Oddi

Oddi is a small town in the south of Iceland. It is located in the district Rangárvellir in the community Rangárþing Ytra.

The vicarage has to have a significant history as a cultural center in the south of Iceland. This applies especially to the Middle Ages. Since the takeover of Christianity in the year 1000 here was a church with a rich parsonage.

Geography

The place is located in the west of the municipality Rangárþing Ytra, south of the town of Hella, north of the river Þverá.

Name and location choice

Oddur means ( Javelin ) peak. Legend has it that people saw come from heaven spears and was meant to them as a church to establish where the spearheads should come down. That was so.

At the same time we denote by isl. oddi a tongue of land, in the case between the rivers Ytri and Eystri - Rangá on which the site is located.

History

The place was the headquarters of the most powerful families Islands in the High Middle Ages, the Oddaverjar.

His best-known representative is Sæmundur Sigfússon, called Fróði ( the scholar ) ( 1056-1133 ). He was a highly educated priest who is said to have studied in France. You write him a share in the creation of the Elder Edda to as well as a history of the Norwegian kings. Many legends and folk tales are told about him and his shrewdness with which he is said to have even defeated the devil several times.

Not much less was known also be established within Oddi grandson Jón Loftsson ( 1124-1197 ). He was known for both his political influence as well as for his scholarship and peacefulness. Snorri Sturluson was brought up by him.

In the Middle Ages Oddi was considered a center of learning and scholarship. The local school enjoyed an outstanding reputation.

Some of the local priests and disciples were later bishops of Skálholt such as Páll Jónsson or Thorlákur Þórhallsson.

The poet Matthías Jochumsson worked as a priest at Oddi.

Church today

Today the wooden church dates from 1924 and has 100 seats.

Some old church treasures are in the church, the most important is a cup in the year 1300.

The altarpiece from 1895 shows Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Nature reserve

To the west of the hamlet, the nature reserve is Oddaflóð ( 568 ha ), a wetland with many bird breeding grounds, which was put under protection in 1994.