Baggehola

Useful Information

Location:	Stryn On Panorama Road (Rv 613) Nordfjord Nordsida. (61.8334420, 6.4959350)
Open:	No restrictions. [2025]
Fee:	free. [2025]
Classification:	Neotectonic cave
Light:	bring torch
Dimension:	L=2 m.
Guided tours:	self guided
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:
Address:	Stryn Tourist Information, Stryn Næringshage - Tinggata 3, 6783 Stryn. Tel: +47-57-874054. E-mail:
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1915	discovered by two men searching for lost sheep.

Description

Baggehola (Bagges Cave) is a small hole in the granite rocks above Nordfjord. It is easily found when driving along the Panorama Road (Rv 613/5742) on the Nordsida (northern side). There is a parking lot named Ulvedal, which is the starting point of the Ulvedal Cultural Trail. This 2.5 km round trip passes through gentle woodland with a moderate uphill climb.

The cave was discovered in 1905. Peder Sætre and Jacob Gald climbed down into a sker to rescue some sheep that had gotten stuck in the sker. They noticed that there was a hole in the rock, a natural cave. The openings were walled up with stone, and there was evidence of a fireplace, the roof of the cave was black with soot. Animal bones were also found, the remains of a meal. Actually it is not known if the killer from the legend actually existed, as far as we know there are no official documents. Also, there is no evidence that he actually lived here, but it was obvious that somebody lived in this cave. So the cave was named Baggehola after the legend about Helje Bagge. Actually the legend is very concise and does not give an exact location. Steps and paths were made to allow easy access to the cave.

In the Middle Ages, in the early 16th century, there lived a man named Helje Bagge. He was at the court at Heggdal in Innvik, and killed the tax collector between the heavy table and the wall. So Helje Bagge had to flee as a murderer.

He hid far away in a cave in the Ulvedalsfjellet mountain. For three years he lived here from the forest. His wife, who was loyal to him, rowed over the fjord and left food and other goods at a secret place. When she was gone and no pursuer appeared, he came to get the food.

One day he was offered a chance for pardon. There was a convicted criminal who was in hiding at Selje Monastery. If he killed the man he would be a free man. Helje went to Selje Monastery together with his son, killed the man and was awarded with amnesty.

Old legend.

We found the story rather strange and incomplete, so we have a few guesses what happened. Tax collectors were quite unpopular for obvious reasons, and it seems sometimes they collected more tax than actually legal. He seemed to be quick-tempered and became very angry during the debate, so much so that he knocked over the table towards the tax collector. So what he committed was actually manslaughter in the heat of the moment. On the other hand there was a murderer, a killer, who hid from justice in a monastery. In the Middle Ages, the churches were holy ground, and it was not possible to prosecute someone on holy ground. So actually the jurisdiction was using him to cheat with the church in this matter. There is also a much longer version, but the legend is somewhat ambiguous in all versions. The name Helje is a local variant of Helge, actually a pronunciation.