Hlidarendi (Hlíðarendi) Church
Hlidarendi (Hlíðarendi) Church
This church sits high on the hillside, as was customary for homes of chieftains, so you could easily observe if friend or foe was approaching.
One of the greatest heroes of the Icelandic sagas, Gunnar of Hlíðarendi, lived and died here. His story is told in Njál's Saga, a complex tale with many interwoven threads.
Gunnar married Hallgerður against the advice of his wise friend Njáll. Gunnar is outlawed for a killing but refuses to leave his farm, giving his enemies carte blanche to murder him.
They ambush his farm one night but as Iceland's most skilled archer Gunnar defends himself well. When the string of his bow snaps, he asks his wife for a lock of hair to replace it. She refuses, reminding Gunnar of the time he had slapped her in anger. And this is the end of Gunnar, though not of the story, which continues for another 200 or so pages!
This was also the birthplace of one of Iceland´s few saints, a 12th-century priest called Þorlákur (Thorlakur). His saint's day is Þorláksmessa (the mass of Þorlákur) on 23 December. It’s an Icelandic tradition to eat rotten skate on that day.