Øksningen (Trøndelag)
Not to be confused with Øksningen in Herøy, Nordland
Øksningen is a small rock skerry with little grass on it located in Trondheimsfjorden between the Tautra island and the Frosta peninsula. In the past it served as an execution place for the local Frostating and also to a certain degree as the battlefield in the Battle of Strindfjord on 18th June, 1199. Today, it now serves as a nature reserve for birds, most often seagulls and Eurasian oystercatchers.
Etymology
The name Øksningen comes from the Norwegian word øks meaning axe, as the islet served as an execution place[1] most likely from punishments from the local Frostating[2] the last documented execution happened on 28th of August 1730 with Rasmus Baarsen for being "unnatural approachable with creatures."
The islet was also called Tyvholmen (literally: "thief islet").[a] According to the local Priest Hans Jørgen Helsinge the etymology derives due to thieves were hanged there, Øksningen is a place where there has been documented witchburnings[3] [4]
History
On 18th June, 1199[5][6] during the Norwegian Civil war, King Sverre heard from a local peasant of the Bagler fleet under the command of Bishop Nicholas Arnesson located patrolling just beside Øksningen, after he heard this King Sverre prepared his own fleet to battle and began sailing over to them and hence the first phase of the battle took on by the outskirts of Øksningen before Nicholas Arnesson ordered his fleet to retreat on the other side of the fjord. However the war chieftains was undecided; some wanted to stay away from a open battle and retreat, while some wanted to fight the Birkebeiners. The Bagler fleet did not manage to retreat in time, therefore the Baglers was forced to a battle in Amborneset. The battle according to Snorre Sturlason was long and brutal[7] The sea battle was one of the most brutal battles in the Trondheimsfjord, if not the one most of all.[8]
Sverre's crushing victory of the Bagler fleet, forced Nicholas Arnesson and the Baglers in exile to Denmark until King Sverre's death in 1202.
Priest Writings
The oldest documented mention of Øksningen (then known as Tyvholmen) is from the Leksvik church diary written by Priest Anders Nilsen Aalborg at Leksvik parish which together with the local Priest Jeremia Hass went at in August 1730 to transport the last documented execution on Øksningen, Rasmus Baarsen for his "unnatural approachable with creatures" he also noted that he couldn't come home until days later (31 August, by dinner time) due to the "a big storm unnatural even in the Nordics."[9]
”Die 28 Augusti reiste jeg over til Frosten for at følge med Magr. Jeremias[10] den fange Rasmus Baarsen til sit Rettersted paa Øxningen dagen efter, som var dømt til Baal og Brand (men blev først stranguleret og qvælt) for hans u-naturlige omgængelse med Creaturer. For den store storm af Norden og ellers u-stadige vejr kom jeg ikke hjem førend d. 31 Aug. ved middagstide.” Priest Anders Nielsen, 1730
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Micronational history
In 1898. N.P Sønderholm, President of [Trondhjems Seilforening] (Wikipedia article in Norwegian) founded the micronation "Republikken Cuba" (literally; Republic of Cuba) after the skerry Øxningen was taken over by sailors from Trondheim with no combat, President Sønderholm would then name Øksningen as Cuba, hence the name "Republic of Cuba" [11]
"Uten kamp er denne Ø anektert og toges fra Dags Dato i besiddelse av Trondhjems Seilforening, idet den fra sitt tidligere navn "Tauterøksningen" til Kuba, hvoretter alle haver seg at rette. Al uvedkommende jagt, fiske, tømmerhugst og anden Færdsel på det strengeste. aar 1898 den 19 mai kl 6 aften, efter Trondhjems Tid, gives dette ultimatium." - Declaration of President Sønderholm in the original language.
"Without any combat this island is hereafter annexed from the date of today, within the posession of Trondheim's Sail Company, the island will be keeping the earlier name "Tauterøksningen" (as apart of, republic of) Kuba, after which everyone may find themselves at home. All uninvited huntings, fishing, logging and other traffic are all highly illegal. In the Year of 1898, on the 19th of may, 6'o clock in the evening, following the time of Trondheim, this ultimatium is given."
The name Cuba comes from President Sønderholm desire to show sympathy for Cuba in the Spanish-American War. Several ceremonial banishments to the skerry has happended by the order of the Emperor of Cuba. Today, the micronation still exists, though almost only ceremonially for the Trondheim Sailing Assoication.
Starting already from 2018, several claims on Øksningen was put on a claim by the later declared Lagmann of Forunes ignoring the earlier claim by the "Republic of Cuba," Forunes argues that the skerry of Øksningen was apart of the Tautra Abbey since its founding on 25 March 1207, after the reformation came Øksningen was put under crown territory as land of the Frostathing untill the executions was put to halt and turned into domain of what would later become apart of the territory of Forunes. The Lagmann has shown goodwill to diplomatically find a solution, condominium has also been suggested.
Nature
The Øksningen Nature Reserve was established on 19th of December, 2003 and is a Ramsar site (311). The Øksningen Nature Reserve is a continuation of the same which was her origins from 1985 [12] The reserve covers in total 30 acres, of which 5 acres are land. The reasoning behind the establishment of the reserve, lays in that the skerry of Øksningen and surronding is a nesting area for the vulnerable velvet scotter (Melanitta fusca) [13] and the location of the only discover of the great knot bird in Norway, alongside many other vulnerable birds which lives and has their nests in the area. The Øksningen Nature Reserve has it as their "law" (as following the Ramsar Convention from 1971) to "conserve an species-rich wetland area with vegatation, birdlife and other animal acivity with connection to the area. Effectively this also makes it illegal for everyone hunting or usage of firearms towards the animals, disturbing animals or any form of motorized transport within the area. All form of transport on land (that being, Øksningen itself) is also illegal from 15 april to 1 july. It is however specificed in the law that it is legal all year to both fish and gather shells. [14]
On 29th May 2021 There was a discovery of one migratory great knot (Calidris tenuirostris) on Øksningen by Tom Roger Østerås and his subordinates, it is therefore the first registered great knot within macronational Norway[1][2] The great knots nest in North Eastern Siberia and hibernates from south of Asia to Australia and is therefore rarely spotten in Europe, more so in Norway. [15]
Notes
- ↑ The use of "thief islet" as a name for an islet used for executions is not uncommon at all in Norway], an example of such is Tjuvholmen, Oslo.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Hauganfjæra Information Chapter 3 (In Norwegian)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Trøndelag county authority (in Norwegian) Askeladdenbeskrivelsen
- ↑ Frostaboka, bind XI
- ↑ Visitfrosta.no https://www.visitfrosta.no/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/frostastien_neset.pdf (in Norwegian)
- ↑ https://www.strindahistorielag.no/wiki/index.php/Slaget_p%C3%A5_Strindfjorden_1199 (in Norwegian)
- ↑ Øverland, Per. Slaget på Strindfjorden (in Norwegian)https://www.hindrumfjordsenter.no/opplevelser/gravhaugene-ambornesset/strindsjo-slaget/
- ↑ Snorre Sturlason, Sverre's Saga Chapter 6; Translated into Modern Norwegian Bokmål. https://www.olhov.net/sverre6.html
- ↑ Sandnes, Jørn. Trondheim, havn i tusen år (2000) p.75 (in Norwegian)https://www.nb.no/items/URN:NBN:no-nb_digibok_2012120738045?page=75
- ↑ Frostaboka, bind XI (In Norwegian)
- ↑ (Magister Jeremias Hass, Priest at Frosta parish)
- ↑ https://www.trondhjemsseilforening.no/cuba/keiserriket-cuba/ (In Norwegian)
- ↑ Hagerup, Sigfrid (2023, February 17). Nå må folk som er glade i Tautra kjenne sin besøkelsestid. Frostingen. https://www.frostingen.no/na-ma-folk-som-er-glade-i-tautra-kjenne-sin-besokelsestid/s/27-166-8005 (in Norwegian)
- ↑ https://rsis.ramsar.org/ris/311
- ↑ Digital Information Poster "Øksningen Naturreservat" [1] (in Norwegian)
- ↑ Kolåa, Terje "Sibirsnipe – ny art for Norge" BirdLife Norge. (n.d.). Published 08.06.2021 https://www.birdlife.no/fuglekunnskap/nyheter/?id=2819 (in Norwegian)