Skessan á Hvannadal
In the valley that lies west of Selárdalur in Strandasýsla, called Hvannadalur, it is said that a troll-woman was seen in former times, and she caused great trouble for travelers; this is shown by the account that follows.
"Once in earlier centuries, 12 men set out across Trèkyllisheiði; none of them returned to human settlements, but their clothes were found torn apart and the hands [ripped] off some of them, and for that reason, the road was abolished and moved elsewhere. Oral tradition says that once, the men of Reverend Jón Pálsson, who was the priest at Staður early in the 18th century, were searching in Hvannadalur for 10 sheep that he was missing; they found them and chased them for a long time until they saw a troll-woman at the far end of the valley. They were filled with terror when they saw the giantess and let go of the sheep; but she then took them and drove them to her own dwellings. The priest's men were glad to escape with their lives, but Hvannadalur is always considered to be haunted."
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Original text
(Vestfirzk sögn.)
Í dal þeim, er liggur vestur af Selárdal í Strandasýslu og Hvannadalur heitir, er mælt, að tröllskessa hafi sèzt á fyrri tíðum, og gjörði hún ferðamönnum mikinn óskunda; sýnir það sögn sú, er á eptir kemur.
„Einu sinni á fyrri öldum lögðu 12 menn á Trèkyllisheiði, kom einginn þeirra aptur til mannabygða, en föt þeirra fundust sundur rifin og hendur af sumum, og var vegurinn því aftekinn og lagður annarstaðar. Munnmæli segja, að eitt sinn hafi menn sèra Jóns Pálssonar, sem prestur var á Stað snemma á 18. öld, verið að leita fram á Hvannadal 10 sauða, er hann vantaði; fundu þeir þá og eltu leingi, uns þeir sáu tröllkonu fremst í dalnum. Urðu þeir felmtsfullir, er þeir litu skessuna, og sleptu sauðunum; en hún tók þá og rak til bygða sinna. Menn prestsins urðu fegnir, er þeir komust lífs undan, en ávalt þykir reymt á Hvannadal.“
