I & I - 2011, Qupperneq 17

17I&I
Located right under the Arctic Circle, Raufarhöfn is a place like no other. Iceland’s northernmost
town, with a population of just over 200, is home to the extraordinary Arctic Henge, currently un-
der construction on the plains of Melrakkaslétta. A calendar of the seasons based on the paths of the
sun and the moon, it is a circular arrangement of stone blocks, 48 meters across. In the center, a stone
structure with a crystal on top captures the rays of the sun and breaks it into prism colors. On the outer
wall, four gates face each other, marking the solstices of winter and summer and the equinox of spring
and fall, according to the old Nordic calendar. The Henge’s unique location has a 360° horizon on land
meaning that the sunlight and the moonlight can flow unhindered. Old Nordic mythology and literature
will be featured in the Arctic Henge in the form of a group of dwarves discussed in the Völu-Spá book
of poetry, each assigned a particular time of year, meaning that everyone has their birthday-dwarf.
By Ásta Andrésdóttir.

Arctic Allure
Photo by Páll Stefánsson.
A Stonehenge-like
construction is
appearing close to
Raufarhöfn by the
Arctic Circle.