The Old Norse form of the name was Sigmardalr or Sigmudalr. The first element is the genitive case of a river name Sigm(a) (now called the Simoa) and the last element is dalr which means "valley" or "dale". The Simoa river runs through Sigdal, flowing in a south-easterly course until it flows into Drammenselva at Åmot in Modum. The meaning of the river name is unknown, but is maybe derived from síga which means to "ooze" or "slide".
Number of minorities (1st and 2nd generation) in Sigdal by country of origin in 2017[5]
The coat-of-arms is from modern times. They were granted on 18 November 1983. The arms show a heraldic image of the mountain that dominates the view around the village, the Andersnatten. The profile of the mountain is yellow with a blue-colored sky above.[6]
Geography and population
Most of the citizens live in the village of Eggedal or the administrative centre of Prestfoss. Sigdal is densely populated, dominated by mountains and valleys.
About 72% of the area is covered with forest, 20% is mountain areas, and 4% of the area is cultivated. Agriculture, forestry, and the kitchen-producing enterprise of Sigdal Kjøkken are still important industries.
Climate
Sigdal has a humid continental (Dfb), near subarctic climate (Dfc), Dsb, and Dsc (the dry-summer versions, respectively) at once. The average summer high is 69 F, and the average winter low is 20 F. Snowfall in winter is fairly reliable, at 68 days per year on average, and rainfall peaks in summer and early fall. The highest and lowest temperatures ever recorded in Sigdal are 93 F (34 C) in July and-11 F (-24 C) in February, respectively.[7]
Vatnås Church
Local Attractions
Folk Music Center (Folkemusikksenteret) is a cultural heritage museum offering a good image of the building style and traditions of the district. The Folk Music Center is principally responsible for collecting, storing and promoting local folk music and dance.
Sigdal-Eggedal Museum is a regional museum for Krødsherad, Modum and Sigdal. This museum dedicated to the region's culture and history is arranged particularly authentically.
Vatnås Church (Vatnås kirke) is a historic church dating from 1660.[8]
Lauvlia is the former home of Theodor Kittelsen, one of the most popular artists in Norway, who settled near Prestfoss during 1899. Today Lauvlia is a private museum featuring an exhibition of Kittelsen’s original work