Groundbreaking ceremony for the first heathen temple in thousand years during the solar eclipse

Shortly after the long awaited solar eclipse this morning the first spade went into the ground for a temple of the Asatru Heathen Community in Öskjuhlíð in Reykjavik. A turning point in the history of religion and culture of Northern Europe according to a message on its Facebook-site.

The temple will be 350 square meters and able to house about 250 people. The goal is to finish the project by the end of September 2016.

Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson, the chieftain of the Asatru Heathen Community, says that this is the biggest turning point in the history of the Asatru Heathen Community.

"This is a big day for us. This will change everything for us because we haven't had any facility for our operation," Hilmarsson says.

The ceremony started at 8:38 AM at the beginning of the solar eclipse. Candles were lit for the good of local supernatural beings. When the eclipse reached a climax at 9:37 AM a fire was lit where the sanctuary will be built.

"We'll be able to build a temple that will be a signature building in Reykjavík. First and foremost this will be a Congregation Hall where we will also have an office."

The pictures below were taken by the photographer Silke Schurack.