2023-07-02
Rauðfeldargjá at Snæfellsnes │ Iceland Photo Gallery
Documenting Iceland
by: Rafn Sig,-
Rauðfeldargjá (einnig Rauðfeldsgjá) er djúp gjá sem skerst inn í austanvert Botnsfjall (406 m) vestan við Hnausahraun. Hægt er að ganga inn eftir gjánni, sem er þröng, dimm og djúp og klýfur Botnsfjall niður í rætur. Þegar komið er inn fyrir gættina, blasa á hvora hönd við lóðréttir móbergsveggir, er slúta fram á nokkrum stöðum og byrgja fyrir birtu niður að botni gjárinnar. Þar steypist niður lækurinn Sleggjubeina í háum fossi ofan í gjána. Nafnið er dregið af frænda Bárðar snæfellsás sem hét Raufeldur en Bárður henti Rauðfeldi ofan í gjána.
Rauðfeldargjá (also Rauðfeldgjá) is a deep gorge that cuts into the eastern side of Botnsfjall (406 m) west of Hnausahraun. You can walk in along the gap, which is narrow, dark and deep and splits Botnsfjall down to its roots. When you enter the cave, you face vertical tuff walls on each side, there is a sluice in several places, and it hides from the light down to the bottom of the chasm. There, the stream Sleggjubeina plunges in a high waterfall into the chasm. The name is derived from Bárður’s uncle Snæfellsás, whose name was Raufeldur, but Bárður threw Rauðfeld into the abyss.
According to the old legends around 1.200 years ago Bárður Snæfellsás, a half troll and half human, pushed his nephew Rauðfeldur (Red-cloak) into the rift after the latter pushed Bárður’s daughter Helga to sea on an iceberg. After this Bárður vanished into the Snæfellsjökull glacier never to be seen again alive. Incidently the iceberg drifted all the way to Greenland where Helga found herself a lover. If you are lucky, on your visit you may see Bárður up in the canyon since it is believed that he is still watching over the area to this day.
This is the place where Jules Verne got his idea for the novel “Journey to the Center of the Earth” and was published 1864.
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Incredibly well taken photo. All this beauty on such a small island. Love your pictures and the information included.
Becoming as good a photographer as you are must have taken a lot of hard work and dedication. Thanks for this great picture
Amazing photo