Lofootit - Lofoten, Norway - 1000 Places to See Before You Die on Waymarking.com

Lofoten

Lofoten has distinctive scenery with dramatic mountains and peaks, open sea and sheltered bays, beaches, and untouched lands. There are two towns, Svolvær and Leknes – the latter is approximately 169 km (105 mi) north of the Arctic Circle and approximately 2,420 km (1,500 mi) away from the North Pole. The archipelago experiences one of the world's largest elevated temperature anomalies relative to its high latitude.

Geography

Lofoten is located at the 68th and 69th parallels north of the Arctic Circle in North Norway. Lofoten encompasses the municipalities of Vågan, Vestvågøy, Flakstad, Moskenes, Værøy, and Røst.

Etymology

In Norway, the archipelago and the area are called Lofoten. There have been many attempts to research the backgrounds and meanings of both the names Lofoten and Ofoten, which have led to many theories, but no definite information. Critical examination has not reached any generally accepted and justified interpretation of the name.

According to one explanation Lofoten was the original name of the island Vestvågøya. The first element is ló (i.e., "lynx") and the last element is derived from Norse fótr (i.e., "foot"), as the shape of the island must have been compared with that of a lynx's foot. (The old name of the neighbouring island Flakstadøya was Vargfót, "wolf's foot", from vargr "wolf".) The explanation has at least been seen in an article about Lofoten published in The New York Times newspaper, for which the reporter had claimed to have heard the explanation from the locals. However, this interpretation of the name has also received criticism. It is considered doubtful that the name Lófót itself meant the island of Vestvågøya from the beginning. Unlike, for example, the local names Værøya and Gimsøya, where the names clearly contain the endings meaning the island, the "i Lofot" appearing in the texts rather refers to the district, which nevertheless also included Vestvågøya.

Alternatively, the name could derive from the word for light in reference to the presence of aurora borealis as the word for light itself is the root of the Old Norse word for lynx lóa, although the earliest evidence suggests Lófótr was first the name of the island of Vestvågøy and only later becoming the name of the chain of islands. Most parsimonious is the analogy with Aurora Borealis, as the word fótr is typically not used to describe the feet of beasts of prey, instead using the word hrammr (paw) or löpp (also paw) for animals such as cats or dogs. Fótr can be used to describe legs, and as such, 'light leg' represents the most plausible etymology taking into account the geography of the archipelago, eventually morphing to describe only the island of Vestvågøy before once again describing the island chain from its main island.

Another name one might come across is "Lofotveggen" or the Lofoten wall. The archipelago looks like a closed wall when seen from elevated points around Bodø Municipality or when arriving from the sea, some 100 kilometres (62 miles) long, and 800–1,000 metres (2,600–3,300 feet) high.

Name of Source Book: 1000 Places to See Before You Die, 1 st. Finnish edition 2007 Page Location in Source Book: 342 Type of Waymark: Archipelago group Location of Coordinates: N 68° 12.214 E 014° 14.050 Cost of Admission (Parks, Museums, etc.): 0.00 (listed in local currency) List Available Hours, Dates, Season: 24/7 Official Tourism Website: [Web Link]

Visit Instructions:
Because of the vastness of many of the "non-localized" sites (Gobi Desert, Great Wall of China), waymark owners are encouraged to allow visits that reflect different perspectives and experiences.
Localized waymark sites (Structures, Landmarks, Businesses) should reflect standard waymarking visit criteria (Logs & photos).

Recent Visits/Logs:

There are no logs for this waymark yet.