Jóra in Jórukleifthe Collection of Folklore of Jón Árnason

"Jórunn was the name of a girl, she was a farmer's daughter somewhere in Sandvíkurhreppur in Flóinn; she was young and had a lot of potentials, but she was considered somewhat temperamental. She worked as a cook for her father.

One day a horse fight took place not far from Jórunn's farm; her father owned one of the horses in the fight, and Jórunn was very fond of that horse. She and other women were present at the horse fight; but as the fight started, she saw that her father's horse was being defeated. Jórunn was so utterly livid that she stormed towards the other horse and ripped off its thigh; she ran away with it and nobody could stop her, up to Ölfusá river by Laxfoss waterfall, grabbed a huge rock from the cliffs by the river and threw it almost into the middle of the river; she then used the rock to skip across the river and uttered:

"Máttugt er meyjarstig;

mál mun vera að gifta sig."

meaning:

"Ended is the age of maidenhood

Marry soon I guess I should." From then on this place has been called Tröllkonhlaup or Jóruhlaup - the Leap of the Giantess or the Leap of Jóra.

The Giantess then carried on to Ölfus east of Mt. Ingólfsfjall, up to Grafningur, until she arrived at a rocky gorge west of Grafningur, not far from Nesjar; she carried on relentlessly until she arrived at Mt. Hengill.

There she settled down in what was from then on called Jóruhellir - the Cave of Jórunn - and became a terrible troll and killed both men and animals." The story goes on to tell us how Jórunn or Jóra terrorized her neighbourhood until it became deserted. A young Icelandic man went to Norway and got advice from the Norwegian King on how to kill Jóra.

That part of the folklore tells us how Öxará river - the River of the Axe in Þingvellir national park got its name. The king told him to visit Jóra at sunrise on Whitsunday as all evil beings and trolls sleep at that time. The king said: "You will find Jóra asleep on her stomach.

Here is an axe I want to give to you" - and the king handed him a silver axe - "strike the troll with the axe between the shoulders.

Jóra will then wake up as she feels the pain, turn around, and say: "May your hands stick to the handle" - "You shall then say: "May the axe fall from the handle". Both of these things will happen and Jóra will roll herself into the lake which is not far from Jórukleif, with the axe blade between her shoulders.

The blade of the axe will drift to the river, which will get its name, there Icelanders will choose a parliament site". Such were the words of the king, but the young man went to Iceland and did everything exactly as the king had advised and killed Jóra.

The prophecy of the king came true, and the blade of the axe drifted into the river, which from then on is called Öxará, where Icelanders established their parliament.