Tucked between the Héraðsvötn and Norðurá rivers in the Kjálki district of Skagafjörður, the old farm of Flatatunga seems, at first glance, like any number of rural homesteads in north Iceland. Its name comes from the tongue of land shaped by these converging rivers. Yet Flatatunga is far from ordinary in Icelandic history and culture.
A land of old stories and artistry
Flatatunga’s roots reach deep into the saga age. The notorious Tungu-Kári, whose story has been passed down since Iceland’s settlement, made this land his own. According to the medieval saga Þórðar saga hreðu, Flatatunga even hosted a notable lodge built by Þórður “the menace” Þórðarson. It is with this structure that a rare and significant piece of Iceland’s past is tied: the Flatatunga Boards.
These wooden boards, or planks, carved in the 12th century, did not merely serve as decoration. They depicted scenes from Judgement Day, crafted in a style reminiscent of Byzantine art, showing Iceland’s medieval connections to broader European traditions. Most likely, only a few of the original boards survive, now safeguarded at the National Museum of Iceland.
There has been debate among scholars about where the boards originally came from. While tradition once connected them directly to Þórður’s lodge at Flatatunga, many experts now believe the boards were more likely part of a church interior, probably Hólar Cathedral. Their imagery stands among the oldest known examples of their kind in the Nordic countries.
The fate and legacy of the Flatatunga Boards
A large group of boards originally formed a dramatic, unified artwork, but many were sadly lost when Flatatunga’s storehouse burned down in 1898. The surviving planks remain valuable for historians and art scholars, offering rare evidence of Icelandic medieval woodcarving and links to the broader world.
Over the years, the Flatatunga Boards have inspired considerable scholarly attention. Selma Jónsdóttir completed a doctoral thesis in 1959 focused on their depiction of the Last Judgement, and both Kristján Eldjárn and Hörður Ágústsson have written about their connections to Icelandic religious art. Today, the enduring intrigue of these wooden panels serves as a reminder that even a quiet farm like Flatatunga can be a window onto Iceland’s complex history and its conversations with Europe.
Sources
- Wikipedia
- Wikipedia (Icelandic) in Icelandic
