Slave raid of Suðuroy

Because of its geographical position, and its small population with limited possibilities to defend themselves, the islands became a popular resting place for pirates, who stopped along its beaches to pause.

During those pauses, the poor and defenseless population were sometimes exposed to pillage and theft, and were unable to defend themselves other than by running to high mountainous terrain and by throwing stones at the pirates.

Those inhabitants in hiding testified afterward, that they could hear the cries from the captives from inside the pirate ships when they left.

When informed about the women and children abducted, the king ordered the Faroese population to collect a ransom for the prisoners to save them from slavery.

However, the Faroese replied that the poverty caused by several years of piracy on the island, had made it impossible to collect the money necessary to buy the prisoners back.