Björn Auðunsson Blöndal (1 October 1787 – 23 June 1846) was an Icelandic
District Commissioner and politician. He was a member of
Alþingi
The (; ), anglicised as Althingi or Althing, is the supreme national parliament of Iceland. It is the oldest surviving parliament in the world. The Althing was founded in 930 at (' thing fields' or 'assembly fields'), about east of what la ...
from 1845 to 1846.
He took the family name
Blöndal during his years of study in
Copenhagen
Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...
.
Björn played a significant role in the trial and execution of
Agnes Magnúsdóttir
Agnes Magnúsdóttir (27 October 1795 – 12 January 1830) was the last person to be executed in Iceland, along with Friðrik Sigurðsson. The pair were sentenced to death for the murder of Natan Ketilsson, a farmer in Illugastaðir in Vatnsne ...
and for the murder of .
They were the last people to be executed in Iceland, being beheaded at Þrístapar near
Vatnsdalshólar
Vatnsdalshólar ("Vatnsdalskullarna") is a hill group located in the Northwestern Region, Iceland. They are located at the northern end of Vatnsdalur in an area measuring approximately 5.5 km2.
Landslides are common in Vatnsdalur valley, especia ...
in
Húnavatnshreppur
Húnavatnshreppur () is a former rural municipality located in northwestern Iceland.
History
The municipality was formed on 1 January 2006 by the union of the former municipalities of Sveinsstaðahreppur , Torfalækjarhreppur , Svínavatnsh ...
on 12 January 1830.
In popular culture
Australian author
Hannah Kent
Hannah Kent (born 1985) is an Australian writer, known for two novels – ''Burial Rites'' (2013) and ''The Good People'' (2016). Her third novel, ''Devotion'', was published in 2021, and a first memoir, ''Always Home, Always Homesick'', in May ...
's novel
Burial Rites
''Burial Rites'' (2013) is a novel by Australian author Hannah Kent, based on a true story about the last woman to be executed in Iceland.
Premise
''Burial Rites'' tells the story of Agnes Magnúsdóttir, a servant in northern Iceland who ...
was based on the story of Agnes and Friðrik and featured Björn as a character.
References
External links
Biographyat
Alþingi
The (; ), anglicised as Althingi or Althing, is the supreme national parliament of Iceland. It is the oldest surviving parliament in the world. The Althing was founded in 930 at (' thing fields' or 'assembly fields'), about east of what la ...
Resting placeat Garður.is (in Icelandic), retrieved 22 January 2022
* {{usurped,
Þrístapar}
1787 births
1846 deaths
Members of the Althing