Burs, Gotland#The Giant

Burs is the name of the socken as well as the district. It is also the name of the small {{convert|0.18|km2|mi2|abbr=on}} village surrounding the Burs Church,{{cite web|title=Småorternas landareal, folkmängd och invånare per km2 2005 och 2010, fortsättning|trans-title=Statistics area, population, 2005 and 2010|url=http://www.scb.se/Statistik/MI/MI0811/2010A01/MI0811_2010A01_SM_MI38SM1203.pdf|page=23|website=www.scb.se|publisher=Statistics Sweden|access-date=22 July 2015}} sometimes referred to as Burs kyrkby. Located on the southeast coast of Gotland it is a flat country. Part of the farmland has been gained by draining the Rone and Lye mires, as well as the Lake Burs.{{cite book|editor1-last=Sjögren|editor1-first=Otto|title=Sverige: geografisk beskrivning|trans-title=Sweden: a geographical description|date=1931|publisher=Wahlström & Widstrand|location=Stockholm|language=sv|url=http://libris.kb.se/bib/9939}}{{cite web|last1=Bergman|first1=Mats|last2=Edlund|first2=Lars-Erik|last3=Selinge|first3=Klas-Göran|title=Burs|url=http://www.ne.se/uppslagsverk/encyklopedi/lång/burs|website=www.ne.se|publisher=Nationalencyklopedin|language=sv}}

{{As of|2019}}, Burs Church belongs to Stånga-Burs parish in Burs pastorat, along with the church in Stånga.{{cite web |title=Församlingar på Gotland |url=https://www.svenskakyrkan.se/visbystift/f |website=www.svenskakyrkan.se |publisher=Church of Sweden |access-date=12 January 2019}}{{cite web |title=Visby stifts indelning 2018 |url=https://www.svenskakyrkan.se/default.aspx?id=1714164 |website=www.svenskakyrkan.se |publisher=Church of Sweden |access-date=12 January 2019}}

One of the asteroids in the asteroid belt, 8681 Burs, is named after this place.{{cite web|title=8681 Burs (1992 EN9)|url=http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=8681|publisher=NASA|access-date=27 June 2016}}

The name Burs is derived from burg meaning "gravel ridge" or "gravel ground".{{cite book|editor1-last=Wahlberg|editor1-first=Mats|title=Svenskt ortnamnslexikon|trans-title=Swedish location names dictionary|date=2003|publisher=Språk- och folkminnesinstitutet (SOFI)|location=Uppsala|isbn=91-7229-020-X|language=sv|url=http://libris.kb.se/bib/8998039}}

A hoard of 646 Roman denarii was discovered by farm workers, between Sigdes and Burs, which was published by numismatist Rosa Norström in 1907.{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1PlAAQAAMAAJ&q=Rosa+Norstr%C3%B6m |title=American Journal of Archaeology |date=1909 |publisher=Archaeological Institute of America |language=en}}{{Cite book |last=Lind |first=Lennart |url=https://www.su.se/polopoly_fs/1.594926.1643640911!/menu/standard/file/Roman_Denarii_2018_1_Lasvanlig.pdf |title=Roman Denarii: Hoards and Stray Finds in Sweden |publisher=Stockholm Numismatic Institute |year=2018 |pages=13}}Norström, Rosa. [https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:1224226/FULLTEXT01.pdf "Romerskt myntfynd från Sigdes i Burs socken, Gotland."] Fornvännen 2 (1907): 202-203.

Burs dates back to Medieval times. It is the name of a larger area surrounding the medieval Burs Church.{{cite book|last1=Lagerlöf|first1=Erland|last2= Svahnström|first2=Gunnar|title=Gotlands kyrkor|trans-title=Gotland's Churches|language=sv|id={{LIBRIS|7232718}}|date=1973|publisher=Rabén & Sjögren|location=Stockholm|isbn=91-29-41035-5|pages=110–112}} It was originally part of the Burs thing, which in turn was in the southernmost of the three original districts (similar to ridings) that Gotland was divided into during the Middle Ages. In 1862, it became an independent municipality. In 1952, it was incorporated into the Stånga municipality and in 1971, all of Gotland became one municipality.{{cite book|last1=Harlén|first1=Hans|last2=Harlén|first2=Eivy|title=Sverige från A till Ö: geografisk-historisk uppslagsbok|trans-title=Sweden from A to Z: geographical and historical encyclopedia|date=2003|publisher=Kommentus|location=Stockholm|isbn=91-7345-139-8|url=http://libris.kb.se/bib/9337075|language=sv}} The boatswains from Burs under the allotment system, were part of the Second Gotlandic Boatswains Company.{{cite web|last1=Högman|first1=Hans|title=Gotlands båtsmanskompanier|url=http://www.algonet.se/~hogman/regementen_flo.htm#Gotlands|website=www.algonet.se|publisher=Hans Högman|access-date=4 July 2015}}

Burs has a number of Bronze Age grave mounds and stone ships. The remnants from the Iron Age consists of about ten grave fields, house foundations, collapsed stone walls and grinding grooves.{{cite web|last1=Gannholm|first1=Sören|title=Förteckning över de gotländska slipskårorna KL|trans-title=List of Gotland grinding grooves KL|url=http://stavgard.com/stavar/gotlslipsk/slipsk13.html#kl|website=www.stavgard.com|access-date=23 July 2015}}{{cite web|title=Go, Burs socken|url=http://mis.historiska.se/mis/sok/socken.asp?snkod=0904|website=www.historiska.se|publisher=Swedish History Museum|access-date=23 July 2015}}

At Sigdes farm in Burs, there is a limestone ring-cross{{cite web|title=Stenkors vid Sigdes i Burs|trans-title=Stone cross at Sigdes in Burs|url=http://kmb.raa.se/cocoon/bild/show-image.html?id=16001000509724|website=www.raa.se|publisher=Swedish National Heritage Board|access-date=23 July 2015}} dating from the later part of the 16th century.{{cite web|title=RAÄ-nummer Burs 65:1|url=http://www.fmis.raa.se/cocoon/fornsok/search.html;jsessionid=04FA276D495A058E8C43448BBEDD9BFE?objektid=10090400650001&tab=3|website=www.raa.se|publisher=Swedish National Heritage Board|access-date=23 July 2015}} According to one legend, it marks the place of an ancient battle. Another legend tells the story about a groom who died there. The cross is inscribed with and almost obliterated Latin text, which has been interpreted by L F Läffler: "This cross marks the place where Ragnvald, former vicar and now buried in Lau, was struck by death in the year of 1448 on Michael's day to whom You, oh almighty king may show kindness."{{cite book|last1=Klint|first1=Egon|title=Boken om Burs|trans-title=The book about Burs|date=1996|publisher=Ödin/Hanseproduktion|location=Visby|isbn=91-85716-77-4|url=http://libris.kb.se/bib/8379979|language=sv}} The cross have some runes chiseled on the back.

File:Gustaf Edman.jpg

Karl Gustaf Emmerik Edman (also known as The Giant) (4{{nbsp}}February 1882{{snd}}3{{nbsp}}October 1912) born at Bondare in Burs and died in Finland, is probably Sweden's tallest man up to date. He is listed as the eleventh-tallest in the world in the Guinness Book of Records.{{cite web|last1=Enderborg|first1=Bernt|title=Inte alla är små feta gotlänningar|trans-title=Not all Gotlanders are small and fat|url=http://www.guteinfo.com/?id=2338|website=www.guteinfo.com|publisher=Guteinfo|access-date=24 July 2015}} His parents were both of normal length. When he died he was supposedly {{convert|2.43|m|ftin|abbr=on}} tall and weighed {{convert|240|kg|lb|abbr=on}}. A photograph indicates that he was in fact {{convert|2.25|m|ftin|abbr=on}} His shoes in size 56 are still kept in a small museum in Burs. He started life as a farmhand and later toured with circuses and sideshows at markets. He married Anna Regina Edman from Jämtland and they had two children of normal size. He died of typhus during a tour in Finland, 30 years old.{{cite web|title=Gustaf Edman|url=http://www.thetallestman.com/gustafedman.htm|website=www.thetallestman.com|publisher=The Giant website|access-date=24 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141123230435/http://www.thetallestman.com/gustafedman.htm|archive-date=23 November 2014|url-status=usurped}}{{cite web|last1=Broberg|first1=Rolf|title=Jätten Edman åter i Burs|trans-title=Edman the Giant back in Burs|url=http://www.dn.se/arkiv/kultur/jatten-edman-ater-i-burs|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924004328/http://www.dn.se/arkiv/kultur/jatten-edman-ater-i-burs|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 24, 2015|website=Dagens Nyheter|date=25 August 1997|access-date=24 July 2015}}

A wooden statue of Edman has been erected in Burs at the crossroads to Busskveia. The statue was made by Armin Irwahn in 1996.{{cite web|title=Jätten Edman|trans-title=Edman the Giant|url=http://www.burs.nu/sevardheter/|website=www.burs.nu|publisher=Burs Heritage Society|access-date=24 July 2015}}

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{{Reflist|30em}}

{{Commons category|Burs}}

• [http://digitaltmuseum.se/search?query=Burs%20socken%20s%C3%B6dra%20gotlands Objects from Burs at the Digital Museum] by Nordic Museum

{{Gotland County}}

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Category:Populated places in Gotland County