Southern Iceland
~ Botnar Farm ~
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Botnar is a prominent place in the history of the Erickson Family. Einar Erickson’s mother, Gudrun Jonsdottir, was born here in 1801 and Gudrun's parents, Jon Arnasson and Helga Eirarsdottir was born here in 1775 and 1779 respectively.
The picture above depicts the Botnar farm surrounded by the
moss covered lava fields (Eldhrun) resulting from the
1873 - 1874 Laki Volcano.
This is much different than when Jon and Helga were young children on the farm, then the farm was surrounded
by a lush green valley, much of which was the Sea-Lyme-grass (Elymusarenarius). The Sea-Lyme-grass was not only a major
food source for the cattle and sheep but as a
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source of food for
the humans as well. Lyme-grass was harvested and processed (cereals, flour) for
human consumption along the southern coast of Iceland until the
beginning of this century. The origin of this exploitation is
not known, but lyme-grass may have been gathered for this purpose in the Viking Age.
The loss of the Lyme-grass (and others) not only changed the landscape view from the Botnar farm
but it allowed the high winds, drifting sand to forever change the landscape of southern Iceland.
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Jon and Helga’s life changed forever in June of 1783 when earthquakes shook the Botnar farm for several days before the Laki volcano eruption began on Whit Sunday, June 8, 1783. As children of four and eight years of age they must have been terrified as the ground shook with thunderous booms and the air filled with ash and the stench of sulphur.
W.J. Hooker writes: [1]
We are informed that the proprietor of the farm Botnar, in Medalland, had, on the first breaking out of the fire, collected eighty sheep and placed them, as he supposed, in a state of security upon a small island, but that, before the farmer had returned to his own house, the fire appeared
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to break out from that very island, and he had the misfortune to be the sad spectator of the ruin of himself and family.
This account, indeed, was, as far as I was able to ascertain, perfectly correct, but never the less it does not at all prove that the accident was caused rather by the earth itself being on fire than by a fire-stream: for, at the very moment that the farmer had collected his sheep upon this spot, the lava was rushing along with the greatest imaginable rapidity, and took quite a different course from that which was at first expected; proceeding towards a neighboring river and along its channel, till it arrived at the island, which it burned together with the sheep.
Medalland is the area in Iceland that sustained the most damage. It is also the area where several generation of the Erickson Family
lived. (See map on Einar Erickson home page.)
Of this W.J. Hooker writes: [1]
From the farm-house of Skal, which, together with the church and other buildings, were deluged and covered by the torrent, it {lava}
runs two miles and a quarter towards the south, and in general cannot be estimated at more the two miles of breadth, in the
Medalland, where it has never the less most extended its ravages, and has done the greatest damage.
In addition to the Botnar farm W.J. Hooker mentions other family related farms, such as the Eystri-Dalbær farm:
neither Mr. Livetzen, nor myself, sould in the course of our journey (which extended to every farm in the way of being injured by the eruption) discover more than eight farmers-houses, and two cottages, which can never be inhabited: these are, Eystridalur, Thverardalur, Aa, Nes, Hölmasel, Holmar, Efri-Fliotar, and Sydri-Fliotar. To these, however, which are totally uninhabitable, ought, perhaps, to be added the extate of Eystri-Dalbær. in Landbrot; for this farm, which has always been subject to annual damages, by drifted sand from the districts to the eastward of it, is now , by reason of the didappearance of the waters of the Skaptaa, that formerly swallowed up a great portion of the sand, totally destroyed. Yet it has not received any damage immediately from the fire.
Exclusive of the two cottiages, called Kalfafellskot and Blomsturvellir, there are in all, twenty-nine farm-houses which the fire has more or less damaged, yet not to that degree, but they may in the course of time again be tenanted. Of these ther are at present fifteen lying desolate, Hvammur, Svinadalur, Eystri-Asar, Botnar, Hnausar, Delbær, Hollt, Skal, Selialand, Thvera, Nupar, Kalfafell, Mariubaki, Hvoll and Skaptardalur.
As horrifying as the volcano was, one might argue that the post volcano was worse.
Of this W.J. Hooker writes:
Diseases of the most inveterate kinds, in the form of scurvy, broke out in sundry places, and those even far distant from the fire: as for instance in the didtricts of Guldbringue, Borgefiore, and Myhre, expecially in the first. The district of West Skaptefield was, however, the chief seat of the distemper; and in only six parishes there, no less than on hundred and fifty person were carried off between the commencement of the new year and the month of June following/ but some of these perished by famine.
Mr. Hooker mentions West Skaptefield district (County) as the most effected by the volcano and the post volcano
diseases. Vestur-Skaftafellssýsla (West Skaptefield) county is were several of the family related farms are located.
See List
of these farms where family worked and lived in the West Skaptefield County.
(No. 23 on the map)
See Second Picture For More
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