Iceland review - 2015, Page 50

48 ICELAND REVIEW
BY EYGLÓ SVALA ARNARSDÓTTIR. PHOTOS BY PÁLL STEFÁNSSON.
ILLUSTRATIONS BY GUILLERMO ZUBIAGA..
MASSACRE REMEMBERED
Four hundred years ago, 31 shipwrecked Basque whalers were brutally
murdered by the West Fjords’ magistrate and an army of local farmers.
A special program is being held this year to mark the anniversary
of the gruesome events and to honor the victims.
“As soon as the armed men came to land
on the island of Æðey, there began some
shouting and noise … Someone found a
big club in one of the boats and had a big
axe in the other hand, and they all went
to the farm. … A vicious one went ahead,
aiming first at Pierre, gave him a blow
with the club. When Pierre woke up and
opened his eyes wide in bewilderment, he
was then slashed across his chest with a
sword-like knife and thus relinquished his
life. … Pierre’s companion that lay on the
floor woke up with the first blow and want-
ed to get up on his feet. All of those that
were there ran towards him and attacked
him repeatedly and eventually killed him.”