Sandvík (pronounced , "Sandy Bay"; da, Sandvig) is the northernmost village of the island of

Suðuroy Suðuroy (literally South Island, da, Suderø) is the southernmost of the Faroe Islands. The island covers 163.7 square kilometres (63.2 sq mi). In 2018 the population was 4,601. Suðuroy region (sýsla) comprises this island and Lítla ...

in the Faroe Islands. It is situated on the northern side of a shallow fjord. The village was previously known as Hvalvík (''Bay of Whales''). It changed its name to Sandvík in 1913 as there was too much confusion regarding mail delivery, because there is another village named

Hvalvík Hvalvík ( da, Kvalvig) is a village in the Faroe Islands, located in a valley on the east coast of the island of Streymoy. It is the southern half of a twin-village situated on both sides of the valley. The villages are divided by the river St ...

Streymoy Streymoy ( da, Strømø) is the largest and most populated island of the Faroe Islands. The capital, Tórshavn, is located on its southeast coast. The name means "island of currents". It also refers to the largest region of the country that also i ...

. The village had originally been known as Sandvík during the Viking Age.

History

Sandvík a Village in Suðuroy, Faroe Islands

Sandvík is the place where Viking chief

Sigmundur Brestisson Sigmundur Brestisson (961–1005) was a Faroese Viking chieftain, and was responsible for introducing Christianity to the Faroe Islands in 999. He is one of the main characters of the Færeyinga saga. According to the Færeyinga saga, emigrant ...

was murdered after his long swim from

Skúvoy Skúvoy or Skúgvoy ( da, Skuø) is an island in the central Faroe Islands, located to the south of Sandoy. It is named after the large number of great skua present on the island (who have a habit of attacking intruders). There is only one se ...

in an attempt to flee from

Tróndur í Gøtu Tróndur í Gøtu ( Icelandic: Þrándur í Götu, Old Norse Þrǫ́ndr í Gǫtu) (c. 945 – 1035) was a Viking era chieftain from the Faroe Islands. Biography Tróndur í Gøtu lived at his father's home in the village of Gøta on the isl ...

. When Sigmundur came ashore exhausted to what he thought would be safety, the local farmer Torgrímur Illi fell upon him with his sons, and decapitated him for the golden bracelet he wore on his arm. In 1349 the village became deserted, the inhabitants having been wiped out by the

Black Death The Black Death (also known as the Pestilence, the Great Mortality or the Plague) was a bubonic plague pandemic occurring in Western Eurasia and North Africa from 1346 to 1353. It is the most fatal pandemic recorded in human history, causi ...

. It would not be until 1816 that the village was once more inhabited. The church in Sandvík was built Á Bø in

Froðba Froðba ( da, Frodebø) is a village located farthest out on the north brink of Trongisvágsfjørður, an inlet on the east coast of the island of Suðuroy in the Faroe Islands. History The village has eventually merged with the harbour-city of T ...

in 1840. Later, in 1856, it was moved to Tvøroyri, because more people lived there than in Froðba. And finally in 1908 it was moved to Sandvík, after Tvøroyri got a new and larger church. On 13 February 1915 a tragic accident occurred in Sandvík during a whale hunt in the bay. Two of the boats capsized and 14 of 15 young men on board lost their lives, they came from Sandvík and the neighbouring village, Hvalba. Later a memorial was raised in Sandvík in memory of the 14 men.

Overview

The Road Tunnel from 1969

Sandvík is connected to the road system of the island through a 1500-metre tunnel, which was bored through the mountains in 1969. The tunnel has only one lane, and passing places where cars can go aside in order to let other cars pass by. The tunnel is located up in the mountain on the southern arm, on the opposite side of the village, which is located on the northern arm of the bay.

Húsið uttan Ánna - A Historical Home and Museum

There is a small museum called "Húsið uttan Ánna" (The House by the River) in the centre of the village. It is located in a traditional Faroese house dating from 1866. The house has a turf roof.Faroeislands.com

Ásmundarstakkur - A Sea Stack West of Sandvík

A narrow road leads from Sandvík to the west coast where many sea birds nest in the cliffs. Ásmundarstakkur is a 97-metre high detached sea stack which is home to

puffin Puffins are any of three species of small alcids (auks) in the bird genus ''Fratercula''. These are pelagic seabirds that feed primarily by diving in the water. They breed in large colonies on coastal cliffs or offshore islands, nesting in crev ...

s and other sea birds.

Writers from Sandvík

At least two writers came from Sandvík: *Martin Joensen (1902-1966) was a teacher and a writer. He wrote about fishermen and the Faroese society in small villages. He wrote two novels: ''Fiskimenn'', 1946 (Fishermen) and ''Tað lýsir á landi'', 1952. He also wrote short stories. *

Steinbjørn B. Jacobsen Steinbjørn Berghamar Jacobsen (September 30, 1937 – April 12, 2012) was a Faroe Islands, Faroese poet, teacher and writer. He was known as a children's writer, but his works also included short stories, plays and novels. He was awarded the Faro ...

(1937-2012) was a teacher and a writer (poet, novel writer, short story writer, play-writer, memoir-writer).

Gallery

Image:Sandvík.2.jpg, Sandvík seen from the mountain north of the village. Image:Sandvík.6.jpg, Boat houses in the harbour of Sandvík. Image:Sandvík.4.jpg, Memorial in memory of

, made by sculptor Hans Pauli Olsen in 2006. Image:Sigmundur Brestisson Memorial in Sandvík by Hans Pauli Olsen.jpg, Memorial in memory of

, made by sculptor Hans Pauli Olsen in 2006. Image:Martin Joensen Memorial Stone Sandvík Faroe Islands.JPG, Memorial in memory of the writer Martin Joensen who was born in Sandvík in 1902. Image:Memorial Skadagrindin in Sandvik 1915.jpg, Memorial in memory of a whaling accident in 1915. Image:Sandvíkar kirkja..2.jpg, The church of Sandvík. Image:Sandvík.11.jpg, Húsið uttan Ánna, a historical home, museum. Image:Sandvík.9.jpg, Inside Húsið uttan Ánna, museum. Image:Ásmundurstakkur.3.jpg, Ásmundarstakkur, a sea stack west of Sandvík.

References

External links

Visitsuduroy.fo

Landsverk.fo

Hvalba.fo
- The Municipality of Hvalba
Flickr.com
Photos from Sandvík and Ásmundarstakkur. {{DEFAULTSORT:Sandvik Populated places in the Faroe Islands Populated coastal places in the Faroe Islands Suðuroy