While Iceland and Greenland in the North Atlantic are world-famous, the Faroe Islands are often forgotten about. The Faroe Islands are an autonomous Atlantic island group of the Kingdom of Denmark and were settled by Vikings around a thousand years ago. In a way, they are the forgotten remote island Viking kingdom. The Faroe Islands are fascinating, and a place everyone would visit if they knew more about them.
The islands are steeped in folklore and legend and have some of the most stunning scenery of the North Atlantic. One statue there, the Statue Of Kópakonan, offers a window into the myths and legends of the far-flung isles. But that’s not all; the Faroe Islands are also a place where Nordic cuisine and exotic flavors meet.
Why The Faroe Islands Are The Perfect Brooding Location For A Legend
The remote Faroe Islands are one of the remote attractions in the North Atlantic and are very much worth visiting. That said, they are not cheap to visit, but travelers can plan a budget trip to the Faroe Islands if they plan ahead. They are located around 200 miles north of Scotland and have a population of around 54,000. The islands are steeped in mystery and legend. The mystery is enhanced by the brooding subpolar oceanic climate making the green wind-swept islands wet, cloudy, and cool.
Population: 54,000
There are many reasons to visit the Faroe Islands and many places to visit. One of the most notable destinations is Mikladalur – meaning “great valley or dale.” It is the largest of four villages dotting the northern island of Kalsoy. Don’t expect a big village; only around 27 individuals call Mikladaur home (the whole population of the isle is only around 80).
The isle of Kalsoy is a finger-shaped island (or think of a French baguette) between the isles of Eysturoy and Kunoy. The name translates as “man island” (its neighbor, Kunoy, means “woman island”). People may be familiar with the island as it starred in the 2021 James Bond movie No Time To Die for the Russian Kuril Islands.
The island is connected by ferry landings, and the settlements on the island are partly connected by a road with four dark tunnels.
In this moody and brooding U-shaped valley on the east coast of the island, one can discover the legends and fables of the isles.
Shutterstock Mikladalurs Kopakonan on the Faroe Islands in Kalsoy
Seal Wives And The Legends Of The Selkie
Visitors should learn about the Legend of the Selkie. The selkie stems from Celtic and Norse mythology and speaks of a mythological being capable of transforming from a seal to a human by shedding its skin. They are found in folktales of Scotland’s remote Shetland Islands, Orkney Islands, the Faroe Islands, Iceland, and parts of Ireland. These folktales often revolve around female selkies who are forced into relationships with humans as someone steals and hides their sealskin. The selkie stories typically tell romantic tragedies.
The folklore in Mikladalur has it that the seals are former humans who sought death in the ocean. Once a year, on the Twelfth Night, they are permitted to come onto land once a year and take off their seal skins and mingle and amuse themselves among humans as humans themselves.
The story goes that a young farmer spied a beautiful selkie maiden shedding her seal skin. He was overcome with desire for her and hid her seal skin so that she could not return to the ocean. He then forced her to marry him. Years passed, and they had children together, but one day she found her seal skin and returned to the sea, leaving the children behind.
The story goes on with dreams, the farmer killing her seal family, trolls, and the men of the island being cursed. Read the full story on the official website for the Faroe Islands.
Where To Find The Statue Of Kópakonan & What To Expect
The legend of the selkie or sealwoman in Mikladalur is represented in one of the most impressive feminine coastal sculptures. It is called the Statue Of Kópakonan (Kópakonan is the Faroese word for selkie or sealwoman/seal wife).
The noble state was erected in August 2014 in the village of Mikladur on the island of Kalsoy. It is one of the most evocative statues on the northern isles and has attracted thousands of people over the years. The statue is 9 feet high and is made of bronze and stainless steel. It was created by Hans Pauli Olsen and installed by the Mikladalur Harbor.
Sergiy Vovk / Shutterstock Mikladalur Statue, Faroe Islands Type: Bronze & Stainless Steel Height: 9 Feet
The statue has been constructed to withstand massive 13-meter-high waves and take the full punishment of the tempestuous seas of the North Atlantic. In 2015, it was hit by a massive 11.5-meter wave, but it stood firm and remained undamaged.
The Statue Of Kópakonan is free to visit and makes for very powerful pictures when the storms and lightning are raging in the background.