The Ghost of Stapi

The Ghost of Stapi (Stapadraugurinn) has haunted the area near Vogastapi on the Reykjanes Peninsula for many centuries, if it is indeed the same ghost, since the stories about it vary greatly. In the oldest tales, the ghost is deadly, later he becomes frightening but harmless, and at times even helpful.

Among the phenomena said to have appeared in this place are hidden people (huldufólk), monsters, ghosts, and at least one story from the 1950s tells of unidentified flying objects.

Since early times, a main travel route passed over Vogastapi, and from the very beginning the locals advised travelers not to cross there after dark. Understandably so, for many lost their lives there, and some simply vanished. Perhaps they fell from the cliffs or were blown out to sea.

Moreover, a vengeful ghost was said to haunt the area, sometimes attacking travelers and trying to kill them. He was said to have been a farmhand who was refused lodging at a nearby farm and perished out on Grímshóll hill.

At other times the ghost was seen walking about with his head under one arm, or greeting travelers by taking it off. Later, when the first road for cars was built near the old route, the ghost adapted to the change. A story from 1927 tells of the Stapadraugur getting a ride in a truck. When he was asked to look back and see if there were more trucks behind them, he took off his head and held it out the window.

There are many stories of the ghost getting rides in cars. He was often picked up by unsuspecting drivers, did not respond when spoken to, and then suddenly vanished from the moving car. Sometimes he was seen in the rearview mirror, sitting in the back seat, but was gone when the driver turned to look.

In the 1950s, teenagers from the capital area sometimes drove to Keflavík at night to visit the only late-night kiosk in the country, open thanks to its nearness to the international airport and the military base. On one such trip, a car encountered two small flying objects shaped like whirlwinds. They followed the car for a while, their presence disrupting the car’s electrics before they vanished once more.

On another occasion, two teenage boys were working on the construction of Reykjanesbraut highway. They had a day off and decided to go looking for bird eggs on the nearby cliffs. One of them fell onto a ledge and lost consciousness, and when the other tried to help, he became trapped. Then a blue hand appeared and helped him across to the ledge where his friend was lying. On their way back, two hands appeared and pulled them both up onto the next ledge. These hands were said to belong to the brave fisherman Stjáni the Blue, who had drowned off Vogastapi. His hands had turned blue after being burned, and the boy who needed rescuing nine years after his death was his son.

Another example of the ghost’s helpfulness is that he has often appeared just before car tires burst, causing drivers to slow down when they see him and thus avoid more serious accidents.

Most visitors to Iceland pass by Vogastapi on their way to and from Keflavík Airport. They might look around as they pass the turnoff to Grindavík, just to see whether any extra passengers have appeared on board.