Öxará

	Öxará
	Öxará gorge near Þingvellir
	Data
location	Iceland
River system	Ölfusá
Drain over	Þingvallavatn → Suction → Ölfusá → Atlantic
source	Myrkavatn
muzzle	Þingvallavatn coordinates: 64 ° 15 ′ 20 ″ N , 21 ° 7 ′ 30 ″ W 64 ° 15 ′ 20 ″ N , 21 ° 7 ′ 30 ″ W.;
length	17 km
Catchment area	45 km²
	Waterfalls: Öxarárfoss

The Öxará is a river in the southwest of Iceland .

River course

The Öxará rises near the Botnssúlur volcano in the area of Hvalfjörður between Leggjabrjótur and Búrfell and flows from there to the south. It flows south in the Öxarárdalur valley named after him and over the Biskupsbrekkuhraun lava field .

Archaeological and geological investigations have shown that the river had a different course in earlier times than it does today, namely through the Stekkjargjá. In the Sturlungur saga it is reported that the river was diverted into the Almannagjá in the early days of settlement so that the Thingort would be better supplied with water. The course of the river is the oldest existing structure in Þingvellir.

The Öxará now flows over the plateau bounding Þingvellir in the west and flows into the Öxarárfoss into the Almannagjá gorge ("Allmann Gorge"). The Öxará forms various basins and islands here , flows down into the Þingvellir plain and finally flows into the Þingvallavatn .

Most important dates

The river is one of the smaller in Iceland, has a catchment area of 45 km² and a length of 17 km.

History and legends

The river certainly added to the convenience of the place for a parliamentary assembly.

On the other hand, it had a dubious reputation, especially in the 16th and 17th centuries, because women were executed by drowning in a kolk near the Thingstätte , which is formed with its water.

A legend reports that when there were many executions, the water would have turned into blood days earlier.

According to another legend, water turns into wine on New Year's Eve .

Web links

Commons : Öxará - collection of images, videos and audio files

Webinfo of the Thingvellir National Park , (English)

Individual evidence

↑ ^a ^b ^c Ferðafélag Íslands ( Memento from May 31, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) (PDF file; 36 kB)
↑ Íslandshandbókin. Náttúra, saga og sérkenni. 2. bindi. Edited by T. Einarsson, H. Magnússon. Örn og Örlygur, Reykjavík 1989, 851

[fi-1] Ferðafélag Íslands ( Memento from May 31, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) (PDF file; 36 kB)

[Ísl-2] Íslandshandbókin. Náttúra, saga og sérkenni. 2. bindi. Edited by T. Einarsson, H. Magnússon. Örn og Örlygur, Reykjavík 1989, 851