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Hvammur Church

Region: West Iceland
Coordinates: 65.2174835° N 21.8299627° W

Farm Hvammur is a parsonage and a church site in Hvammur County of the Dalir District with annexed churches at Stadarholl, Skard, Stadarfell and Dagverdarnes. Catholic churches were dedicated to God, the holy Mary, John the Baptist, the apostles John and Peter, King Olaf of Norway, St. Thorlakur bishop, Mary Magdalena and other saints. The present church was consecrated in 1884. It was built of wood and thoroughly renovated in the late 20th century.

Sagas of IcelandThe settler of the area, Audur Ketilsdottir, lived there and many other remarkable personalities followed. Among them was Thordur Gellir (10th century), who was one of the most important chieftains of West Iceland in his time and participated in the establishment of the so-called Quarter Courts to improve the judicial system of the country. Hvamms-Sturla Thordarson (1115-1183), the ancestor of the Sturlungar Dynasty and the father of Snorri Sturluson, lived there. He was a hard and a clever man, who is better dealt with in the Sturlunga Saga.

Farm Hvammur is situated in the sheltered Skeggi Valley. The legend has it, that the son of Thordur Gellir, Skeggi, lived at Hvammur and the valley was named after him. Two other farms in the valley, Skerdingsstadur and Hofakur, are still inhabited. An area of 55 ha was fenced of for forestation purposes.

Hvammur is on nat.is West Iceland Saga Trail

Hvammur Church in Icelandic

West Iceland Saga Trail

Links in Hvammur Church