Bárður Snæfelllsás, Deity of Mt. Snæfell
This plaque is attached to a large rock sculpture of Bárður, a half-man, half-giant that is said to roam the Snæfellsnes glacier. The plaque reads:
The imposing figure seen here was made in 1985 by the sculptor Ragnar Kjartansson. This work is Ragnar´s representation of the guardian spirit of Barður Snæfellsás, Deity of Mt. Snæfell.
Bárður´s story is told in the Saga of Bárður Snæfellsás. He was descended from giants and men. Barður was the son of a king from Northern Hellaland in Scandinavia. He staked claim to the land of Laugabrekka by the Glacier at the end of the 9th Century. Later in life, Bárður´s giant nature became ever more apparent. In the end, he disappeared into Snæfell Glacier, but did not die. Bárður became a nature spirit and the local folk around the Glacier petition him in matters large and small.
This work commemorates the couple Guðrún Sigtryggsdóttír (1878-1941) and Jón Sigurðsson (1876-1956) who lived here, and their son, Trausti, who died of exposure on Jökulsháls mountain pass in 1928, only 19 years of age. The local youth association Trausti is named after him. This memorial was erected by the children of Jón and Guðrun.