Mykines, Mykines
Encyclopedia
Mykines
Mykines is the western-most of the main 18 islands in the Faroe Islands. See also the only settlement on the island, Mykines.Only 11 people live in village Mykines all year around. The oldest inhabitant is 75 and the youngest is 6 years old....
, the westernmost of the Faroe Islands
Faroe Islands
The Faroe Islands are an island group situated between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately halfway between Scotland and Iceland. The Faroe Islands are a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, along with Denmark proper and Greenland...
. It is a beautiful little coastal village with bright houses with turf roofs
Green roof
A green roof is a roof of a building that is partially or completely covered with vegetation and a growing medium, planted over a waterproofing membrane. It may also include additional layers such as a root barrier and drainage and irrigation systems...
, with an old turf-roofed stone Church dating from 1878, and a small stream flowing through the village.
- Population: 21
- Postal code (Zip): FO 388
- Location: 62°6′15"N 7°38′46"W
- Municipality: Mykines
Population
| Year | 1769 | 1801 | 1834 | 1840 | 1845 | 1855 | 1870 | 1890 | 1925 | 1940 | 1953 | 1977 | 1996 | 2001 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 61 | 74 | 92 | 97 | 99 | 112 | 114 | 154 | 179 | 120 | 150 | 30 | 16 | 22 |
The population reached about 179 in 1925 and was still 150 in 1953. Since then it has decreased, and it now fluctuates during the year with a permanent population of around twenty people being supplemented during summer when families who used to live on the island return to their houses for the summer vacation.
Land
Mykines Island has no roads: access to other parts of the island is on foot, using well-used footpaths. Mykines village, similarly, has no streets, and footpaths weave between the buildings.Sea
The village has a small harbour, though the regularity of ferry services can be disrupted by inclement weather. The ferry Sulan visits one to three times a week from the beginning of May to the end of October, but during winter there is no ferry service. From the harbour a flight of about a hundred steps leads up to the village.People from Mykines
The first professional Faroese painter, S. J. Mikines was born in the village and drew inspiration from Mykines.Facilities
A blue house at the entrance to the village bears a sign Kristianshús - the house is part guest house and part hostel. The rooms are small, the staircase steep and the hallways are narrow, but the accommodation is good.Kristianshús can accommodate up to forty people, with six double rooms, three rooms with three beds, two rooms with four beds and a dormitory with six beds. Meals, beer and wine are served in the cafeteria and packed lunch
Packed lunch
thumb|A typical American bagged lunchthumb|[[Bento]] packed lunchA packed lunch is a lunch prepared at home and carried to be eaten somewhere else, such as school, a workplace, or at an outing...
es can be ordered. The local speciality is fried puffins. The cafeteria has an attic room in which S. J. Mikines used to paint.
Alternative accommodation is provided at Gula Husid.
History
A brief history of Mykines can be summarised as follows:- 625 - pollen analysisPollen analysisAnalysis of the distribution of pollen grains of various species contained in surface layer deposits, especially peat bogs and lake sediments, from which a record of past climate may be inferred. Because the lake sediments accumulate over time, a core of the mud will show that the mud at the bottom...
indicates oatsOATSOATS - Open Source Assistive Technology Software - is a source code repository or "forge" for assistive technology software. It was launched in 2006 with the goal to provide a one-stop “shop” for end users, clinicians and open-source developers to promote and develop open source assistive...
and barleyBarleyBarley is a major cereal grain, a member of the grass family. It serves as a major animal fodder, as a base malt for beer and certain distilled beverages, and as a component of various health foods...
were grown on Mykines, possibly by early settlers such as monkMonkA monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
s and hermitHermitA hermit is a person who lives, to some degree, in seclusion from society.In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Christian who lives the eremitic life out of a religious conviction, namely the Desert Theology of the Old Testament .In the...
s - 1538 - the ReformationProtestant ReformationThe Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
under King Christian III of DenmarkChristian III of DenmarkChristian III reigned as king of Denmark and Norway. He was the eldest son of King Frederick I and Anna of Brandenburg.-Childhood:... - 1592 - Peter Claussøn Friis, a NorwegianNorwayNorway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
priest, described the Faroese mouseMouseA mouse is a small mammal belonging to the order of rodents. The best known mouse species is the common house mouse . It is also a popular pet. In some places, certain kinds of field mice are also common. This rodent is eaten by large birds such as hawks and eagles...
as a distinct species, and the Mykines mouse as a subgroup having especially long powerful hind legs - 1595 - (approx) on 25 April, fifty boats were shipwrecked in a sudden storm and all the working men of Mykines lost their lives (estimated 200 to 300 men)
- 1667 - DutchNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
ship Walcheren was wrecked on Mykines and the islanders gained goods from the ship - 1757 - a man lost his life birding
- 1769 - records show 61 inhabitants on Mykines
- 1792 - two men from Mykines lost their lives birding, possibly through being roped together; the practice of roping men together was discontinued after this
- 1801 - population 74 in 17 houses
- 1819 - a ship abandoned by its crew drifted ashore and the people got some timber
- 1845 - population 99 in 19 houses
- 1862 - (approx) the first fulmarFulmarFulmars are seabirds of the family Procellariidae. The family consists of two extant species and two that are extinct.-Taxonomy:As members of Procellaridae and then the order Procellariiformes, they share certain traits. First, they have nasal passages that attach to the upper bill called...
chicks were caught and eaten - 1863 - Church was destroyed by a storm
- 1877 - Church again destroyed by a storm
- 1879 - new Church completed and consecrated
- 1890 - population 154
- 1892 - two young men lost their lives birding. About this time, adult fulmars started to be caught for food
- 1895 - 26 January a boat from Mykines was shipwrecked and all six men on board lose their lives
- 1896 - Mykines school opened
- 1906 - famous painter S J Mikines was born on 22 February, baptised Samuel Elias Frederik Joensen, but later changed his name to Mikines
- 1909 - building of the LighthouseLighthouseA lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
on Mykines Holm and construction of the first bridge over Holmgjogv, the narrow strait between Mykines and Mykines Holm - 1911 - 1 October Mykines made its own municipalityMunicipalities of DenmarkThis is a list of Municipalities of Denmark.-Region Hovedstaden:* Albertslund Municipality* Allerød Municipality* Ballerup Municipality* Bornholm Regional Municipality* Brøndby Municipality* Copenhagen Municipality* Dragør Municipality* Egedal Municipality...
with 3 members on the town council - 1925 - population 179, with 27 pupils in the school
- 1927 - the first swimming pool on the Faroes was built on Mykines, just downstream of the waterfall in the north-east part of the village. Poul N. Pedersen, the school teacher, was the driving force behind the project, and he organised sport competitions on the island
- 1927 - telephoneTelephoneThe telephone , colloquially referred to as a phone, is a telecommunications device that transmits and receives sounds, usually the human voice. Telephones are a point-to-point communication system whose most basic function is to allow two people separated by large distances to talk to each other...
service proposed but considered too expensive; an alternative facility via a communications link between the lighthouses on Mykines and Nolsoy was agreed - 1928 - radio beacons were installed at NólsoyNólsoyNólsoy is an island and village in central Faroe Islands, located to the east of the capital Tórshavn in Streymoy. There is only one settlement on the island: Nólsoy on the north-west coast on Stongin, a peninsula attached to the rest of the island by a metres-wide isthmus...
and Mykines lighthouses, making radio navigationRadio navigationRadio navigation or radionavigation is the application of radio frequencies to determine a position on the Earth. Like radiolocation, it is a type of radiodetermination.The basic principles are measurements from/to electric beacons, especially...
possible for the first time, and Mykines got a telephone connection to the outside world - 1934 - 7 8 March Mykines men were among the 43 casualties when two ships from TórshavnTórshavnTórshavn is the capital and largest town of the Faroe Islands. It is located in the southern part on the east coast of Streymoy. To the north west of the town lies the high mountain Húsareyn, and to the southwest, the high Kirkjubøreyn...
were shipwrecked off IcelandIcelandIceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
. A memorial stands above the village. - 1939 - a memorial listing Mykines people lost at sea was consecrated and can be seen in the Church
- 1940 - first signs of warWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
: unknown aircraft sighted. British military ordered all lighthouses to be switched off. Population 120. - 1941 - three air attacks damaged the lighthouse on Mykines Holm; assistant lighthouse keeper was wounded and was treated in Tórshavn hospital. The radio station was out of action for a short period
- 1942 - in spring British forces completed a radar station on á Ólakletti in Liðarhaugi. In September a mineNaval mineA naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, an enemy vessel...
drifted ashore on Mykines, exploded and damaged some boathouses - 1943 - the first wavebreakers at the landing-place was built, entirely from hand-mixed concreteConcreteConcrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
- 1945 - 17 May: lighthouses were switched on again and the radio transmission on Mykines and Nolsoy was resumed
- 1950 - the second (outer) wavebreaker was built, again from hand-mixed concrete
- 1953 - the second bridge over Holm Gjogv was built. Population about 150.
- 1959 - a man fell to his death while sheep herding
- 1961 - work started to build a ramp to haul the boats ashore in winter; the work extended over the summers of three years
- 1963 - a man fell to his death while sheep herding
- 1968 - Mykines power station was opened - the generatorsElectrical generatorIn electricity generation, an electric generator is a device that converts mechanical energy to electrical energy. A generator forces electric charge to flow through an external electrical circuit. It is analogous to a water pump, which causes water to flow...
were started by the oldest inhabitant of Mykines at that time, Niclas Hansen, who was 94 years old - 1968 - visit by Crown Princess MargretheMargrethe II of DenmarkMargrethe II is the Queen regnant of the Kingdom of Denmark. In 1972 she became the first female monarch of Denmark since Margaret I, ruler of the Scandinavian countries in 1375-1412 during the Kalmar Union.-Early life:...
and Prince Henrik of DenmarkHenrik, Prince Consort of DenmarkHenrik, Prince Consort of Denmark , is the husband of the Queen of Denmark, Margrethe II.-Early life:Henrik was born in Talence, Gironde, France... - 1970 - flight from Bergen to Vágar AirportVágar AirportVágar Airport is the only airport in the Faroe Islands, a self-governing territory of the Kingdom of Denmark, and is located east of Sørvágur. Due to the Faroe Islands' rather anomalous status, the airport is not fully subject to the rules of the European Union...
crashed in bad weather on Mykines on 26 September. Eight of the 34 passengers lost their lives, and the badly wounded were airlifted away by helicopter. A marble memorial was placed in the Church. - 1970 - Mykines lighthouse was automated and the last man moved from the Holm, which had been occupied continuously from 1909 by a varying population of up to 22 people (including children).
- 1971 - Danish NavyRoyal Danish NavyThe Royal Danish Navy is the sea-based branch of the Danish Defence force. The RDN is mainly responsible for maritime defence and maintaining the sovereignty of Danish, Greenlandic and Faroese territorial waters...
Alouette helicopter brought ChristmasChristmasChristmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
mail on 23 December since no boat had been able to land for some time due to bad weather. The helicopter engine failed so the crew stayed for Christmas. Mechanics flew in from Denmark on 28 December in two Sikorsky S-61H-3 Sea KingThe Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King is a twin-engined anti-submarine warfare helicopter. It served with the United States Navy and other forces, and continues to serve in many countries around the world. The Sea King has been built under license in Italy and Japan, and in the United Kingdom as the...
helicopters and repaired the Alouette. One Sikorsky could not leave because of technical problems, but the other two helicopters left on 2 January. - 1979-80 - new radio beacon and telecommunications facility constructed high on the island; materials transported by helicopter
- 1981 - trial of scheduled passenger transportation by helicopter between July and October
- 1981 - Anker JørgensenAnker JørgensenAnker Jørgensen is a former Danish Prime Minister and Foreign Minister. He led or represented the Social Democratic Party for well over 30 years.-Early political and personal life:...
, Prime Minister of Denmark, visited the island by helicopter on 20 August - 1983 - permanent scheduled passenger flights between the smaller islands started and has continued ever since
- 1987 - a new ferry boat came into service - called Sulan like its 1927 predecessor
- 1989 - the third bridge between Mykines and Mykines Holm came into use in June
- 1990 - roads in Mykines village were asphaltAsphaltAsphalt or , also known as bitumen, is a sticky, black and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid that is present in most crude petroleums and in some natural deposits, it is a substance classed as a pitch...
ed - 1990 - Queen Margrethe of DenmarkMargrethe II of DenmarkMargrethe II is the Queen regnant of the Kingdom of Denmark. In 1972 she became the first female monarch of Denmark since Margaret I, ruler of the Scandinavian countries in 1375-1412 during the Kalmar Union.-Early life:...
and Prince HenrikHenrik, Prince Consort of DenmarkHenrik, Prince Consort of Denmark , is the husband of the Queen of Denmark, Margrethe II.-Early life:Henrik was born in Talence, Gironde, France...
visited on 20 June - 1991 - three men lost their lives in a shipwreck south of Mykines
- 1992 - hotel Kristianshus was inaugurated on 17 May; forty people were flown to Mykines by helicopter for the reception, including the Faroese minister for tourism
- 1999 - Poul Nyrup RasmussenPoul Nyrup RasmussenPoul Nyrup Rasmussen , informally Poul Nyrup, born 15 June 1943), was Prime Minister of Denmark from 25 January 1993 to 27 November 2001 and is currently President of the Party of European Socialists . He was the leader of the governing Social Democrats from 1992 to 2002...
, Prime Minister of Denmark, and Jonathan MotzfeldtJonathan MotzfeldtJonathan Motzfeldt was the first and third Prime Minister of Greenland.From 1979 to 1988, in 1997 and from 2003 to 2008, he was Chairman of the Greenland Landsting. He was prime minister twice, from 1 May 1979 to 18 March 1991 and from 19 September 1997 to 14 December 2002...
, the GreenlandGreenlandGreenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
ic "landsstyreformand" visited Mykines on 9 August - 2001 - the IcelandIcelandIceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
ic president and the Faroese "lagmand" visited Mykines