Koltur

Koltur (Streymoy) · Faroe Islands · Cemetery

On the island said to be a petrified troll-woman's head, the dead haunt the graveyard — buried without a priest, without rest.

The tiny Faroese island of Koltur, today home to a single family, is said in folk tradition to be the head of a troll-woman turned to stone by the first rays of the sun. The island's graveyard lies apart from the farmsteads, and it is this spot that is singled out as haunted: since the island had no priest, a very long time could pass before anyone came out to cast earth on the graves and lay the dead properly to rest according to custom. In the meantime, it was said, the spirits of the unblessed dead walked around the burial ground. The tale belongs to the oldest layer of Faroese storytelling about the islands of the Streymoy fjord.

FAQ

Where is Koltur located?

Koltur is in Koltur (Streymoy), Faroe Islands.

More haunted places in Koltur (Streymoy)

• Mikladalur — Kópakonan (the Seal Woman) Kalsoy · Natural site

Accounts are drawn from local folklore and visitor reports.

Image: Wikimedia Commons · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons