Vatnsdalur
Vatnsdalur is a glacial trough valley in the Húnabyggð municipality of Northwestern Region, Iceland. The valley floor spans slightly less than 10 kilometers at its widest point. It lies between mountains to the west and other peaks to the east. This physical shape was carved by ancient ice sheets during the last Ice Age. The valley stretches about 25 kilometers from end to end. It sits south of the town of Blönduós and southeast of the Hóp tidal lagoon. The distance to the Húnaflói bay is less than 15 kilometers to the south-southeast. Before 2022, this area belonged to different historical counties. In that year, Húnavatnshreppur and Blönduós merged to form the current Húnabyggð municipality.
The Vatnsdalsá river runs through the valley as one of northern Iceland's famed salmon rivers. This north-flowing stream measures approximately 30 kilometers in length. It is fed by several waterfalls, with Dalsafoss standing as the highest drop. Other notable falls include Kaldalækjarfoss, Grjótfoss, and Stóruvatnsfoss. At the northeast mouth of the valley lies a lake called Flóðið, meaning 'The Flood'. This landslide lake formed on the 8th of October 1720 after the Bjarni rockslide occurred. Skree and debris falling from the Vatnsdalsfjall mountain dammed the river. The resulting flood submerged three small ponds known as Þríhyrningur, Mýrar, and Lón. These waters now cover what was once grassy wetland. Since the damming event, the portion of the stream running north from Flóðið to the sea carries the name Vatnsdalsá.
The valley serves as the setting for the Vatnsdæla saga, which chronicles Norse settlers and their descendants. Ingimundr the Old Thorsteinsson appears as the principal character in this narrative. He spent his youth in Norway before fighting alongside King Harald Fairhair at the Battle of Hafrsfjord. His bravery won him the king's favor and friendship. As a reward, he received a silver amulet dedicated to the fertility god Freyr. He also secured a noble marriage to Vigdis, half-sister of Harald's granddaughter. At a Midwinter feast hosted by King Harald, a Sámi seeress named Gróa foretold that Ingimundr would settle in Iceland. Though he initially dismissed leaving Norway, circumstances eventually led him to emigrate with the king's blessing. He stopped at Vatnsdalur because the greenery of the valley attracted him deeply.
Three landforms are said to be uncountable in Icelandic proverb: the lakes of Tvídægra moors, the islands of Breiðafjörður bay, and the Vatnsdalshólar hillocks. These mounds range from less than 10 meters to about 50 meters high. Most rise to 20 meters or less. They were formed by many landslides from the Vatmsdalsfjall mountain. Several major slides occurred after settlement began. A landslide in 1545 killed fourteen people. Another event in 1720 caused the formation of Flóðið lake. The last major slide took place in 1811 and destroyed a church. However, most of these mounds cover an area of about 3 square kilometers. They were created by landslides around 10,000 years ago, long before human settlement arrived. Archaeologists have identified remains of Ingimundr's farm and several other homesteads named in the saga.
On the 12th of January 1830, the final execution in Iceland was staged at three hills called Þrístapar. Friðrik Sigurðsson and Agnes Magnúsdóttir faced death for murdering Natan Ketilsson and Pétur Jónsson on the 14th of March 1828. They were executed by beheading at this northernmost reach of the valley. Their bodies were buried at the site while their heads displayed on pikes until later reburial. The cemetery of Tjarnarkirkja on western Vatnsnes received their remains. The execution block and axe now sit in the National Museum in Reykjavik. This event inspired creative works including the novel Yfirvaldið published in 1973. Egill Eðvarðsson directed the film Agnes released in 1996. Australian author Hannah Kent wrote Burial Rites, a fictionalized account of Agnes' last year. Originally published in 2013, the book has been translated into 30 languages. Kent first encountered the story while living in Iceland as an exchange student during her teens.
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Common questions
Where is Vatnsdalur located in Iceland?
Vatnsdalur is a glacial trough valley situated in the Húnabyggð municipality of Northwestern Region, Iceland. It lies south of Blönduós and southeast of the Hóp tidal lagoon with the Húnaflói bay less than 15 kilometers to the south-southeast.
What historical event created Flóðið lake in Vatnsdalur on the 8th of October 1720?
Flóðið lake formed after the Bjarni rockslide occurred on the 8th of October 1720 when Skree and debris from Vatnsdalsfjall mountain dammed the river. This landslide submerged three small ponds known as Þríhyrningur, Mýrar, and Lón to create the current flood waters.
Who was Ingimundr the Old Thorsteinsson in the Vatnsdæla saga?
Ingimundr the Old Thorsteinsson appears as the principal character in the Vatnsdæla saga who received a silver amulet dedicated to Freyr from King Harald Fairhair. He chose to settle in Vatnsdalur because the greenery of the valley attracted him deeply after emigrating from Norway.
When did the final execution take place at Þrístapar hills in Vatnsdalur?
The final execution in Iceland occurred on the 12th of January 1830 at three hills called Þrístapar within the northernmost reach of the valley. Friðrik Sigurðsson and Agnes Magnúsdóttir were beheaded for murdering Natan Ketilsson and Pétur Jónsson on the 14th of March 1828.