Icelandic
version
The area around Snaefellsjokull Glacier has
always been draped with mystique, ever since Bardur the Spirit of
the Glacier settled here early in the tenth century. Bardur was
born in the northern part of Norway, had a Sami grandmother who
was a shaman, and was brought up among dwarfs in the Dovre Mountains
in Norway where he studied shamanism and witchcraft.
Bardur was attracted to the snowy mountain that he called Snjofell.
Later the name changed to Snaefellsjokull Glacier. The Glacier itself
is 1.446 m high and under the beautifully formed snowcap is an active
volcano.
Bardur settled at Laugarbrekka at Hellnar (Forna-Laugarbrekka which
can be reached by a hiking trail from Hotel Hellnar or by car from
Road 574) but while he built his farm he stayed in the Songhellir
Cave. Later he used the cave for ceremonies with his men. Bardur
lived a colorful life, but when he no longer wanted to live among
men he gave away his belongings and walked into the Glacier. In
people's mind he became a Spirit of the Glacier and they began to
worship him.
Gudridur Thorbjarnardottir was born at Laugarbrekka in the latter
part of the tenth century. As a young woman she sailed to Greenland
with her parents around the year 1000. She married Thorstein, son
of Eric the Red, but he died from the Plague. Later she married
Thorfinn Karlsefni and traveled with him to Vineland (now known
as America). While in Vineland she gave birth to her son Snorri,
who is considered to be the first child of European origin to be
born in America.
Most of the major fishing stations in Iceland were on the westernmost
part of Snaefellsnes Peninsula, and people came here for the spring
fishing season from all over the country. The fishing banks around
Snaefellsnes Peninsula were rich and the boats didn’t have
to go far out. One can still find many places with ruins which indicate
where the fishermen built their sheds such as at Hellnar, and by
Londrangar, Beruvik and Gufuskalar which are all within the Snaefellsjokull
National Park.
Well known poets and writers have through the centuries lived on
the westernmost part of Snaefellsnes Peninsula. In the latter part
of last century Nobel Prize Laureate Halldor Kiljan Laxness spent
a great deal of time there, and wrote Christianity Under the Glacier.
The nature of Snaefellsnes Peninsula is strikingly beautiful and
offers a sample of most of the things that make Iceland so special.
The major breeding grounds for the Icelandic sea-eagle are at Snaefellsnes,
one can often spot the Arctic Fox there and birdlife is rich and
diverse. The nature reserve at Budahraun hosts as many as 130-150
different species of flowers and plants that grow in the shelter
of the lava.
The story of Hotel Hellnar:
In 1991 a group of people in an organization called Snaefellsas
ehf. bought the Brekkubaer farm at Hellnar. Their purpose was to
own land on which they could host the annual Personal Growth Gatherings,
which they held every first weekend in August. They also had dreams
of building a retreat.
In 1995 Gudrun and Gudlaugur Bergmann moved to Brekkubaer, along
with their teenage son Gudlaugur jr. Their purpose was to try to
realize the group’s dream. To begin with they taught several
workshops every year, as well as hosting the Gathering. In the fall
of 1996 seven of the owners of the Brekkubaer farm decided they
wanted to build their private homes on the land and live there permanently.
To make the houses as eco-friendly as possible they took a week
long trip to Findhorn in Scotland, one of the oldest intentional
communities in the world, to learn about eco-house building. With
the knowledge gained they designed and built four homes in 1997.
It was evident early on that it would be difficult to create jobs
for seven persons by teaching a few workshops. The other thing that
was evident was that people were constantly asking for accommodation
at Brekkubaer, so eventually the group decided to join the tourism
industry in 1997. This attempt led to the establishment of Guesthouse
Brekkubaer in 2000. The name was later changed to Hotel Hellnar
in 2004. The business became an Affiliate member of Green Globe
21 in 2000, and was the first business within the travel and tourism
industry in Iceland to be certified by Green Globe 21 in 2002.
In April 2010, Gudrun G. Bergmann sold Hotel Hellnar to Hringhotels ehf. who are now the present day hosts.
