Rauland

This article is about the former municipality in Norway. For the American diplomat, see Scott Rauland.

Rauland is a former municipality in Telemark County, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Vest-Telemark.

It was created in 1860 from the districts of Rauland in Vinje and Øyfjell in Lårdal as a border adjustment. The new municipality had a population of 988. On 1 January 1964, Rauland was incorporated into Vinje. Prior to the merger Rauland had a population of 1,656.

Rauland is known for hiking, recreation and skiing. Telemark University College has a campus in Rauland. Well-known snowboarding celebrity, Terje Håkonsen, started his career in Rauland.

Notable residents

• Sveinung Svalastoga (1772–1809), Norwegian rose painter, poet and woodcarver
• Olav Aslakson Versto (1892–1977), Norwegian politician for the Norwegian Labour Party
• Aslaug Vaa (1889–1965), Norwegian poet and playwright
• Rikard Berge (1881–1969), Norwegian folklorist, museologist, and magazine editor

The name

The municipality (originally a parish) is named after the old farm, Rauland (Norse Rauðaland), since the first church was built there. The first element is the genitive case of rauði m 'bog-iron', the last element is land n 'land, farm'. (The many marshlands in the parish are filled with bog-iron, and for centuries its production was an important local resource.)