Skógar
Encyclopedia
Skógar literally forests, is a small Iceland
ic village with a population of roughly 25 located at the south of the Eyjafjallajökull
glacier
, in the municipality of Rangárþing eystra
.
The area is known for its waterfall, Skógafoss
, on the Skógá
river, which springs from 60 meters at the top of an eroded cliff. At Skógar is a folk museum, Skógasafn, open daily, all the year, as well as a museum on transport in Iceland.
Not far from Skógar is the Kvernufoss fall. Further upstream on the Skógá
river there are many other spectacular falls. While climbing in the small forest behind the old school, some ruins of old farms can be seen and easily accessed.
The poet
Matthías Jochumsson
, who wrote the lyrics
of Lofsöngur
, the national anthem
of Iceland, was born in Skógar in 1835.
This town was highly affected by the eruption of the Eyjafjalla volcano
in 2010.
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...
ic village with a population of roughly 25 located at the south of the Eyjafjallajökull
Eyjafjallajökull
Eyjafjallajökull is one of the smaller ice caps of Iceland, situated to the north of Skógar and to the west of Mýrdalsjökull. The ice cap covers the caldera of a volcano with a summit elevation of . The volcano has erupted relatively frequently since the last glacial period, most recently in...
glacier
Glacier
A glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...
, in the municipality of Rangárþing eystra
Rangárþing eystra
Rangárþing eystra is a municipality located in southern Iceland in the region Suðurland, between Eystri Rangá in the west and Jökulsá á Sólheimasandi in the east.As of 2007, it had a total population of 1,741. The total area is 1,841 km²....
.
The area is known for its waterfall, Skógafoss
Skógafoss
Skógafoss is a waterfall situated in the south of Iceland at the cliffs of the former coastline. After the coastline had receded seaward , the former sea cliffs remained, parallel to the coast over hundreds of kilometres, creating together with some mountains a clear border between the coastal...
, on the Skógá
SKOGA
SKOGA was a joint Sino-Soviet airline, based in Beijing, China, which operated from 1950 to 1954. The name SKOGA is the acronym of Sovyetsko-Kitaiskoe Obschestvo Grazhdanskoi Aviatsii...
river, which springs from 60 meters at the top of an eroded cliff. At Skógar is a folk museum, Skógasafn, open daily, all the year, as well as a museum on transport in Iceland.
Not far from Skógar is the Kvernufoss fall. Further upstream on the Skógá
SKOGA
SKOGA was a joint Sino-Soviet airline, based in Beijing, China, which operated from 1950 to 1954. The name SKOGA is the acronym of Sovyetsko-Kitaiskoe Obschestvo Grazhdanskoi Aviatsii...
river there are many other spectacular falls. While climbing in the small forest behind the old school, some ruins of old farms can be seen and easily accessed.
The poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
Matthías Jochumsson
Matthías Jochumsson
Matthías Jochumsson was an Icelandic poet, playwright, and translator. He is best known for his lyrical poetry and for writing the national anthem of Iceland, Lofsöngur, in 1874. He was born in Skógar into a poor family and traveled to the continent to further his education...
, who wrote the lyrics
Lyrics
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
of Lofsöngur
Lofsöngur
"Lofsöngur" , also known as "Ó Guð vors lands" , is the national anthem of Iceland. The lyrics are by Matthías Jochumsson and the music by Sveinbjörn Sveinbjörnsson. The anthem contains three stanzas, but only the first one is commonly sung. The melody is by many considered difficult to sing, and...
, the national anthem
National anthem
A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history, traditions and struggles of its people, recognized either by a nation's government as the official national song, or by convention through use by the people.- History :Anthems rose to prominence...
of Iceland, was born in Skógar in 1835.
This town was highly affected by the eruption of the Eyjafjalla volcano
2010 eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull
The 2010 eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull were volcanic events at Eyjafjöll in Iceland which, although relatively small for volcanic eruptions, caused enormous disruption to air travel across western and northern Europe over an initial period of six days in April 2010. Additional localised disruption...
in 2010.