Holmen, Norway

Holmen is a small hamlet in Northern Norway with a checkered history. It is located in Målselv kommune in Troms fylke,well inside the Arctic Circle.

One of the earliest mentions of Holmen is in 1280. In this incident the local residents reported that a Troll was living under the bridge which was the main route to the neighbouring towns. Terrified residents were afraid to cross the bridge and would do so instead at the Maroder bridge, 5 kilometers to the south. This would extend any journey by hours, and added to the isolated nature of the Hamlet. The residents demanded action from the local duke, who against Magnus Håkonsen's laws ordered the bridge to be razed. However when the fire was set, several villagers who had gathered to watch, saw the troll run into the woods at the edge of the town. The duke ordered his troops into the woods to slay the troll, and legend has it that only one soldier returned to report the slaughter which had taken place. This turned into an annual hunt in which the local residents would gather with arms to hunt the troll. Today the hunting of the troll still exists, resurrected after World War II, but now the residents are armed with alcohol, and it is one of the most festive nights in Holmen.

On the 3rd of November 1996, Holmen was the site of a well documented UFO sighting. It was reported that an extremely bright object moved over the hamlet at considerable speed in a zig-zag pattern, making a strange buzzing noise. This attracted UFO enthusiasts and local radio station Radio Bardufoss, with the reports from the latter suggesting that ingestion of moonshine may have been the cause of the sighting. This caused anger in the township, and a subsequent boycott of the channel in protest.

Holmen is noted as the one time home of Norwegian legend Kurt Kurtsen.