Olafsvik district

Hiking trails, long sandy beaches, waterfalls and historical places

Froda

Froda, one of the most sparsely populated areas in all of Iceland, is an abandoned farm and former church site east of Olafsvik. The church was eventually moved to Olafsvik in 1892.An older ruin, believed to have been the ancient Froda farm, is said to have been haunted after several members of the household were drowned. According to the tales, the deceased members of the household later reappeared, dripping wet, and sat by the farms log fire. Other dead and buried people then rose from their graves, the head of a seal appeared out of the fireplace, and a long, mysterious tail appeared out of a stack of fish in the larder. During the summer, it rained blood, and members of the household came down with a mysterious plague. To get rid of the ghosts, a court was assembled and the verdict was expulsion, after which the ghosts stood up as one and disappeared, never to be seen again. The farm buildings were later cleansed with Holy Water and holy relics were carried through them by people reciting prayers.