Munkurin
Encyclopedia
Munkurin is the southernmost point of the Faroe Islands. Munkurin is an 11 metre high rock, also known as Sumbiarsteinur. Munkur means Monk. The rock is one of a group of skerries, called Flesjarnar, 5 km south of the island Suðuroy
in the Faroe Islands
. The sound between Flesjarnar (the scerries) and Suðuroy
is notorious for its strong current. Munkurin is located 61°21′,6 N.
in Suðuroy
. The rocks are:
wrote in 1800, that when seen from land the rock-island presented the appearance of a Monk with red neck and dark grey body and head; and from sea it looked like a ship under full sails. The article mentions that the Monk was 70 feet high (21 meters). Munkurin is now 11 metres high, but it used to be higher earlier. It collapsed in 1884/85. Before it collapsed the bird Northern Gannet
(Morus bassanus) used to nest there, but since it collapsed the birds don't nest there any more, they nest in Mykineshólmur. It happens sometimes that the rock looks white from land, and that is because there are many Northern Gannets sitting there.
Suðuroy
Suðuroy is the southernmost of the Faroe Islands. The island covers 163.7 km². In 2010 there were 4763 inhabitants, but there has been a gradual decline in the population numbers ever since the 1950s....
in 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...
. The sound between Flesjarnar (the scerries) and Suðuroy
Suðuroy
Suðuroy is the southernmost of the Faroe Islands. The island covers 163.7 km². In 2010 there were 4763 inhabitants, but there has been a gradual decline in the population numbers ever since the 1950s....
is notorious for its strong current. Munkurin is located 61°21′,6 N.
Flesjarnar
Flesjarnar are a group of rocks, located 5 km south of AkrabergAkraberg
Akraberg is the southern tip of Suðuroy, 5 km south from the village Sumba, Faroe Islands. The name Akraberg derives from akur . Five kilometres south of Akraberg is the southernmost point of The Faroe Islands, a rock called Munkurin , also called Sumbiarsteinur, which is one of a group of six...
in Suðuroy
Suðuroy
Suðuroy is the southernmost of the Faroe Islands. The island covers 163.7 km². In 2010 there were 4763 inhabitants, but there has been a gradual decline in the population numbers ever since the 1950s....
. The rocks are:
- Sumbiarfles, 4 metre high (nearest to land)
- Miðjufles, 4 metre high (The word miðju means in the middle
- Bøllufles, 6 metre high (two rocks)
- Stórafles, 7 metre high (Stóra means large)
- Munkurin or Sumbiarsteinur, 11 meter high
Munkurin
The rocks are close together except for Munkurin which is lying a bit for itself, that is probably why it is called The Monk. One source mentions another reason for the name Munkurin, and that is before the islet collapsed. The article tells about the observations of Pastor Jørgen LandtJørgen Landt
Jørgen Landt was a Danish priest, botanist and author, who published descriptions of the people and geography of the Faroe Islands....
wrote in 1800, that when seen from land the rock-island presented the appearance of a Monk with red neck and dark grey body and head; and from sea it looked like a ship under full sails. The article mentions that the Monk was 70 feet high (21 meters). Munkurin is now 11 metres high, but it used to be higher earlier. It collapsed in 1884/85. Before it collapsed the bird Northern Gannet
Northern Gannet
The Northern Gannet is a seabird and is the largest member of the gannet family, Sulidae.- Description :Young birds are dark brown in their first year, and gradually acquire more white in subsequent seasons until they reach maturity after five years.Adults are long, weigh and have a wingspan...
(Morus bassanus) used to nest there, but since it collapsed the birds don't nest there any more, they nest in Mykineshólmur. It happens sometimes that the rock looks white from land, and that is because there are many Northern Gannets sitting there.
Literature in German and Danish
- Lucas Jacobson Debes: Natürliche und Politische Historie der Inseln Färöe. The German book is translated from Danish. Writer: C. G. Mengel, Copenhagen / Leipzig 1757.