Brákin

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Þorgerður Brák was Egil's nursemaid, thought to be a Celtic slave. In one of the more dramatic moments in Egil's Saga, she heroically saves Egil's life (from an attempted crime of passion, by his own father, Skallagrímur Kveldúlfsson), and jumps into the sea to escape the enraged Skallagrímur. Today a sculpture marks a spot near where she leapt, ultimately to her death: Skallagrímur hit her with a stone, and she never emerged from the water again.

The strait she swam, between Borgarnes and the islet offshore, is named Brákarsund for her. The town celebrates an annual festival in her honour.

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Nearby attractions

1. Settlement Centre

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Housed in an imaginatively restored warehouse by the harbour, the must-see Settlement Centre offers fascinating insights into the history of Icelandic…

2. Borgarfjördur Museum

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This small municipal museum has an engaging exhibit on the story of children in Iceland over the last 100 years. It's told through myriad photographs and…

3. Borgarneskirkja

0.19 MILES

Borgarnes' quaint church stands watch on a hill in the centre of town.

4. Skallagrímsgarður

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The Settlement Museum has marked sites featured in Egil’s Saga with cairns, including Skallagrímsgarður, the burial mound of the father and son of saga…

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The Borg á Mýrum farm, just northwest of Borgarnes on Rte 54, is the site where Skallagrímur Kveldúlfsson, Egil's father, made his farm at settlement. The…

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