Hraunfossar

Located in Borgarfjörður, western Iceland, the Hraunfossar are a series of waterfalls where several rivulets--spanning about 900 meters--stream directly out of the Hallmundarhraun, a lava field which flowed from an eruption of one of the volcanoes lying under the glacier Langjökull. The waterfalls pour into the Hvítá river from ledges of less porous rock in the lava. The name "hraun" comes from the Icelandic word for "lava." The Hraunfossar are situated near Húsafell and Reykholt and lava-tube cave Víðgelmir is close by.

Literally a stone's throw upstream from Hraunfossar, there is another waterfall called Barnafossar. Its name, the "waterfall of the children", comes from an accident which is said to have taken place here in former times. There was a natural bridge over the waterfall and two children from a nearby farm fell to their deaths crossing the river on the bridge. Afterwards, the grief-struck mother had the bridge destroyed.

ee also

* Waterfalls of Iceland

External links

Hraunfossar

* [http://www.icelandphotoblog.com/index.php?x=browse&tag=Hraunfossar Great photographs from Hraunfossar]
* [http://www.islandsmyndir.is/html_skjol/vesturland/hraunfossar/forsida_hraunfossar1.htm Hraunfossar - Photo gallery from islandsmyndir.is]
* [http://www.husafell.is/ensku_sidurnar/e_nagrenni/e_hraunfossar/e_hraunfossar.htm Information]
* [http://www.husafell.is/ensku_sidurnar/e_nagrenni/e_hraunfossar/e_hraunfossar_2.htm Photos]
* [http://www.eldey.de/English/gallery/gallery5/gallery5.html Photos of Hraunfossar and West Iceland]

Barnafoss

* [http://www.listasafn.is/safn_asgrims/as_staekkanir/barnafoss.htm Painting by A. Jónsson]