Hvalsey
Encyclopedia
Hvalsey is located near Qaqortoq
, Greenland
and is the site of Greenland's largest, best-preserved Norse
ruins in the area known as the Eastern Settlement
(Eystribyggð).
's uncle, Þorkell Farserkur in the late 10th century.
The farmstead was known as Þjóðhildarstaðir (approximately Þjóðhildsstead) by the time of Ivar Bardarson's report of ca 1360/64. In the 14th century, it belonged to the Kings of Norway:
The farmstead was a major center in South Greenland. The site, which has the ruins of two stone great halls, had an additional 14 houses close to a churchhouse. The old hall, which is 14 metres (45.9 ft) long and 3 metres (9.8 ft) or 4 metres (13.1 ft) wide, is in the middle of the ruins. The well-preserved newer hall measures 8 metres (26.2 ft) by 5 metres (16.4 ft).
The church house, which was first erected in the early 12th century, might have been built by Scots-Norse stonemasons as similar structures are found in Norway and Orkney. The church might have been maintained due to the site's royal ownership.
The church house was exceptionally well built from carefully chosen stones that in some cases weigh in excess of five tons. Its walls, which are up to 1.5 metres (4.9 ft) thick, measure 16 metres (52.5 ft) by 8 metres (26.2 ft) on the outside. The gables raise 5 metres (16.4 ft) to 6 metres (19.7 ft) from the floor (although they may have risen 2m higher when first constructed). Side walls, which would have also been higher when new, now stand 4 metres (13.1 ft). The building was plastered with ground mussel shells (and so would have been white when in use) and was roofed with timber and turf
.
A 1408 wedding at the site's church is the last documented event to occur during the Norse settlement of Greenland. Two years later the Icelandic newlyweds, ships captain Þorsteinn Ólafsson and Sigríður Björnsdóttir, returned to Norway, before sailing to Iceland and settling on the bride's family farm at Akrar
, north Iceland in 1413. The details were recorded in letters between Papal dignitaries in Iceland and the Vatican
.
Archaeological evidence shows that over the next hundred years the last Norse settlements in Greenland slowly died out. It was not until 1721 that a joint merchant-clerical expedition led by Danish missionary Hans Egede
discovered that the Norse colonies in Southern Greenland had disappeared.
More information on the Norse period may be found in the Icelandic Eiriks saga and Greenlanders saga.
Qaqortoq
Qaqortoq is a town in the Kujalleq municipality in southern Greenland. With a population of 3,230 as of 2011, it is the most populous town in southern Greenland, and the fourth-largest town in the country. The name is western Greenlandic and means "[the] white [one]".- History :The area around...
, Greenland
Greenland
Greenland 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...
and is the site of Greenland's largest, best-preserved Norse
Norsemen
Norsemen is used to refer to the group of people as a whole who spoke what is now called the Old Norse language belonging to the North Germanic branch of Indo-European languages, especially Norwegian, Icelandic, Faroese, Swedish and Danish in their earlier forms.The meaning of Norseman was "people...
ruins in the area known as the Eastern Settlement
Eastern Settlement
The Eastern Settlement was the largest and first of the three areas of Greenland, settled in approximately 985 AD by Norse farmers from Iceland . At its peak it contained approximately 4,000 inhabitants...
(Eystribyggð).
History
According to the Icelandic Book of Settlements (Landnámabok), the farmstead was established by Erik the RedErik the Red
Erik Thorvaldsson , known as Erik the Red , is remembered in medieval and Icelandic saga sources as having founded the first Nordic settlement in Greenland. The Icelandic tradition indicates that he was born in the Jæren district of Rogaland, Norway, as the son of Thorvald Asvaldsson, he therefore...
's uncle, Þorkell Farserkur in the late 10th century.
The farmstead was known as Þjóðhildarstaðir (approximately Þjóðhildsstead) by the time of Ivar Bardarson's report of ca 1360/64. In the 14th century, it belonged to the Kings of Norway:
Næst Einarsfirði liggr Hvalseyjarfjörðr. Þar er kirkja, sem heitir Hvalseyjarfjarðarkirkja. Hún á allan fjörðinn ok svá allan Kambstaðafjörð, sem er næstr. Í þessum firði stendur bær mikill, sem konungi tilheyrir og heitir Þjóðhildarstaðir.
Beside Einar's Firth lies Hvalsey Fjord. There is a church there called Hvalsey Fjord Church. It serves the entire fjord and all of Kambstad Fjord as well, which is beside it. On this firth stands a large farmstead, which belongs to the king and is called Thjodhild's Stead.
The farmstead was a major center in South Greenland. The site, which has the ruins of two stone great halls, had an additional 14 houses close to a churchhouse. The old hall, which is 14 metres (45.9 ft) long and 3 metres (9.8 ft) or 4 metres (13.1 ft) wide, is in the middle of the ruins. The well-preserved newer hall measures 8 metres (26.2 ft) by 5 metres (16.4 ft).
Church
The church house, which was first erected in the early 12th century, might have been built by Scots-Norse stonemasons as similar structures are found in Norway and Orkney. The church might have been maintained due to the site's royal ownership.
The church house was exceptionally well built from carefully chosen stones that in some cases weigh in excess of five tons. Its walls, which are up to 1.5 metres (4.9 ft) thick, measure 16 metres (52.5 ft) by 8 metres (26.2 ft) on the outside. The gables raise 5 metres (16.4 ft) to 6 metres (19.7 ft) from the floor (although they may have risen 2m higher when first constructed). Side walls, which would have also been higher when new, now stand 4 metres (13.1 ft). The building was plastered with ground mussel shells (and so would have been white when in use) and was roofed with timber and turf
Sod roof
A sod roof or turf roof is a traditional Scandinavian type of green roof covered with sod on top of several layers of birch bark on gently sloping wooden roof boards. Until the late 19th century it was the most common roof on rural log houses in large parts of Scandinavia...
.
A 1408 wedding at the site's church is the last documented event to occur during the Norse settlement of Greenland. Two years later the Icelandic newlyweds, ships captain Þorsteinn Ólafsson and Sigríður Björnsdóttir, returned to Norway, before sailing to Iceland and settling on the bride's family farm at Akrar
Akrar
Akrar is a village in the Faroe Islands. It is located on Lopransfjørður, an inlet, which itself is part of Vágsfjørður, on the east-side of Suðuroy, and was founded in the year 1817.-External links:...
, north Iceland in 1413. The details were recorded in letters between Papal dignitaries in Iceland and the Vatican
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
.
Archaeological evidence shows that over the next hundred years the last Norse settlements in Greenland slowly died out. It was not until 1721 that a joint merchant-clerical expedition led by Danish missionary Hans Egede
Hans Egede
Hans Poulsen Egede was a Norwegian-Danish Lutheran missionary who launched mission efforts to Greenland, which led him to be styled the Apostle of Greenland. He established a successful mission among the Inuit and is credited with revitalizing Dano-Norwegian interest in the island after contact...
discovered that the Norse colonies in Southern Greenland had disappeared.
More information on the Norse period may be found in the Icelandic Eiriks saga and Greenlanders saga.
External links
- Ívar Bárðarson, Grænlandslýsing written sometime after 1360.
- Slipshod workmanship from Viking Times
- Fixing Up Hvalsey
- Hvalsø kirkeruin - by J. Munksgaard and others on Panoramio