Árbók Hins íslenzka fornleifafélags - 01.01.2000, Blaðsíða 200

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ÁRBÓK FORNLEIFAFÉLAGSINS
28 Björn Halldórsson. „Annáll séra Björns Halldórssonar í Sauðlauksdal eða Sauðlauks-
dalsannáll 1400-1778.“ Annálar 1400-1800. Gefnir út af Hinu íslenzka bókmennta-
félagi.VI. Reykjavík 1987. s. 441-442.
29 Sveinn Pálsson. Æfisaga Bjarna Pálssonar, sem varfyrsti Landsphysikus á Islandi. Leirár-
görðum 1800. s. 47-49.
30 Lýður Björnsson. „Þorgrímur Gestsson: MANNLIFVIÐ SUND. Islenska bókaútgáf-
an ehf. Reykjavík 1998.399 bls. Myndir og skrár.“ Saga. 37 (1999). s. 303.
Nefna má til gamans að Eggert Ólafsson orti langt kvæði, 12 erindi, um „jarðnafar".
Það birtist í bók hans Kvæði. Kbh. 1832. s. 221—222. Hér verður birt 1. erindi þess:
Rata-ljóð
eðr samlikíng árnilli nafarsins Rata, með hvörjum Oðin boraði gat á Hvítbjörg og
þess stóra jarð-nafars, er fluttr var til Islands 1755, og borað með honum berg, undir
hvernum i Laugarnesi suðr, í 2 daga til 7 álna dýptar og síðan viðhætt.
Jeg af stærstu jötna-tólum
Jólners kaupið fiflanar
horskum skeinki hrínga-sólum;
hvað, þær spyrja, kaupið var?
bezt mér þætti brennuvín,
þó brúki’ ei Oðin það til sín;
mjöðr góðr þykir þöllum,
þennan býð eg stúlkum öllum.
31 „Árbók íslands 1905.“ Ahnanak hins íslenzka þjóðvinafélags. 33 (1907). s. 47.
32 ísafold. 32 (1905). s. 63.1. apríl.
Summary
Following the recent acquisition by the Farm Machinery Museum at Hvanneyri of a
peat auger, the author discusses such implements. The first known reference to such a
tool is from 1839, when it is suggested that agricultural societies in Denmark could help
with their provision. In 1875, the agronomist Sveinn Sveinsson published a pamphlet
with drawings and descriptions intended to enable farmers to make a number of
agricultural implements, and amongst those is a peat auger. It is known that a number of
peat augers were made at the agricultural college at Ólafsdalur in Western Iceland,
founded in 1880. It seems to have been common for local agricultural societies to
acquire such tools and lend them to members.
A nurnber of late 19th and early 20th centuries sources seem to agree that peat was
not exploited as much as would have been possible.The geologist Þorvaldur Thoroddsen
writes in 1919 that peat was commonly cut for fuel in previous centuries, but became
less commonly used during the 17th and 18th centuries.A revival took place in the 19th
century. It seems that the adoption of the peat auger can largely be ascribed to the
Ólafsdalur college, and to its founder, Torfi Bjarnason.