Selje is a former municipality in the old Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1838 until its dissolution in 2020. The area is now part of Stad Municipality in the traditional district of Nordfjord in Vestland county. The administrative centre was the village of Selje. Other villages in the municipality included Barmen, Ervik, Flatraket, Hoddevik, Hoddevika, Håvik, and Leikanger.

Prior to its dissolution in 2020, the municipality was the 317th largest by area out of the 422 municipalities in Norway. Selje Municipality was the 279th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of about . The municipality's population density was and its population had decreased by 4.4% over the previous 10-year period.

Selje Municipality was located at the northwesternmost part of Sogn og Fjordane county. Most of the municipality was located on and around the Stadlandet peninsula as well as some small surrounding islands such as Selja and Barmøya.

Selja was one of the first three Episcopal sees in Norway (Oslo, Nidaros, and Selja). After the diocese was moved to Bergen, monks took over the old Selje Church, which was later destroyed by pirates in 1536. The municipality of Selje was also home to the Selja Abbey, a former Benedictine monastery located on the island of Selja. Ruins of the abbey and church can still be seen on the island.

On 1 January 1910, Selje Municipality was divided into three municipalities:

  • all of Selje Municipality
  • all of Eid Municipality
  • the Bryggja-Totland area of Vågsøy Municipality

Name

The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the small island of Selja since the first Selje Church was built there. The meaning of the name is uncertain. One possibility is that it is derived from the word which means "pasture shed", particularly used in the sæter mountain farms. A less likely possibility is that it comes from the word which means "room" or "hall", referring to the local cave where Saint Sunniva and her followers dwelled after reaching the island in the 10th century. Prior to 1889, the name was written Selø or Selløe.

Coat of arms

thumb|left|100px|Coat of arms

The coat of arms was granted on 5 April 1991 and it was in use until 1 January 2020 when the municipality was dissolved. The official blazon is "Azure, a half woman with raised hands argent" (). This means the arms have a blue field (background) and the charge is the upper half of a woman with raised arms and crown. The charge 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 woman is a depiction of Saint Sunniva, the royal Irish missionary who died as a martyr on the island of Selja while trying to convert he locals to Christianity. Later, the Selje Abbey was built on the spot where she died. She was later named the patron saint of the Norwegian Diocese of Bjørgvin and all of Western Norway. The arms were designed by Turid Haye. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.

Churches

thumb|right|Ruins of the Selje Abbey on Selja

The Church of Norway has three parishes () within Selje Municipality. It is part of the Nordfjord prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Bjørgvin.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

|+ style="font-size:medium"|Churches in Selje Municipality

!Parish ()!!Church name!!Location of the church!!Year built

|-

|Ervik||Ervik Church||Ervik||1970

|-

|Leikanger||Leikanger Church||Leikanger||1866

|-

|Selje||Selje Church||Selje||1866

|-

|colspan=4|<small>Note:the ruins of the Selja Abbey (built in 1100) are located on the island of Selja.</small>

|}

Government

While it existed, Selje Municipality was 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 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 Sogn og Fjordane District Court and the Gulating Court of Appeal.

Municipal council

The municipal council of Selje Municipality was made up of 17 representatives that were elected to four year terms. The tables below show the historical composition of the council by political party.

Mayors

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

  • 1838–1843: Rev. Wilhelm Frimann Koren
  • 1844–1849: Josef P. Moldestad
  • 1850–1857: Rev. Wilhelm Frimann Koren
  • 1858–1861: Josef P. Moldestad
  • 1862–1869: Julius C. Hartmann
  • 1870–1871: Peder I. Sandvik
  • 1872–1873: Knut Halvorsen
  • 1874–1875: Sivert J. Berge
  • 1876–1890: Christian B.U. Wiese
  • 1890–1891: Anders O. Listau
  • 1892–1895: Lars Strømme
  • 1896–1897: Anders O. Listau
  • 1898–1916: R. Hjertenæs
  • 1917–1922: Reiel Nybø
  • 1923–1928: Johannes J. Bortne
  • 1929–1941: Petter Vederhus
  • 1945–1945: Hilmar Ervik
  • 1946–1963: Johannes O. Sande
  • 1964–1967: Ragnvald Berge
  • 1968–1971: Julius Fure (H)
  • 1972–1975: Nils Sætren (Sp)
  • 1976–1981: Julius Fure (H)
  • 1982–1983: Magne Aarøen (KrF)
  • 1984–1989: Åge Starheim (FrP)
  • 1990–1997: Sverre Hoddevik (H)
  • 1998–2001: Magny Husetuft Myklebust (H)
  • 2001–2011: Gunn Helgesen (KrF)
  • 2011–2015: Ottar Nygård (LL)
  • 2015–2019: Stein Robert Osdal (KrF)

Geography

thumb|right|The village of Årvik on the Stad peninsula

thumb|right|The village of Drage on the Stad peninsula

thumb|right|Honningsvåg lake on the Stad peninsula

thumb|right|Hoddevik village on the Stad peninsula

Selje Municipality was located in the northwesternmost part of Sogn og Fjordane county, in the Nordfjord region. It included the Stad peninsula and the islands of Barmøya, Venøya, and Selja. Selje Municipality was surrounded by water on three sides: the Sildagapet bay on the west, the North Sea to the north, and the Vanylvsfjorden to the northeast. The highest point in the municipality was the tall mountain Kvamfjellet.

Vestkapp

The part of Norway's mainland that is farthest west is in Selje. The West Cape () is above sea level at the northwestern end of the Stadlandet peninsula. It is a precipitous rocky plateau, almost flat on top, that drops steeply down to the sea. In good weather, there is a panoramic view in all directions. It is immediately north of the village of Ervik.