Summer Travelling in Iceland; being the narrative of two journeys across the island ... With a chapter on Askja by E. Delmar Morgan ... Containing also a literal translation of three sagas. Maps, etc

Front matter

SUMMER TRAVELLING IN ICELAND. GULLFOSS. {Frontispiece. SUMMER TRAVELLING IN ICELAND; BEING THE NARRATIVE OF TWO JOURNEYS ACROSS THE ISLAND BY UNFREQUENTED ROUTES. WITH A HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION, AND SOME HINTS AS TO THE EXPENSES AND NECESSARY PREPARATIONS FOR A TOUR IN ICELAND, By JOHN COLES, F.R.A.S., F.R.G.S., MAP CURATOR AND INSTRUCTOR IN PRACTICAL ASTRONOMY, ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY. WITH A CHAPTER ON ASKfA, By E. DELMAR MORGAN, F.R.G.S. CONTAINING ALSO A LITERAL TRANSLATION OF THREE SAGAS. MAPS AND ILLUSTRATIONS. LONDON: JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET. 1882. The right of Translation is reserved. TO LADY PEEK, IN REMEMBRANCE OF THE KINDLY INTEREST WHICH SHE TOOK IN THE JOURNEY WHICH FORMS THE SUBJECT OF THESE PAGES, Volume is Enscribeii, BY THE AUTHOR.

Preface

. So few people ever read a preface, that it would almost appear to be a work of supererogation to write one. I shall nevertheless venture to do so, as it will, at least, afford an opportunity of acknowledging my obligations to those who have kindly assisted me in the production of the present volume, the foremost among whom are my two travelling companions, Mr. Cuthbert E. Peek and Mr. E. Delmar Morgan. By allowing me to refer to his carefully kept diary, Mr. Peek has rendered me valuable service, and Mr. Morgan has contributed a chapter on Askja, a volcano which has only been visited by one other Englishman ; to Dr. Jon A. Hjaltalin, the Principal of MoSruvellir Technical College, my thanks are due for much of the information contained in the Historical Introduction ; as also to Mr. Eirikr Magnusson, Assistant Librarian of the Cambridge University Library, for kindly supervising the translation of the three Sagas which form the Appendix.

The plan of the Great Geysir and Neighbourhood, which was originally published in the R. G. S. " Proceedings," has, by kind per mission of the Council, been given in the present volume. Having thus acknowledged my obligations, it next remains for me to give some good reason for venturing to intrude on public notice ; and that I will now endeavour to do. In the Preface. first place, though many works on Iceland have been published, dealing with its botany, geology, and natural history, I am only aware of one, of recent date, that would be of any real service to a tourist, viz., the ' Home of the Eddas,' by Charles G. Warnford Lock ; and this, unfortunately, is out of print. This being the case, I have, at the request of my friends, undertaken the production of the present work, in the hope that a plain narrative of my wanderings in Iceland, by unfrequented routes, will convey to the mind of the in tending traveller a sufficiently clear notion of the kind of country he is about to visit ; and that the hints, given at the end of this work, will enable him to count the cost, and make those preparations which are absolutely necessary, to avoid loss of time and ensure comfort.

I had contemplated giving, at length, the results of many observations, taken by my friends and myself, during our journey, but, on second thoughts, I felt sure that the general reader would not be interested in them, the more especially as they are given on my map, which has been carefully compiled from all reliable sources. Many of the heights have been recal culated and given in English feet ; others have been added, computed from aneroid readings, taken during our journey ; the readings at the lower stations have been received from the Danish Meteorological Office, through the courtesy of Rear-Admiral Irminger, of the Royal Danish Navy. The illustrations are, for the most part, taken from sketches made by myself. I would refer any one who intends visiting Iceland, and who may not be acquainted with the effects of magnetic variation on the compass-needle, to read carefully the short note on that subject which I have given at the end of the Preface. last chapter.

I have purposely avoided going into the theory, being content to give such directions as will, I trust, enable any one to take a true bearing. I am aware that my experiences in Iceland, with regard to its inhabitants, differ considerably from those of some others who have written on the subject, but I can only say that I have described them as I found them : and even if I am wrong, I am glad that I saw the bright side of their character, for to us they were always a civil, obliging, honest, and hospitable people, and as such I shall always remember them. J. C. Mitcham, May 1SS2. CONTENTS.

Chapter I

Leaving Leith — Landing at Thorshavn — Unpleasant travelling Companion — First Glimpse of Iceland — Landing at Reykjavik — Hotel Accommodation — The Alping — Description of the Town — Mountain Climbing extraordinary — Preparing for Journey Inland . . . . Page i

Chapter II

Iceland Ponies — Our Guides — Start for the Interior — The Almannagja' — The Halt at Pingvellir Church-farm — Skyr — Old Meeting-place of the Aiding — Troublesome Flies — Starting for the " Geysirs " — Changeability of the Weather — Haymaking — Arrival at the " Geysirs " . . it

Chapter III

The " Geysirs " — General Description — -Great Geysir — Mode of taking Soundings, &c. — Analysis of the Water — Strokkr — How to cause an Eruption — Fearful Appearance — Blesi, the Traveller's Friend — Little Geysir — A Dangerous Duty — Supposed Connection between these Springs — Unappreciated Melody — The Gullfoss .. .. .. 22

Chapter IV

Starting for Hekla — Civility of the Peasants — Fording the Hvh_ — A Farmer's Library — Hruni — Icelandic Sheep — PjorsaVholt — A Natural Vapour Bath — Galtalœkr — Hekla — Magnificent View — An Unpleasant Position .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 32

Chapter V

Hagaey — Asmundur, the Guide for Sprengisandr — Remarkable Hills — RauSukambar — The Dust Nuisance — View from Sandafell — Along the Pjdrsd — Cooking our Dinner — Swans — Jokull Rivers — Fording the Pjdrsa — Eyvindarkofaver — Story of Eyvindar — Crossing the Sprengisandr — An Icelandic Song — Lundarbrekka . . . . . . . . Contents.

Chapter VI

Morgan starts to visit Askja — Lundarbrekka— An Uncomfortable Ride — Lost in a Snow Storm— Gautldnd— Kind Reception— Wild Duck Shooting — An Adventure with the Cows — Fishing in the Laxd — The Midges —Morgan Returns— Instability of the Ground . . . . Page 68

Chapter VII

A VISIT TO ASKJA, BY E. DELMAR MORGAN, F.R.G.S. Preparations for Askja — Jon of Vidrkær ; his Farm ; his Wife— Icelandic Poetry — An Idle Day — A Visitor — Dyngjufjdll — Previous Explorations of Askja— Svartakot— The Odavia-hraun— Lava Fields—" The Basket " — A Cold Night — Iceland Ponies — HerSubrei-5 — Pumice Cone — The new Craters — Our Return . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

Chapter VIII

Starting for ReykjahliS — Fording the Laxa — Myvatn — Arriving at Reykjahlivj — A Lively Night — Visit to the Sulphur Springs — On Treacherous Ground — The Krafla Crater — The new Lava Bed — Snowed up at Eilifsvatn — Returning to ReykjahliS, a Cold Ride — On the Road for Pverd — Pverd Church — The Go-Safoss — Arrival at Ljosavatn . . . . 97

Chapter IX

Ljosavatn Church — Hdls — Arrival at Akreyri — Shark Oil Factory — Icelandic Trading Company's Establishment — Polar Bears — General Description of Akreyri — An Unpleasant Affair — MoSruvellir Technical College — The Oxnadalr — Steinsta-Sir — New Roads — Arriving at Miklibær — A Wedding — Fording the Hera-Ssvdtn — A Pleasant Ride — The Story of " Grettir the Strong " . . . . . . . . ..115

Chapter X

Gil — Fording the Blanda — Useless Guide — Sdlheimar — Embarrassing Kindness — Aurora Borealis — Svinavatn, why so called — Hnausar — An extraordinary Disease and its Cure — Salmon Fishing — The House of a Sysselman — Bound for Kalmanstunga — The new Mail Road — Crossing the Grimstvingnaheroi — Kalmanstunga .. .. .. ..136 Contents.

Chapter XI

A Disappointment — Starting for Reykjavik — A Long Ride — Eyriksjdkull — The Story of Eirikr — The Kaldidalr — Probable Fate of our Horses — Sharks — The Halt at Karasta-Sr — Return to Reykjavik — Settling our Accounts — Preparing for Homeward Voyage — The Eider-Duck — Farewell to Iceland — Return Home .. .. .. .. Page 155

Appendix

I. Icelandic Sagas .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 173 The Story of ThorSr HreSa (The Terror) 173 Bandamanna Saga ; or, The Story ofthe Confederates . . 205 The Story of Hrafnkell, Frey's Priest . . . . . . . . 230

APPENDIX.

II. Outfit and Expenses .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 250 Index . LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. Gullfoss .. .. .. .. •• ■• •■ Frontispiece. Iceland Pack-horses .. .. .. ■- •• Page 12 PfNcvELLiR Church and Farm .. .. •• To face „ 16 Great Geysir . . .. .. .. •• •■ „ ,,24 Strokkr . . . . . . . . . ■ • ■ • • ,,26 Plan of the Great Geysir and Neighbourhood To face „ 28 Sections of Ditto — -follow. Plan of Iceland Sheepfold . . . . . . . . ,, 38 Galtalœkr Farm — Front View and Ground Plan . . ,,42 Hagaey .. . . . . . . . . . . . . To face „ 47 Eyvindarkofaver, with Arnarfellsjokull in the Distance . . . . . . . . . . . . ,, „ 60 Gautlond .. .. .. .. .. .. „ ,,78 J6n of Vidrkær .. .. .. .. .. .. „ 81 Johanna Katrin, J6n of Vidrkær's Wife . . . . ,,84 Icelandic Lady's Saddle . . . . . . . . . . „ 96 Bridal Dress of an Icelandic Woman .. .. To face „ 124 Ordinary Dress of an Icelandic Woman .. „ ,,127 Reykjavik „ ,,164 Eider-Duck .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ,,169 Map of Iceland, ( ' )

Introduction

. The first record that we have of the discovery of Iceland is contained in a book, entitled ' De Mensura Orbis Terræ,' which was written by the Irish monk Dicuil, a.d. 825. He says that, thirty years before, some Irish clerics had lived on the island of Thule from the month of February until August, and they had told him that, not only during the summer solstice, but for some days before and after it, the sun had disappeared for only a short time, as if it had been hidden behind a small hill ; but that, even during this short absence, they had sufficient light to enable them to read or follow their usual occupations, and that they thought it probable the sun would have been visible at that season throughout the day and night from the top of a high moun tain. They also said that those who had written that Thule was encircled with ice had evidently told falsehoods, as had also those who pretended that, from the vernal to the autumnal equinox, there was unbroken daylight ; a.nd,vice versa, that they were in darkness from the autumnal until the vernal equinox of the following year ; for, though they had arrived at this island when it was very cold, they had been able to land and take up their residence there ; at the same time they had also witnessed the alternate changes of day and night.

With regard to ice, however, they stated that when they had rowed for one day to the north, they found the sea to be all frozen. Dicuil, in his book, gives a description of the Faroe Islands, and mentions, among other things, that some Irish hermits had, for many years previous to the time of his writing, lived Introduction. II there, but had been forced to abandon them on account of the frequent incursions of the Norwegian pirates ; he also refers to the " innumerable multitude " of birds to be found at these islands, and the large number of sheep ; from which latter they probably derived the name of Faroe or Sheep Islands, from Faar, a sheep. As Dicuil seems to have been so well acquainted with the existence and position of the Faroe Islands, it seems highly improbable that he would have men tioned any of the islands south of that group as being the most remote northern isle ; and indeed the length of the days, as described by his informants, would exclude them from con sideration, and point to Iceland as the place where these Irish clerics had spent six months towards the close ofthe eighth century, some sixty or seventy years before Naddodr and GarSar, the first Scandinavians who visited Iceland, were driven there by stress of weather.

GarSar circumnavigated Iceland, and thus proved it to be an island. Towards the end of the ninth century a report ofthe existence of this new land had become rumoured among the Scandinavians, and a Norwegian, by name Floki, determined to make a voyage in quest of it. Having entertained all his friends at a great sacrificial feast, he consecrated three ravens to OrJinn, and, taking them with him in his ship, set sail for Shetland, and from thence he went to the Faroes. After waiting a short time there, he sailed away to the northward, and when he had gone a considerable distance from the land, he liberated one of the ravens, which flew away in the direction of the Faroes, from which Floki concluded that they were still the nearest land. Continuing his course, he sent up the second raven, which, after flying up into the air, came back to the ship ; but the third raven flew away, and Floki, following the direction of the bird's flight, shortly after came in sight of land.

He then steered along the coast to the westward, and finding that the land turned to north, he continued to sail along it until he came to a bay Introduction. III on the north-west of Iceland, where he found abundance of fish, both in the river and the sea : here he landed the cattle and sheep which he had brought with him, and put up houses ; but, as he neglected to make any hay for his stock during the summer, they all died in the winter. Becoming disheartened, he returned to Norway, giving a very poor account of the country which he had discovered, and which he called Iceland, because, from the top of a mountain which he ascended during the winter, he saw a firth filled with ice ; this firth he called IsafjorS, and the land Island. There seems to have been among Floki' s followers one at least who regarded the country in a more favourable light than his leader.

This man's name was Porolfr ; he pro nounced it to be a land flowing with butter ; but he was not believed, and was ever after known as " Butter Porolfr." Be tween the accounts of Iceland given by Floki and Porolfr, their countrymen must have been very much puzzled, but there were doubtless some among their companions who gave true and impartial accounts of the land they had visited, and who must have seen that with forethought they might have kept their cattle and sheep alive during the winter ; indeed, one, whose name was Herjolfr, is mentioned as having done so ; but even these more truthful and moderate accounts do not appear to have held out sufficient inducements to the Norwegians to try their fortunes in the newly-discovered land, although, if we may judge from the accounts given of Ice land in the Sagas, the country must once have possessed a milder climate and more productive soil than it does at the present day.

The pastures are described as being much more extensive than they now are; instances are given of cattle being able to find sufficient feed for themselves during the winter ; pigs were not only kept, but, in some parts of the island, were numerous, whereas there is not one in Iceland now. Many parts of the island are spoken of as being covered with b Introduction. IV woods, and indeed some of the names of places point to this fact, but as no large trees have ever been found in the bogs, it is probable that these woods, though undoubtedly much more numerous than at present, were composed of the same dwarf birch-trees which are to be found in the existing, so-called, forests of Iceland ; these are seldom thicker than a man's wrist, and rarely attain the height of twelve feet. The fisheries are described as being extensive and productive ; the same description may be given of them at the present day.

Iceland, however, owes its colonisation not so much to its attractions, as to the stronger reason of necessity. In the latter half of the ninth century, Haraldr, one of the many chieftains or kings who ruled Norway, set himself to the task of subduing all the petty chieftains, and uniting Norway under his sole sovereignty. His resources were greatly supe rior to those of any one of his antagonists, and he seized every opportunity to attack them in detail. As might be expected from so hardy and courageous a people, he met with a stubborn resistance, and it was not until the decisive battle of Hafursfjord, in 872, in which Haraldr was vic torious, that he became sole ruler of Norway, and that all resistance to his authority was useless. Norway being no longer a safe place for those who had been the king's enemies, they fled the country, some going to the Orkneys, Shetland, the Hebrides, the north of Scotland, and Ireland, while others went to Iceland.

Two foster-brothers —Ingolfi and Hjdrleifr — who had for feited their estates in Norway, set sail for the land discovered by Floki, and were the first to settle in Iceland. Having spent a winter there, they came back to Norway, but returned to Iceland in the ensuing summer, taking with them their sister Helga and her husband Leifr, who was shortly after killed by his slaves. Three years later, Ingolfi settled at Reykjavik, the present capital of Iceland. ,. Introduction. V From this time the tide of emigration began to flow towards Iceland. All the petty chiefs who were discon tented with the rule of Haraldr, were not slow to follow the example of Ingolfi, and emigrated to Iceland, and many of those who had fled to other countries for safety, now joined their countrymen in the land of their adoption, bringing with them their household gods, their families, their thralls, and all their movable property.

The manner in which they determined the site of their future homestead was extremely curious. On approaching the land, the chief threw overboard the pillars which had supported his high seat at home, and where these were driven on shore, he considered the gods had directed him to fix his future dwelling-place; and sometimes they had to search for years before they found the pillars again. An instance is given where one of these intending settlers, having died on the voyage, left instructions with his son to place his body in a strong coffin and throw it overboard, telling him to settle where he found it driven on shore. To take formal possession of the land, the settler had to kindle a fire at his starting-place, and then another in sight of it, and so on, until the whole space he intended to occupy had been thus surrounded by fires ; but, as settlers became numerous, no one was allowed to take possession of more land than he could place between two opposite fires in a day.

In the morning he was to make a fire in the east, and then he was to go as far west as he could in a day and make another fire. There seems to have been no necessity to fix the boundary inland, as in most localities the interior of Iceland, at a distance of 25 miles from the coast, is a barren desert. The women who were desirous of taking up land, had a harder task to perform than the men ; they were not allowed to take possession of more land than they could make a two year old heifer go-found from sunrise to sunset, in the spring. Introduction. VI In the year 929, the first meeting ofthe General Assembly or Aiding took place. It had been found necessary for the well-being of the community to adopt some code of laws suited to the peculiar circumstances of Iceland, by which quarrels could be settled before a court composed of the most important inhabitants, and thus put a stop to the feuds and bloodshed which had been so prevalent.

The whole island was divided into four quarters — North, South, East, and West — each of which sent their representatives to the Alping, which consisted of 144 members. This assembly had both legislative and judiciary power, and the president, who was elected for three years, had to direct the proceedings of the assembly, and decide all cases of doubtful law. The authority of the Alping was upheld by all the more powerful chiefs, and though feuds between single chiefs continued to exist, they had in the event to bow to the decisions of the National Assembly. The Alping first met at Pingvallr, and continued to do so at the appointed times until 1800, when it was abolished. Christianity would seem to have made considerable pro gress in Iceland previous to the eleventh century, for it is recorded that the Alping in the year 1000 was engaged in a discussion as to whether Christianity should, for the future, be the religion of the land, and their decision in favour of it was hastened by the following circumstance.

While the debate was at its height, a messenger brought intelligence that a volcanic eruption had taken place in the district of Olfus, and that the house of the high priest Thoroddr was in danger of being destroyed. The heathen party, wishing to turn this event to their advantage, ex claimed: "Can it be a matter of surprise that the gods should be angry at such speeches as we have heard ? " To which Snorri Godi, a Christian, replied : " At what were the gods angry at the period when the very lava on which we now stand was burning ? " Though the question had its Introduction. VII effect on some of Snorri Godi's hearers, it by no means convinced the majority of the heathen ; but what could not be gained by argument was accomplished by bribery. The President of the Assembly, who at the time was a heathen, was induced by the Christian party, for a consideration, to undertake to bring before the Alping, laws that would suit both parties, and retired to his bed for twenty-four hours to mature his proposals ; after which he arose, and mounting the Law Rock, and calling the people round him, said : " If we have not laws and religion in common our peace is gone."

To these words he added such persuasive arguments, that both Christians and heathens pledged themselves to keep the laws proposed by him. Having thus secured the adhesion of both parties, he proposed that every one should become a Christian by being baptized ; that those of the heathen party who wished to worship the old gods and eat horseflesh might do so secretly ; but if done in the presence of wit nesses, it would be punished with outlawry. Both parties were satisfied with these proposals, and Christianity became, in name at least, the religion of the country. The free state of Iceland maintained its independence until the year 1261, when it was united with Norway. Its overthrow was entirely due to internal dissensions ; a cor rupt body of chiefs and rulers having sold it to Hakon " the old," who at that time occupied the throne of Norway.

This crafty monarch, by the free use of bribery and pro mises of preferment, gained the support of the most powerful Icelandic chiefs, and eventually, with their assistance, succeeded in uniting Iceland with Norway. This, however, was not accomplished until the country had been plunged into a civil war, in which many of the contending chiefs lost their lives. In the year 1380 Iceland was transferred to Danish rule, and under that government it has remained to the present day. Until the year 1490 the ports of Iceland Introduction. VIII were open to the traders of all countries; after that, for nearly three hundred years, the commerce of the country was farmed out to merchants and trading companies, much to the detriment of the island. This was afterwards modified, and all trade was thrown open to Danes and Icelanders alike, but to no others.

During the years 1540-51 the Reformation was intro duced into Iceland, and, like the introduction of Christianity, met with no serious opposition on the part of the inhabitants. From the date of its union to Norway the history of Iceland presents a long list of calamities ; several times the population has been greatly reduced in numbers by pestilence or famine, but now it may fairly be hoped that brighter prospects have opened for its future. Freedom in trade, and self-government, which have done so much for other countries, were in 1874 extended to Iceland; and, as its people are a shrewd perse vering race, it is to be hoped that their future history may be as bright as some of the past has been gloomy. The population has been steadily increasing for the past ten years ; the Census Returns of 1870 showed a population of 69,763 ; that of 1 88 1, 73,000.

The principal towns, such as Reykja vik and Akreyri, have increased both in size and importance ; and trade, which at one period in Iceland's history was all but dead, is brisk and flourishing. The geographical features of Iceland are not less inter esting than the history of its people. Iceland lies just south of the Arctic Circle, which indeed passes through one of its outlying islands, Grimsey. It is contained between 6f 15' and 66° 30' north latitude, and between 130 38' and 240 40' west longitude. It is about one-fourth smaller than England, or one-sixth larger than Ireland ; its greatest length is 300 statute miles, and its greatest breadth 200. The coast is deeply indented with fjords, and the valleys are drained by large and rapid rivers. The whole Introduction. IX of the interior consists of a barren tableland, which attains in some places an elevation of 2500 feet above sea-level.

Every part of the island abounds, more or less, with lofty mountains and jokulls (ice-mountains), the largest of these, " Vatna-jokull," having an area equal to that of the county of Cornwall. Iceland owes its formation to the operations of submarine volcanoes, and the present area of volcanic action extends considerably beyond the coast line. Within the same limits of space there is no place on the earth's surface which exhibits such numerous and varied evidences of past and present volcanic action as Iceland ; tracts of lava ejected from its volcanoes, at dates varying from the most distant antiquity to 1874, traverse the island in all directions, while the numerous boiling springs and volcanoes, from which the steam still issues, show that beneath the surface the same forces are at work, which, in times past, have converted flourishing dis tricts into desolate and forbidding wastes, turning rivers from their courses, and changing the whole aspect ofthe surrounding country.

The volcanoes which have erupted during the present cen tury are : Hekla, Skapta, Katla, Eyjafjallajdkull, and Askja, which latter was in a state of great activity when visited by one ofour party, Mr. Delmar Morgan, in August 1881. The lakes of Iceland are very numerous, but, with the ex ception of Pingvalla-vatn and Myvatn, they are all small. The rivers have, generally speaking, a northerly or southerly course, the most important being the Jdkullsa and Skjal fanda-fljot, which flow to the north ; and the Pjorsa and Hvita, which flow to the south. The jokulls occupy about one-fourth of the whole area of the island, and give rise to the numerous small rivers which so much increase the difficulties and dangers of travel in Iceland. The means of communication between the different parts Introduction.

X of the island are of the most primitive kind ; roads, in our acceptation of the term, only exist within a mile or two of Reykjavik ; horse-tracks of the roughest description have to be traversed, and these it would, in many places, be diffi cult to follow, if it were not for the cairns which have been erected to indicate their direction. An attempt, however, is at present being made in the northern districts to improve these tracks, and on our way from Akreyri to the south, we met working parties who were employed removing the blocks of lava and other obstructions from, what our guide informed me was to be, the new post-road. It would be impossible within the limits of a single chapter to give any more than a mere outline of the history and geography of a country so full of interest, in these two par ticulars, as Iceland ; but it is to be hoped that this sketch may enable the reader, who has perchance given but little previous attention to the subject, to form a tolerably accurate estimate of the history and features of the country, a journey through which forms the subject of the following pages.