The name comes from Napi, which means high and pointed mountain. There are some old documents about the Nape farms, but to place them at the right farm is not so easy.

Ragnhild Nape was one of those who paid tax for allodial land in 1603. For 2 tnK at Nape, 1 tnK at Sitje and 1 tnK at Øverland she paid one dollar tax. She had the same land property also in 1611, but died probably right after.

After Ragnhild died, her daughter [sic, granddaughter] Signe Tarjeisdtr inherited the rest of the farm. What happened later was that Signe died without siblings and without children. The mother [of Signe] Gunhild Olavsdtr then inherited it, but the other heirs would not have any of it after Ragnhild [sic, Gunhild] Nape died. Accordingly they went to court about the inheritance. Gunhild was a widow a second time, and remained there in 1624 with marital property 4 tnK at Nape, allodial property in Svalestog and Snarteland 2 tnK and Moghus 1½ tnK.

The judgement in 1624 was that Gunhild should get to have Nape to use the rest of her life, but after that the allodial folks would have the farm rights once again.

We know the Nape farms from several old documents. The oldest is from 1450 and tells that Neri Gjermundson and Torjus Torbjørnson sold 7 markebol at A.Nape and 4 laupsland [unit of rent, similar to markebol] at "Rydænæ" (Reine) at Tveit in Nissedal to Olav Torjusson.

It has been interpreted from this document that Torjus and Olav were father and son, but no proof of that can be found. It can also be believed that the deed of conveyance deals with Vestigard Nape.

Bjug also bought 3 markebol at the farm from Torjus Såvison [Torjus Olavson?] in 1560.

The name [Sitje] was called unique by Rygh's "Norske Gaardnavne" ["Norwegian Farm Names"] without him being able to interpret it with certainty. It probably has a connection with "to sit".

We find the brothers Olav Brekke og Knut Sitje in 1624 in a lawsuit about the inheritance after Ragnhild Nape died. They believed their mother was first in line to it [the inheritance] inasmuch as the daughters of Tarjei Nape were deceased without children. After the law of succession the court found that the widow Gunhild Nape would have Nape as long as she lived. The petition was denied.

From several inherited residences well into the 1600's we hear about Såvi and Ragnhild at Nape. They owned among other things 3 tnK at Sitje including Lie. Såvi died early, but we find Ragnhild several times. She wrote in support of Sitje in a 1588(?) document and then testified about the allodial farm Lie. Her son-in-law Folke had leased it for 9 years. It should therefore be certain that it was Folke Tjodgeirson from Straume who was the first owner we find in the skattelistene [tax rolls]. Some time after he moved home to Hylestad, we find the other son-in-law [Tarjei Folkeson] of Ragnhild.

Tarjei Folkeson from S.Rygnestad was married to Gjertrud Såvisdtr. Ragnhild of Nape had 1 tnK at Sitje in 1603, but probably already lived at Sitje then. A document from 1605 tells that Ragnhild Tarjeisdtr had lived with her son-in-law Tarjei Folkeson several years. The children of her son were minors. Tarjei would get all she had in payments due and land rents of the 4 tnK she had for her lifetime in return for bestowing her pension.

Tarjei probably died around 1610. After that we find a line of names at the farm, probably his children and grandchildren. From that we hear in the dispute about Nape and other places, there may have been many children. Owners in 1615 were Olav Svalestog with 5 mK and Torkjell Lindem of Nesherad with 2½ tnK.

Gjertrud was still alive in 1624. She had then 2 tnK at Sitje as property, 1 mK at Bergland as allodial property and 1 mK at Austad in Nednes [Aust-Agder] as marital property. Olav Svalestog had 5 mK marital property. Gjertrud probably died around 1630 and must have then been an old woman.