Heimaey
Heimaey is the largest island in the Vestmannaeyjar cluster, approximately 4 nautical miles off the south coast of Iceland. It is the only island in Vestmannaeyjar that is populated, and currently there are around 4,500 inhabitants.
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In LandnÃÂáma it is said that when IngÃÂólfur Arnarsson, the first settler in Iceland had spent a winter at IngÃÂólfshÃÂöfÃÂði, and went west in search of his "ÃÂÃÂndvegissÃÂúlur" (somewhat like Totem poles, that were ritualisticly 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 HjÃÂörleifshÃÂöfÃÂði his brother, HjÃÂörleifur, 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, IngÃÂólfur slaughtered them all, unknowingly creating names for various places in the process - for example "DufÃÂþekja", an area on Heimaklettur, Heimaey's highest mountain (263m), is named after the slave DufÃÂþakur, who is said to have thrown himself off Heimaklettur at that point - rather taking his own life that to let IngÃÂólfur take it.
The first person said to have built a farm in Heimaey was known as HerjÃÂólfur BÃÂárÃÂðason. He apparantly built his farm in HerjÃÂólfsdalur (literally: HerjÃÂólf's valley). The ruins in HerjÃÂólfsdalur were excavated in 1971, and did much to unsettle the story of HerjÃÂólfur BÃÂárÃÂðason though.
The year 1627, three Algerian pirate ships raided many towns on the south coast of Iceland, most notably GrindavÃÂÃÂk and Vestmannaeyjar. In GrindavÃÂÃÂk townspeople could flee into the lava field of Reykjanes and hide indefinately, 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 GuÃÂðrÃÂún SÃÂÃÂmÃÂónardÃÂóttir, better known as Tyrkja-Gudda (Turkish-Gudda), who was taken from her home at StakkagerÃÂði 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 HallgrÃÂÃÂmur PÃÂétursson, to whom HallgrÃÂÃÂmskirkja in ReykjavÃÂÃÂk is honoured.
On the 22nd of January 1973 at around one in the morning a volcanic eruption 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.
During the eruption 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.
Currently Vestmannaeyjar is the home to around 4,500 humans, 2,000,000 puffins, and many millions of other birds.
History
Oldest tales
First settlers
Turkish invasion
Eldfell
Present day
See also
Schools in Vestmannaeyjar:
External links