# Våle

Våle is a former municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. The 82-square-kilometre (32 sq mi) municipality existed from 1838 until its dissolution in 2002. The area is now part of Tønsberg Municipality. The administrative centre was the village of Kirkevoll (it was at Sørby prior to 1990). Other villages in the rural, agricultural municipality included: Brekkeåsen, Rånerudåsen, Svinevoll, Sørby, and Gretteåsen.
The famous Jarlsberg cheese first was produced in Våle. The medieval Våle Church was the main church for the municipality.

## General information

The parish of Vaale was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). On 16 July 1873, a royal resolution approved transferring an uninhabited area of Vaale Municipality to the neighboring Ramnes Municipality. In 1947, a small area of Botne Municipality (population: 8) was transferred to Våle. On 1 January 2002, Våle Municipality was merged with the neighboring Ramnes Municipality to form the new Re Municipality. Re Municipality became part of Tønsberg Municipality on 1 January 2020.

### Name

The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Vaale farm (Old Norse: Válir) since the first Våle Church was built there. The name is the plural form of the word váll which means "clearing in the woods". On 21 December 1917, a royal resolution enacted the 1917 Norwegian language reforms. Prior to this change, the name was spelled Vaale with the digraph "aa", and after this reform, the name was spelled Våle, using the letter å instead.

### Coat of arms

The coat of arms was granted on 23 February 1990. The official blazon is "Vert, a mistletoe branch Or" (Norwegian: I grønt en gull mistelteinkvist). This means the arms have a green field (background) and the charge is a branch of mistletoe. The charge 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 mistletoe plant is very rare in Norway, but can be found in Våle. It is known from Norse mythology because Höðr shot a mistletoe arrow that killed the god Baldr. He was later avenged by his brother Váli (which sounds like Våle). The color green refers to agriculture and forestry. The arms were designed by Stein Davidsen. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.

### Churches

The Church of Norway had two parishes (sokn) within the municipality of Våle. It was part of the Nord-Jarlsberg prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Tunsberg.
Churches in Våle :
| Parish (sokn) | Church name | Location of the church | Year built |
| Undrumsdal | Undrumsdal Church | Undrumsdal | 1882 |
| Våle | Våle Church | Bergsåsen | c. 1100 |

## Government

While it existed, Våle municipality was responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, unemployment, social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads. During its existence, this municipality was governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor was indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council. The municipality was under the jurisdiction of the Horten District Court and the Agder Court of Appeal.

### Mayors

The mayors (Norwegian: ordfører) of Våle:
* 1838-1839: C.B. Brodahl
* 1839-1843: Simen Elias Crøger
* 1843-1845: C.B. Brodahl
* 1845-1847: Wincent Thurmann
* 1847-1851: C. B. Brodahl
* 1851-1853: Christen Torp
* 1853-1861: Christen Hansen
* 1861-1869: Nicolay Møller
* 1869-1871: Rasmus P. Hals
* 1871-1873: Abraham C. Revetal
* 1873-1875: Ole Bærøe
* 1875-1877: Mathias Hjelmtvedt
* 1877-1879: Ole Bærøe
* 1879-1883: Johan Jørgensen Hundsal (H)
* 1883-1885: Abraham C. Revetal (V)
* 1885-1889: Johan Jørgensen Hundsal (H)
* 1889-1891: Abraham Hillestad (H)
* 1892-1907: Johan Jørgensen Hundsal (H)
* 1908-1925: Hans Kristian Kaldager (H)
* 1926-1928: Jørgen Hundsal (Bp)
* 1929-1931: Hans Kristian Kaldager (H)
* 1932-1937: Jørgen Hundsal (Bp)
* 1938-1940: Ole Martinsen (Bp)
* 1941-1945: Trygve Aanestad (NS)
* 1945-1955: Thorvald Hillestad (Sp)
* 1956-1967: Isak Bjerknes (Sp)
* 1968-1975: Ludvik Bettum (Sp)
* 1976-1982: Odd Jonstang (Sp)
* 1982-1987: Ragnar Gjerpe (H)
* 1988-1991: Thorvald Hillestad (Sp)
* 1992-1995: Marit Haugen (Sp)
* 1996-1999: Kåre Solberg (KrF)
* 1999-2001: Thorvald Hillestad (Sp)

### Municipal council

The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Våle was made up of 25 representatives that were elected to four year terms. The tables below show the historical composition of the council by political party.
Våle kommunestyre 1999–2001 :
| Party name (in Norwegian) | Party name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives |
| | Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 6 |
| | Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet) | 3 |
| | Conservative Party (Høyre) | 5 |
| | Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) | 4 |
| | Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 7 |
| Total number of members: | Total number of members: | 25 |
Våle kommunestyre 1995–1999 :
| Party name (in Norwegian) | Party name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives |
| | Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 6 |
| | Conservative Party (Høyre) | 6 |
| | Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) | 4 |
| | Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 9 |
| Total number of members: | Total number of members: | 25 |
Våle kommunestyre 1991–1995 :
| Party name (in Norwegian) | Party name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives |
| | Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 6 |
| | Conservative Party (Høyre) | 7 |
| | Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) | 4 |
| | Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 8 |
| Total number of members: | Total number of members: | 25 |
Våle kommunestyre 1987–1991 :
| Party name (in Norwegian) | Party name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives |
| | Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 8 |
| | Conservative Party (Høyre) | 8 |
| | Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) | 3 |
| | Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 6 |
| Total number of members: | Total number of members: | 25 |
Våle kommunestyre 1983–1987 :
| Party name (in Norwegian) | Party name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives |
| | Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 7 |
| | Conservative Party (Høyre) | 10 |
| | Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) | 2 |
| | Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 6 |
| Total number of members: | Total number of members: | 25 |
Våle kommunestyre 1979–1983 :
| Party name (in Norwegian) | Party name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives |
| | Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 7 |
| | Conservative Party (Høyre) | 9 |
| | Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) | 3 |
| | Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 6 |
| Total number of members: | Total number of members: | 25 |
Våle kommunestyre 1975–1979 :
| Party name (in Norwegian) | Party name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives |
| | Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 6 |
| | Conservative Party (Høyre) | 5 |
| | Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) | 2 |
| | Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 8 |
| Total number of members: | Total number of members: | 21 |
Våle kommunestyre 1971–1975 :
| Party name (in Norwegian) | Party name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives |
| | Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 7 |
| | Conservative Party (Høyre) | 4 |
| | Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) | 1 |
| | Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 9 |
| Total number of members: | Total number of members: | 21 |
Våle kommunestyre 1967–1971 :
| Party name (in Norwegian) | Party name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives |
| | Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 7 |
| | Conservative Party (Høyre) | 5 |
| | Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) | 1 |
| | Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 8 |
| Total number of members: | Total number of members: | 21 |
Våle kommunestyre 1963–1967 :
| Party name (in Norwegian) | Party name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives |
| | Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 8 |
| | Conservative Party (Høyre) | 4 |
| | Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) | 1 |
| | Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 8 |
| Total number of members: | Total number of members: | 21 |
Våle herredsstyre 1959–1963 :
| Party name (in Norwegian) | Party name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives |
| | Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 6 |
| | Conservative Party (Høyre) | 5 |
| | Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) | 1 |
| | Centre Party (Senterpartiet) | 9 |
| Total number of members: | Total number of members: | 21 |
Våle herredsstyre 1955–1959 :
| Party name (in Norwegian) | Party name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives |
| | Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 7 |
| | Conservative Party (Høyre) | 4 |
| | Christian Democratic Party (Kristelig Folkeparti) | 1 |
| | Farmers' Party (Bondepartiet) | 9 |
| Total number of members: | Total number of members: | 21 |
Våle herredsstyre 1951–1955 :
| Party name (in Norwegian) | Party name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives |
| | Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 10 |
| | Conservative Party (Høyre) | 8 |
| | Farmers' Party (Bondepartiet) | 14 |
| Total number of members: | Total number of members: | 32 |
Våle herredsstyre 1947–1951 :
| Party name (in Norwegian) | Party name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives |
| | Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 8 |
| | Conservative Party (Høyre) | 6 |
| | Farmers' Party (Bondepartiet) | 16 |
| | Joint List(s) of Non-Socialist Parties (Borgerlige Felleslister) | 2 |
| Total number of members: | Total number of members: | 32 |
Våle herredsstyre 1945–1947 :
| Party name (in Norwegian) | Party name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives |
| | Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 9 |
| | Farmers' Party (Bondepartiet) | 15 |
| | Joint list of the Liberal Party (Venstre) and the Radical People's Party (Radikale Folkepartiet) | 1 |
| | List of workers, fishermen, and small farmholders (Arbeidere, fiskere, småbrukere liste) | 1 |
| | Joint List(s) of Non-Socialist Parties (Borgerlige Felleslister) | 6 |
| Total number of members: | Total number of members: | 32 |
Våle herredsstyre 1937–1941* :
| Party name (in Norwegian) | Party name (in Norwegian) | Number of representatives |
| | Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) | 7 |
| | Farmers' Party (Bondepartiet) | 13 |
| | Liberal Party (Venstre) | 2 |
| | Joint List(s) of Non-Socialist Parties (Borgerlige Felleslister) | 8 |
| | Local List(s) (Lokale lister) | 2 |
| Total number of members: | Total number of members: | 32 |
| Note: Due to the German occupation of Norway during World War II, no elections were held for new municipal councils until after the war ended in 1945. |||

## Notable people

* Kåre Holt (1916–1997), an author