▁in ▁M ø re ▁og ▁R oms dal ▁county , ▁Norway ▁can ▁be ▁trac ed ▁back ▁to ▁the ▁Middle ▁A ges . ▁S ett lement ▁in ▁the ▁area ▁can ▁be ▁trac ed ▁further ▁back ▁in ▁time ▁- ▁evidence ▁given ▁by ▁two ▁rock ▁sl abs ▁car ved ▁with ▁pet rog lyph s ▁found ▁at ▁B j ør set ▁west ▁of ▁the ▁center ▁of ▁the ▁town ▁of ▁Mol de ▁in ▁the ▁present ▁day ▁Mol de ▁Municip ality . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Tr ading ▁post ▁The ▁early ▁medieval ▁settlement s ▁on ▁Ve ø ya , ▁an ▁island ▁south ▁of ▁the ▁present - day ▁town ▁of ▁Mol de , ▁was ▁strateg ically ▁situated ▁at ▁the ▁j unction ▁where ▁the ▁three ▁f j ords ▁met ▁the ▁large ▁R oms dal ▁F j ord ▁leading ▁west wards ▁to ▁the ▁R oms dal ▁coast ▁and ▁the ▁sh ipping ▁routes . ▁Ve ø ya ▁was ▁first ▁mentioned ▁by ▁the ▁historian ▁S nor ri ▁St url us on ▁as ▁the ▁location ▁of ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁Se k ken ▁in ▁ 1 1 6 2 , ▁where ▁King ▁H å kon ▁the ▁Broad - should ered ▁was ▁killed ▁fighting ▁the ▁arist ocrat ▁Er ling ▁Sk ak ke , ▁during ▁the ▁Norwegian ▁civil ▁wars , ▁but ▁the ▁settlement ▁is ▁known ▁to ▁be ▁far ▁older ▁than ▁that . ▁ ▁The ▁Old ▁Ve ø y ▁Church , ▁built ▁around ▁ 1 2 0 0 ▁AD , ▁still ▁stands ▁on ▁the ▁island . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁e ve ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 5 th ▁century , ▁Ve