page_title: Skúvoy, Skúvoy
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Skúvoy, Skúvoy / History
context_page_description: The village Skúvoy lies on the east side of the island with the same name.
  Skúvoy is the only village on the island. The inhabitants of Skúvoy mainly earn their living from agriculture. There is a ferry to Skúvoy twice a day and the helicopter visits the island 3 times a week.
context_section_description: In the graveyard in Skúvoy there is a gravestone called ‘Sigmundarsteinur’ (Stone of Sigmundur). It is said to be the gravestone of Sigmundur Brestisson (from 'Faereyingasaga'). 
  He was a Viking chief who Christianised the Faroe Islands in the year 1000. Tradition says that he lived in his farm on Skúvoy and that he was attacked here by his old enemy Tróndur i Gøtu who was heathen.
  Sigmundur fled from by jumping into the sea and swimming to Sandvík on the island of Suðuroy (15 km (9 mi)). In Sandvík he was found lying exhausted on the shore by Torgrimur Illi, who decapitated him and stole his golden bangle.
  In the 14th century the plague (The Black Death) killed all inhabitants of the island except for one young girl. In the 18th century it happened again. An epidemic of smallpox raged the islands and exterminated the entire population on Skúvoy.
  The church in Skúvoy dates from 1937. There have been several churches here over the years. The first one said to have been built by Sigmundur Brestisson in the year 999.
  Until recently bird catching on the west side of the island was popular. As the number of individuals in the bird colonies has decreased dramatically the bird catching is now limited.
caption: Postcard of Skúvoy
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