Melhus

Melhus is a municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Gauldalen region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Melhus. Other villages include Gåsbakken, Hovin, Korsvegen, Kvål, Ler, Lundamo, Storsand, and Øysand.
Agriculture is important in Melhus, and the extensive lowland areas in the almost flat valley surrounding the Gaula River are dominated by grain fields. Many inhabitants work in the city of Trondheim, a 20-minute drive north from Melhus.
The municipality is the 166th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Melhus is the 75th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 16,123. The municipality's population density is and its population has increased by 11.2% over the previous 10-year period.
General information.
Melhus was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). In 1865, the western district of Høilandet (population: 1,818) was separated from Melhus to form a separate municipality. Then on 1880, the eastern district of Flaa (population: 614) was separated to form its own municipality. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1964, Melhus (population: 3,978) was merged with the neighboring municipalities of Hølonda (population: 1,428), Flå (population: 843), Horg (population: 2,560), and the small "Langørgen" farm area in the neighboring municipality of Buvik (population: 11) to form a new, larger municipality of Melhus. On 1 January 2018, the municipality switched from the old Sør-Trøndelag county to the new Trøndelag county.
Name.
The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old "Melhus" farm () since the first Melhus Church was built there. The first element is which means "middle". The last element is the plural form of which means "house". The farm is one part of a greater and older farm, which had the name which means "the (mead hall) of Odin".
Coat of arms.
The coat of arms was granted on 8 November 1979. The official blazon is "Gules, a bowman genuant Or" (). This means the arms have a red field (background) and the charge is a kneeling archer. The archer has a tincture of Or which means it is commonly colored yellow, but if it is made out of metal, then gold is used. The arms were chosen to symbolize a local hero, Einar Tambarskjelve, who was a famous chief and archer from Melhus in the 11th century. He is mentioned as an archer for King Olav Tryggvason in the Battle of Svolder. The arms were designed by Hallvard Trætteberg. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.
Churches.
The Church of Norway has four parishes () within the municipality of Melhus. It is part of the Gauldal prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Nidaros.
History.
Melhus was the site of many important events during the Viking Era. It was the site of the farm Rimul in Melhus at which Jarl Haakon was killed by his slave, Tormod Kark. Jarlshola is the location in Melhus thought to have been the hiding place of Jarl Haakon and Tormod Kark on their last night before the infamous murder at Rimul.
Geography.
The municipality of Melhus includes the valley of the river Gaula as it flows northwards towards its mouth at the Gaulosen, an arm of the Trondheimsfjord. The lake Svorksjøen lies on the western border with Orkdal and Meldal. The lakes Benna and Ånøya lie in the central part of the municipality, and the lake Samsjøen lies on the southeastern border with Midtre Gauldal municipality. The mountains of Rensfjellet and Vassfjellet lie on the eastern border with Selbu and Klæbu municipalities, respectively.
Government.
All municipalities in Norway, including Melhus, are responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, unemployment and other social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads. The municipality is governed by a municipal council of elected representatives, which in turn elect a mayor. The municipality falls under the Trøndelag District Court and the Frostating Court of Appeal.
Municipal council.
The municipal council () of Melhus is made up of 37 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The party breakdown of the council is as follows:
Mayors.
The mayors of Melhus:
Transportation.
European route E6 runs north and south through the municipality, following the Gaula River. There is also a long stretch of European route E39 passes east and west in the northern part of Melhus between Buvika and Leinstrand.
The Dovre Line also follows the river through Melhus. The following stations are located along the railway line in Melhus: Melhus Station, Kvål Station, Ler Station, Lundamo Station, and Hovin Station. The railroad goes through the Gulfoss Tunnel at Hovin.