Dymbilvika: Dymblar await you at the Byggðasafn

Heiðrún Eva Konráðsdóttir, specialist at the museum, says that Kristín Magnúsdóttir donated the three dymblar to the museum in 1986. The largest one, which received attention in the television report, came from the Catholic church in Hafnarfjörður, as did the other two. The church was consecrated in 1926.

The dymbill gives the right tone

“The dymbill has a dark wooden color and a turned handle. The shaft is about 16 cm long and the cross piece about 30 cm,” Heiðrún describes. When the dymbill is swung a certain way, the hammer gives off very quick and loud strikes when it hits the cross board. The other two owned by the museum are smaller, and the smallest resembles a school project, light, with a burnt in shield emblem. The dymblar symbolize the period connected to the Passion of Christ. The sound is hollow instead of the bright chime of church bells.

“The three dymblar will be on display at the museum over Easter. We are open on Saturday between 11 and 17,” she says.

According to Vísindavefurinn, the word dymbildagar appears in written language shortly after 1300, though it may of course be much older.

“It is interesting that it does not appear in Icelandic law books, neither in the Christian section of Grágás adopted around 1130, nor in the New Christian Law from 1275, nor in Jónsbók from 1281. This could suggest that the term was originally a folk word that did not enter official documents until relatively late.” The word dymbilvika does not appear in Icelandic until the church ordinance of King Christian III from 1537, translated by Bishop Gissur Einarsson in 1541.

Byggðasafnið regularly receives donations

Heiðrún says the museum regularly receives gifts, like these dymblar forty years ago. This year alone they have already received ten. The museum must carefully consider which gifts it accepts, as they must be connected to Hafnarfjörður and not already in the collection.

A visit to the Pakkhús at Byggðasafnið is an adventure. There you can peek into many eras at once. The museum is beautiful and full of memories of the past. Come for a visit.

• Open Saturday April 4 between 11 and 17
• See the news story on RÚV