Karl og Kerling: The Troll Pillars of Jökulsá á Fjöllum

by Gerry van Roosmalen

From a distance, I look down at the two stakes called Karl og Kerling. They look plump and lower than I expected. It is only when I stand at the foot of the tallest pillar that their true size dawns on me. In front of me towers an imposing structure, formed of countless basalt columns pointing to the sky in tight geometry. Nature shows her strength and patience here, forged in fire and hardened by ice.

According to myth, Karl and Kerling were once trolls. They lived in the desolate wilderness of Iceland, where they kept people and each other company. One night, while trying to cross the river Jökulsá á Fjöllum, they were surprised by the first rays of the rising sun. As with all trolls in Iceland, that meant their demise: the sunlight immediately turned them to stone. Thus they have stood in hushed solitude in the river ever since, frozen in time, as a warning and reminder of nature's power.

But the truth behind their creation is at least as extraordinary. The pillars were created by volcanic activity deep in the earth. Liquid basalt flowing out of the earth slowly cooled here, shrinking and forming cracks. The result? The distinctive hexagonal columns you see all over Iceland. River erosion then carved out these impressive shapes, as if nature itself was sculpting a work of art.

This is how Karl og Kerling stand here, as witnesses to fire, ice and myths. Up close and from a distance, they continue to fascinate, an ode to both human imagination and the power of nature.