One hundred years have passed since Benedikt Sigurjónsson, better known as Fjalla-Bensi, set out on a winter journey that would later inspire one of Iceland’s best-known literary works.
As reported by RÚV, the centenary was marked this week at the Gígur Visitor Centre in the Mývatn region, close to the landscape where the journey began.
Fjalla-Bensi was a farm worker in Mývatnssveit who became known for his annual Advent searches for sheep that had failed to return from the highlands before winter.
A Frozen Journey Myvatn in winter. Photo: Andreas Tille. CC 4.0His most famous expedition took place in the winter of 1925, when he travelled through harsh conditions accompanied by his lead sheep Eitill and his dog Leó.
That journey later formed the basis of Gunnar Gunnarsson’s novella Advent, which has since been translated into more than 20 languages and remains widely read today.
During the evening event, guests heard readings from the novel and discussions about the historical journey led by Ásta Kristín Benediktsdóttir, associate professor of Icelandic literature.
Local historian Sigurður Erlingsson also addressed the severe weather Fjalla-Bensi encountered, described in contemporary accounts as a violent winter storm. Visitors were shown historical photographs, including the best-known image of Fjalla-Bensi taken at Höfði in 1926.
Several physical traces of the story remain in the area today, including the burial site of Eitill at Helluvaður and Fjalla-Bensi’s grave at Reykjahlíðar Church.
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