Drangey - an island of wonderful birds and legends (14 photos + 1 video)

What happens to volcanoes when their fiery lives come to an end? In this case, it became a strange and wonderful island, full of wondrous birds, dark tales of outlaws, and magical legends of giants.





Long ago, in Skagafjörður, in northern Iceland, a mighty volcano died. Over the millennia, it crumbled and lost everything to the sea except its round stone core.



700,000 years later, the remains of this mighty force of nature have become a symbol of spring and renewal of life for the people of Iceland. Every year, as soon as winter passes, many birds nest in the secluded corners of the island, and locals head here to fish. Most often, diving birds fly here, but falcons, puffins and crows also nest here.





It also attracts bandits. The island of Drangey is where the famous bandit Grettir Asmundarson (commonly known as Grettir the Strong) lived and died, and his story has become part of beloved Icelandic fairy tales. The red-haired, bad-tempered brute was the son of a Viking. Although Grettir was mostly portrayed as a grumpy but lovable scoundrel, he is said to have started a fire that killed several people. The bandit, along with his brother and servants, hid on the isolated island for 20 years. Eventually, his pursuers caught up with him and he was killed on one of the rocky cliffs of Drangey. Grettir's saga was the first, but far from the last, literary mention of the volcanic island.



There is an interesting legend of the island of Drangey associated with night trolls, who turn into stone statues with the onset of day.

A pair of giant trolls had a valuable cow, from which they wanted to get offspring. One day, the night trolls set off across the fjord to the bull waiting for them. The animal turned out to be extremely stubborn and slow, and the whole company fell under the morning rays of the sun and turned to stone. Thus, the stone pillars named Kerlingin (old woman) and Karlinn (old man) after the two doomed giants were created and stood until the 18th century. Karlinn collapsed into the water. Kerlingin still stands.



Even though fishing is now prohibited, locals still head to the unusual island every spring for picnics. Often referred to as a fortress, this island – the skeleton of a dead volcano – is a vivid example of the rugged beauty of the Icelandic landscape.





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