Hörgárdalur

"Hörgárdalur is a 50 km long valley on the west of Eyjafjörður, with many farms near its mouth, enclosed by high mountains with permanent snowdrifts. The Hörgá river, though it has the glacial colour, is a good fishing river."

"Hraundrangi/Drangi (1.075 m) is a pinnacle on the rocky mountain ridge between Öxnadalur and Hörgárdalur. According to legend a treasure chest was hidden there waiting for the first climber to fetch it. Drangi was first climbed in 1956 by a party of three, an American and two Icelanders, but none of them appeared to be much richer after the ascent. The flat area on top of it turned out to be less than 0,5 m²."

The reason for those climbers not coming down from the mountain any richer is simple. South of the peak called Drangi the mountain is shaped liked a chest and that is where the gold is. And Kista, (the Chest), has not yet been concurred so the gold is still there!!

"Myrká, (Dark River), a farm and a church until 1910 and parsonage till 1850. Connected with one of the best known ghost stories of Icelandic folklore, Djákninn á Myrká ("The Deacon of Myrká"). It tells how the deacon at Myrká had invited the young woman Guðrún, from another farm, to the Christmas festivities at Myrká. Unfortunately, he drowned in teh river Hörgá and was buried at Myrká the week before Christmas. Despite this, he came riding to her farm, where they had not heard of his death, put her behind him on the horse and set off for Myrká. As they rode the moon shone on the back of his head so Guðrún could see his white skull under his hat. She realised she was riding with a dead man, but gave no sign until they reached Myrká, where the deacon tried to drag her into his grave, which he had left open to go on this journey. She managed to get hold of the rope of the lych-gate bell and ring it, and he fell into the grave. The churchyard at Myrká is still well-maintained, an there is still a bell in the lych-gate, as in the folk-tale." 

Myrká is only a few km from Staðarbakki, the farm where I grew up, and this story of the deacon is something that I have know all my life and I have even been telling it further to younger cousins and other relatives through the years. Staðarbakki is the farm that is the furthest up the valley. There is a road further up the valley but it is barely for other than tractors and ofcourse horses or hikers. It goes 8 km further up the valley but from the end of the road there is still some way to the end of the valley. 

Grjótá is a river that runs into Hörgá, the river of Hörgárdalur. The little canyon and valley where this river comes from is very beautiful, especially in the autumn.

Views from the farm
Drangi
The farmhouse
Animals
Grjótá

Quotes from The Visitor's Key to Iceland, other text is mine