The Watchwoman of Hólavalla Cemetery

Although not the first cemetery in Reykjavík, Hólavalla Cemetery (Hólavallagarður) is presently its oldest cemetery. Its history provides the setting for an account of Unnur’s unexpected encounter, told alongside her earlier story.

In 1838, Guðrún Oddsdóttir, aged 58, became the first person buried in the cemetery. Her life had been marked by loss: her father, two brothers, her first husband, Stefán Stephensen (who died in 1820), and two children who died as toddlers. According to myheritage.com she had a total of 14 children.

The First to Be Buried, the Last to Rest

According to Icelandic folklore, the first person buried in a cemetery becomes its guardian. As its first burial, Guðrún came to be regarded as Hólavallagarður’s watchwoman. In these tales, the guardian’s body does not decay, and the figure is rarely described as beautiful. The guardian is often described as red-faced, wearing red clothing or a green dress. Their watch allows them no rest in the grave. Their duty is to receive all new arrivals and watch over their souls and the garden itself. As you can imagine, people weren’t too eager to have their loved ones become watchmen.

Views of Hólavallagarður

Someone Walked Beside Her

The account of Unnur continues in 1945, years after her vision of Guðmundur aboard a ship (described in the earlier story). Unnur was now living on Ránargata 12. She had recently lost Guðbjörg, the woman she called her fóstra, or foster mother. She wanted to visit her grave, but didn’t know where in the cemetery she was buried. It was a beautiful sunny day in July, so Unnur decided to walk down to the cemetery. It was less than a ten-minute walk, and the air was still. She walked along Garðastræti heading for the cemetery gate on the corner of Sólvallagata and Ljósvallagata. While she was walking along Garðastræti, she could feel someone walking to the left of her. She turned around to look, but couldn’t see anyone there. She figured it was Guðbjörg guiding her to the grave.

When Unnur reached the cemetery, she felt as though the presence beside her was guiding her steps. All of a sudden, Unnur stopped next to a gravestone. She leaned closer to read the inscription: “Here lies Guðmundur…” (Only six with that name who died in 1925 were buried in the cemetery, and only one fits her age group being nine years her senior).

She Came Looking for a Different Grave

Unnur had not expected to find Guðmundur’s grave. She had no idea he had moved to Reykjavík. As far as she knew, he had been living in eastern Iceland. She remained beside the grave for a while. The discovery brought her earlier encounter with Guðmundur into a new and unexpected setting. To her knowledge, Guðmundur never visited her again.

Sources and Further Reading