Outlaws – Exhibition at Kiðagil in Bárðardalur

Iceland had its fair share of outlaws and early, as well as more recent literature, swarm with stories on their exploits. They are abundant in the medieval sagas, three of which have an outlaw as their hero – most notably Grettir the Strong – all of whom came to tragic ends. The three individuals in question were, of course, honourable men driven out of human society through some unfortunate quirk of fate. However, most outlaws were simply misfits and petty criminals, exiled from their communities and forced to eke out a meagre existence on the fringes of society, largely by thieving and banditry. The stories told in the sagas are often reminiscent of the outlaws in the American Wild West, perhaps not surprisingly as many have noticed a general similarity between the Icelandic sagas and the stories of the West.

Outlaws persisted in Iceland until the 19th century although towards the end, they were few and far between. They usually sought shelter in uninhabited, out of the way places such as the mountainous Central Highlands and a variety of lava fields which provided a tortured and inaccessible landscape that was easy to hide in, and often provided caves for shelter as well. Perhaps the most famous outlaw hideout was Ódáðahraun (Foul Deed Lava), which begins only a short distance from the farm at Svartárkot. In fact, the farm is the only human habitation in the vicinity of this infamous lair of brigands, and tales of outlaws ranging from the saga hero Grettir the Strong to Mountain-Eyvind (18th century) still live on in Bárðardalur.

The Exhibition

It is only fitting that, in connection with the Svartárkot Project, an exhibition on Icelandic outlaws was opened at Kiðagil in Bárðardalur on 17 June, Iceland’s National Day, 2008. Entitled Outlaws in Ódáðahraun – Myth or Reality? it provides a lively account of all aspects of the Icelandic outlaws, especially those in the Bárðardalur area, with  particular reference to stories and folklore.

Folklore

Outlaws were not just a nasty bunch of brigands and thieves, but also a rich source of escapist storytelling for those living more sedentary lives. Innumerable stories tell of dealings between lowlanders and outlaws and  there gradually evolved a firm belief in prosperous outlaw settlements hidden somewhere in the Central Highlands. The outlaws, often fugitives from justice, were supposed to live free as farmers in their secluded valleys, although often supplementing their income through robbery. The belief in outlaws was so strong that some bold adventurers set out armed to the teeth in the 19th century to find these settlements. Although their quest failed, ruins from the Highlands prove that some outlaws certainly resided there, but probably not as the prosperous farmers of popular imagination.

The exhibition is designed by Sögumiðlun ehf.