Towns in West fjords
Nature in West fjords
Strandir Sorcery and solitude They do not look inviting the rocky peaks of Drangaskörð, where they turn their weather-beaten faces to the northeast at Strandir. Formerly, in the shelter of these forbidding mountains, heroic characters made their homes, living by spending days at sea hunting sharks from open boats. Criminals and outlaws who had fled justice for this remote place beyond the reach of the law, often sought shelter with the farmers in Strandir and if lucky, got fare with foreign yachts heading for new adventures. The northernmost part of Strandir is now deserted and its nature is reverting to a wild, unspoiled state, creating a paradise for hikers. Farther south is a thriving and firmly established community. Hólmavík (pop. 400) on Steingrímsfjörður, is the main town in Strandir. It boasts a powerful fishing industry and services for the district's farmers, who are renowned for their sheep.
In Hólmavík the history of witch-hunting in 17th century Iceland is presented in the Museum of Sorcery & Witchcraft as well as various aspects of magic from younger sources. The exhibition deals with the people involved - what they were accused of and their punishments. On display are also examples of grimoires, some from the period of burnings and others copied as late as the early twentieth century, and some of the feats sorcerers were supposed to accomplish according to folklore. In near future, there will be four exhibitions in Strandir region, each dealing with different aspects of 17th century history and why the people of Strandir have long been regarded as more knowledgeable in the occult than other Icelanders. Two of the exhibitions have opened, one in Hólmavík and one in Bjarnarfjörður. In the past and present, driftwood from rivers in the northernmost parts of Europe and Siberia has washed ashore at Strandir. It´s a welcome natural bounty for local people, and other Icelanders who´ve come to Strandir to buy timber.
Another old tradition, hunting seals for fur and meat, remains alive on these rocky shores, an ancient survival skill that is misunderstood in the age of synthetic clothing and synthetic food. Nature offers ample luxury to those who know how to harvest it, not only from seals, but also down gathered from the eider ducks nests that inhabit Strandir in abundance. In turn for the favour, the farmer keeps foxes, arctic skuas and other predators away. True to nature's principle of sharing and compensating, a cold land yields the warmest production in the world.
In Hólmavík the history of witch-hunting in 17th century Iceland is presented in the Museum of Sorcery & Witchcraft as well as various aspects of magic from younger sources. The exhibition deals with the people involved - what they were accused of and their punishments. On display are also examples of grimoires, some from the period of burnings and others copied as late as the early twentieth century, and some of the feats sorcerers were supposed to accomplish according to folklore. In near future, there will be four exhibitions in Strandir region, each dealing with different aspects of 17th century history and why the people of Strandir have long been regarded as more knowledgeable in the occult than other Icelanders. Two of the exhibitions have opened, one in Hólmavík and one in Bjarnarfjörður. In the past and present, driftwood from rivers in the northernmost parts of Europe and Siberia has washed ashore at Strandir. It´s a welcome natural bounty for local people, and other Icelanders who´ve come to Strandir to buy timber.
Another old tradition, hunting seals for fur and meat, remains alive on these rocky shores, an ancient survival skill that is misunderstood in the age of synthetic clothing and synthetic food. Nature offers ample luxury to those who know how to harvest it, not only from seals, but also down gathered from the eider ducks nests that inhabit Strandir in abundance. In turn for the favour, the farmer keeps foxes, arctic skuas and other predators away. True to nature's principle of sharing and compensating, a cold land yields the warmest production in the world.
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