Haukadalur, a church and formerly a substantial farm and historically important home of local leaders. Now a local headquarters of the Forestry Service and the State Soil Conservation Service. The land of Haukadalur had been badly damaged by erosion when in 1938 a Dane, Kristian Kirk, bought the farm to give it to the Forestry Service to be protected and re–forested. Much has been done since then and a memorial to Kirk has been erected there. National Forest, Haukadalsskógur,. In Saga times the family of Haukadalur, Haukdælir as they were called, was one of the most important and powerful families in the country. Teitur Ísleifsson founded a school in Haukadalur in the 10th century and many learned men got their education there, the best–known being Ari Þorgilsson (1067–1148), who wrote the oldest extant book in Iceland, Íslendingabók (The Book of Icelanders). According to folktales the giant Bergþór of Bláfell is buried near the church of Haukadalur. The iron ring on the church door is said to be from Bergþór’s walking–stick and the iron spike from the stick, 1.4 m long, is said to be kept there and was recorded as one of the belongings of the church in the 15th century. The whey stone at Bergsstaðir (see p. 182) was supposedly made by Bergþór, also. There is much geothermal heat in the land of Haukadalur. From Haukadalur there is a reasonably good road over the heath as far as road F338 which is a mountain track.