Cross in Reykholt

The Cross in front of the church in Reykholt

The design of the cross is inspired by the Gunnhild crucifix from 1150. The cross at Reykholt is made of steel and cedarwood, designed by the Norwegian artist Jarle Rosseland. Rosseland uses the emblems of the four Evangelists from the Book of Kells, refering to the roots of Christianity in Iceland. Icelanders trace their ancestry to Irish immigrants as well as Norse settlers. The Cedarwood is grown at Tendring in Essex, Maud ́s Court. During the lifetime of Snorri Sturluson a crusader lived there. He brought home from Lebanon a cedar tree and planted it there. The magnificent tree has grown there ever since and the carvings are done on logs of wood from it. www.snorrastofa.is