Sauðárkrókur
Encyclopedia
Sauðárkrókur is a town in Skagafjörður
Skagafjörður
Skagafjörður is a deep bay in northern Iceland.-Location:Skagafjörður is about 40 km long and 15 km wide, situated between Tröllaskagi to the west and the Tjornes Peninsula to the east. There are two municipalities in the area, Skagafjörður Municipality and Akrahreppur Municipality Skagafjörður...
in northern Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , 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...
and a part of the municipality of Skagafjörður.
Sauðárkrókur is the largest town in Northwest Iceland and the second-largest town on the north coast of Iceland, with a population of 2,635. It is the centre for commerce and services in the district, and an important link in Iceland's food production. The population of Sauðárkrókur has grown steadily in recent years, and its economy is relatively diverse. Economic mainstays are fisheries, dairy production, light industry and broad-based services such as computer and engineering operations, financials, consulting, design and printing.
The natural hot pool located 15 km (9.3 mi) north of Sauðárkrókur is mentioned in the Grettis saga
Grettis saga
Grettis saga is one of the Icelanders' sagas. It details the life of Grettir Ásmundarson, a bellicose Icelandic outlaw.- Overview :...
.
The name of the town
Sauðárkrókur got its name from the creek that runs through the land. The creek is named Sauðá, and the name Sauðárkrókur indicates that this is the coast where Sauðá meets the Ocean. Directly translated to English the name would be 'Sheep-river-hook'.First settlements
Iceland was settled in the late 800s, mostly by Scandinavian Vikings. The Skagafjörður region had many settlers, who divided the land according to commonly acknowledged rules. The land where Sauðárkrókur stands was first taken by the Viking Sæmundr Suðureyski ("Sæmundur from the south islands". South islands is the name Vikings gave the HebridesHebrides
The Hebrides comprise a widespread and diverse archipelago off the west coast of Scotland. There are two main groups: the Inner and Outer Hebrides. These islands have a long history of occupation dating back to the Mesolithic and the culture of the residents has been affected by the successive...
islands of the coast of Scotland), but as he was marking his land another Viking, called Skefill, successfully "stole" the land where the oldest part of the town is today. These settlers did not built their homes at Sauðárkrókur, and the current site of the town was not settled until about 1000 years later.
Market and merchants
Docking ships in Skagafjörður was not an easy task for sailors and merchants. Few natural harbors are to be found, especially on the west coast of the fjord, and most merchants docked at the trading posts of Hofsós, Grafarós and Kolkuós on the east coast of the fjord. During the Danish monopoly (1602–1787) Hofsós was the only permitted trading post in Skagafjörður. At that time the river Héraðsvötn was a huge obstacle for those living on the west side of the fjord, and many people lost their lives crossing the river to reach the market. As the population on the west side of the valley grew, so did the need for an accessible market place; and several times privateers tried their luck by illegally trading from their ships by the shore of Sauðárkrókur. In 1856 Sauðárkrókur became a permitted trading post, and merchants were allowed to trade from their ships.The first inhabitants
In 1871 the first real settlement at Sauðárkrókur took place. The blacksmith Árni Árnason, with his wife Sigríður Eggertsdóttir and several children, settled there to provide blacksmith services to the growing farming community in this prosperous region. The couple also decided to sell drinks and overnight services; this part of the business grew fast and earned Árni a new nickname, "Árni Vert" or "innkeeper Árni". In 1873 the first merchant settled in Sauðárkrókur. The shopkeeper Erlendur Hallsson built the second house here, trading from his living room. By 1900 around 400 inhabitants lived here, and the settlement was evolving into a fully formed village with hospital, school and church.Climate
Being on the North Atlantic, the region is quite windy. In fact Sauðárkrókur is renowned for a stationary wind, which occurs during hot summer days. However severe storms are unusual. Average wind speed in the town of Sauðárkrókur is 6.7 m/s. with wind directions from North and South to South-west.
Notable people
- Sigurlaugur ElíassonSigurlaugur ElíassonSigurlaugur Elíasson is an Icelandic artist and poet. He studied at the Icelandic School of Art and Craft . His first solo exhibition was at the National Gallery ASI 1985. He has held ten solo exhibitions of paintings and graphics...
(1957-) -painter and poet - Eyjólfur SverrissonEyjólfur SverrissonEyjólfur Gjafar Sverrisson is a former Icelandic footballer and former coach of the Iceland national football team.He is the father of Hólmar Örn Eyjólfsson, who signed for West Ham United in the summer of 2008.-Club career:...
(1968) - national football team player and manager