<- ->

Rifgirdingar Islands

Region: West Iceland
Coordinates: 65.1486° N 22.6745° W

About Rifgirdingar Islands

Islands Rifgirdingar almost close the mouth of the Hvammsfiord Bay. Most islands and islets carry individual names. By word of mouth the home island was not inhabited in the past, but Islands Kjoey and Gautsey (Gussey) shared the advantages of Rifgirdingar evenly until the home island was settled. The farm stood on the Skjaldarvik Cove on the western part of the island. Sometimes two or three farms were inhabited on the islands. Some water wells, which sometimes became saline, supplied the drinking water. In 1702, eleven people lived on the home island, keeping 9 heads of cattle and 50 sheep. Sixty years later 18 people lived at three farms on the islands.

Islands Kjoeyjar are a part of the Rifgirdingar. Between Island Nordurey and Gussey is the Nordureyjarsund Channel. On the eastern part of Gussey is the mound Vorduholl, which was and is used for the navigation through the so-called Rost, where the current reaches 24 km/hour (about 13 nm/hour) with the tides. Island Kjoey is to the southeast of Island Nordurey. It is well vegetated and rather large. Ruins of a farm and sod and stone fences are prominent on its southeast.

Sagas of Iceland According to the legends, the Oxney-farm was originally on Island Galtarey and Island Oxney was used for the grazing of oxen. Later the farm became permanent on Island Oxney.