View allAll Photos Tagged TurfHouses
“Borgarfjörður eystri is a fjord in east Iceland. It is part of the municipality of Borgarfjarðarhreppur and, as of 2011, the area has a population of around 100 inhabitants. The main settlement is Bakkagerði. The town derives its name from the Álfaborg. Wikipedia”
This turf house was in a small town in Iceland and is currently being used for art children’s art classes and workshops. Our guide was from this town, and spoke idiomatic English very well. She was able to take us on a very informative tour of the village, and we ate lunch in a small restaurant there—mushroom soup and fish!
This turf house was part of an outdoor museum near Reykjavík, Iceland, and was one of the most interesting parts of our trip. Later on in the trip, in Norway, we saw goats tending to the turf on buildings! “Árbæjarsafn is the historical museum of the city of Reykjavík as well as an open-air museum and a regional museum. Its purpose is to give the public an insight into the living conditions, work and recreational activities of the people of Reykjavík in earlier times.”
Una de las típicas casitas islandesas con el tjado de turba, en este caso se trata de una capilla cercana a la iglesia
A small natural arch sits on Hrútafell, a cliff in the foothills west of Eyjafjöll (volcano). The cliff looms above Skarðshlíð. a farm along Iceland’s Ring Road in south Iceland just west of Skógafoss (a famous waterfall). An Icelandic folktale tells of a strongman named Grettir Ásmundsson who was showing off and ripped a giant boulder right out of Hrútafell cliff and tossed it to the valley floor. That boulder, Drangurinn ( not pictured), was the location of early structures built in caves along its base. Hrútafell is composed of, volcanic ash< from the nearby volcanoes. A storm moved in while we were there making for some great shots.
References:
www.katlageopark.com/geosites/drangurinn-i-drangshlid-2/
guidetoiceland.is/connect-with-locals/regina/drangshlid-r...
Jón Árnason. Íslenzkar Þjóðsögur og Æfintýri. 2 vols. Leipzig: J.C. Hinrichs, 1862, 1864
Medieval church rebuilded.
Originally a farmers church from 11.th century. The building relies on archeologic research on the place and knowldedge of medieval methods of building houses of turf In Iceland history
We visited this turf house where we saw how people have lived in Iceland for generations. I concluded it was a tough life with poor ventilation and the ever present threat of death from cold or pulmonary disease.
Eiríksstaðir in Haukadalur is believed to be the birthplace of Leifur Eiríksson, or “Leif the Lucky”, who is said to be the first European to set foot in North America around the year 1000 C.E.
Archaeologists first studied this site in the mid-20th century, and excavations in the late 1990s uncovered a 10th century longhouse. Leifur Eiríksson was the son of Eirík the Red, the famous Norse explorer who founded settlements in Greenland.
Medieval church rebuilded.
Originally a farmers church from 11.th century. The building relies on archeologic research on the place and knowldedge of medieval methods of building houses of turf In Iceland history
A pop of colour in the deep green valley of Skagafjörður. This is the beautiful Áshús at the Glaumbær Museum – a perfect example of 19th-century timber architecture hidden in the north.
People lived in Glaumbær turf house until 1947. Icelandic turf houses were the product of a difficult climate, offering superior insulation compared to buildings solely made of wood or stone, and the relative difficulty in obtaining other construction materials in sufficient quantities.
Stepping into the Viking Village at the foot of Vestrahorn feels like a glitch in the timeline. Built originally as a film set in 2010, this replica village on the Stokksnes Peninsula has been weathered by the relentless Icelandic elements, giving it an authentic, eerie beauty.
I loved how the vibrant green turf roofs pop against the dramatic, jagged backdrop of the mountain. It’s a reminder of how the early settlers had to harmonize with such a powerful landscape.
Processed with VSCO with l1 preset
in Explore 2022-01-23 (#371)
Eng.
Núpsstaður in an abandoned settlement in south east Iceland situated in the shadow of majestic Lómagnúpur. There is a turf church here in a good condition which in 1930 became the first protected building in Iceland.
NL
In Núpsstaður staat een boerderij uit het begin van 19de eeuw. De boerderij ligt bij de rots Lomagnupur, wat ’eenzame piek’ betekent. Naast de boerderij staat ook een piepklein turfkerkje uit de 17de eeuw. …
D
Der Bauernhof Núpsstaður wurde bis 2004 von zwei alten Brüdern bewirtschaftet. Man erzählt sich, die beiden hätten jahrzehntelang kein Wort miteinader gesprochen, obwohl sie zusammen auf dem Hof lebten. Im Sommer 2004 starb einer der Brüder, 2010 der zweite und nun liegen sie hinter der kleinen Torfkirche aus dem 18. Jahrhundert begraben, die zum Hof gehört.
A cowhed sits in a cave under Drangurinn in south Iceland. Drangurinn is a large rock composed of volcanic tuff that sits in front of Hrútafell, a cliff in the foothills west of the Eyjafjöll (volcano). Drangurinn stands between Skarðshlíð and Drangshlíð. two farms along Iceland’s Ring Road inSouth Iceland just west of Skógafoss ( a famous waterfall). An Icelandic folktale tells of a strongman named Grettir Ásmundsson who was showing off and ripped the giant boulder right out of Hrútafell cliff, which left a chasm which sits on the cliff above Skarðshlíð. Early settlers constructed buildings in the caves and overhangs in Drangurinn and the nearby cliffs. These buildings go back centuries and are a good example of ‘fornmannahús’ or ancient habitations. Habitations here may date back to the settlement period in Iceland (c. 870–c. 930). Orginally the caves may have been used has habitations. As the farms were established the buildings were used as cowsheds and sheep pens. In Icelandic folklore, elves inhabit the caves and tunnels of Drangurinn. In folk stories documented by Jón Árnason in 1862, the elves would then attend to the cows while they birthed new calves, then milked them after they gave birth. The elves would feed both the calf and the cow. The unused milk was left in a bucket for the farmer. The stories also contain other interactions between human and elves.
As can be seen in this photo the structures at Drangurinn í Drangshlíð have been modified over the years. This structue with its corrugated steel roof looks of more recent construction than the turf covered stone houses. There was no information I could find at the site about its age. The area is protected as an historic site but some of the buildings are still used for animals or storage by the farm. With the old buildings and strange tales, this was a very interesting place to visit.
References:
www.katlageopark.com/geosites/drangurinn-i-drangshlid-2/
guidetoiceland.is/connect-with-locals/regina/drangshlid-r...
Jón Árnason. Íslenzkar Þjóðsögur og Æfintýri. 2 vols. Leipzig: J.C. Hinrichs, 1862, 1864
Drangurinn is a large rock composed of volcanic tuff that sits in front of Hrútafell, a cliff in the foothills west of the Eyjafjöll (volcano). Drangurinn stands between Skarðshlíð and Drangshlíð. two farms along Iceland’s Ring Road inSouth Iceland just west of Skógafoss ( a famous waterfall). An Icelandic folktale tells of a strongman named Grettir Ásmundsson who was showing off and ripped the giant boulder right out of Hrútafell cliff, which left a chasm which sits on the cliff above Skarðshlíð. Early settlers constructed buildings in the caves and overhangs in Drangurinn and the nearby cliffs. These buildings go back centuries and are a good example of ‘fornmannahús’ or ancient habitations. Habitations here may date back to the settlement period in Iceland (c. 870–c. 930). Orginally the caves may have been used has habitations. As the farms were established the buildings were used as cowsheds and sheep pens. In Icelandic folklore, elves inhabit the caves and tunnels of Drangurinn. In folk stories documented by Jón Árnason in 1862, the elves would then attend to the cows while they birthed new calves, then milked them after they gave birth. The elves would feed both the calf and the cow. The unused milk was left in a bucket for the farmer. The stories also contain other interactions between human and elves.
As can be seen in this photo the structures at Drangurinn í Drangshlíð have been modified over the years. On the left is an old stone structure with a turf roof. Behind it and to the right sits a more modern wooden structure with a corrugated steel roof coves the front of a cave in the rock. The area is protected as an historic site but some of the buildings are still used for animals or storage by the farm. With the old buildings and strange tales, this was a very interesting place to visit.
References:
www.katlageopark.com/geosites/drangurinn-i-drangshlid-2/
guidetoiceland.is/connect-with-locals/regina/drangshlid-r...
Jón Árnason. Íslenzkar Þjóðsögur og Æfintýri. 2 vols. Leipzig: J.C. Hinrichs, 1862, 1864
Medieval church rebuilded.
Originally a farmers church from 11.th century. The building relies on archeologic research on the place and knowldedge of medieval methods of building houses of turf In Iceland history
Just love these grass roof homes! So charming and ingenious in a land where you had to use what you had to survive.
I composed this image of Icelandic Turf Houses while completing the Svartifoss Waterfall hike. A history of these turf houses is presented below.
For a country settled in 930 AD and inhabited ever since, Icelanders have very few historic buildings of note. While most other European states have castles and ruins that date back eons, you’ll be hard-pressed to find anything built before the 19th Century in Iceland.
The reason for this is that the vast majority of Iceland’s buildings were made to be disposable. With an extreme and fickle climate, a lack of decent building materials, virtually no infrastructure and the poverty of the people themselves, early Icelanders had to be creative when constructing their homes. As such, the Icelandic turf house was born.
Turf houses are, quite simply, semi-underground abodes with a grassy roof, not unlike the Hobbit homes in Lord of the Rings.
They were built by stacking flat stones to create the foundation, using birch or driftwood to create frames, then covering the structure with several layers of turf. A door would mark the entrance, and there were occasionally small windows (although few made of glass, a rare commodity). On the roof, there would usually be a small hole for ventilation, which could be closed in bad weather with a lid made of animal guts stretched over a barrel ring.
Though it was true that Iceland was covered in birch forests when first settled, Icelandic birch was pretty useless in building anything more than the aforementioned frames and door. Turf, however, was known to be insulating by the Norwegians when they arrived and was adopted as a primary material for houses pretty much immediately.
The appearance and architectural style of turf houses went under several changes throughout history. Initially, most resembled classic Viking longhouses, complete with saunas. As Icelanders burnt through the nation’s forests and an ensuing mini Ice Age prevented more from growing, they changed into networks of smaller buildings, connected with underground tunnels.
In the 18th Century, it became more popular to have wooden ends at both sides of a turf house, and a gable-style entrance. Almost all intact turf houses in Iceland today were built in this fashion.
Turf houses provided the best insulation possible, but that does not mean they were comfortable. They were so damp that fresh produce would quickly rot; they filled with smoke whenever someone cooked; they were dark, especially in winter; and they stank, being where everyone ate, slept, socialised and did their indoor work. They were also often crowded, housing the whole family in addition to farmhands, seasonal workers, vagrants and potentially state dependents, and everyone usually slept in one room.
Turf houses also required constant maintenance, being made mainly of organic material and constantly exposed to the elements. Neglecting household duties could easily result in their collapse. As such, it was widespread for them to be abandoned every year, and a new one built in another location.
Because of how disposable they were and how quickly they were deserted, few turf houses have made it to the modern era without significant structural damage.
The turf houses pictured appear to be modern adaptations of these historic structures, built into the hillside and with thatched roofs, but some modern elements.
A centuries old turfhouse sits against Drangurinn in South Iceland. Drangurinn is a large rock composed of volcanic tuff that sits in front of Hrútafell, a cliff in the foothills west of the Eyjafjöll (volcano). Drangurinn stands between Skarðshlíð and Drangshlíð. two farms along Iceland’s Ring Road inSouth Iceland just west of Skógafoss ( a famous waterfall). An Icelandic folktale tells of a strongman named Grettir Ásmundsson who was showing off and ripped the giant boulder right out of Hrútafell cliff, which left a chasm which sits on the cliff above Skarðshlíð. Early settlers constructed buildings in the caves and overhangs in Drangurinn and the nearby cliffs. These buildings go back centuries and are a good example of ‘fornmannahús’ or ancient habitations. Habitations here may date back to the settlement period in Iceland (c. 870–c. 930). Orginally the caves may have been used has habitations. As the farms were established the buildings were used as cowsheds and sheep pens. In Icelandic folklore, elves inhabit the caves and tunnels of Drangurinn. In folk stories documented by Jón Árnason in 1862, the elves would then attend to the cows while they birthed new calves, then milked them after they gave birth. The elves would feed both the calf and the cow. The unused milk was left in a bucket for the farmer. The stories also contain other interactions between human and elves.
Though some of the structures at Drangurinn í Drangshlíð have been modified over the years, some show few changes. This old stone structure with a turf roof sits in the front of a cave in the rock and may be one of the older structures at the site. The area is protected as an historic site but some of the buildings are still used for animals or storage by the farm. With the old buildings and strange tales, this was a very interesting place to visit.
References:
www.katlageopark.com/geosites/drangurinn-i-drangshlid-2/
guidetoiceland.is/connect-with-locals/regina/drangshlid-r...
Jón Árnason. Íslenzkar Þjóðsögur og Æfintýri. 2 vols. Leipzig: J.C. Hinrichs, 1862, 1864
We escaped the dreary weather with an unplanned stop at the museum near Skogarfoss. The museum is divided into 3 sections with one showing ancient Icelandic life up to the 19th century, a transportation museum that starts with early settlements all the way up to the modern era, and an outdoors museum that displays various buildings common in Icelandic culture. These turf type houses date back to the original settlers and were still common in the early 20th century.
Thanks for the fave's and comments. You can see the rest of the pics of our trip to Iceland clicking here.
I have been taking pictures on this spot for a number of years. I love to be here in winter time to take pictures of the moon. There will never be one picture the same because of the ever changing circumstances when the moon is descending: The varied graduation of light in the early morning hours, a distinctive difference in color tone, the ever different location of the moon in the sky: the moon can descend nearer to the old houses or nearer to the old turf church, the moon can descend higher or closer to the horizon, and also the presence of some clouds will give the moon a specific look. Without a doubt the presence of snow creates an even more distinctive ambiance.
See for example also:
www.flickr.com/photos/7811771@N06/32216176577/
for more explanation
Modified turf houses sit agaimst Drangurinn in south Iceland. At some point concrete was used to cover the original stone fronts of the structures, Drangurinn is a large rock composed of volcanic tuff that sits in front of Hrútafell, a cliff in the foothills west of the Eyjafjöll (volcano). Drangurinn stands between Skarðshlíð and Drangshlíð. two farms along Iceland’s Ring Road inSouth Iceland just west of Skógafoss ( a famous waterfall). An Icelandic folktale tells of a strongman named Grettir Ásmundsson who was showing off and ripped the giant boulder right out of Hrútafell cliff, which left a chasm which sits on the cliff above Skarðshlíð. Early settlers constructed buildings in the caves and overhangs in Drangurinn and the nearby cliffs. These buildings go back centuries and are a good example of ‘fornmannahús’ or ancient habitations. Habitations here may date back to the settlement period in Iceland (c. 870–c. 930). Orginally the caves may have been used has habitations. As the farms were established the buildings were used as cowsheds and sheep pens. In Icelandic folklore, elves inhabit the caves and tunnels of Drangurinn. In folk stories documented by Jón Árnason in 1862, the elves would then attend to the cows while they birthed new calves, then milked them after they gave birth. The elves would feed both the calf and the cow. The unused milk was left in a bucket for the farmer. The stories also contain other interactions between human and elves.
As can be seen in this photo the structures at Drangurinn í Drangshlíð have been modified over the years. An example is the concrete that at some point was placed over the original stone fronts and steel doors added to these turf houses. The area is protected as an historic site but some of the buildings are still used for animals or storage by the farm. With the old buildings and strange tales, this was a very interesting place to visit.
References:
www.katlageopark.com/geosites/drangurinn-i-drangshlid-2/
guidetoiceland.is/connect-with-locals/regina/drangshlid-r...
Jón Árnason. Íslenzkar Þjóðsögur og Æfintýri. 2 vols. Leipzig: J.C. Hinrichs, 1862, 1864