Løten

Løten is a municipality in Hedmark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Hedmarken. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Løten. The parish of Løiten was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt).

General information

Name

The municipality (originally the parish) is named after an old farm (Old Norse Lautvin). The actual farm is probably the one which is now called Prestgarden (meaning "the vicarage"), where the first church was built. The first element is laut which means "hollow depression". (There is a long depression between the Prestgarden and the old church.) The last element is vin which means "meadow" or "pasture".

From about 1500 until 1838 the name was written "Leuten" or "Leuthen". From 1838 until 1918 the name was written "Løiten". It has been spelled Løten since 1918.

Coat-of-arms

The coat-of-arms is from modern times. They were granted on 7 September 1984. The arms show a gold-colored drinking horn from the Middle Ages on a red background. It represents the historical importance of growing wheat and also the products of the modern Løiten Brænderi (Løten brewery).