Search Results

Hug­mynd­ir eru um að kort­leggja bet­ur mann­gerða hella við Hellu og nota upp­lýs­ing­arn­ar til að styrkja þá í sessi sem ferðamannastað. Kenn­ing­ar eru um að þar hafi verið þétt­býlt til forna, jafn­vel fyr­ir ætlað land­nám nor­rænna manna. Árni Freyr Magnús­son, einn af for­svars­mönn­um Hell­anna við Hellu, seg­ir fyr­ir­spurn­um hafa fjölgað er­lend­is frá eft­ir að ferðamönn­um tók að fjölga á ný. „Við höf­um verið að fá meira af fyr­ir­spurn­um bæði er­lend­is frá og frá Íslend­ing­um. Við byrjuðum að bjóða upp á ferðir í janú­ar 2020, rétt fyr­ir kór­ónu­veirufar­ald­ur­inn, og því var lítið um er­lenda ferðamenn í fyrra en flest­ir gest­ir okk­ar hafa verið Íslend­ing­ar og við höfðum vart und­an að taka á móti þeim í fyrra­sum­ar,“ seg­ir Árni Freyr. Við bæj­ar­dyrn­ar á Hellu Hell­arn­ir við Hellu eru mann­gerðir hell­ar við bæ­inn Ægissíðu, steinsnar frá brúnni yfir Ytri-Rangá við Hellu. Fyr­ir­tækið er merkt með ensku nafni sínu, Ca­ves of Hella, og er með mót­töku við þjóðveg­inn. Fjór­ir hell­ar eru nú til sýn­is. Tveir þeirra eru sam­tengd­ir með göng­um. Þriðji hell­ir­inn er mun minni og er enn notaður sem geymsla. Fjórði hell­ir­inn er við gamla bæj­ar­stæðið á Ægissíðu 1 og í hon­um er að finna stór­merk­an kross, að sögn Árna Freys, og veggj­arist­ur. Hell­arn­ir séu fyrst og fremst markaðssett­ir á fé­lags­miðlum. „Við eig­um líka í góðu sam­starfi við hót­el­in í nærsam­fé­lag­inu á Hellu og það hjálp­ar mikið að fá gesti í gegn­um þau. Við finn­um fyr­ir fjölg­un er­lendra ferðamanna á hót­el­un­um. Marg­ir hafa sagt okk­ur að for­leik­ur­inn sé að láta það spyrj­ast út meðal er­lendra ferðamanna að staður­inn sé vin­sæll meðal heima­manna. Þannig að við von­um það besta,“ seg­ir Árni Freyr. Hann seg­ir gest­ina skipt­ast í tvo hópa. „Ann­ars veg­ar kem­ur til okk­ar fólk sem ætl­ar sér að koma og veit af okk­ur og lang­ar til að kynn­ast þess­ari sögu. Svo er það fólkið sem er að gista á Hellu og átt­ar sig á að þarna sé afþrey­ing og lang­ar að koma. Þess­ir gest­ir eru í upp­á­haldi hjá mér því hell­arn­ir koma þeim oft svo skemmti­lega á óvart. Eða eins og einn ferðamaður­inn orðaði það: „Við viss­um að við vær­um að fara að skoða eitt­hvað neðanj­arðar en ekki að það væri svona áhuga­verð saga þar að baki.“ Fréttin birtist 26/5 2021 í viðskiptablaði Morgunblaðsins

In Iceland, rumors of Huldufólk—the country’s most common type of elf—have persisted for centuries. The human-esque people are said to live behind the country’s boulders, inside forests, and within a magical realm accessed from mountains and caves. But in the small town of Hella, roughly 90 miles south of Reykjavik, it’s a different mysterious people who may have lived in the area millennia ago. But just as with Huldufólk, finding proof of those mysterious people could change everything historians know about the founding of Iceland. Opened to the public in 2019, the Caves of Hella welcomes several tour groups a day of tourists who come to walk through four of the 12 known caves. The farms where the caves are have been privately owned by the same family for more than 200 years. While most of their history has been lost to time—or maybe never recorded in the first place—the family says it’s been known for nearly 1,000 years that there were some caves in the area. With a bit of advanced planning, a few lucky visitors can arrange what is probably the most incredible dining experience in Iceland and likely one of the coolest in Europe: a private Viking-themed dinner held inside the mysterious caves, complete with wooden plates, sheepskin throws, and plenty of lopapeysas (patterned wool sweaters) to keep everyone warm in the roughly 32-degree subterranean chamber. The experience is booked through Iceland’s nearby Hotel Ranga , and when you arrive at the tiny wooden door that leads to the caves, which can be easily mistaken for a dilapidated shed, diners step into what could be the biggest mystery in Iceland. Vikings are an Intrinsic Part of Iceland's History “We wanted our guests to connect with the primitive ways of life for Icelanders during the Viking ages,” says Eyrún Aníta Gylfadóttir, Hotel Ranga’s marketing manager, who developed the dinner offering. Vikings didn’t live in caves (though they may have used ones that already existed in Iceland for ceremonial or spiritual purposes). But given that so many of the hotel’s guests are interested in history, it seemed like a good fit. The menu for the cave experience is based on a traditional Viking diet, says Gylfadóttir. And while dishes like raw puffin and fish porridge may not sound appetizing to modern-day travelers, with a little tweak, they suddenly become a lot more appetizing (though Hotel Ranga does serve puffin tartar ). “No one knows exactly what a Viking dinner was like, but we have good ideas,” says Gylfadóttir. Ranga chefs worked to create a modern-day menu based on dishes they knew would have been available around 1000 B.C.E., swapping steamed sheep heads for lamb shank and seasoned bulgur and dried char for smoked salmon crostini on fresh-baked bread. Interestingly, your average Viking likely wouldn’t have batted an eye at the dessert offering: yogurt-like skyr topped with locally grown blueberries. It’s a desert whose production methods haven’t changed much since Iceland’s early days. Guests are hosted at a communal table with a wooden plate and a volcanic stone drinking cup at each seat. And in true Viking style, table scaping is an unnecessary formality, with just a single wooden utensil to attack each dish. The use of one’s hands is highly encouraged. Guests enter the dimly lit cave to the sound of live accordion music. And, in a twist not surprisingly for Hella’s population of roughly 900, the musician is none other than Gylfadóttir of Hotel Ranga. Accordions were invented in the 1880s, so it’s not the same music the Vikings would have listened to. But Gylfadóttir says the music was so popular with guests of the trial dinner that they decided to make it a standard part of the experience. And really, considering the unknowns looming around the Caves of Hella, what music Vikings listened to barely registers against the backdrop of more pressing questions. Almost everything about The Caves of Hella is unknown The biggest mysteries around the Caves of Hella are, well, basically everything, says Dr. Elizabeth Lastra , assistant professor of art at Vassar College and co-lead on the first modern-day, sustained scholarly research project on the caves. Her team is trying to gather basic information on them, like who built them, why, and whether they’re related to the more than 200 other caves throughout southern Iceland. The one thing researchers do suspect about the Caves of Hella—when they were built—puts their creation sometime before what Icelanders call “Settlement Times,” a period from roughly the mid-9th century to the mid-10th century. But according to conventional Icelandic history, there were only a few Irish monks, called “papas,” in the country before the Settlement Times. But as Caves of Hella tour guide Stefán Smári Ásmundarson pointed out, “a few Celtic monks didn’t build 200 caves.” Obviously, this raises a few big questions. “Anything with the potential to overturn the origin story of a country is controversial,” says Lastra of her team’s research. Their on-the-ground research is wrapping up now, and analyzing the data and findings is underway. Lastra says they’re currently considering two genesis timelines. The first is that they were built by Icelanders—i.e., former Vikings who had since converted to Christianity—around 1000 B.C.E. That would support the current written history of Iceland, which says that the country was primarily uninhabited before Nordic people arrived around the 800s B.C.E. But the second theory could certainly upset some Icelandic historians: The caves were built by settlers from the northern British Isles in the Early Middle Ages, around the 6th and 7th centuries. The Vassar team isn’t the first to posit that Celts existed in large numbers in Iceland before the Vikings. “Other nearby caves at Seljaland, which are less accessible to the public, have also been hypothesized by scholar Kristján Ahronson to pre-date Viking arrival,” says Laura Haynes, an Assistant Professor of Earth Science co-leading the project with Lastra. She says Iceland likely was empty before humans arrived: “Prior to their arrival, the largest native land animal was the Arctic fox.” But there may be a missing period in Icelandic history, and Haynes says the lack of significant historical records doesn’t mean there’s no proof of that being possible. “Some stratigraphic evidence from ash layers may also point to an earlier date of arrival, which could support an earlier settlement history,” she says. By using techniques like sediment analysis, x-ray imaging to studying the chemicals within the rock walls, and Reflectance Transformation Imaging (RTI) to photograph textures and differences in cave markings, the Vassar team hopes to make more confident conclusions on some of the basic mysteries surrounding the caves. Mysteries Aside, The Viking Dinner is the Epitome of an Icelandic Experience While conclusions could suggest that the Caves of Hella were built by Celts, indicating a much larger pre-Viking European presence than historians believed, Gylfadóttir says the dinner will continue to be Viking-themed. That’s not just because the Vikings are so closely associated with Iceland’s history but because the town of Hella played a key role in the country’s oldest Viking stories. “As locals, we are extremely proud of our story and our Viking heritage,” says Gylfadóttir. “One of Iceland’s greatest Viking sagas, the Njáls’s saga, takes place in the countryside close to Hotel Rangá.” That close link to Iceland’s history inspired Gylfadóttir and her staff to create an experience for guests that connected them to the history of the land around Hella. “Our history is based on the first Viking, Ingólfur Arnarson, who discovered Iceland around 850 A.D,” she says. His tale, along with others of Nordic settlers, are the first written records of any European settlement in the country. They’re recounted in the country’s Landnámabók or book of settlements. “Celtic is not really part of our history,” says Gylfadóttir, even if newly discovered archaeological evidence could soon suggest otherwise. While the Vassar team is eager to learn more about the oldest archeological site in the land of ice and fire, they’re not looking to draw any particular conclusions. “We’re interested in learning as much as we can about these curious artificial caves, from who carved them and when,” says Haynes. “Which relates to the big question of what they might tell us about the settlement history of Iceland.” Published on 3rd of August 2024 by Fodor's Travel

For the longest time, the history of Iceland has been told this way: Noble Norwegian chieftains wanted to be free of the aggressive king Haraldur Hardrada , who unified Norway with force. These intrepid chieftains wanted to live free in remote Iceland rather than bend the knee to a power-hungry king. The start of the settlement is dated neatly to 874. This is when the first settler, Ingólfur Arnarson , is said to arrive in Reykjavik . However, as archeology evolves, the Icelandic origin story becomes more nuanced than the original Icelandic sagas and the Book of Settlement indicate. The most dramatic example of how the history of Iceland is being rewritten is the Caves of Hella . Scientists have now started studying their origins . Over two hundred human-made caves in the South of Iceland Consider the excavation at the Viking age site at Stöðvarfjörður in the east of Iceland, which reveals human activity before 874. In the Settlement Museum in Reykjavik , one displays the remains of a turf wall erected before 874. At H ellnar, there are big human-made caves with uncertain origins . There are two hundred known man-made caves between Hveragerði and Vík in the South of Iceland. The caves are carved into the tuff, common in the region, and their age and origins are unknown. It is tempting to associate them with Irish hermit monks who are said to have settled in Iceland to worship their God in peace. They were known to the Norse people as ‘ papar .’ Caves of Hella are in a league of their own The caves of Hella on the farm Ægissíða in the village of Hella are in a league of their own. These huge caves are considered the oldest still-standing archeological remains in Iceland but their age and origins are a mystery. Many want to connect the caves of Hella to Celtic people rather than Norse settlers. The sagas mostly describe Celtic people as thralls, or slaves, to the Norse ruling class. The real story may be more complicated. Meet the professor who is now the custodian of the Caves of Hella I have visited the caves, and they are impressive. Two years ago, I spent an evening in one of the caves listening to a local storyteller stating his case that the Icelandic Saga of Burnt Njá l was, in fact, really about a clash between Norse and Celtic settlers. He was sure that the cavernous space we were in was an ancient church carved by Celtic settlers. I sat in the gloom underneath alcoves in the rock wall, which would be perfect for candles, looking up at the speaker, who looked like a priest preaching to his flock before an altar, and thought it was plausible. After all, at the back of the church, there is indeed a cross with a hint of Jesus carved onto it. The same family has occupied the farm where the caves are for about two centuries. Its most well-known member is Baldur Þórhallsson . He is a Professor of Political Science at the University of Iceland and is the Research Director of the Centre for Small State Studies. Indeed, Baldur is often on Icelandic media, where he casts a light on both domestic and international affairs. His family runs the tour company The Caves of Hella, and since 2019, it has offered visitors a chance to step into the caves and back into the mysterious past. Hello, Baldur, and thank you for taking the time for this interview. When did you first become interested in the caves of South Iceland? A special passion for undiscovered treasures developed with my grandfather’s storytelling of Papar, Irish monks, whom he steadfastly believed settled and lived, according to oral history, in the twelve man-made caves on our farm, Ægissiða, by Hella before the Nordic settlement in Iceland. My grandfather and parents still used half of the caves in the 1970s and 1980s. They were used for hay and as a storage for food, such as potatoes, homemade jam, and extracts. The caves were a big tourist attraction when they were open to the public. We had thousands of visitors every year, Icelanders and foreigners, fascinated by the origin of this underworld of the south. I was only five or six years old when I started showing the caves to tourists when my grandfather was busy working on the farm.  I simply tried to remember every word my grandfather told visitors and tried my best to make myself understood even though I spoke Icelandic to the foreign visitors. What are your theories about the origins of these man-made caves? Who made them and why? Mystery surrounds the phenomenon of the caves, and for centuries, people have wondered who made the caves. We believe our ancestors when they say that Celts made the caves before the settlement of the Vikings in Iceland. The Celts, Papars, were Christian, and there are indications that Christian people lived in the caves or at least used the caves. For instance, one of the caves bears the name the Church (Kirkjuhellir), and there are fascinating Christian crosses in another, Fjoshellir. What happened to the Celts? We don’t know what happened to the Celts. They may simply have mixed with the Nordic men.  The latest genetic evidence indicates at least that my grandfather was right about Icelanders’ Celtic roots. We are still digging (also in concrete terms) for evidence about the settlement of Papar in our land. The Icelandic historical narrative claims that we are all the offspring of the brave and glorious Vikings. It does not give any scope for other interpretations, such as that our ancestors were Christian Celts. This is a story that could not be told. We are opening this Pandora box. Can you describe the work involved in restoring the caves? The caves were abandoned after farmers stopped using them in the 1980s. We restored the caves by rebuilding their large entrances, which are made of turf and stones. Their chimneys/vents, made of stones, also needed restoration. The caves must also be cleaned out since they quickly get filled with sand and dirt if not closed. We made them accessible to visitors by lighting them, placing a glass ceiling on the chimneys, and making trails between them. Four caves are now open to the public, including two of the largest caves. They can host around 150 people each. Apart from the caves of South Iceland, what are your favorite places in Iceland? My favorite place in Iceland is Landmannalaugar, a place in the Fjallabak Nature Reserve in the Highlands of Iceland. It is a stunning place. I like to hike in the area and dip into the natural geothermal hot springs. My favorite walking route is Fimmvörðuháls between Skógar and Thórsmörk. The view from the trail is incredible. If my readers are interested in visiting the man-made caves of Hella you have helped restore, what should they do? We offer daily guided tours in the caves. Our guests experience the wonders of the caves, including ancient crosses, wall carvings, and carved seats, and tell them, of course, our story. We visit four caves, and the entire tour takes about one hour. We also offer a private luxury cave experience. They have also become very popular. Included in our luxury tour is private guidance, whisky and beer sampling, and delicacies, all made locally. And a local luxury hotel, Hótel Rangá , offers a Viking feast in one of the caves. Guests enjoy gourmet food and explore the caves. Moreover, the caves have become for weddings and concerts. They provide amazing surroundings for special events, such as weddings.  Please contact info@cavesofhella.is   if you want to visit the caves or attend the private tours. You can also find information about us on our website   and on Facebook , and get in touch there. What advice would you give to people visiting Iceland for the first time? Continue to be adventurous. Enjoy the rainy days and the strong wind. Walk in nature, climb a hill, and dig into the underworld. Published on 18th of November 2023 by Stuck in Iceland

Hópur bandarískra vísindamanna vinnur nú að aldursgreiningu hellanna við Ægissíðu í Rangárþingi ytra og hugsanlegs hlutverks þeirra í landnámi á Íslandi. Hópurinn rannsakar útskurð á hellisveggjum og setlög í hellunum. Þeir nota nýstárlega aðferð til að greina hina fjölmörgu útskurði sem finnast í hellunum, tækni sem ekki hefur verið notuð áður á Íslandi. Hin mikla leyndardómur Helluhellanna Rannsóknarteymið er stýrt af prófessor Lauru Haynes í jarðfræði og prófessor Elizabeth Lastra í miðaldalistasögu við Vassar College í New York fylki í Bandaríkjunum. Hellarnir á Hellu hafa lengi vakið upp spurningar meðal sagnfræðinga, fornleifafræðinga og jarðfræðinga og margir velta vöngum yfir uppruna þeirra og tilgangi. Árið 2017 gaf Árni Freyr Magnússon sagnfræðingur út ritgerð þar sem fjallað var um aðferðir til að ákvarða aldur hellanna. Rannsókn Árna Freys komst að þeirri niðurstöðu að hægt væri að ákvarða aldur hellanna með fjórum meginaðferðum: að skoða söguleg skjöl, rannsaka áletranir og útskurð á veggjum þeirra, aldursgreina mannvistarlög byggð á gjósku og rannsaka gripi sem fundust í einum hellanna. Vísindamenn rannsaka hella Hellu. „Aðferð bandarísku sérfræðinganna er mjög áhugaverð. Það leggur áherslu á að skoða útskurð á veggjum. Þegar ég var að rannsaka þetta fyrir fimm árum hafði ég ekki hugmynd um að erlendir sérfræðingar myndu fljótlega hefja rannsóknir með svo háþróaðri tækni, sem íslenskum fræðimönnum stendur almennt ekki til boða. Það er líka spennandi að sjá bandaríska sérfræðinga í listasögu og jarðfræði velja Helluhellana til rannsókna,“ segir Árni Freyr. Byltingarkennd tækni er tekin í notkun Rannsóknarteymið notar Reflectance Transformation Imaging (RTI) og röntgenflúrljómunargreiningu. RTI er notað til að skoða útskurð á hellisveggjum. Myndavél er sett upp í hellunum og ljósi er beint frá ýmsum sjónarhornum á útskurðinn og fangar þær í mikilli upplausn. Þetta gerir ráð fyrir nákvæmri kortlagningu á útliti og formi útskurðarins. Þetta mun leiða til nákvæms þrívíddarkorts af hellisveggjunum. Því næst er röntgenflúrljómunargreining notuð til að kanna steinefnarykið á hellisveggjunum, sem safnast hefur upp úr vatni sem seytlar í gegnum bergið frá upphafi. Þetta ryk, sem stundum er að finna ofan á útskurðinum, getur gefið mikilvægar vísbendingar um aldur útskurðanna og þar af leiðandi hellanna, auk upplýsinga um gróður og veðurfar á mismunandi tímabilum í sögu hellanna. Þríhyrningur mismunandi gagna gæti loksins gefið einhver svör um hella Hellu Samsetning þessara steinefna getur veitt verulega innsýn í tímabilið þegar hellarnir voru grafnir og teknir í notkun. Teymið mun einnig rannsaka setlögin í hellunum og tengsl þeirra við myndun Íslands í víðara samhengi. Með ítarlegri greiningu á þessum lögum vonast sérfræðingarnir til að ákvarða nánar uppruna hellanna. Árni Freyr bíður spenntur eftir niðurstöðum rannsóknarinnar. Hann viðurkennir að aldursgreining manngerðra hella hafi verið krefjandi fyrir íslenska fræðimenn, en með bættri tækni gæti sannleikurinn um uppruna þessara merku mannvirkja loksins komið í ljós.

Hótel Rangá hjálpar gestum að eiga ógleymanlega matarupplifun inni í einum sögufrægasta helli Íslands. Fá hótel taka við ævintýraanda Íslands eins og Hótel Rangá . Small Luxury Hotel hefur lengi hjálpað gestum að kanna víðáttumikið náttúrulandslag svæðisins og er sérstaklega frábært við að aðstoða ferðamenn við að elta uppi glóandi græn og gul ljós norðurljósa. Og nú gefur Hótel Rangá enn eina ástæðu fyrir ferðalanga að flykkjast á Íslandshornið - Icelantic Cave Dining ævintýrið. Nú stendur yfir á Hótel Rangá kvöldverðarseríu sem er ólík öllum öðrum sem gerir þér kleift að veisla eins og íslenskur víkingur af gamla skólanum inni í Hellunum við Hellu . Af 12 manngerðum hellum eru aðeins fjórir opnir almenningi og eru venjulega aðeins aðgengilegir með leiðsögn. Í hellunum eru einnig elstu fornleifar Íslands, þar á meðal krossar, listir og útskorin sæti. Samkvæmt Visit South Iceland gætu hellarnir verið frá því áður en norrænir víkingar settust að á svæðinu. „Það er ekki á hverjum degi sem maður fær tækifæri til að búa til 3ja rétta matseðil sem framreiddur er inni í fornum íslenskum helli,“ segir Jón Aron Sigmundsson, yfirmatreiðslumaður Hótel Rangá. „Okkur langaði að skapa einstaka, ekta upplifun til að endurspegla sögu Íslands. Fyrir máltíðina munu gestir grafa ofan í sig rétti sem Sigmundsson og teymi hans útbúa, þar á meðal graflax, þeyttar kartöflur, lambalæri og íslenskt skyr, sem Sigmundsson segir „hefðbundinn mat sem Íslendingar hafa elskað um aldir“. Öll máltíðin fer fram undir kertaljósum og eykur aðeins á aðdráttarafl, ásamt lifandi skemmtun ásamt staðbundnum handverksbjór eða handvöldum vínum. Kvöldverðarupplifunin byrjar á € 1.700 (um $ 1.850), auk 134 € ($ 146) til viðbótar á mann fyrir þriggja rétta veislu og drykki (minivíkingar - eins og hjá börnum - eru hálfvirði). Panta þarf kvöldverðinn með því að hringja í móttöku hótelsins með viku fyrirvara. Kvöldverðurinn er í boði fyrir aðra en gesti og aðeins í boði sem einkamatarupplifun. Vertu bara tilbúinn til að borða eins og þú myndir gera þegar hellarnir voru búnir til, þar sem þú færð aðeins tréskeið, svo það er líklega nauðsynlegt að borða með höndum þínum. En í alvöru, hvers vegna myndirðu vilja gaffal í víkingakvöldverð? Gefið út 27. júní 2023 af Food & Wine

The caves of Hella are a wonder to behold. Nobody knows for sure how old they are, but many historians date them back to the early/mid-9th century, right before the Viking Ingólfur Arnarsson cast two carved pillars into the sea off the coast of Iceland, and settled where they landed. That would make the caves the oldest man-made structure in Iceland. But who built them? With an unquenchable thirst for knowledge, I ventured south to explore the halls myself. Vikings, monks and farmers “Ægissíða means ‘by the sea’ in Icelandic,” Álfrún, one of the caretakers of the site, tells our group. “But we are nowhere near the sea. In Gaelic, though, Ægissíða means ‘the man-made caves.’” The Vikings did not dig tunnels or live in caves, and they did not initially follow Christianity. Therefore, it’s most likely that Irish monks, the settlers who predated the Vikings, were responsible for carving out these caves and using them for worship. Eventually, refusing to share their island with pagans, the monks left, abandoning not only their sites of worship, but also their caves. Since then, the caves have been privately owned by farmers, and were closed to the public for many years. Carvings and conservation In the early part of the 20th century, people began to see the value in understanding and preserving the history of these caves. Starting in the 1960s, caretakers would give tours to Icelandic school groups. The students would tour the caves, and then carve their names and the date they visited into the soft sandstone walls. Only recently the caves have fully opened to the public, guided by a local historian. “Ægissíða means ‘by the sea’ in Icelandic, but we are nowhere near the sea. In Gaelic, though, ægissiða means ‘the man-made caves.’” The smell of hay clings in my nose as our guide Árni explains that farmers used the caves in the area to house animals for centuries. The first cave we visit was used to house livestock in the early part of the 20th century. Before 1913, no one knew that the cave was there. That year, a horse stepped into one of the chimneys in the field above the cave, which led to its discovery. Photo by Art Bicnick From the mouth of the cave, the walls extend back about 150 meters. A high ceiling in the front, where the chimney is, precedes a lower ceiling and a square alcove, which Árni says was most likely a domicile. Photo by Art Bicnick A tight passageway leads to another cave with a ceiling that is only a meter and a half tall. When this cave was discovered, the farmers dug a well in it and used the cave to house their sheep. It is unclear what the purpose of this room was before that. Photo by Art Bicnick A chapel and a cowshed The final cave available to the public was most likely used as a place of worship. We cross a vast field to reach it. Two other caves have collapsed, but wooden supports jut out of the ground, holding them open for restoration. Árni tells us that the location of all of these caves would be ideal for settlers in the Middle Ages. “There is a river not too far from here where you can get fresh water,” he explains “And from this hill, you can see for a long way into the distance in all directions. Perfect for a Viking.” However, he also emphasises that the Vikings lived in longhouses. Therefore, if they did live in this location, it was probably not in the caves. “Catholics come here from all over the world and hold mass.” Finally, we step inside the third cave. It takes a moment for our eyes to adjust, but what we see when they do is spectacular. Seats are carved into the wall by the entrance, with a torch sconce dug into the sandstone above them. Directly in front of us, stairs lead up to another cave, which has collapsed. A short rail track has been built here, which Árni’s grandfather used to transport hay from this cave into the next one, where the cows lived. Photo by Art Bicnick On the back wall, a cross is embossed. The cave was carved around this eroded symbol. Around it, intricate patterns are carved into the sandstone, although they are heavily faded. “Catholics come here from all over the world and hold mass,” our guide says. A palpable holy atmosphere lingers from over a thousand years ago, it seems. Photo by Art Bicnick A restoration project is currently underway , supervised by the Cultural Heritage Agency of Iceland. The goal of the restoration is to eventually open more of the caves to the public, and all income generated from the tours of the caves that are currently open will go to this end. As more is revealed about the caves, we can only hope to learn more about Iceland’s pre-Viking settlers. Distance from Reykjavík: 95 km How to get there: Route One East Published on 2nd of July 2020 by The Reykjavík Grapevine

Nýuppgerðir manngerðir hellar við bæinn Ægissíðu við Hellu á Suðurlandi hafa verið vinsælir meðal gesta undanfarið, segir í Morgunblaðinu . „Þetta er nýr og spennandi áfangastaður og við höfum fengið marga gesti síðan við opnuðum aftur [eftir lokun vegna COVID-19 faraldursins],“ segir Árni Freyr Magnússon, einn leiðsögumanna. Þetta er fjölskylduverkefni og ágóði af inntöku verður notaður til endurbóta á restinni af hellunum. Boðið er upp á leiðsögn um hellana um helgar kl.14. Alls eru 12 þekktir manngerðir hellar nálægt bænum, þar af fjórir endurgerðir. Unnið er að endurbótum á þeim sem eftir eru. Tveir hellanna eru með stærstu manngerðu hellum sem fundist hafa á Íslandi. Nöfn hellanna benda til þess að þeir hafi verið notaðir sem skúrar fyrir búfé eða sem hlöður. Takmarkaðar rannsóknir hafa verið gerðar á hellunum, svo aldur þeirra er enn ráðgáta. Inni í þeim hafa fundist krossar, gamlar hellateikningar, myndir, auk hillur og sæti sem skorið hefur verið í veggina. Einar Benediktsson skáld, var þeirrar skoðunar að þau ættu rætur að rekja til landnáms og upphaflega búið írskum munkum. Árni Freyr og kærastan hans Álfrún Perla Þórhallsdóttir, en fjölskylda hennar á býlið, telja að hellarnir séu frá 12. til 15. öld. Skrifað af Iceland Monitor 20. júní 2020.