Once upon a time there were two giants that lived in the Vatnsdalur Valley just south of Blönduós. Their names were Jörundur and Ásmundur. They were very good friends and they grew very old.
One day, they were both kind of crabby and mad. This old Saga does not say why they were upset … they just were. So, because they were mad, they both decided to jump into the surrounding mountains. Jörundur went into the mountain on one side of the valley and Ásmundur went into the mountain on the other side.
Both of the giants brought their weapons and all their belongings into the mountains with them. They loved the Vatnsdalur valley so very much. They were worried about the people living in the valley because the winter was so very cold and snowy. They talked about how they should build a cover over the valley and in that way, they could protect it.
However, they realized that if they built a cover to protect the valley from the snow and bad weather, that they would also cover the valley from the sunshine and the good rains. So, they decided they would just live in the mountains and protect the valley but not totally block out the weather.
This is just a shortened version of the Saga of Jörundur and Ásmundur told by my cousin, Sigga. She lives just below Jörundurfell on the east side of the valley. The highest point in the Vatnsdalfjall (Vatnsdal Mountains) is 1049 meters (3,442 feet) and it is called Jörundarfell, which means Jörundur´s Mountain.
The other side of the valley has Víðidalsfjall (Víðidal Mountains)and that is where Ásmundur now lives in Ásmundurnupur. These mountains run along the Flóðið Lake and the excellent salmon fishing river called Vatnsdalsá south of Blönduós.
Sigga and her family have beautiful horses and many sheep. They both came to the Blönduós presentation and have been great to me over the past 3 years. They are the family that let me go on the Skrapatungarétt!!!
