The Bell Stone at Hårklau
Type: Stone with legends about church bells
Local name: Klokkesteinen or Klokkarsteinen
Locality
County: Vestland
Municipality: Sunnfjord
Location: Ved Båthelleren, Indre Hårklau
The stone lies on the north side of Haukedalsvatnet, along Haukedalsvegen, 4.3 kilometers west of Haukedalen Church.
Description
This is a large boulder, a few meters high and almost ten meters long, measured in east–west direction.
Cultural history and tradition
According to tradition, the stone turns when hearing the church bells from Haukedalen Church. Gustav Indrebø gives two legends about the stone in his article about Haukedalen Church in the journal Norsk folkekultur 1919 (pages 84–87). According to one legend, the stone was previously placed on the hills of the southern side of Lake Haukedal. Virgin Mary wanted to carry it over the water and up the mountain Jøtulen, which lies just above the stone. When she was about to start the climb up from the water, it became too heavy for her, and the stone was left on the shore. Another legend says that there was a big rock avalanche under Jøtulen. “When the avalanche came, the mountain on the south side was to send sengjemat [present given to the woman giving birth; push gift]. It sent this stone and let them place it where it stands », says Indrebø (page 87). Indrebø collected these legends among people at the Hårklau farms.