Sørvágsvatn
Encyclopedia
Sørvágsvatn is the biggest lake
of the Faroe Islands
. It is situated on the island of Vágar
between the municipalities of Sørvágs Kommuna
and Miðvágs kommuna. The name Sørvágsvatn means 'The lake of Sørvágur'.
In size it is 3.4 km2, more than three times the size of the second biggest lake Fjallavatn
, which also lies on the island of Vágar.
take pride in the fact that the lake is named after their village. On the other hand, the inhabitants of Miðvágur
want to name the lake Leitisvatn, since, on their side of the lake, the land alongside the body of water is called Leiti.
Today it may seem strange to call the lake Sørvágsvatn given the fact, that the village of Miðvágur is situated closer to the lake, than the village of Sørvágur. The explanation to this is, that during the faroese Landnám Sørvágur was settled before Miðvágur. Sørvágur—alongside Bøur
and Sandavágur
—is considered to be one of the three original Landnámsbygdum on Vágar. The three Landnámsbygdir divided the land on the island among them into three equal sizes of 60 mark
s. A division of the island into three equal portion will bring Sørvágsvatn firmly inside the boundaries of Sørvágur and therefore the lake has been named after this village.
The locals mostly refer to Sørvágsvatn/Leitisvatn simply by calling it 'the Lake' (Vatni). Among the inhabitants on the island everyone knows what 'the Lake' is, and it is mostly when people from other parts of the Faroes refer to the lake - either by calling it Sørvágsvatn or Leitisvatn—that the debate will occur.
the British army built an airfield by the lake. They also built a station to support seaplanes. The first aircraft to land in Sørvágsvatn was a Catalina
from the British Navy, which landed on in 1941.
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
of the Faroe Islands
Faroe Islands
The Faroe Islands are an island group situated between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately halfway between Scotland and Iceland. The Faroe Islands are a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, along with Denmark proper and Greenland...
. It is situated on the island of Vágar
Vágar
Vágar is one of the 18 islands in the archipelago of the Faroe Islands and the most westerly of the large islands. With a size of 178 km² , it ranks number three, behind Streymoy and Eysturoy....
between the municipalities of Sørvágs Kommuna
Sørvágs Kommuna
Sørvágs kommuna is the westernmost municipality in the Faroe Islands. It consists of the villages of Sørvágur, Bøur, Gásadalur and Mykines. Originally the municipality only included the village of Sørvágur, but on January 2005 the municipality of Sørvágur agreed to merge with the smaller...
and Miðvágs kommuna. The name Sørvágsvatn means 'The lake of Sørvágur'.
In size it is 3.4 km2, more than three times the size of the second biggest lake Fjallavatn
Fjallavatn
Fjallavatn is the second largest lake in the Faroe Islands. It is situated on the island of Vágar and its size is 1 km2....
, which also lies on the island of Vágar.
The name
Among the locals there can sometimes be a fierce debate regarding the name of the lake. The inhabitants of SørvágurSørvágur
Sørvágur is a village on the island of Vágoy in the Faroe Islands. It is located at the landward end of Sørvágsfjørður. Sørvágur is the largest village in the municipality of Sørvágs Kommuna.-Name:...
take pride in the fact that the lake is named after their village. On the other hand, the inhabitants of Miðvágur
Miðvágur
Miðvágur is a village in the Faroe Islands on Vágar. It has been a municipality until 1 January, 2009 when it fused with Sandavágur into Vága kommuna.Located on the south coast of the island of Vágar, Miðvágur is the largest town on this Faroese island...
want to name the lake Leitisvatn, since, on their side of the lake, the land alongside the body of water is called Leiti.
Today it may seem strange to call the lake Sørvágsvatn given the fact, that the village of Miðvágur is situated closer to the lake, than the village of Sørvágur. The explanation to this is, that during the faroese Landnám Sørvágur was settled before Miðvágur. Sørvágur—alongside Bøur
Bøur
Bøur is a village in the Sørvágs Kommuna of the Faroe Islands, 4 km west of Sørvágur, with a population of 70 . Its location is and its postal code is FO 386....
and Sandavágur
Sandavágur
The town of Sandavágur lies on the south coast of the Faroese island of Vágar, and has been voted the most well-kept village in the Faroes twice. The name Sandavágur means sandy creek and refers to the beach down by the inlet. From one point in Sandavágur you can get a view of all the southern...
—is considered to be one of the three original Landnámsbygdum on Vágar. The three Landnámsbygdir divided the land on the island among them into three equal sizes of 60 mark
Marches
A march or mark refers to a border region similar to a frontier, such as the Welsh Marches, the borderland between England and Wales. During the Frankish Carolingian Dynasty, the word spread throughout Europe....
s. A division of the island into three equal portion will bring Sørvágsvatn firmly inside the boundaries of Sørvágur and therefore the lake has been named after this village.
The locals mostly refer to Sørvágsvatn/Leitisvatn simply by calling it 'the Lake' (Vatni). Among the inhabitants on the island everyone knows what 'the Lake' is, and it is mostly when people from other parts of the Faroes refer to the lake - either by calling it Sørvágsvatn or Leitisvatn—that the debate will occur.
History
During World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the British army built an airfield by the lake. They also built a station to support seaplanes. The first aircraft to land in Sørvágsvatn was a Catalina
PBY Catalina
The Consolidated PBY Catalina was an American flying boat of the 1930s and 1940s produced by Consolidated Aircraft. It was one of the most widely used multi-role aircraft of World War II. PBYs served with every branch of the United States Armed Forces and in the air forces and navies of many other...
from the British Navy, which landed on in 1941.
Places and names
- Trælanípan
- Oyrar
- BøsdalafossurBøsdalafossurBøsdalafossur is a waterfall in the Faroe Islands that flows from the lake Sørvágsvatn and into the Atlantic ocean. It has a height of 30 meters....
- Sjatlá
- Sálarbótsá