Herdísarvík () is a small bay and abandoned farm by the same name at the south coast of Reykjanes in Gullbringusýsla, Iceland.
Etymology Herdísarvík means "bay of Herdís", a common Icelandic women's name, in this case the name of a folk tale figure from the region (see: Stóra-Eldborg).
Location and access Herdísarvík is situated at the foot of Herdísarvíkurfjall . The lava covering the land, Herdísarvíkurhraun came down from this volcanic mountain in the form of lava falls. These lava falls originate in craters of the Brennisteinsfjöll volcanic system.Þór Vigfússon: Í Árnesþingi vestanverðu. Ferðafélag Íslands Árbók 2003. Reykjavík 2003, p. 51-54
Today, Route 427 passes near Herdísarvík.Ísland Vegaatlas. Ferðakort. Reykjavík 2006, p. 1 For a long time, the area was only accessible on foot, on horseback, or by small boats, in part due to the lava reefs in the water.Þór Vigfússon: Í Árnesþingi vestanverðu. Ferðafélag Íslands Árbók 2003. Reykjavík 2003, p. 56
History Winter fishing Since the Middle Ages, many Icelanders went to the coasts in the wintertime to go fishing.Íslandssagan í máli og myndum. Ritstjórar Árni Daniel Júliússon, Jón Daníel Ísberg. Reykjavík 2006, pp. 88-89 This was also done at the Reykjanes coast, where until around 1925, fishermen went out in rowing boats from different places at the south coast of Reykjanes to get herring or cod.Íslandssagan í máli og myndum. Ritstjórar Árni Daniel Júliússon, Jón Daníel Ísberg. Reykjavík 2006, pp.212-213
Herdísarvík had a landing for small boats. This was used in special weathers by people from Þórlákshöfn og Selvogur around Strandarkirkja for the transport of goods for the farms in the region.
Around 1900, new constructions were erected for winter fishing. Winter fishing was practiced with rowing boats until the 1920s. The remains of the huts and small walls for fish drying can still be seen around Herdísarvík today.Þór Vigfússon: Í Árnesþingi vestanverðu. Ferðafélag Íslands Árbók 2003. Reykjavík 2003, p. 51-52
Farming For some centuries, the farm at this place even had a reputation for being rather rich. There was good land down by the sea, but also up in the mountains for sheep pasture. Since the farm was situated on the coast, additional income came from hunting of seabirds and seals, fishing, trout angling in the nearby small lake (today a lagoon), and large quantities of drift wood - which were valuable due to a scarcity of trees.Þór Vigfússon: Í Árnesþingi vestanverðu. Ferðafélag Íslands Árbók 2003. Reykjavík 2003, p. 51-52
Einar Benediktsson and Hlín Johnson in Herdísarvík
Einar Benediktsson (1864-1940), an author and early promoter of the installation of power stations and heavy industry in Iceland, and his wife Hlín Johnson (Jónsdóttir) arrived in 1932 to live here for the last years of Benediktsson's life. He was getting old and preferred the stillness and remoteness of this place to the stressful life in Reykjavík or bigger cities.Jón R. Hjálmarsson: Þjóðkunnir menn við þjóðveginn. Reykjavík 2006, pp. 224-225 Benediktsson died in Herdísarvík on January 12th, 1940.
Johnson continued running the farm after the death of Benediktsson. Johnson sold ice from the small lake to fishermen from Iceland and the Faroe Islands. People from Selvogur came often to the area to make hay or get ice in the winter. There was not a phone connection until 1945, neither a road before 1948.Jón R. Hjálmarsson: Þjóðkunnir menn við þjóðveginn. Reykjavík 2006, pp. 224-225 Johnson allowed construction of a road against the lava field Ögmundarhraun for transport of sheep and hay to Grindavík.Þór Vigfússon: Í Árnesþingi vestanverðu. Ferðafélag Íslands Árbók 2003. Reykjavík 2003, p. 56
University of Iceland Today, the land is owned by the Háskóli Íslands (University of Iceland), which received it as a donation from Einar Benediktsson.Þór Vigfússon: Í Árnesþingi vestanverðu. Ferðafélag Íslands Árbók 2003. Reykjavík 2003, p. 51
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