38 



OLAFSEN AND POVELSEN's 



The manorial house, situated at the foot of the mountain of 

 Esian, near Hof, belongs at present to the king. On observing 

 that the first and finest idolatrous temple was built at Hof, 

 and that the first bailiwick was established there, we must also 

 lemark, that at the same time Orlyger Stopson erected the first 

 church at Esiuberg ; he had been instructed in the Christian 

 religion by St. Patrick, bishop of the southern isles ; and when 

 Orlyger separated from him, he presented him with the mate- 

 jials for building a church in Iceland. Knowing, however, 

 that he could not find in Norway either priest or sacred or- 

 naments, he made him a gift of consecrated ground for the 

 support of the church, as well as of an iron bell, which gave 

 lise to the following legend : It is said, that in the passage of 

 the Gulph of Faxa it fell from the ship, but that by a kind of 

 miracle it was thrown ashore in the environs of Esiuberg. 

 Orlyger first landed at Patrick-Fiord, which is to the southward, 

 and to which he gave its name in honour of the Bishop Patrick ; 

 Ijut agreeably to the advice of this bishop, the church was de- 

 dicated to St. Collombyle, who is doubtless the same priest 

 known by the name of Colomban, an Icelander, who converted 

 the Picts to the Christian religion in 562. The descendants of 

 Orlyger, who inhabited Esiuberg a long time after him, likewise 

 Became converts to Christianity, and considered Colomban as 

 their tutelary saint. 



CAVERN OF BAARD. 



Most of the Icelanders look upon the cavern of Baard as a 

 wonderful monument of antiquity ; they relate that the giant or 

 clemi-god Baardour Snagfellsaas resided in it, and had meetings 

 with other giants; but there are some, who pretend to be better in- 

 formed, because neither the name of this giant, nor any of his ac- 

 tions are mentioned in their histories, though J onsen and others had 

 the weakness to print this fable as authentic at Holum, about the 

 year 1750. We visited this cavern in the voyage that we un- 

 dertook in 1755, and found it of a very considerable length and 

 breadth, though only six or seven feet high. On the inside we 

 observed a number of names and runic characters cut in the 

 stone ; but which nevertheless did not appear to be long since 

 engraved; they did not therefore surprize us at all, as it is cus- 

 tomary for travellers in Iceland and every where else, to amuse 

 themselves with cutting their names, and the time of their journey, 

 at places, whither they are led by curiosity, or the desire of 

 witnessing wonders: and consequently they have left their 

 marks on the barks of trees as well as on stones. This cavern 

 serves at present as a stable for sheep, by which, on account of 

 the gradual increase of dung and sand, its height is considerably 

 diminished. 



