Heimaey
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Cliffs_of_Heimaey,_Vestmannaeyjar,_Iceland.jpg
Heimaey is the largest island in the Vestmannaeyjar cluster, approximately 4 nautical miles (7.4 km) off the south coast of Iceland. It is the only island in Vestmannaeyjar that is populated, and currently there are around 4,500 inhabitants.
Heimaey_Island.PNG
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History
Oldest tales
In Landnáma it is said that when Ingólfur Arnarson, the first settler in Iceland had spent a winter at Ingólfshöfđi, and went west in search of his "Öndvegissúlur" (somewhat like Totem poles, that were ritualistically dumped into the sea and let float to shore. Where they came ashore, there the viking in question would build his farm.), and found upon Hjörleifshöfđi his brother, Hjörleifur, dead and his slaves missing. Out at sea he could see boats going towards a small group of islands, and likewise he set off after them.
The slaves in question had been abducted from Ireland, and were called westmen (Vestmenn), since Ireland was the most western part of the known world at that time (c.a. 840). The slaves came ashore in Heimaey and took shelter upon the mountains and anywhere else they thought they might be safe, but alas, Ingólfur slaughtered them all, unknowingly creating names for various places in the process - for example "Dufţekja", an area on Heimaklettur, Heimaey's highest mountain (263m), is named after the slave Dufţakur, who is said to have thrown himself off Heimaklettur at that point - rather taking his own life that to let Ingólfur take it.
First settlers
The first person said to have built a farm in Heimaey was known as Herjólfur Bárđarson. He apparently built his farm in Herjólfsdalur (literally: Herjólf's valley). The ruins in Herjólfsdalur were excavated in 1971, and did much to unsettle the story of Herjólfur Bárđarson though.
Turkish invasion
The year 1627, three Algerian pirate ships raided many towns on the south coast of Iceland, most notably Grindavík and Vestmannaeyjar. In Grindavík townspeople could flee into the lava field of Reykjanes and hide indefinitely, however Heimaey, being so remote and secluded, was hit rather badly. The invasion fleet was called "Turkish" by Icelanders, simply because of a lack of cultural distinction between Islamic countries. Many heroic stories exist of the people who survived the invasion, most notably Guđríđur Símonardóttir, better known as Tyrkja-Gudda (Turkish-Gudda), who was taken from her home at Stakkagerđi on Heimaey to a slave market in Algeria. From there she bought her way back to Iceland through Tunisia, Italy and Denmark - Iceland was then under Danish rule. Upon returning to Iceland she married Icelandic poet Hallgrímur Pétursson, to whom Hallgrímskirkja in Reykjavík is honoured.
Eldfell
On the 22nd of January 1973 at around one in the morning a volcanic eruption of the mountain Eldfell began on Heimaey. During the night the 5000 inhabitants of the island were evacuated, mostly by fishing boats, as almost the entire fishing fleet was in dock. The encroaching larva flow threatened to destroy the harbour that was the main source of livelihood for most of the town. However, by spraying the larva constantly with cold sea water some of it solidified and diverted the rest, saving the harbour from destruction. During the eruption, though, half of the town was crushed and the island grew a great deal, however only one fatality could be directly or indirectly attributed to the eruption, and that was the death of a man who had broken into the chemist's store to acquire drugs and was suffocated by toxic fumes.
Present day
Currently Vestmannaeyjar is the home to around 4,500 humans, 2,000,000 puffins, and many millions of other birds.
See also
Schools in Vestmannaeyjar:
- Framhaldsskólinn í Vestmannaeyjum
- Barnaskóli Vestmannaeyja
- Hamarsskóli Vestmannaeyja
- Háskóli Íslands, Vestmannaeyjum
External links
- Vestmannaeyjar town council (http://www.vestmannaeyjar.is)
- local news paper (http://www.eyjafrettir.is)
- local news paper (http://www.eyjar.net)da:Heimaey