Keldur

Keldur is a turf farm in the Rangarvellir with a hall containing the oldest surviving turf building fabric in Iceland, parts of its timber frame dated to the medieval period, standing among later ranges built and rebuilt over centuries in the same style. A short underground passage runs from the hall towards the stream - the usual reading is an escape route, which fits the district's history: Keldur belonged to the Oddaverjar family and appears in Njals saga and in the accounts of the Sturlung age, when the country's leading families fought each other openly. The National Museum keeps the site, and it is open in summer with a guide.

History

The first known farmer at Keldur, Ingjaldur Höskuldsson, appears in the 13th-century Njáls saga, and the farm later became a residence of the Oddaverjar chieftains; Jón Loftsson lived here and is believed to be buried here, and in the 13th century his grandson Hálfdan Sæmundsson lived here with his wife Steinvör Sighvatsdóttir. The foundation of the house is thought to date from the 11th century, making it the oldest in Iceland, an underground passage from it to the stream was rediscovered in 1998, and the present log church was built in 1875 (Wikipedia, Keldur).

The main sights

• The oldest turf fabric in Iceland - medieval timber in the hall.
• An underground passage - running from the hall towards the stream.
• A saga and Sturlung-age farm - held by the Oddaverjar family.
• Later ranges around it - rebuilt in the same turf tradition.

When to go

June to August, while the museum is open. One to two hours.

Things to know

Outside the summer season you can only look from outside the fence. The buildings are small and dark inside and low doorways catch tall visitors. Facilities are minimal. The site is a working farm as well as a museum.

Nearby

Hella is west; Hvolsvollur and the Njals saga sites are south-west.

Key facts