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Revision as of 12:33, 1 March 2012
Geirfuglasker ("Great Auk rock") was one or a few small islet(s) near Iceland. It was volcanic rock surrounded by cliffs, which made it inaccessible to humans, and the last refuge for the Great Auk (which was also called "Garefowl" — "geirfugl" in Icelandic). In a volcanic eruption in 1830 this rock submerged, and the surviving Great Auks moved to a nearby island called Eldey, which was accessible from one side, and were wiped out by man. Later a new Geirfuglasker appeared on the site.
In literature
It, and the fate of the Great Auk, is mentioned (spelt as "Gairfowlskerry") in The Water-Babies, A Fairy Tale for a Land Baby by Charles Kingsley.