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Skard
is a farm, a church site and was a large estate for centuries in the
Skardstrond County in the Dalir District.
The farm is situated on a large, green ledge at the foot of a low
mountain and down below, fields and meadows stretch all the way to the
sea. This
location offers an excellent view over the vast Breidafiord Bay and the
mountain frame.
According to the land register from 1861, the farm was rated
among the three most valuable estates of the country.
A myriad of islets, several outlying farms and rights belonged to
the estate, and many hands were needed to exploit all the available
advantages of the farm.
This
farm is unique for the reason, that it has probably been the property of
the same family since the turn of the 12th century, if not
earlier.
The first settler, Geirmundur Heljarskinn, built his farm there
and called it Geirmundarstadir, but no sources reveal its history until
well into the 12th century.
One
of the most precious and best decorated manuscripts of the country is
the so-called Skard Book.
It contains the code of law Jonsbok from 1281, which was and to
some extent still is the law-book of the Icelanders.
Another Skard Book contains stories of the apostles.
It was sold to England and purchased again at an auction in 1965. |