Ryvarden Lighthouse

Norway in HD

Before the Viking king Floke Vilgerdsson, with all his family and belongings, sailed off to become the first settlers on Iceland (around 900AD), he built a varde. A varde is a stone fireplace placed on a mountain top or other location that can be seen from afar. It was used to signal to others about enemies arriving and other major events. The spot Floke placed his varde was later was known as Ryvarden. Floke himself was later known as Ramnafloke due to the two ravens he brought with him to help locate land when approaching Iceland. (GPS didn’t work that well back in those days.) In more recent times a lighthouse was built in the same area and houses was built to cater for the lighthouse attendant and his assistants. The lighthouse was later automated and Sveio commune transformed the area and its buildings into a “Cultural Lighthouse” with art exhibitions and a cafe.