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Coordinates: 62°20′06″N 6°46′01″W / 62.33500°N 6.76694°W / 62.33500; -6.76694
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{{Infobox settlement
{{Infobox settlement
<!--See the Table at Infobox Settlement for all fields and descriptions of usage-->
<!--See the Table at Infobox Settlement for all fields and descriptions of usage-->
<!-- Basic info ---------------->
<!-- Basic info ---------------->| name = Mikladalur
|name = Mikladalur
| other_name =
| native_name = <!-- for cities whose native name is not in English -->
|other_name =
|native_name = <!-- for cities whose native name is not in English -->
| nickname =
|nickname =
| settlement_type = Village
| motto = <!-- images and maps ----------->
|settlement_type = Village
|motto =
| image_skyline = Mikladalur.2.Kalsoy.jpg
| imagesize = 250px
<!-- images and maps ----------->
|image_skyline = Mikladalur.2.Kalsoy.jpg
| image_caption = Mikladalur Church, looking across to the island of [[Kunoy]]
|imagesize = 250px
| image_flag =
|image_caption = Mikladalur Church
| flag_size =
|image_flag =
| image_seal =
|flag_size =
| seal_size =
|image_seal =
| image_shield =
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|shield_size =
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| map_caption =
| pushpin_map = Faroe Islands <!-- the name of a location map as per http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Location_map -->
|mapsize =
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| pushpin_label_position = left
| pushpin_mapsize = 250
|pushpin_map = Faroe Islands <!-- the name of a location map as per http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Location_map -->
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in the Faroe Islands
|pushpin_label_position = left
<!-- Location ------------------>| subdivision_type = State
|pushpin_mapsize = 250
| subdivision_name = {{flag|Kingdom of Denmark}}
|pushpin_map_caption = Location in the Faroe Islands
| subdivision_type1 = Constituent country
<!-- Location ------------------>
| subdivision_name1 = {{flag|Faroe Islands}}
|coordinates_display = inline,title
| subdivision_type2 = Island
|coordinates_region = DK
|subdivision_type = State
| subdivision_name2 = [[Kalsoy]]
| subdivision_type3 = Municipality
|subdivision_name = {{flag|Kingdom of Denmark}}
| subdivision_name3 = [[Klaksvík Municipality|Klaksvík]]|<!-- Politics ----------------->
|subdivision_type1 = Constituent country
| government_footnotes =
|subdivision_name1 = {{flag|Faroe Islands}}
|subdivision_type2 = Island
| government_type =
| leader_title =
|subdivision_name2 = [[Kalsoy]]
| leader_name =
|subdivision_type3 = Municipality
| leader_title1 = <!-- for places with, say, both a mayor and a city manager -->
|subdivision_name3 = [[Klaksvík|Klaksvíkvar kommuna]]
| leader_name1 =
|<!-- Politics ----------------->
| established_title = <!-- Settled -->
|government_footnotes =
| established_date = <!-- Area --------------------->
|government_type =
|leader_title =
| area_magnitude =
| unit_pref = Imperial <!--Enter: Imperial, if Imperial (metric) is desired-->
|leader_name =
|leader_title1 = <!-- for places with, say, both a mayor and a city manager -->
| area_footnotes =
| area_total_km2 = <!-- ALL fields dealing with a measurements are subject to automatic unit conversion-->
|leader_name1 =
| area_land_km2 = <!--See table @ Template:Infobox Settlement for details on automatic unit conversion-->
|established_title = <!-- Settled -->
<!-- Population ----------------------->| population_as_of = 1 November 2020
|established_date =
| population_footnotes =
<!-- Area --------------------->
|area_magnitude =
| population_note =
| population_total = 27
|unit_pref =Imperial <!--Enter: Imperial, if Imperial (metric) is desired-->
|area_footnotes =
| population_density_km2 =
| population_density_sq_mi =
|area_total_km2 = <!-- ALL fields dealing with a measurements are subject to automatic unit conversion-->
| population_metro =
|area_land_km2 = <!--See table @ Template:Infobox Settlement for details on automatic unit conversion-->
| population_density_metro_km2 =
<!-- Population ----------------------->
| population_density_metro_sq_mi =
|population_as_of = 1 January 2009
|population_footnotes =
| population_blank1_title =
|population_note =
| population_blank1 =
| population_density_blank1_km2 =
|population_total = 38
| population_density_blank1_sq_mi = <!-- General information --------------->
|population_density_km2 =
| timezone = [[Greenwich Mean Time|GMT]]
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| timezone_DST = [[European Summer Time|EST]]
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| coordinates = {{coord|62|20|06|N|6|46|01|W|region:DK|display=inline,title}}
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| elevation_footnotes = <!--for references: use <ref> </ref> tags-->
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| elevation_m =
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| elevation_ft = <!-- Area/postal codes & others -------->
|population_density_blank1_sq_mi =
| postal_code_type = Postal code <!-- enter ZIP code, Postcode, Post code, Postal code... -->
<!-- General information --------------->
|timezone = [[Greenwich Mean Time|GMT]]
| postal_code = FO 797
|utc_offset =
| area_code =
|timezone_DST = [[European Summer Time|EST]]
| blank_name = [[Köppen climate classification|Climate]]
| blank_info = [[Oceanic climate#Subpolar variety (Cfc, Cwc)|Cfc]]
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|latd=62|latm=20|lats=06 |latNS=N
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| footnotes =
|elevation_ft =
| official_name =
<!-- Area/postal codes & others -------->
|postal_code_type = Postal code <!-- enter ZIP code, Postcode, Post code, Postal code... -->
|postal_code = FO 797
|area_code =
|blank_name =
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}}
}}
'''Mikladalur''' ({{lang-da|Mygledal}}) is the largest of four villages on the Faroese island of [[Kalsoy]] in the municipality of Klaksvíkar.
'''Mikladalur''', meaning "great valley or [[Dale (landform)|dale]]" is the largest of four villages on the northern Faroese island of [[Kalsoy]] in the municipality of [[Klaksvík Municipality|Klaksvík]]. It is situated in a large U-shaped valley on the east coast of the island.


The 2005 population was 44. The town's stone church dates from 1856. A tunnel to [[Trøllanes]] was completed in 1985.
The town's stone church dates from 1856. A tunnel to [[Trøllanes]] to the north was completed in 1985.

== Legend of the Selkie ==
Mikladalur has a legend of a [[selkie]]/sealwoman. Seals were believed to be former humans who voluntarily sought death in the ocean. Once a year, on [[Twelfth Night (holiday)|Twelfth Night]], they were allowed to come on land, strip off their skins and amuse themselves as human beings, dancing and enjoying themselves.

A young farmer from Mikladalur once went to the beach to watch the selkies dance. There he sees a beautiful selkie maiden shedding her seal skin, and he is hit by an intense desire for her. He hides the skin, so that she cannot go back to sea at the end of the night, and confronts her, and forces her to marry him. The man kept her skin in a chest, and kept the key with him both day and night. Like this they lived for several years, having several children together. One day when out fishing, he discovers that he has forgotten to bring his key, and rows back home with his power. When he returns home, his wife has escaped back to sea, leaving their children behind, but has put out the fire and hid away any sharp objects, so that they wouldn't be harmed.

Then one day it happened that the Mikladalur men planned to go deep into one of the caverns along the far coast to hunt the seals that lived there. The night before they were due to go, the man's seal wife appeared to him in a dream and said that if he went on the seal hunt in the cavern, he should make sure he didn't kill the great bull seal that would be lying at the entrance, for that was her husband. Nor should he harm the two seal pups deep inside the cave, for they were her two young sons, and she described their skins so he would know them. But the farmer didn't heed the dream message. He joined the others on the hunt, and they killed all the seals they could lay their hands on. When they got back home, the catch was divided up, and for his share the farmer received the large bull seal and both the front and the hind flippers of the two young pups.

In the evening, when the head of the large seal and the limbs of the small ones had been cooked for dinner, there was a great crash in the smoke-room, and the seal woman appeared in the form of a terrifying [[troll]]; she sniffed at the food in the troughs and cried the curse: 'Here lie the head of my husband with his broad nostrils, the hand of Hárek and the foot of Fredrik! Now there shall be revenge, revenge on the men of Mikladalur, and some will die at sea and others fall from the mountain tops, until there be as many dead as can link hands all round the shores of the isle of Kalsoy!'

When she had pronounced these words, she vanished with a great crash of thunder and was never seen again. But still today, alas, it so happens from time to time that men from the village of Mikladalur get drowned at sea or fall from the tops of cliffs; it must therefore be feared that the number of victims is not yet great enough for all the dead to link hands around the whole island of Kalsoy.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Legend of Kópakonan (Seal Woman)|url = http://www.visitfaroeislands.com/en/be-inspired/in-depth-articles/legend-of-kopakonan-(seal-woman)/|website = Visit Faroe Islands|accessdate = 2015-10-17|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150915040518/http://www.visitfaroeislands.com/en/be-inspired/in-depth-articles/legend-of-kopakonan-(seal-woman)/|archive-date = 2015-09-15|url-status = dead}}</ref>

There stands a statue of the selkie, down at the shore amidst the crashing surf in Mikladalur.


==See also==
==See also==
* [[List of towns in the Faroe Islands]]
* [[List of towns in the Faroe Islands]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}


==External links==
==External links==
*[http://faroeislands.dk/pages/MikladalurIndex.htm A Danish website including several photographs of Mikladalur]
*[http://www.hagstova.fo/portal/page/portal/HAGSTOVAN/Statistics_%20Faroe_Islands/Statistics/Population%20and%20elections/BRBGDMD_06-08_EN Stats] - Hagstova
{{commons|Mikladalur}}
{{commons|Mikladalur}}
*[http://faroeislands.dk/pages/MikladalurIndex.htm A Danish website including several photographs of Mikladalur]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20091113162308/http://www.hagstova.fo/portal/page/portal/HAGSTOVAN/Statistics_%20Faroe_Islands/Statistics/Population%20and%20elections/BRBGDMD_06-08_EN Stats] - Hagstova


[[Category:Populated places in the Faroe Islands]]
[[Category:Populated places in the Faroe Islands]]

{{faroes-geo-stub}}

Latest revision as of 20:22, 21 February 2024

Mikladalur
Village
Mikladalur Church, looking across to the island of Kunoy
Mikladalur Church, looking across to the island of Kunoy
Mikladalur is located in Denmark Faroe Islands
Mikladalur
Mikladalur
Location in the Faroe Islands
Coordinates: 62°20′06″N 6°46′01″W / 62.33500°N 6.76694°W / 62.33500; -6.76694
State Kingdom of Denmark
Constituent country Faroe Islands
IslandKalsoy
MunicipalityKlaksvík
Population
 (1 November 2020)
 • Total
27
Time zoneGMT
 • Summer (DST)UTC+1 (EST)
Postal code
FO 797
ClimateCfc

Mikladalur, meaning "great valley or dale" is the largest of four villages on the northern Faroese island of Kalsoy in the municipality of Klaksvík. It is situated in a large U-shaped valley on the east coast of the island.

The town's stone church dates from 1856. A tunnel to Trøllanes to the north was completed in 1985.

Legend of the Selkie

[edit]

Mikladalur has a legend of a selkie/sealwoman. Seals were believed to be former humans who voluntarily sought death in the ocean. Once a year, on Twelfth Night, they were allowed to come on land, strip off their skins and amuse themselves as human beings, dancing and enjoying themselves.

A young farmer from Mikladalur once went to the beach to watch the selkies dance. There he sees a beautiful selkie maiden shedding her seal skin, and he is hit by an intense desire for her. He hides the skin, so that she cannot go back to sea at the end of the night, and confronts her, and forces her to marry him. The man kept her skin in a chest, and kept the key with him both day and night. Like this they lived for several years, having several children together. One day when out fishing, he discovers that he has forgotten to bring his key, and rows back home with his power. When he returns home, his wife has escaped back to sea, leaving their children behind, but has put out the fire and hid away any sharp objects, so that they wouldn't be harmed.

Then one day it happened that the Mikladalur men planned to go deep into one of the caverns along the far coast to hunt the seals that lived there. The night before they were due to go, the man's seal wife appeared to him in a dream and said that if he went on the seal hunt in the cavern, he should make sure he didn't kill the great bull seal that would be lying at the entrance, for that was her husband. Nor should he harm the two seal pups deep inside the cave, for they were her two young sons, and she described their skins so he would know them. But the farmer didn't heed the dream message. He joined the others on the hunt, and they killed all the seals they could lay their hands on. When they got back home, the catch was divided up, and for his share the farmer received the large bull seal and both the front and the hind flippers of the two young pups.

In the evening, when the head of the large seal and the limbs of the small ones had been cooked for dinner, there was a great crash in the smoke-room, and the seal woman appeared in the form of a terrifying troll; she sniffed at the food in the troughs and cried the curse: 'Here lie the head of my husband with his broad nostrils, the hand of Hárek and the foot of Fredrik! Now there shall be revenge, revenge on the men of Mikladalur, and some will die at sea and others fall from the mountain tops, until there be as many dead as can link hands all round the shores of the isle of Kalsoy!'

When she had pronounced these words, she vanished with a great crash of thunder and was never seen again. But still today, alas, it so happens from time to time that men from the village of Mikladalur get drowned at sea or fall from the tops of cliffs; it must therefore be feared that the number of victims is not yet great enough for all the dead to link hands around the whole island of Kalsoy.[1]

There stands a statue of the selkie, down at the shore amidst the crashing surf in Mikladalur.

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Legend of Kópakonan (Seal Woman)". Visit Faroe Islands. Archived from the original on 2015-09-15. Retrieved 2015-10-17.
[edit]