Hekla Volcano
Hekla Volcano
Throughout the Middle Ages, it was believed that the entrance to hell was through the volcano Hekla, perhaps because of the severity of its eruptions.
This 1491m strata volcano lies along a ridge, built up from successive eruptions over the last 10,000 years. Since the 1970’s Hekla has erupted almost every 10 years most of which have been short-lived.
As the last eruption was in 2000 the volcano is currently monitored very closely and visitors are advised not to climb the mountain. It is also worth noting that Hekla gives as little as the one-hour warning before an eruption begins.
The name Hekla, meaning ‘cloak’ probably derives from garment women wore over their shoulders, as there is quite often a cloak of clouds over the top of the volcano.
Many volcanoes in Iceland have female names and there are some theories as to why that is so!