Beinaholl Mound

Region: Highland
Coordinates: 64.6033° N 19.6130° W

About Beinaholl (Bone Mound)

This topographic name refers to the vegetated slope of a lava mound on the ancient main route over the Kjolur Highlands between the southern and northern parts of the country. Still nowadays, a great number of bones of sheep and horses lie scattered all over the slope to remind us of a tragic event in the past.

During the summer of 1780, a plague had caused the loss of most of the sheep in the Skagafjordur District. Two brothers were sent along with a few workers from Farm Reynistadur to the southern part of the country late that summer to buy a new livestock. They were not ready to head back with their flock until October 28th. They had bought 180 heads of sheep and headed back across the Kjolur Route with 3 workers and 16 horses. When they arrived at the lava mound a blizzard caught up with them and they had to seek shelter. They pitched their tents and left the animals to cope on their own. One of the workers tried to continue to the north and later only his hand in a glove was found in the canyon of River Blanda. The four, who stayed behind all died in their tent, which was found the next spring. When a separate trip was made to fetch their bodies, the brothers had disappeared. They were not found until 66 years later.

Legal proceedings were started in connection with the disappearance of the two bodies, partly because the brothers had not used all the money they had taken along for the purchase of the sheep. None of the money was ever recovered and no culprit was ever found. Only a few sheep and one horse made it to the north on their own later that winter and next spring. Twice one of the brothers appeared in his sister’s dreams telling her where to find their bodies, but in vain. The memorial on the lava mound was unveiled in 1971 by relatives of the brothers.

Kjolur self drive

Highland Iceland Saga

Beinaholl Mound in Icelandic

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