View source for Närke

{{Redirect|Narke|the electric ray|Narke (fish)}}
{{short description|Historical province of Sweden}}
{{Infobox settlement
<!-- See Template:Infobox settlement for additional fields and descriptions -->| name               = Närke
| image_caption      =
| image_shield       = Närkes vapen.svg
| shield_size        = 100px
| motto              =
| image_map          = Sverigekarta-Landskap Närke.svg
| mapsize            = 250px
| map_alt            =
| map_caption        =
| coordinates        =
| coor_pinpoint      =
| coordinates_footnotes =
| settlement_type    = [[Provinces of Sweden|Historical province]]
| subdivision_type   = Country
| subdivision_name   = {{Flag|Sweden}}
| subdivision_type1  = [[Lands of Sweden|Land]]
| subdivision_name1  = [[Svealand]]
| subdivision_type2  = Counties
| subdivision_name2  = [[Örebro County]]<br>[[Västmanland County]]<br>[[Södermanland County]]
| unit_pref          = Metric<!-- or US or UK -->
| area_footnotes     =
| area_total_km2     = 4,122
| area_land_km2      =
| area_water_km2     =
| area_water_percent =
| area_note          =
| population_footnotes = <ref name="population">{{cite web |url=https://www.statistikdatabasen.scb.se/pxweb/sv/ssd/START__BE__BE0101__BE0101A/FolkmangdDistrikt/table/tableViewLayout1/ |title=Folkmängd 31 december; ålder |website=Statistikdatabasen |access-date=1 June 2024 }}</ref>
| population_total   = 223,548
| population_as_of   = 31 December 2023
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_demonym =
| population_note    =
| timezone1          = [[Central European Time|CET]]
| utc_offset1        = +1
| timezone1_DST      = [[Central European Summer Time|CEST]]
| utc_offset1_DST    = +2
| postal_code_type   = [[List of postal codes in Sweden|Postal codes]]
| postal_code        =
| area_code_type     = [[Telephone numbers in Sweden|Area codes]]
| area_code          =
| demographics_type1 = Ethnicity
| demographics1_title1 = Language
| demographics1_info1 = [[Swedish language|Swedish]]
| demographics_type2 = Culture
| demographics2_title2 = Flower
| demographics2_info2 = [[Primula veris|Cowslip]]
| demographics2_title3 = Animal
| demographics2_info3 = [[Hazel dormouse]]
| demographics2_title4 = Bird
| demographics2_info4 = [[Ortolan bunting|Yellow bunting]]
| demographics2_title5 = Fish
| demographics2_info5 = [[Pike (fish)|Pike]]
| website            = <!-- {{URL|example.com}} -->
| footnotes          =
}}
'''Närke''' ({{IPA|sv|ˈnæ̌rːkɛ|-|sv-Närke.ogg}})  is a [[Provinces of Sweden|Swedish traditional province]], or ''landskap'', situated in [[Svealand]] in south central [[Sweden]]. It is bordered by [[Västmanland]] to the north, [[Södermanland]] to the east, [[Östergötland]] to the southeast, [[Västergötland]] to the southwest, and [[Värmland]] to the northwest. Närke has a surface area of 4,126&nbsp;km² and a total population of 208,376.<ref name="population"/>
== Name ==
The name of the province (Neeric 1165-81) comes from an old word ''när'' (narrow) which refers to the narrow [[ridge]] where the [[church (building)|church]] of Norrbyås (Nerboahs 1275) is situated. What the rest of the name means is not clear.<ref>Karin Calissendorff and Anna Larsson: ''Ortnamn i Närke'', p. 47. Högskolan i Örebro / AWE/Gebers 1998</ref> In English sometimes also Nerike (an archaic spelling of the province) and Nericia (the Latin name) are used for the province.
[[Image:Riseberga Monastery Ruin.JPG|thumb|right|[[Riseberga Abbey]] Ruin in Lekeberg]]
[[Image:Blänkabacken i Närke.JPG|thumb|right|View over the surroundings of Örebro, Närke]]
== Administration ==
The traditional [[provinces of Sweden]] serve no administrative or political purposes, but are historical and cultural entities. In the case of Närke, the province makes up the southern part of [[Örebro County]].
The following municipalities have their seats in Närke:
* [[Askersund Municipality|Askersund]]
* [[Hallsberg Municipality|Hallsberg]]
* [[Kumla Municipality|Kumla]]
* [[Laxå Municipality|Laxå]]
* [[Lekeberg Municipality|Lekeberg]]
* [[Örebro Municipality|Örebro]]
== Heraldry ==
Arms granted in 1560, and revised a decade or so later with the current one. The arms is represented with a ducal [[coronet]]. At the centre there are two [[crossbow]] bolts was - the crossbow being the favourite weapon of the peasants. Blazon:  "Gules between four Roses Argent two Arrows in saltire Or points upward pointed Argent." The Närke arms is one of the components of the coat of arms for Örebro County, granted in 1944.
== Geography ==
*Highest mountain: [[Kilsbergen]]
*Largest lake: [[Vättern]]
*National parks: [[Garphyttan]]
The oldest city in Närke was [[Örebro]], receiving its privileges around 1200. After that, [[Askersund]] was chartered in 1643 and [[Kumla]] in 1942. [[City status in Sweden]] was discontinued as of 1971, so these are historical titles.
== History ==
===Prehistory===
Norse mythology mentions three kings of Närke, [[Nidud]], [[Olof the Sharp-sighted]] and [[Sporsnjall]]. Nidud was a villainous king in the lay of [[Wayland Smith|Wayland the smith]], Olaf aided the Norwegian king [[Vikar]] in battle, and Sporsnjall was burnt to death by [[Ingjald]] Ill-ruler together with five other petty kings.
===History===
*The exiled Norwegian King [[Olaf the Holy]] stayed in Närke for some time, 1028–1029, with Sigtrygg,  before departing for [[Kievan Rus']] and its ruler [[Yaroslav I the Wise]]. Olaf may have initiated the Christianization of the province (see also [[Culture of Närke]]).
*In the year 1170, Närke was incorporated into the diocese of [[Strängnäs]].
*In around 1200 A.D., the [[Örebro Castle|Castle]] of [[Örebro]] was built to protect the bridge crossing the ford (''öre'' means "sand bank" and ''bro'' means "bridge"), as well as the borough on the south side of the bridge. It was to withstand many sieges, and acquired a reputation for being impregnable.
*In 1316 the future [[Saint Birgitta]] of Sweden, known outside of Sweden as ''Princess of Nericia'',<ref>[[Eivor Martinus]] in ''Barndrottningen Filippa'', {{ISBN|978-91-7331-663-7}}, pp 115, 164 & 167</ref> was married to Ulf Gudmarson, Lord of Närke, to whom she bore eight children, one of whom was [[St Catherine of Sweden]].
*In 1435, [[Engelbrekt Engelbrektsson]], the leader of a popular uprising against the German sheriffs, was given the castle of Örebro as a fief. In the following year he was assassinated.
*From 1525 to 1554, it was a fiefdom belonging to Lars Siggesson Sparre. Later in belonged to [[Charles IX of Sweden|Duke Charles]] from 1560 to 1598 and to his son Duke Charles Philip from 1611 to 1622.
*During the 16th and 17th centuries the territory was under a number of fiefs where iron bars were manufactured. As the farming activities gave very little, the iron manufacturing became even more attractive to the farmers, as well as trade with oxen. The oxen were sold in [[Bergslagen]] as well as [[Dalarna]], where the skin of the oxen were important items in the mines.
*In 1653, it was the scene of the [[Morning Star Rebellion]].
*The surplus of oxen was also one of the reasons why the shoe-making business took shape and became a most important industry in Närke up until the middle of the 20th century.
Närke was renowned for its warlike peasants and when [[Heraldry of Närke|coat-of-arms for the province]] was granted for the funeral of King [[Gustav I of Sweden|Gustav Vasa]] in 1560 two crossbow darts was the central symbol, the crossbow being the favourite weapon of the peasants.
In Närke there are also a number of ancient castles. The most important and best preserved one is located in Tarsta at Sköllersta.
In the 16th and 17th centuries, as well as nominally in more recent times, the title of [[Duchies in Sweden#Närke also known as Nericia|Duke of Närke]] has been in use.
== Culture ==
{{Main|Culture of Närke}}
The province of Närke has 5,200 ancient remains.
==Historical subdivisions==
The old subdivisions of provinces were the [[Hundreds of Sweden]]. In Närke, the hundreds were:
*[[Asker Hundred]]
*[[Edsberg Hundred]]
*[[Glanshammar Hundred]]
*[[Grimsten Hundred]]
*[[Hardemo Hundred]]
*[[Kumla Hundred]]
*[[Nora and Hjulsjö Mountain District|Noraskoga Mountain District]] (transferred to [[Västmanland]] in 1617)
*[[Skyllersta Hundred]]
*[[Sundbo Hundred]]
*[[Örebro Hundred]]
==Sports==
Football in the province is administered by [[Örebro Läns Fotbollförbund]]. Ice hockey is also popular, with [[Örebro HK]], and bandy with [[Örebro SK Bandy|Örebro SK]].
==References==
===Footnotes===
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}
{{Provinces of Sweden}}
{{Coord|59.243|N|15.271|E|source:svwiki_region:SE|format=dms|display=title}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Narke}}
[[Category:Närke| ]]
[[Category:Provinces of Sweden]]