Haunted Gunnuhver Mud Pool

 Gunnuhver one of the most haunted places in the world | Visit Reykjanes

Have you met the angry Ghost at Gunnuhver Mud Pool in Reykjanes in SW-Iceland? | Guide to Iceland

The Haunting Legend Behind Iceland’s Largest Hot Spring, Gunnuhver | by Mihuru | Building Mihuru | Medium

Gunnuhver - A Haunted Hot Spring on Iceland's Reykjanes Peninsula (allthingsiceland.com)

Gunnuhver – Reykjanes, Iceland - Atlas Obscura

Gunnuhver | Visit Reykjanes

photo credit: google searched Gunnuhver Mud Pool 

Gunnuhver, Iceland

Facts about the hot springs

• Gunnuhver is a natural geothermal mud pool, located near Reykjane, Iceland

• Hot gasses and steam will slip through the tectonic plates and bubble up to the surface

• Clay is formed in the pool when fresh lava rocks mix with carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide.

• Gunnuhver is the largest hot spring in the area, coming in at a whopping 65 feet wide

• With dense steam that lingers on top, reaching 570 degrees F.

• This hot spring is different from others in the area, it has seawater in its hot spring from being so close to the ocean

• The rocks surrounding the area appear to be orange and blue from the minerals in the area

• Sometimes the steam is so much in the area, you become engulfed in it 

• Activity has slowed down recently but its still closed off for safety purposes

• In 2008 hot clay shot from the pool around 2 to 4 meters in the air

• Steam vents will open and hot steam will flow from the area, sometimes going to the roads nearby

• In 2014 hot clay and dirty water shot up into the sky again, with more steam them usual and was closed off again for a short time

• There are also many volcanoes in the peninsula and in 2021 the area rumbled for 3 weeks, then Geldingadalir erupted, in SW Iceland

• Due to the geothermal activity increasing, the mud pool and landscape is constantly changing 

• If you do want to visit and view the area, there are large platforms you can walk around the pool from a safe distance

• Plan your visits there safely before going to the area, and be prepared for rumbles in the area!

Ghost story of the hot springs

• Around the 18th century, an older women named Guthrun, or Gunna for short, lived in the Reykjanes peninsula and she wasn’t the towns folks most favourite person

• Being hugely disliked by the townspeople, and having a large pot that was always boiling something, she was obviously accused of being a witch

• Guthrun was unable to pay her rent and told her landlord and his wife she would be late on paying them

• Her landlord paid her a visit and a quarrel broke loose between them and he took the only thing she owned which was a cooking pot

• She then proceeded to starve herself in protest and insisted she have her cooking pot back

• Guthrun ended up passing from starvation and never received her pot back

• While her coffin was being carried, they noticed it suddenly felt much lighter

• But they didn't want to open the coffin to see what was going on and continued to her grave site

• While digging her grave, a voice appeared out of nowhere telling them “no need deep to dig, no plans long to lie”

• The landlord showed up to Guthrun’s funeral and weirdly enough was found dead the next day

• The body appeared to have been mutilated and bruised

• Rightfully so, the town then accused Guthrun’s ghost for the death. (because she’s obviously a witch)

• Her spirit then became a menace around town causing mayhem amongst the townsfolk

• Eventually the townsfolk got so scared and annoyed with her ghost, that they begged a priest with some liquor to help them get rid of Guthrun’s ghost.

• The priest recommended they leave a loose end from a ball of twine for her to grab it.

• Well Guthrun’s ghost did grab the twine and the ball rolled into the hot spring taking her ghost into the boiling water

• Trapping her spirit there for the rest of time

• Some people say her spirit never fell in at all but is holding onto the edge of the pit

• Locals are waiting for the day for her spirit to return and climb out of the hot springs

• The spring was then named after her Gunnuhver which means “Gunn’s Hot Springs”

• To this day, no one has dealt with the mischief her ghost did in the town, but there have been reports of a ghostly spirit hanging around and the face of a woman in the steam.

There are many accounts of Guthrun’s story, the man in the story always seems to change. I read other versions where it was a judge or minister not the landlord. So, believe whatever storyline you want, its fascinating all around