On my travels in Iceland, I always seek out places connected to folklore. There is a myriad of such stories in Þjóðsögur Jóns Árnasonar - the Compilation of Folklore by Jón Árnason, which is one of my favourite reads, all five volumes of it!
While I was travelling in East Iceland, I visited several such places, one of them being Dvergasteinn - the Rock of the Dwarves - which is folklore, related to a very peculiar rock in Vestdalseyri just outside Seyðisfjörður town.
Top photo: in front of Dvergasteinn rock
Dvergasteinn - the Rock of the Dwarves
The rock has got several big holes in it, eroded by the sea. One was big enough for me to stick my head into it.
But one should show utter respect around such rocks as not to disturb their inhabitants, be they elves or dwarves.
Because there is more to the world than what we can see - or at least that is my belief :) I always ask for permission to approach the homes or churches of dwarves and elves in Iceland.
Dvergasteinn
The story goes like this:
"The vicarage of Seyðisfjörður was in the olden times located east of the fjord. Its name is not mentioned.
In the vicinity of the vicarage, there stood a big rock. People believed that dwarves lived in that rock, and it was thus called Dvergasteinn, or the Rock of the Dwarves.
Over time, the church and the church site were considered inconveniently located and were moved across the fjord. The rock was, of course, left behind.
But as the new church building was about to be finished, the workers spotted a house sailing over the fjord heading straight for the church.
Dvergasteinn
The house (as it seemed to the workers) continued its sailing and came ashore, where it stopped.
The workers then noticed that it was the Dvergasteinn - the Rock of the Dwarves, with its inhabitants - the dwarves!
It seems that they didn't like it when the church moved away and decided to move with the church, but from then on, in the everlasting memory of the piety of the dwarves, the vicarage was called Dvergasteinn".
(Translated into English from Þjóðsögur Jóns Árnasonar - the Compilation of Folklore by Jón Árnason Volume II - page 72).
Seyðisfjarðarkirkja church
The church was located in Vestdalseyri until 1920, but as the population declined, it was moved from Dvergasteinn to Seyðisfjörður town.
The old church was dismantled, and a new church was erected in Fjarðaralda in Seyðisfjörður, partly from the old church's material.
Inside Seyðisfjarðarkirkja
That new church was consecrated in 1922, so it will be 100 years old this year.
You can see it in the photo above, the beautiful blue-painted church of Seyðisfjörður, often referred to as the Blue Church.
The vicarage was then moved from Dvergasteinn to the village some years later.
Dvergasteinn rock
The story goes that the church and the rock had stood side by side. The church moved, but Dvergasteinn rock remained in its current place.
A miniature replica of Dvergasteinn rock stands to the left of the blue church.
You can see Seyðisfjörður village in the distance across the fjord in my photo above. It looks like Dvergasteinn rock is looking at the town, beckoning it.
Stiles on the path leading to Dvergasteinn
The rock stands by the seashore, and by the road, there is a sign with information both in Icelandic and English.
Wooden steps (stiles) lead over a fence and a 7-minute leisurely walk over the land of the farmer down to the sea, where the rock is located.
It is well worth popping down there to have a look at the rock.
This kind of rock formation is called honeycomb weathering or tafoni. It is not quite clear how these strange formations form, but they might be caused by frost, salt, or wind erosion. But they for sure look interesting.
The Blue Church in Seyðisfjörður town and the replica of Dvergasteinn rock
Dvergasteinn rock is located 3 km outside of Seyðisfjörður village by road no 951. GPS: N65° 17' 23.292" W13° 55' 46.280"
One of the biggest attractions in Seyðisfjörður is the rainbow footpath with the Blue Church at the end of the street. It makes for a very beautiful photo :)
The rainbow footpath in Seyðisfjörður
I love such rainbow locations and search for them on my travels around Iceland :)
Another attraction is the strangely looking Sound Sculpture Tvísöngur in Seyðisfjörður in East Iceland, about which I have written another travel blog.
And Seyðisfjörður town itself is so pretty. I took this photo in the middle of a summer night while I was staying for the night at Hotel Aldan - the Post Office in Seyðisfjörður.
I woke up in fog, but when it lifted, this beautiful sight appeared.
Seyðisfjörður in still weather with a beautiful reflection of the Blue Church
Here you can check out a selection of the best Eastfjord tours: Eastfjord tours
There are two tours that I found in Seyðisfjörður:
Scenic 3-Hour e-Bike Hidden Waterfalls Tour from Seydisfjordur
Exciting 3-Hour Fjord-Side Hiking Tour in the Seydisfjordur Hills
I have written a couple of travel blogs about the sights along the way from Höfn in SE-Iceland to Seyðisfjörður:
East Iceland is dotted with beautiful little villages and hidden secrets
The Eastfjords of Iceland - the beautiful Fjords in Fjarðabyggð
To reach this area in East Iceland, you can rent a car in Reykjavík and drive up to the Eastfjords in one go, as we did once when we were in a hurry.
But do take your time, as there is plenty to see on the way.
Also check out the self-drive tours: Self-drive tours including East Iceland.
Have a lovely time in East Iceland :)
