Skjaldfonn: Shield of Ice

Posted 26 August 2006 by Benj in Facing Climate Change, Field Notes

On our first venture from Reykjavik, we rented a Toyota Yaris and drove into the West Fjords to a sheep farm called Skjaldfonn (near the ice cap of Drangajokull and the Isafjordur Fjord), one of the most remote places in Iceland. Indrithi Adalsteinsson has volunteered with the Icelandic Glaciological Society for 23 years. Before that, his father monitored the same glacier for 49 years. And before that his grandfather, great grandfather and great great grandfather grazed the sheep of Skjaldfonn on the pastures surrounding the glacier.

   This is a good example of how last names work in Iceland. Notice that they are made up of the father’s name followed byson (dottur for girls):
   Olafur Jonsson (great, great grandfather)
   Asgeir Olafsson
   Johann Asgeirsson
   Athalsteinn Johannsson
   Indrithi Athalsteinsson (current farmer)

   Indrithi, and his stepson Arni, shared some of their favorite foods with us, including: hangikjot smoked lamb suidalopp:sheep foot broiled and pickled in mysa (sour milk with the fat separate  out), blodmor: sheep blood, sheep fat and rye sown into sheep stomach and pickled in mysa, lifrarpylsa: sheep liver, sheep fat and meal sown in stomach and pickled in mysa, and hardfiskur: dried fish.

   Sara spent much of the trip on a trampoline with Indrithi’s grandson, and collecting notes on family history and the changes that have occured at Skjaldfonn. Benj enjoyed trying to drive a tractor while shooting and hiking through a beautiful alpine landscape that begins at sea level. We’re excited to share the rich details later this winter!