Mt. Helgafell is a dormant volcano located on the Snæfellsnes peninsula near Stykkishólmur, Iceland. Its name translates to "Holy Mountain," a reflection of the apparent sacredness noted by settler and explorer Þórolfur Mostrarskegg (Petzold). According to the Eyrbyggja Saga, Þórolfur Mostrarskegg first arrived in the area early in the 9th century and, upon first seeing the mountain, declared that he and his descendants would die in the mountain; this did wind up becoming true when Mostrarskegg's son drowned after falling through a rift in the mountainside (Ragnarsdóttir). Present-day, this site welcomes visitors and locals alike to try their hand at receiving wishes. The Flight of Gemma Hardy mentions the superstition regarding wishes on the mountain: walk in silence and without looking back and you will have three wishes granted (Livesey 422); my research corroborated this legend as one of the many reasons this mountain is very popular (Ragnarsdóttir; Petzold). Because of this sacred nature, there are also rules in place forbidding the killing of man or animals (Ragnarsdóttir). There are also ruins decorating the summit of the mountain, along with a view-dial (also known as hringsjá) placed in 1977 (Ragnarsdóttir).

The Flight of Gemma Hardy travels to the mountain in chapter 32. When Gemma visits, she goes to not only see the sights and try her hand at having three wishes granted, but she isn't sure what to wish for. It winds up not mattering since she ends up looking behind her when she hears Mr. SInclair's voice call to her (Livesey 428-429). And while Gemma feels as if her mission has failed, it really hasn't. In fact, she had her wishes granted by looking back to the past. Gemma was determined to find out who her parents were, discover her family, and figure out who she is. All three of these wishes were granted in Iceland, by looking to her past to figure out her future. She discovered she had living relatives who wanted to meet her (413; 416). Gemma then learns about her parents through the stories from her newfound cousin and aunt (422). Finally, she has a lot of self-discovery on her trip while she has time to think and reflect on the past few months (442). Without her trip to Iceland, Gemma would have remained in a fugue state as she attempted to navigate the world and her own feelings. She was starting to come to terms with how she changed and how she better understands Hugh, but the trip to Iceland really compounded this self-reflection in a way that she was able to act upon. 

Gemma's trip to Iceland was a culmination of all of her heart's desires, requiring her to look into her forgotten past in order to know where to go for the future. And while her trip to Helgafell didn't come with any outright wishes to come true, Gemma's trip provided her answers to questions that have plagued her throughout the novel; in essence, Iceland itself acted as Helgafell by granting Gemma's wishes to learn about her parents, feel a part of a family, and to discover herself in a new light.

Works Cited

Livesey, Margot. The Flight of Gemma Hardy. New York, Harper Perennial, 2012.

Petzold, Eli. “From Iceland - Saga Spots: Helgafell, the Holy Mountain.” The Reykjavik Grapevine, 20 Apr. 2017, grapevine.is/travel/2017/04/20/saga-spots-helgafell-the-holy-mountain/.

Ragnarsdóttir, Regína Hrönn. “The Holy Mt. Helgafell on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula & the...” Guide to Iceland, guidetoiceland.is/connect-with-locals/regina/the-historical-and-holy-mt-helgafell-on-the-snaefellsnes-peninsula-in-west-iceland-the-3-wishes.