Icelandic Waterfall In Black And White
by Karen Regan
Title
Icelandic Waterfall In Black And White
Artist
Karen Regan
Medium
Photograph - Photograph
Description
The waterfall Öxaráfoss (The waterfall in the Ax River) in the ravine Almannagjá at Þingvellir is one of the best-known waterfalls in Iceland, at least among Icelanders. Like everything related to Þingvellir and Almnnagjá the waterfall has a sentimental reference and historical value. It is an important place in the most precious and sacred place Þingvellir. It is positioned inside Almannagjá in the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The waterfall is rather small, only about 20 meters high, but is an important part of the overall natural wonders in the Þingvellir National Park. Depending on the season, the waterfall may differ in volume as the source, the river Öxará or Ax river, is quite different from one season to the next.
nterestingly the waterfall Öxarárfoss is actually a human-made waterfall. As strange as this may sound geologists and historians have discovered that the river Öxará was moved hundreds of years ago, to channel the water into the ravine Almannagjá in the ninth century. The purpose was to provide water for the members and visitors of the Icelandic parliament Althingi in the 9th century. This was documented in the saga Sturlunga written in the 12th and the 13th century. The name, according to folklore, came from an Ax that killed a notorious and a very unstable female troll famous for killing and terrorizing visitors, inhabitants and travelers in the Hengill area not far from Þingvellir. Long after the blade was put into her back, between her shoulder blades, it surfaced near the place where Öxarárfoss is now. According to another folklore, the river changes to wine on new year's eve. If true you should be able to sit by Öxarárfoss and drink good wine from the waterfall until midnight when the river changes back to wine. Not something to recommend as king winter has all the power at Öxarárfoss and Þingvellir at that time. He might be drinking from the waterfall and probably quite drunk.
Uploaded
August 27th, 2018
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Comments (21)
Aurelio Zucco
Amazing...such excellent composition and such expert waterfall photography...really impressive in black and white, Karen! L/F
Luther Fine Art
Congratulations! Your fantastic photographic art has been chosen as a Camera Art feature! You are invited to archive your work in the Features Archive thread as well as any other thread in which it would fit!
Jan Mulherin
Congratulations!! This beautiful image has been selected to be featured for the week in the “Art for Ever with You” Group Home Page. You are welcome to add a preview of this featured image to the group’s discussion post titled “2018 October: Stunning Group Featured Images and Thank-you’s” for a permanent display within the group, to share this achievement with others. If the activity is allowed, your image will also be posted to our group Google+ page. Thank you for your participation in the group! ~Jan (October 1, 2018)
Allan Van Gasbeck
Congratulations! Your outstanding artwork has been chosen as a FEATURE in the “The Gray Scale Outdoors” group on Fine Art America — You are invited to post your featured image to the featured image discussion thread as a permanent place to continue to get exposure even after the image is no longer on the Home Page.
Jan Mulherin
Congratulations!! This stunning Black and White image has been selected to be featured for the week in the "Creative Black and White Fine Art Photographs" Group’s Home Page!! You are welcome to add a preview of this featured image to the group’s discussion post titled “2018 September: Stunning Group Featured Images and Thank-you’s” for a permanent display within the group, to share this achievement with others. If enabled, your image will also be posted to our group Google+ page. Thank you for your group participation! (September 22, 2018)
Lyric Lucas
Congratulations, your beautiful artistic work is Featured in the "Bedroom Art Gallery" group 8/29/18 l/f
Allan Van Gasbeck
Congratulations! Your outstanding artwork has been chosen as a FEATURE in the “Long Exposure and Night Photography ” group on Fine Art America — You are invited to post your featured image to the featured image discussion thread as a permanent place to continue to get exposure even after the image is no longer on the Home Page.
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