Hvítserkur — the petrified troll

OVERVIEW

Hvítserkur is a basalt sea stack fifteen metres high on the eastern shore of the Vatnsnes peninsula in north-west Iceland. Two holes at its base give it the look of an animal — usually described as a dragon or a beast drinking from the sea. It is one of the most photographed rocks in the country.

HISTORY

Local tradition holds that Hvítserkur is the petrified remains of a troll who set out to destroy the nearby monastery at Þingeyrar — in most tellings, annoyed by the bells — and was caught by the rising sun and turned to stone where he stood in the water.

REPORTED ACTIVITY

The part of this that deserves recording is not the legend but what was done about it. In the mid-twentieth century farmers, worried that the sea was eating away the base and the 'troll' would topple, reinforced its foundations with concrete. It is a small thing and it says a good deal: a community spending real money and labour to keep a piece of their folklore standing up.

VISITING

Signposted off Route 711 on the Vatnsnes peninsula; a car park above and a steep path down to the beach. Free and open. The shore is soft and the tide comes in.