Estate and power on Giske through 1000 years

Giskegodset and the Arnlings

From Giske near Ålesund the Arnlings (Arnungane, the eagle's children) and their heirs ruled over land, ships and fishing stations for 600 years. Their daughters became mothers of kings and jarls, and in the 16th century the Giske estate was counted the largest in the country.

The island on the sailing route

Giske lies on the leia, the sheltered sailing route, between Stad in the south and Hustadvika in the north, two of the most dangerous stretches of the coast. Whoever held Giske and the islands around it held one of the most important passages along Nordvegen.

Read more

• The timeline: the history of Giske in seven chapters
• The family tree: 22 generations from Finnvid Funnen to Gjørvel Fadersdatter
• Family ties: the marriages that linked Giske to kings and jarls
• Power in the realm
• The estate: fish, sawmills, salmon and marble
• The map: places, journeys, the Giske estate and the borders of the realm
• 250 letters from Diplomatarium Norvegicum
• The sources