Grenland

Grenland's historical core lay around Lake Norsjo in Telemark, although the name later came to embrace a broader coastal region. The lake and river system connected the interior with the trading town of Skien and the waters beyond. Skien handled goods such as whetstones from Eidsborg, while Gimsøy Abbey drew travellers and merchandise into the district. Competition between the abbey's market and the townspeople helped prompt the royal privileges granted to Skien by Hakon VI in 1358. The surrounding countryside and the town therefore belonged to a shared commercial landscape, even when their rights and jurisdictions differed. The older county name Grenafylke had covered both the Norsjo district and coastal settlements, but had fallen out of use during the thirteenth century. Grenland should thus be understood through a changing historical geography: lake country, river routes, ecclesiastical estates and an urban market linked the district to the wider Norwegian coast.