Árbók Hins íslenzka fornleifafélags - 01.01.1988, Blaðsíða 22

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ÁRBÓK FORNLEIFAFÉLAGSINS
SUMMARY
Tlte construction in Reyðarvatnsós
I
Did Snorri Sturluson havc a dam built on thc rivcr Gríntsá in Borgarfjörður? Evidcncc
to this cffcct can bc found both in writtcn documcnts from the pcriod, particularly thc
oldcst part of thc so-callcd Rcykjaholtsmáldagi, or „Inventory of Rcykjaholt", from the
latter half of thc 12th century, and from archcological rcmains, viz. a 27 m long stonc
wall in thc rivcr mouth at Rcyðarvatnsós. Such a dam, thc author suggests could havc
becn uscd to facilitate the catching of salmon or cspecially trout, which seems to have
formcd an important, if not gcncrally rccognised, part of thc Icclandic dict during thc
Commonwealth pcriod.
II
Refercnces to dams of tliis kind arc numcrous in thc oldcr sources. In sontc cases
salmon could bc pickcd up by hand aftcr thc rivcr had bccn dammed, a practicc dcscribcd
in later centurics in thc travcl journals of Hookcr and Hcnderson. In larger rivers stonc
dams were built; unable to circumvent the dams, the fish were then caught in traps of
various kinds.
III
Thc stonc wall at Rcyðarvatnsós is in the northern branch of thc river, and cxtends
somc 27 m into thc river in thc direction of thc islet Óshólmi. For 17 m of its length thc
wall is now submerged. Thc stoncs making up thc wall are ca. 30 x 30 cm in that part
above thc water, but larger (ca. 40 x 60 cm) in the submcrgcd part. Most of the wall is
approximately 2 m thick, but thc submcrged part is much wider in placcs (scc Map 1).
Dcscriptions from thc 19th ccntury indicatc tliat thcrc was then morc of thc dam in evi-
dence than is now the case. A series of stonc in the southcrn branch of the river which
now appcar to be stcpping stones wcrc then thought to bc part of thc dam which Snorri
was said to havc built, indicating tliat ntorc stoncs must thcn havc becn visible in thc
southcrn branch.
IV
A description found in Snorri's ÓlaJ's saga helga indicates that Snorri was at least familiar
with rivcr damming procedurc. Map 2 shows how thc dant could havc becn uscd for tak-
ing salmon along a two-kilomctcr strctch bclow it, but thc author points of that a number
of factors indicate tliat this would not havc bcen cntircly practical. Thc author suggcsts
that thc dam may havc been used instcad for trout fishing.
V
Thc dam docs not now appcar to havc spanned thc rivcr completely, and although it
is possible that the original dam was morc cxtcnsivc and part latcr washcd away, thcrc
is no rcal evidcnce to support this view. In the space betwccn the end of thc dam and thc
islct a kind of fish trap callcd teinnr (scc photo 2) could havc been placed. There is still
a good deal of trout to bc had at this place in thc rivcr.
VI
According to thc law as dcfincd in Grágas a dam could only bc built on a river by a
person owning all the fishing rights on that river. Thc church at Reykjaholt owned 5/8
of thesc rights (sec Map 3), indicating that some sort of agreemcnt would havc been