Church bells

Church bells and chimes

In the tower of Hallgrímskirkja there are 3 large church bells and a carillon with 29 bells.

The carillon is the first of its kind in Iceland.

The church is one of three in the capital that beats time.

The clocks

The large bells are named Hallgrímur, Guðríður and Steinunn after Reverend Hallgrímur, his wife and their daughter who died young.

  • Hallgrimur

    Hallgrímur is the largest clock.


    Weight is 2851 kilograms and height is 178 centimeters.


    The clock strikes h.

  • Gudridur

    Guðríður is the middle bell.


    Weight is 1650 kilograms and height is 145 centimeters.


    Guðríður sets the tone.

  • Steinunn

    Steinunn is the smallest clock.


    Weight is 1155 kilograms and height is 117 centimeters.


    Steinunn sets the tone.

More information about the bells and recordings of the church's ringing.

When are the bells rung?

The bells are rung to mark the general calendar, masses, and other church ceremonies.

  • Timetable

    A regular call is made to mark the time every 15 minutes.


    On weekdays, calls are made between 9 am and 9 pm.


    On weekends and holidays, there is a circle between 12 noon and 9 pm if there is no mass.


    Ringers, organists, and priests together select songs and song parts that are used as time markers.


    The Hallgrímur clock is used for striking the hour.

  • Mass

    All public worship services are called to three levels:

    • 30 minutes before Mass: 1 bell for 2 minutes.
    • 15 minutes before Mass: 2 bells for 2 minutes.
    • Before the start of Mass: Ringing together for 3 minutes.

    Calls are made for major celebrations:

    • Christmas, Easter and Pentecost: Called together for 3 minutes at 6 pm
    • New Year's Eve: Called together for 5 minutes

    There is no call to mass:

    • Good Friday
    • early on the morning of Easter Sunday.

  • Wedding

    Called when a bride and groom leave the church after the wedding ceremony.


    There is no call-in during weekdays.

  • Funerals

    Only rang one bell.


    A funeral bell is rung one time and there is a short interval between each rung. At the beginning of a funeral service, 3x3 rungs are rung. A funeral bell is rung when a coffin is carried out of a church.


    There is no call-in during weekdays.

  • Special events

    You can call outside of regular hours.

    • due to events in the community
    • at the request of church authorities, or
    • according to the decision of the church's priests.

    Calls are not made as informal requests unless the occasion is a religious or special occasion.


    Ringers are responsible for special ringings organized by the parish council, priests, organists and church-based organizations.

Caller's role

Callers are responsible for:

  • Maintenance: Ensuring that bells and all ringing equipment are in working order. They recommend repairs or new equipment to the parish council.
  • Communication: Updating content and information about the bells and carillon on the Hallgrímskirkja website and handling media relations regarding ringings and special events that call for ringings.
  • Planning: Monitoring and making suggestions for special events to ensure the bells sing as much as possible and serve as best as possible.

General information about rules and calls

The ringing of Hallgrímskirkja shall be in accordance with the rules of procedure of the National Church and its internal regulations, see XVIII. If the rules regarding church bells are changed, the ringers of Hallgrímskirkja shall comply with those changes.

Approved at the parish council meeting on 12.2.2019.