Ormeskred in Sweden
In Sweden 'Skred' means land-slip. 'Skred' is related to the English word 'scree' which retains more of the original meaning - a slope of loose stones and rocks at the foot of a cliff or mountain.
In the 1990s, Per-Allan Olsson of Sweden, was kind enough to send the above photograph of Ormeskred and a short history of the area to Stephen Orme.
" The village of Skredsvik was originally named Ormestad, this led to the scree-slope being named Ormeskred, the bay in the inner part of the fjord then became 'Ormeskred's Vik', over the years this was shortened to Skredsvik and the name was applied to the village. "
Ormesrad / Ormestad
Ormesrad = historic farm/clearing. Ormestad = modern form
Ormesrad is (or was) a distinctive settlement within Skredsvik socken in Bohuslän.
The name has deep historical roots, and likely comes from “Orm / Ormes” (a personal name) + a word meaning “clearing / settlement” (-rad).
It’s recognized in academic / place-name scholarship (via ISOF) as a fairly old name, possibly going back to the early medieval or even pre-medieval period.
Further research in 2025 of old maps and place-name sources, pulled together what actually appears for Ormesrad / Ormestad in and around Skredsvik.
Ormesrad is an historic farm/village recorded in Skredsviks socken, and the modern name Ormestad appears on maps and property records for the same general spot.
The older form Ormesrad (the “-rad/-rod” element = clearing/settlement) appears in academic place-name lists and parish name-inventories, while Ormestad / Ormestad (modern spelling) shows up on modern maps, property registers and municipal reports. These are not contradictory — they represent the same local place in older and newer records (orthographic variation is typical).