Ólafur tóni
Ólafur "tóni" lived at the end of the 14th century and was widely feared and respected as one of the greatest sorcerers of his time. His legacy is most famously tied to a rocky boat landing at the Skarð estate on Skarðsströnd, a cove that is still known today as Tónavör (Tóni's Landing).
According to legend, Ólafur made a high-stakes pact with the Devil. He tasked the Devil with clearing a smooth boat landing through the treacherous basalt scree on the shoreline. The terms of the deal were absolute: the Devil would claim Ólafur's soul, but only if he could finish clearing the rocks faster than Ólafur could ride his incredibly swift horse from the main farmhouse down to the shore.
Ólafur mounted his horse and raced toward the sea. He reached the shoreline just as the Devil was heaving the very last stone into place. Realizing he had been beaten by a mere fraction of a second, the Devil flew into a blind, spiteful rage. He picked up a massive, impossibly heavy boulder and hurled it directly into the center of the newly cleared landing, completely ruining it.
For centuries, that colossal rock sat dead in the middle of Tónavör, as no human hands could ever budge it. It wasn't until modern times that locals were finally able to clear the landing by blowing the devil's boulder apart with gunpowder.
During the time of the great manuscript collector Árni Magnússon, many other tales of Ólafur circulated throughout the Westfjords. In one ambitious story, Ólafur offered to magically uproot the entire Gufudalsháls ridge and use it to build a massive bridge straight across the Gilsfjörður fjord. However, he demanded a steep toll from every local farmer to complete the project. The farmers decided the price was far too high, and so the miraculous bridge was never built.
Historical accounts and local rumors paint a fascinating picture of Ólafur's life. Árni Magnússon deduced from various sources that the sorcerer's full name was Ólafur Þorleifsson and that he indeed lived at Skarð. Other records suggest he served as the estate manager there during the time of the powerful noblewoman Ólöf the Rich. As for how he acquired his immense magical power, it has long been whispered that he was taught the dark arts by the infamous witch Straumfjarðar-Halla.
Original text
(Eptir handriti Guðbrandar Vigfússonar.)
Hann lifði í lok 14. aldar, og var haldinn mesti galdramaður. Í Stöðinni á Skarði á Skarðsströnd heitir Tonavör, og er sú saga til þess, að Ólafur gjörði samníng við kölska, að hann skyldi ryðja vör úr blágrýtisurð þar niðri í Stöðinni, og skyldi hann eiga sig, ef hann yrði fljótari að ryðja vörina en Ólafur að ríða heiman frá Skarði og ofan í Stöð, en Ólafur átti flugskjótan hest. Þetta fór svo, að þegar Ólafur kom að kölska var hann að bisa við síðasta steininn; varð hann þá svo reiður, að hann þeytti heljarbjargi í miðja vörina, sem þar hefir staðið alla stund síðan og ónýtt vörina, þángað til nú fyrir skemstu að það var sprengt með púðri, því engin mannshönd gat rogað því. Í tíð Árna Magnússonar hafa verið fleiri sögur um Ólaf tóna á Vestfjörðum, og þar mun hann hafa búið. Ein er sú, að hann hèt að taka Gufudalsháls og brúa með yfir Gilsfjörð og vildi hafa gjald af hverjum bónda; en bændum þótti gjaldið ofmikið, varð svo ekki neitt úr neinu. Árni Magnússon hefir þekt hina fyrnefndu sögu um Tónavör, og dregur hann af því og öðrum líkum, að Ólafur hafi vestfirzkur verið, og átt heima á Skarði, og kallar hann hann Þorleifsson. Sèra Friðrik í Akureyjum segir, að Ólafur hafi verið ráðsmaður á Skarði í tíð Ólafar ríku. Það er enn í mæli, að Ólafur hafi numið galdra sína að Straumfjarðar-Höllu.
