Skrímslasetrið

Om museet

Skrímslasetrið in Bíldudalur came about on the initiative of people from Arnarfjörður and former residents of Bíldudalur who grew up hearing stories of fjörulallar (shore monsters) and other fabulous creatures in the fjord. They believed these stories could become good entertainment for tourists who want to learn about the culture and history of the area, and could encourage them to stay longer. In preparing the project they consulted Þorvaldur Friðriksson, who had collected monster stories for some twenty years and had close to four thousand accounts from all parts of the country. His research shows that Arnarfjörður stands out both for the number of stories and for the variety of monsters.

The exhibition was designed by the set designer Árni Páll Jóhannsson and the multimedia company Gagarín, and is based on old stories and interviews with people who believe they have met these creatures. Construction of the building began straight away, and the exhibition was designed in parallel. Funding went well until the banking collapse, but the first part of the centre was nonetheless opened at the end of June 2009, about a month later than planned.

The centre places particular emphasis on preserving monster stories from the area, both recorded tales and new accounts brought in by visitors and locals. Four monsters are best known, and all of them have been seen in Arnarfjörður: the fjörulalli, the faxi (a water horse), the skeljaskrímsli (shell monster) and the hafmaður (merman). The building also houses a café where events such as concerts, stand-up comedy and pizza nights are held.

Højdepunkter

• The Skrímslakort table, an interactive multimedia table with stories from all of Arnarfjörður
• Eyewitness accounts and interviews about monsters and fjörulallar
• The four best-known monsters of Arnarfjörður: fjörulalli, faxi, skeljaskrímsli and hafmaður
• Models of monsters, sounds and pictures that bring the folk tales to life
• Café and events in the same building

Permanente udstillinger

• Skrímslasýningin – Permanent exhibition on monster stories along the coasts of Iceland, especially in Arnarfjörður. It is based on old accounts and interviews with eyewitnesses and uses sound, pictures and models.
• Skrímslakort-borðið – An interactive table on which visitors travel around Arnarfjörður on a map and bring up the area’s monster stories on screen. The table was designed and built in Iceland.

Grundlagt

2009

Entrépriser & rabatter

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Tilgængelighed

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Børn og familie

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Transport & parkering

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Service & spisesteder

• Café

There is a café in the museum building, which hosts events and pizza nights.

Arrangementer & udlejning

• Lokaler til leje

Group events can be arranged in consultation with the museum.