Bær

Bær, a church and substantial farm, where Sturla Sighvatsson and Þorleif­ur Þórðarson fought a bloody battle in 1237. Shortly after Iceland converted to Christianity, or about 1030, the first monastery in Iceland was established at Bær by Bishop Rúðólfur (Rudolph), who is thought to have been a close relative of King Edward of Britain. Rúðólfur ran a school, the first in Iceland as far as is known, and he introduced letters instead of runes. He was later made Abbot of Abington by King Edward. A species of wild onion, exceedingly rare in Iceland, grows in the home field at Bær. They may be a left–over of the monks’ kitchen garden.