different writing standards in Norway: Bokmål and Nynorsk . Norwegian municipalities are named kommuner   ( Bokmål ) or kommunar   ( Nynorsk ) (plural) or kommune (the singular form is the same in both Bokmål and Nynorsk). The Norwegian word kommune

1900-464: Is the 308th largest by area out of the 357 municipalities in Norway. Alstahaug is the 137th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 7,421. The municipality's population density is 39.4 inhabitants per square kilometre (102/sq mi) and its population has increased by 0.4% over the previous 10-year period. The large prestegjeld of Alstahaug was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). In 1862,

1976-467: Is the political leader of the municipality and the chairperson of the municipal council. Here is a list of people who have held this position (incomplete list): List of municipalities of Norway Municipalities are 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

2052-479: Is the practical genesis of the rule, the rule is technical and appearance is not used in determining whether arms conform to the rule. Another reason sometimes given to justify this rule is that it was difficult to paint enamel colours over other enamel colours, or with metal over metal. This "rule" has at times been followed so pedantically that arms that violate it were called armes fausses "false arms" or armes à enquérir "arms of enquiry"; any violation

2128-511: Is used to depict ermine. There is considerable variation in the shape of ermine spots; in the oldest depictions, they were drawn realistically, as long, tapering points; in modern times they are typically drawn as arrowheads, usually topped by three small dots. Vair (Ger. Feh ) derives its name from Latin varius , "variegated". It is usually depicted as a series of alternating shapes, conventionally known as panes or "vair bells", of argent and azure, arranged in horizontal rows, so that

2204-461: Is warmest November temperature recorded in Nordland. Alstahaug 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

2280-487: Is white. When the pattern of vair is used with other colours, the field is termed vairé or vairy of the tinctures used. Normally vairé consists of one metal and one colour, although ermine or one of its variants is sometimes used, with an ermine spot appearing in each pane of that tincture. Vairé of four colours (Ger. Buntfeh , "gay-coloured" or "checked vair") is also known, usually consisting of two metals and two colours. Several variant shapes exist, of which

2356-538: The De syv søstre mountains on the island of Alsta . The official weather station is located at Sandnessjøen Airport, Stokka , on Alsta island. Alstahaug has a temperate oceanic climate (marine west coast climate). The record high was recorded July 2019, and the all-time low was recorded February 2010. The warmest high recorded in the municipality is 33.1 °C (92 °F) recorded July 2019 at Tjøtta island. The November record high 19.4 °C (67 °F) set 6 November 2003

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2432-706: The Jewish Autonomous Region in Russia have a field of aquamarine . The Canadian Heraldic Authority granted arms containing rose as a colour in 1997. In 2002, the Authority granted arms including copper , treated as a metal, to the municipality of Whitehorse, Yukon . Ochre , both red and yellow, appears in South African heraldry ; the national coat of arms , adopted in 2000, includes red ochre , while (possibly yellow but more likely red) ochre appears in

2508-612: The Skålværet island group in the west, to the Vefsnfjorden in the east, and to Mindlandet island to the south. Leirfjord Municipality , Vefsn Municipality , and Vevelstad Municipality all lie to the east of Alstahaug; Dønna Municipality lies to the north; Herøy Municipality lies to the west; and Vega Municipality lies to the south. The highest point in the municipality is the 1,072-metre (3,517 ft) tall mountain Botnkrona, one of

2584-608: The Tractatus de Armis omits purple. A fourteenth-century English treatise, possibly by the same author as the Tractatus de Armis , does make the distinction between colours and metals and lists the seven in contemporary use in addition to the colour tawny , which it states is used only in France and the Holy Roman Empire . The Accedence of Armory , written by Gerard Legh in 1562, also distinguishes between colours and metals, listing

2660-569: The Victorian era , when heraldic scholars and artists began looking to earlier and simpler periods of armorial design for inspiration. In the English-speaking world, heraldic terminology is based largely on that of British armory, which in turn is based on Norman French . With respect to the heraldic tinctures, French heraldry, which is often cited by heraldic authors, uses similar terminology. However, German heraldry, also highly influential, uses

2736-503: The list of former municipalities of Norway for further details about municipal mergers. The consolidation effort has been underway since the work of the Schei Committee in the 1960s. This work has been complicated by a number of factors. Since block grants are made by the national government to the municipalities based on an assessment of need, there is little incentive for the municipalities to lose local autonomy. The national policy

2812-416: The municipal council ( kommunestyre ). The mayor is the executive leader. The municipal council is the deliberative and legislative body of the municipality and it is the highest governing body in the municipality. The members of the municipal council are elected for a four-year term . A subdivision of the full council is the executive council ( formannskap ), composed of five members. Historically,

2888-654: The Anglo-Norman De Heraudie , which has been dated to between 1280–1300 or 1341–45, the Italian Tractatus de Insigniis et Armis , published in 1358, the Tractatus de Armis , which dates from shortly after 1394, or the mid-fifteenth century Bradfer-Lawrence Roll . In addition, while De Heraudie and the Bradfer-Lawrence list the seven common metals and colours of contemporary heraldry, the Tractatus de Insigniis combines red and purple and omits green, and

2964-429: The Latin aurum , "gold". It may be depicted using either yellow or metallic gold, at the artist's discretion; "yellow" has no separate existence in heraldry, and is never used to represent any tincture other than or. Argent (Ger. Weiß , Weiss , Silber , or silbern ) is similarly derived from the Latin argentum , "silver". Although sometimes depicted as metallic silver or faint grey, it

3040-581: The Tudor officer of arms Thomas Wriothesley , for example, use for purpure a reddish-purple shade which would now be described as murrey . Over time, variations on these basic tinctures were developed, particularly with respect to the furs. Authorities differ as to whether these variations should be considered separate tinctures, or merely varieties of existing ones. Two additional colours appeared, and were generally accepted by heraldic writers, although they remained scarce, and were eventually termed stains , from

3116-692: The arms of the University of Transkei . In the United States , heraldry is not governed by any official authority; but the United States Army , which makes extensive use of heraldry, does have its own authority, the United States Army Institute of Heraldry . The armorial designs of the Institute of Heraldry include a number of novel tinctures, including buff (employed variously as either

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3192-631: The arms. The design symbolizes the Seven Sisters ( Norwegian : De syv søstre ), a row of mountains in the area, mirrored in the clear waters of the fjord . The arms were designed by Jarle E. Henriksen. The Church of Norway has three parishes ( sokn ) within Alstahaug Municipality. It is part of the Nord-Helgeland prosti ( deanery ) in the Diocese of Sør-Hålogaland . At Alstahaug, on

3268-483: The artist. Similar issue exists about a blue-green colour referred to as teal or turquoise which is either treated separate or as a specific shade of azure or céleste. Differing from most heraldic practice, the Institute of Heraldry often specifies the exact shades to be used in depicting various arms. Buff is also used by the Canadian Heraldic Authority , who treat it as a colour. A charge that

3344-471: The augmentation was granted was involved. Such landscapes, usually appearing on a chief, might be blazoned with great particularity as to the things portrayed and the colours used to portray them. Officially, these landscapes appeared on a field of argent, but it was common, and perhaps expected, for the artist to add further details, such as the sky and clouds, by which the field might be wholly obscured. The use of landscapes in heraldry fell out of fashion during

3420-529: The belief that they were used to signify some dishonour on the part of the bearer. Other colours have appeared occasionally since the eighteenth century, especially in continental heraldry, but their use is infrequent, and they have never been regarded as particularly heraldic, or numbered among the tinctures that form the basis of heraldic design. The frequency with which different tinctures have been used over time has been much observed, but little studied. There are some general trends of note, both with respect to

3496-419: The blazon, but no other words. In the elaborate calligraphy appearing on most grants of arms, all of the tinctures are capitalized, as indeed are the names of the charges, but this is purely a matter of decorative style, and in no way does the manner of capitalization used in the original grant affect how the arms may be described on other occasions. A long-standing heraldic tradition has been to avoid repeating

3572-410: The council has been known as a herredstrye , using the old name for a municipality. H Tincture (heraldry) Tinctures are the colours, metals, and furs used in heraldry . Nine tinctures are in common use: two metals, or (gold or yellow) and argent (silver or white); the colours gules (red), azure (blue), vert (green), sable (black), and purpure (purple); and

3648-483: The first of which is related to the Norwegian words sokn and sogn (a parish). The second term is related to the Norwegian word gjeld ( prestegjeld ). Lule Sámi likewise has two words for municipalities: suohkan and giellda . The Southern Sámi word is tjïelte . Each municipality has its own governmental leaders: the mayor ( ordfører   ( Bokmål ) or ordførar   ( Nynorsk ) ) and

3724-445: The furs ermine , which represents the winter fur of a stoat , and vair , which represents the fur of a red squirrel . The use of other tinctures varies depending on the time period and heraldic tradition in question. Where the tinctures are not depicted in full colour, they may be represented using one of several systems of hatching , in which each tincture is assigned a distinct pattern, or tricking , in which each tincture

3800-512: The lining of crowns and caps. In fact, furs occur infrequently in German and Nordic heraldry. The colours and patterns of the heraldic palette are divided into three groups, usually known as metals , colours , and furs . The metals are or and argent , representing gold and silver respectively, although in practice they are often depicted as yellow and white. Or (Ger. Gelb , Gold , or golden ) derives its name from

3876-456: The manner of depicting and describing them has evolved over time, as new variations and practices have developed. The earliest surviving coloured heraldic illustrations, from the mid-thirteenth century, show the use of the two metals, five colours, and two furs. Since that time, the great majority of heraldic art has employed these nine tinctures. The distinction between colours and metals is not made in many medieval heraldic treatises, including

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3952-404: The metals and colours dates to the beginning of the art. In this earliest period, there were only two furs, ermine and vair. Ermine represents the fur of the stoat , a type of weasel, in its white winter coat, when it is called an ermine. Vair represents the winter coat of the red squirrel , which is blue-grey above and white below. These furs were commonly used to line the cloaks and robes of

4028-439: The more influential heraldic writers and supposed to represent some sort of dishonour on the part of the bearer, but there is no evidence that they were ever so employed and they probably originated as mere variations of existing colours. Nevertheless, the belief that they represented stains upon the honour of an armiger served to prevent them receiving widespread use, and it is only in recent times that they have begun to appear on

4104-403: The most common is known as potent (Ger. Sturzkrückenfeh , "upside-down crutch vair"). In this form, the familiar "vair bell" is replaced by a T-shaped figure, known as a "potent" due to its resemblance to a crutch. Other furs sometimes encountered in continental heraldry, which are thought to be derived from vair, include plumeté or plumetty and papelonné or papellony . In plumeté ,

4180-404: The names of tinctures multiple times in any given blazon. If it is possible to mention multiple charges of the same tincture at once, followed by the name of the tincture, then this problem is avoided, but when it is impossible to combine elements of the same tincture in this manner, more creative descriptions may be used. For example, instead of "gules, on a fess or between three chess-rooks argent,

4256-402: The nobility. Both ermine and vair give the appearance of being a combination of metal and colour, but in heraldic convention they are considered a separate class of tincture that is neither metal nor colour. Over time, several variations of ermine and vair have appeared, together with three additional furs typically encountered in continental heraldry, known as plumeté , papelonné , and kürsch ,

4332-450: The official description of a coat of arms gives its tinctures as Gules (red), Azure (blue) and Argent (white or silver) then, as long as the blue is not too light and the red not too orange, purple or pink, it is up to the artists to decide which particular shades they think are appropriate." Most heraldic authors do not capitalize the names of the various tinctures, although a few do (sometimes inconsistently), and some who do not capitalize

4408-412: The old Alstahaug farm ( Old Norse : Alastarhaugr ) since the first Alstahaug Church was built there. The first element is the genitive case of the name of the island Alöst (now Alsta ). The linguist Magnus Olsen believed this old island name means "eel grounds" and it was an old taboo word for the sea. The last element is haugr which means " hill " or " mound ". The coat of arms

4484-420: The origins of which are more mysterious, but which probably began as variations of vair. Ermine (Fr. hermine , Ger. hermelin ) is normally depicted as a white field powdered with black spots, known as "ermine spots", representing the ermine's black tail. The use of white instead of silver is normal, even when silver is available, since this is how the fur naturally appears; but occasionally silver

4560-411: The other tinctures recommend capitalizing or in order to avoid confusion with the conjunction. However, there are relatively few occasions in which the conjunction "or" would appear in the blazon of a coat of arms, and if properly worded, which meaning is intended should be readily apparent from the context. Another convention has been to capitalize only the first word or the first tincture appearing in

4636-402: The panes are depicted as feathers; in papelonné they are depicted as scales, resembling those of a butterfly's wings (whence the name is derived). These can be modified with the colour, arrangement, and size variants of vair, though those variants are much less common. In German heraldry there is also a fur known as Kürsch , or "vair bellies", consisting of panes depicted hairy and brown. Here

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4712-414: The panes of one tincture form the upper part of the row, while those of the opposite tincture are on the bottom. Succeeding rows are staggered, so that the bases of the panes making up each row are opposite those of the other tincture in the rows above and below. As with ermine, the argent panes may be depicted as either white or silver; silver is used more often with vair than with ermine, but the natural fur

4788-713: The part of the bearer. Murrey , from the Greek morum , "mulberry", it has found some use in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Murrey is also the official colour of the Order of the Bath ribbon. Tenné or tenny or tawny , from Latin tannare , "to tan". It is most often depicted as orange, but sometimes as tawny yellow or brown. In earlier times it was occasionally used in continental heraldry, but in England largely confined to livery . The use of heraldic furs alongside

4864-420: The passage of time, and noted preferences from one region to another. In medieval heraldry, gules was by far the most common tincture, followed by the metals argent and or , at least one of which necessarily appeared on the majority of arms (see below). Among the colours, sable was the second most common, followed by azure . Vert , although present from the formative period of heraldic design,

4940-413: The phrase "vair bellies" may be a misnomer, as the belly of the red squirrel is always white, although its summer coat is indeed reddish brown. Several other tinctures are occasionally encountered, usually in continental heraldry: The heraldic scholar A. C. Fox-Davies proposed that, in some circumstances, white should be considered a heraldic colour, distinct from argent . In a number of instances,

5016-402: The placing of a comma after each occurrence of a tincture. In recent years, the College of Arms has regularly dispensed with many of these practices, believing them to cause confusion, and in new grants of arms, the names of tinctures are repeated on each instance that they occur. The names of all tinctures and charges are capitalized, although the word "proper", indicating the colour of nature,

5092-407: The same day, the following areas were merged to form the new, larger Alstahaug Municipality: On 1 January 1971, the Skålværet islands (population: 32) were transferred from Vega Municipality to Alstahaug Municipality. On 1 January 1995, the mainland areas of Alstahaug Municipality (population: 70) were transferred to Vefsn Municipality . The municipality (originally the parish ) is named after

5168-427: The seven in contemporary use as well as proper , the natural colour of any animal, bird, or herb. Legh rejects tawny as non-existent and sanguine or murrey , a reddish-brown tincture, as a mistake for purpure . The tinctures are not standardised, with any shade being acceptable so long as it cannot be confused with another tincture. Purpure , in particular, has been depicted in a range of shades; many grants by

5244-425: The southern district (population: 2,781) was separated to become the new Tjøtta Municipality ( Vevelstad Municipality was later separated from Tjøtta Municipality). This left Alstahaug Municipality with about 3,280 residents. Just two years later, in 1864, the western island district (population: 2,438) was separated to become the new Herøy Municipality . Then on 1 July 1899, the northern district (population: 2,673)

5320-456: The southern end of the island of Alsta , lies the medieval Alstahaug Church , where the poet and minister Petter Dass worked around 1700. Tjøtta , an island south of Alsta, is the place where the famous Viking Hárek of Tjøtta resided in the 11th century. Lying just south of the Arctic Circle in an area that is known as Outer Helgeland , Alstahaug offers the visiting bird watcher

5396-443: The whole, French heraldry is known for its use of azure and or , while English heraldry is characterized by heavy use of gules and argent , and unlike French heraldry, it has always made regular use of vert , and occasional, if not extensive, use of purpure . German heraldry is known for its extensive use of or and sable . German and Nordic heraldry rarely make use of purpure or ermine , except in mantling , pavilions, and

5472-420: Was a very distant fifth choice, while vert remained scarce. Among commoners, azure was easily the most common tincture, followed by or , and only then by gules , argent , and sable , which was used more by commoners than among the nobility; vert , however, was even scarcer in common arms. Purpure is so scarce in French heraldry that some authorities do not regard it as a "real heraldic tincture". On

5548-420: Was granted on 8 August 1986. The official blazon is " Argent , a fess engrailed azure " ( Norwegian : I sølv en blå bjelke dannet ved taggesnitt ). This means the arms have a field (background) that has a tincture of argent which means it is commonly colored white, but if it is made out of metal, then silver is used. The charge is a fess (bar) with engrailed edges running horizontally through

5624-577: Was presumed to be intentional, to the point that one was supposed to enquire how it came to pass. One of the most famous armes à enquérir was the shield of the Kingdom of Jerusalem , which had gold crosses on silver. This use of white and gold together is also seen on the arms of the King of Jerusalem , the flag and arms of the Vatican, and the bishop's mitre in the arms of Andorra. These uses of gold on silver indicate

5700-448: Was relatively scarce. Over time, the popularity of azure increased above that of sable , while gules , still the most common, became less dominant. A survey of French arms granted during the seventeenth century reveals a distinct split between the trends for the arms granted to nobles and commoners. Among nobles, gules remained the most common tincture, closely followed by or , then by argent and azure at nearly equal levels; sable

5776-469: Was separated to form the new Stamnes Municipality ( Leirfjord Municipality was later separated from Stamnes). During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee . On 1 January 1965, several major municipal changes took place. First, the Husvær island area of Alstahaug (population: 461) was transferred from Alstahaug Municipality to Herøy Municipality . On

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