Espihóll, located in Eyjafjarðarsveit in northern Iceland, is more than just a farmstead with an impressive hill rising to its south. Through the centuries, this site has been home to influential figures and has made appearances in the sagas that shape Iceland’s historical memory. The story of Espihóll reveals how farms could become focal points of both power and legend in Iceland’s rural landscape.
A manor rooted in saga
Settlement at Espihóll is traced back to Þórarinn, a member of the family tree that includes Helgi “magri” Eyvindarson. This early presence is recorded in the Landnámabók, an important medieval source describing the peopling of Iceland. Over the centuries, the farm’s reputation grew, earning mentions in works such as Víga-Glúms saga and the Sturlunga saga, where the estate becomes the backdrop to notable events. In the turmoil following the Flugumýri arson in the 13th century, Kolbeinn “grön” Dufgusson met his end at Espihóll, killed by men acting under Gissur Þorvaldsson.
Espihóll long functioned as a manor and residence for local sheriffs (sýslumenn) and chieftains, who played central roles in regional governance. Families who lived here often represented the ties between powerful Icelandic clans and the church. In the 1600s, Björn Pálsson, himself the grandson of Bishop Guðbrandur Þorláksson, held the post of sheriff at Espihóll. After his death, Björn’s own son Magnús took over, and Magnús’s wife, Sigríður the elder, was the daughter of another bishop, Jón Vigfússon. Their family became significant in the area, with many descendants.
Change, innovation and folklore
Progress and change touched Espihóll as Enlightenment ideas reached Iceland in the 1700s. Jón Jakobsson, who served as sheriff in the latter half of that century, is remembered for embracing new methods and curiosity. He was responsible for some of the earliest documented attempts at sheep shearing in Iceland. His son, Jón Espólín, chronicler and later sheriff, was born in Espihóll in 1769, and adopted the farm’s name as part of his own.
The 19th century added further stories to Espihóll’s past. The death of Stefán Thorarensen, who drowned in the Eyjafjarðará river in 1844, led to a local reputation for hauntings around Stórholt, a smaller hill between Espihóll and the neighbouring barn at Stokkahlaða.
Espihóll continued as a home for influential figures, including Eggert Briem, who lived there as sheriff shortly after 1800. His daughter, Elín Briem, born at the farm, became known for her role as a school director and for authoring “Kvennafræðarinn” (The Female Teacher), an educational text for Icelandic women.
Although much has changed in Eyjafjarðarsveit, Espihóll’s history remains woven into the region’s identity, its hill and homestead echoing the generations that passed through its fields and left their mark on Iceland’s national story.
Sources
- Wikipedia
- Wikipedia (Icelandic) in Icelandic
