7. Mount Hekla, Iceland
Mount Hekla is one of Iceland’s most active volcanoes. From its first-ever recorded eruption in 1104, travelers and locals alike thought it looked like earth had opened up and hell was upon them. Thus, it gained the nickname, “Gateway to Hell.” Birds flying nearby were thought to be souls swarming the “gateway,” and even now, the more superstitious who travel or live there claim it is where witches go to meet the devil. But back in the Middle Ages, bishops and priests around Europe had used the ominous mountain peak fable as proof that Satan was dwelling beneath their feet.
Mount Hekla last erupted in 2000, and has erupted 20 times since the settlement of Iceland, making it one of the most active volcanoes in the world. It has blown every ten years since 1970, but has changed its rhythm in the past, so Icelanders are on alert that really, it could happen at any moment.
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