About

The sorcerer´s cottage shows the living conditions of the tenant farmers on the poor farms, give a glimpse of their world view, and what means they used in their fight for survival. 

CLOSED TEMPORARILY

Due to bad condition of the building we need to close it for all entry until we get it fixed.
Thank you for understanding!

The building

For centuries the turf house was the only type of building in Iceland. Stone is used for the foundation of the Sorcerer´s Cottage while the walls are built with klambra, turf blocks cut in a certain way and laid in a herring-bone pattern with strips of turf between layers. For the timber frame an uncut drift wood is used. 

sorcery cottage

magical_staves

Staves or magical signs

All the signs and staves seen in the Sorcerer´s Cottage can be found in Icelandic grimoires, some from the 17th century. The origin of this peculiar Icelandic magic is difficult to ascertain. Some signs seem to be derived from medieval mysticisim and renaissance occultism, while others show some relation to runic culture and the old Germanic belief in Thor and Odinn. 

Opening hours

The sorcerer’s cottage is open all year and is open for everyone free of charge. 

sorcerers_cottage

Location

The Sorcerer´s Cottage is located 32 km north of the town Hólmavík in a fjort called Bjarnarfjörður. 

Image Sources: Amy Haslehurst. https://www.amyhaslehurst.com/