Iceland's Only Serial Killer - the Bloody Story of the Homicidal Axlar-Björn
Have you ever heard about the notorious murderer Axlar-Björn - Iceland's only serial killer?
In this travel-blog I am going to tell you about this mad person who murdered around 9-18 people, that we know of, especially wanderers and people travelling in the vicinity of his farm, Öxl on the south side of the Snæfellsnes peninsula in West Iceland.
He robbed them of their possessions. He then threw the bodies into a pond, Íglutjörn, close by.
Top photo: the Axlar-Bjarnardys burial mound sign
The Axlar-Bjarnardys burial mound sign
More human remains were found in the lava, but Axlar-Björn claimed that he had found them dead on his land.
According to Þjóðsögur Jóns Árnasonar - the Collection of Folklore of Jón Árnason then Axlar-Björn killed many of his victims with an axe which he had found under a rock on Mt. Axlarhyrna above his farm.
He had had a dream about the location of this axe when a stranger appeared to him in his dream and told him to fetch this axe, which would make him noted (it sure made him infamous, so the dream came true - RHR). The axe was of the nature that when holding it Axlar-Björn went into a killer mode.
The stranger in the dream had also offered Axlar-Björn cut-up meat on a plate. Axlar-Björn ate 18 pieces of meat and thought that one was more delicious than the other, but he got nauseous at the sight of the 19th piece and stopped eating. This was a foretoken of the 18 people Axlar-Björn was later to kill.
This is not blood, but iron-rich mineral water at Ölkelda on the Snæfellsnes peninsula. I found it to be fitting for this travel-blog
His real name was Björn Pétursson, but he got the nickname Axlar-Björn from his farm at Öxl, which in the genitive case is Axlar. Öxl forna, the old farm, is located in Breiðuvík below Mt. Axlarhyrna and above Búðahraun lava field.
There are different stories about how this serial killer was found out, some say that people were wondering about the increasing number of horses on his farm, others say that 2 siblings had arrived at his farm and the brother was able to hide when Axlar-Björn murdered his sister.
Another story tells of Axlar-Björn wearing the clothes of one of his victims (at least), which finally led to his apprehension and he was sentenced to a horrible death, maybe fitting to his crimes, but a very cruel death all the same. His story is very bloody and horrific and gives me the creeps.
Drepakolludys burial mound
Axlar-Björn was executed in 1596 at Laugarbrekka, which is west of Hellnar. All of his limbs were broken with a sledgehammer while he was still alive and then he was beheaded.
He was such a dangerous person that people were afraid that he would return as a ghost and hunt them, so his body was cut into pieces and put in 3 cairns to prevent him from returning as a ghost.
You will notice a cairn (stone pile) and parking by Hellnavegur road. Customary cairns were stacked to show the way here in Iceland, but this cairn is one of the burial spots of the most notorious serial killer in the history of Iceland.
The 3 cairns were located on Laugarholt by the parking, but there is only one left - Dreplakolludys cairn, the others seem to have been destroyed during road construction and quarrying. It is a pity as this is a part of our Icelandic history. The last cairn of Axlar-Björn has now been declared as protected.
A road map of Snæfellsnes peninsula
The wife of Axlar-Björn, Þórunn, (the Folklore of Jón Árnason calls her Steinunn), was believed to have been his accomplice, but she was not executed as she was pregnant at the time.
Their son, Sveinn skotti, who was born after the execution of Axlar-Björn, seemed to have the same evil blood as his father.
Sveinn skotti was hanged in 1648 after an attempted rape of the farmer's wife at Rauðsdalur, where I stayed for the night.
Here on Barðaströnd in Skottagjá rift Sveinn skotti was hanged
Reiðskörð where Sveinn skotti was hanged is one of the most beautiful places I have seen in Iceland and I was lucky enough to spend many hours there alone with the sheep and birds in the summer of 2024.
Little did I know that in this beautiful spot, the son of Axlar-Björn and 2 others had been executed, it is better to know such facts after you have left, I think ;)
The beautiful Reiðskörð on a sunny day
And, his other son, Gísli hrókur, was hanged as well at Dyrhólaþing in South Iceland.
I have read the story of Axlar-Björn in Þjóðsögur Jóns Árnasonar - the Collection of Folklore of Jón Árnason, but I will spare you the horrific details, it is such a bloody and sad story.
I will only tell you that his mother is said to have craved human blood while she was pregnant with him.
Here is the exact location on the map.
You will find this cairn on the south side of the Snæfellsnes peninsula. It is best to rent a car in Reykjavík and drive up to Snæfellsnes. From Útnesvegur road number 574 turn on Hellnavegur road leading towards Hellnar, and you will find the cairn on your right-hand side by the road.
I have written a 5-part detailed travel-guide of the Snæfellsnes peninsula if you want to know where to stop while visiting this beautiful part of West Iceland.
Have a lovely time visiting the Snæfellsnes peninsula and sorry about telling you such a horrible story.
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요쿨살론부터 비크까지, 꽃보다 청춘 5화
드디어 하늘씨과 쓰리스톤즈가 합류했는데요! 설원을 달리는 모습에 저도 아이슬란드가 엄청 그리워졌답니다. 빙하와 빛나는 요쿨살론 첫번째로 향한 요쿨살론(Jokulsarlon)은 아이슬란드의 대표적인 명소 중 하나랍니다. 영어로 Glacier lagoon 이라고도 하는데요. 방송에 나온 것처럼 눈 앞에 보이는 빙하는 빙하수가 흘러서 녹았다 얼었다를더 보기스코가포스 폭포부터 오로라까지, 꽃보다청춘 4화를 따라서
여행 5일째, 포스톤즈가 처음으로 향한 곳은 아이슬란드 남부에 있는 스코가포스 폭포(skogasfoss)입니다. 아이슬란드 남부의 대표적인 폭포 중 하나에요. 방송에서는 들르지 않았지만 스코가포스 거의 바로 옆에 위치한 셀리야란드스포스(seljalandsfoss) 폭포와 함께 같이 들르곤 한답니다. 스코가포스 폭포는 폭포의 물줄기 끝까지 올라갈 수 있단더 보기꽃청춘을 따라서
요즘 인기리에 방영되고 있는 꽃보다 청춘 아이슬란드편! 저도 매주 빼놓지 않고 시청하고 있습니다. 많은 분들께서 포스톤즈의 발랄한 매력과 아이슬란드의 놀라운 경치에 빠져드셨을 것 같습니다! 이번에는 꽃보다 청춘을 따라서 아이슬란드를 한번 가보도록 해요! 사실 아이슬란드가 한국에서 그렇게 가기 쉬운 나라는 아닙니다. 거리도 멀고 항공권도 비싸고! 우더 보기
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