Trisha Shetty (Editor)

Skúvoy, Skúvoy

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State
  
Kingdom of Denmark

Island
  
Skúvoy

Postal code
  
FO 260

Local time
  
Thursday 10:34 PM

Municipality
  
Skúvoy

Constituent country
  
Faroe Islands

Time zone
  
GMT

Climate
  
Cfc

Population
  
52 (1 Jan 2006)

Skúvoy, Skúvoy

Weather
  
7°C, Wind SW at 50 km/h, 88% Humidity

The village Skúvoy (Danish: Skuø) lies on the east side of the island with the same name.

Contents

Map of Sk%C3%BAvoy, Faroe Islands

Skúvoy is the only village on the island. The inhabitants of Skúvoy are mainly earning their living from agriculture. There is a ferry to Skúvoy twice a day and the helicopter visits the island 3 times a week.

History

In the graveyard in Skúvoy there is a gravestone called ‘Sigmundarsteinur’ (Stone of Sigmundur). It is said to be the gravestone of Sigmundur Brestisson (from 'Faereyingasaga'). He was a Viking-chief who Christianised the Faroe Islands in the year 1000. Tradition says that he lived in his farm on Skúvoy and that he was attacked here by his old enemy Tróndur i Gøtu who was heathen. Sigmundur fled from by jumping into the sea and swimming to Sandvík on the island of Suðuroy(15 km (9 mi)). In Sandvík he was found lying exhausted on the shore by Torgrimur Illi who decapitated him and stole his golden bangle.

In the 14th century the plague (The Black Death) killed all inhabitants of the island except for one young girl. In the 18th century it happened again. An epidemic of smallpox raged the islands and exterminated the entire population on Skúvoy. The church in Skúvoy dates from 1937. There have been several churches here over the years. The first one said to have been built by Sigmundur Brestisson in the year 999.

Until recently bird catching on the west side of the island was popular. As the amount of individuals in the bird-colonies has decreased dramatically the bird catching is now limited.

References

Skúvoy, Skúvoy Wikipedia


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