In ancient times, many centuries ago, there lived a rich peasant in Sailingsdalstüng. He had several children and this story talks about his two sons. Since their names are unknown, we will call them Arnour and Svein. They both showed great promise, but were very different from each other. Arnour was brave and energetic. Svein was quiet and calm, and was not prone to risky ventures. They were completely different in character: Arnour loved to have fun and play with other guys from the valley; they often gathered near a high rock on the river bank, opposite the Tyunga farmstead, which they called Tyungyustapi. In winter, they amused themselves by sliding from the very top - which was very high - along the icy slopes to the very shore strewn with stones. In the evening, the area around Tyungystapi was noisy with shouts and cheerful laughter, and most often Arnour made the most noise. Svein rarely participated in these games. When other young people went to play, he went to church. It often happened that he walked alone, and at the same time lingered for a long time at the foot of Tyungyustapi. They said that he went to the elves who lived in this rock and in other places; On New Year's Eve he always disappeared, and no one knew where or why. Svein often told his brother to be quiet around the rock. But Arnour only laughed at him and replied that he did not care about the elves, even if the noise bothered them. He still behaved the same, but Svein kept telling him that he himself would be responsible for everything that might come of it.
And so on New Year's Eve, Svein disappeared, as usual. It seemed to everyone that he had been gone longer than usual. Arnour said that he would find it, and suggested that it was most likely with the elves in Tyungystapi. That's where Arnour went. It was very dark. Suddenly he saw how the rock opened up on the side facing the farm. Many candles were burning inside; he heard beautiful singing and realized that the elves in the rock were celebrating mass. He moved closer to get a better look at them. Right in front of him, he saw the doors of the church seemingly open and a lot of people inside. At the altar stood a priest in beautiful robes, and on both sides there were rows of lights burning. He crossed the threshold and saw his brother Svein kneeling before the altar, and the priest laid his hands on his head and said something. Arnour realized that his brother was being ordained as a priest because there were many people standing around in priestly robes. Then he shouted: “Svein, come here! Your life is in danger! Svein shuddered, rose to his feet and turned towards the door. It was clear that he wanted to go to his brother. But at that same moment, the one who stood at the altar said menacingly: “Close the door of the church and punish this mortal who disturbs our peace! As for you, Svein, you must leave us, and all this is because of your brother. And since you rose from your knees, preferring his bold call to the holy ordination, you will fall dead when you see me here again in this vestment.” Then Arnour saw that people in priestly robes were carrying Svein up, and he disappeared under the stone arch of the church. A deafening bell rang out, and a terrible noise arose inside the church. Everyone jostled and rushed to the door. Arnour rushed as fast as he could to the farm and heard the elves rushing at their heels and the hooves of their horses thundering. The one galloping ahead said loudly:
Let's gallop and gallop,
We hide the hills in darkness,
We're fooling the poor guy:
Let him get lost
And he doesn't know anymore
How the sun shines
How the morning shines.
The detachment found itself between him and the farm, so he had to deviate from the direct path. Having reached the slope south of the farm, he realized that he was lost and fell to the ground exhausted. The horsemen turned their horses straight towards him, so that he remained lying on the slope, barely alive.
As for Svein, he returned home after the all-night vigil. He was very sad and did not want to talk to anyone about where he was, and only said that he must go as soon as possible in search of Arnour. One peasant from Laugar, who was going to Tyunga for Matins, accidentally came across him on the very slope where he lay all night. Arnour was conscious, but completely exhausted. He told the peasant what had happened and added that there was no need to carry him to the farm because he would die anyway. Indeed, he soon died on the slope, which has since been called Banabrekkur.
After what happened, Svein was never the same again - he became even sadder, and it is known that since then he did not approach the elf rock or even look in that direction. He renounced the world, became a monk and settled in a monastery in Helgafell. He was such a scholar that none of the brothers could surpass him, and he sang the Mass so beautifully that everyone unanimously said that they had never heard anything more excellent before. His father lived in Tunge until the end of his days. Already an old man, he became seriously ill. This happened on Holy Week. When he realized that he was dying, he sent for Svein to Helgafell. Svein immediately went to his father, but warned that he might not return alive. He came to Tyunga on Holy Saturday. His father was so weak that he could barely speak. He asked his son Svein to celebrate the Easter mass and ordered him to be carried to the church; he said he wanted to die there. Svein hesitated, but finally agreed, on the condition that no one would open the church doors during mass, because his life depended on it. Everyone thought it strange; many thought that he did not want to look towards the rock, because the church was then located on a hill, in a field east of the farm, and the view of the rock opened from the threshold of the church. The peasant's will was carried out, and Svein, in front of the altar, put on priestly robes and began the mass. Everyone who was present said that they had never heard such a beautiful mass, and were very surprised at Svein’s skill. But when he turned from the altar to the parish to bless the faithful, a gust of the east wind opened the doors of the church. The people turned around in fright and saw a door in the rock, from which the light of many rows of lights poured out. But when they looked at the priest again, he had already collapsed to the ground and given his soul to God. Everyone was amazed by this event, especially because at the same moment the peasant also fell dead from the bench opposite the altar. Since both before and after this incident the weather was calm, it became clear to everyone that this gust of wind from the side of the rock was not accidental.
There was also a peasant from Laugar who had once found Arnour on the slope, and he told about the whole matter. People guessed that the Elven bishop's prediction that Svein would fall dead when he saw him again had come true. As the rock opened up, when a gust of wind suddenly pushed the doors of the church, the elven bishop and Svein found themselves directly opposite each other and their eyes met as they pronounced the last blessing - after all, the doors of elven churches are located opposite the entrances to the churches of people. People from all over the area gathered to discuss what had happened, and it was decided to remove the church from the hill and move it closer to the farm, to a small valley near a stream. Thus, the farm ended up between Tungyustapi and the doors of the church, so that from then on, through the doors of the church, not a single pastor could see the rock of the elves while standing at the altar. However, nothing like this has happened since then.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru