The Beach of Eyrarbakki

At one time it was the big sand that has disappeared today

The oil-port

The old oilport in Eyrarbakki

Old house in Eyrarbakki

The house is called "church-house", an old shop and residential building.

The old electrical station, called Odin House

Old fisherman's house, called "Vegamót"

The Stokkseyri village in fire

On December 9-10, 1926, all the commercial houses in the village of Stokkseyri burned down.

National Day

Politicians and trade unions join forces to celebrate. The older flag of Iceland is waved, as the colors of Eyrarbakki

The village

The sun is low in the sky and the shadows are long. It's winter and the snow is piling up in the wind.

Schoolchildren at play

It's winter 1925, and a short walk from the school is a frozen pond and a fun playground

Revenge and more revenge

This season was like the wild west

 The weapons were talked to. Son revenge for slain father, brother revenge for brother, father revenge for son and so on.

Borders were unclear, ownership rights were being fought

The Icelandic Vikings

Landing

When the first Vikings came to settle Iceland, they were not the first people to settle there. Before were Irish men, so-called "Papes" they practiced Christian religion. The Vikings were then considered to be Irish monks. But probably those people who lived in small groups on the south coast were Irish slaves and their keepers who had been left by a Danish Vikings, or hunters who practiced walrus hunting there in the summer, but were based in Dublin during the winter. Many handworked caves have been found in parts of the south with traces about papes. Place names indicate that "Pape" has stayed close to preferred walrus paths, like Pape island and Pape estuary, and also Irish garden and Irish mountain and Irish river. Nobody knows what happen to the "Papes" after the Vikings. 

"PAPEs" Photo from "The Irish Times"

Settlement of the Vikings

Norwegian Vikings settled at the village of Eyrarbakki. There they built the first farm.

Around 900, the first Vikings Hásteinn Atlason came to Stokeskeyr. Shortly after, his brother-in-law Hallsteinn brought many people with him and built it Eyrarbakki.

The old woman and the young mother in 1900s

Regular everyday wear of older women in the village around the turn of the 1900s

Younger women wore more expensive clothing, especially on holidays

The only thing that worked was courage.

In the past, ships were the only way to bring goods to the village. However, there were no piers and conditions for landing the most difficult.

Young sailors

Then there were no computers, scooters or electric bikes. The kids had to make their own toys. It was therefore popular to make twigs and sail on the ponds.

The Harbour

The operation of small boats continued for a long time despite difficult conditions. The fishery was discontinued for the last turn of the century.

The first motorboats were in this style around 1920. Previously, rowing boats were used for centuries.

As time stands still

This is how the village looked in 1960 and nothing has changed since then

The house in the front of the picture has disappeared, but another is unchanged.

Bakery, one of the oldest houses still standing.

In the village 1965

In 1965 there were no children's playgrounds, so the street was a popular playground.

The old truck in the village. He still exists today.

Back to the past

Although the village was small, fashion and lifestyle 70s did not pass.
Big cars, jeans and long hair. That was the time.

Icelandic Raven

Corvus corax.

It is said that the Vikings Flóki brought the first ravens to Iceland. The Vikings used ravens to find the right direction to land. Ravens were a large number of species a few years ago, but have been declining in recent years and are approaching the risk of extinction.