Lögberg-Heimskringla - 01.11.2018, Page 9

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Lögberg-Heimskringla • 1. nóvember 2018 • 9
Stefan Jonasson
Hólavallagarður is the old cemetery that
overlooks Tjörnin, the small lake in the heart
of Reykjavík. Consecrated in 1838, the first
person buried there was Guðrún Oddsdóttir, the wife
of local magistrate Þórður Jónassen. There was a
prevalent belief in 19th-century Iceland that the first
person buried in a newly-consecrated burial ground
would not decompose and rest in peace, but rather
become the guardian of the cemetery.
I almost never visit Iceland without stopping by
Hólavallagarður. It is the resting place of my great-
grandfather, Jónas Jónasson, and other relatives, not
to mention famous individuals from 19th and 20th
centuries. But what draws me there is the beauty and
repose it offers. The air is heavy with the fragrance birch
and rowan trees, as well as spruce and poplar, along
with some 200 varieties of plant that grow throughout
this three-hectare (7.5-acre) memorial garden.
In his 1988 history of the cemetery, written to
commemorate the 150th anniversary of its consecration,
Björn Th. Björnsson described Hólavallagarður as “the
largest and oldest museum in Reykjavík,” where “a living
exhibition and history opens itself to anyone who can read
the hand of the sculptor and discern from symbols and types
of font the thoughts and deeds of the dead.” The cemetery
serves not only as a resting place for those buried there,
but also as a testament to their lives and work through its
sculptures, symbols, and inscriptions.
It would be fair to say that Hólavallagarður is also one
of Iceland’s most magnificent outdoor art galleries. From
sculptures to porcelain reliefs, and from mosaics to runic
inscriptions, the memorial stones pay tribute to the highest
strivings of human culture – music, writing, and the visual
arts – as well as the beliefs and values of those whose lives
are memorialized in this
sacred place.
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A moss-topped gravestone inscribed with runic letters. Iceland’s basalt columns are evoked
in these headstones. Below: Artist Guðmundur Thorsteinsson’s grave is adorned with a
mosaic. Organ pipes surround the image of composer Sigfús Einarsson.
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PHOTOS: STEFAN JONASSON