The midsummer month Sólmánuður, or Sun Month, began, as the name would suggest, during midsummer. Nordic and Northern European people used the Norse calendar until Christianity took over....Read More
One section of Jón Árnason’s Icelandic Legends deals with divine punishment. Those stories are treated somewhat differently and have a more serious content than the other stories about...Read More
Vaktari, or watchman, was a job initially created between 1770 and 1780 in Reykjavík. It was at the initiative of representatives of the New Enterprises company (Innréttingarnar). It...Read More
Most people know gingersnaps, biscuits flavored with ginger and other spices, such as cinnamon, molasses, and clove. The Northern European version, or Icelandic gingersnaps, piparkökur (pepper cookies), is...Read More
Iceland has many folktales about Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. Many deals with elves that, for some reason, use that time to be out and about. Some...Read More
Can you mention some famous Icelanders? Björk obviously. Chess master Bobby Fischer was an Icelander for the last years of his life. Damon Albarn, the singer of Blur,...Read More
As you probably know, Iceland was settled by Nordic Vikings in the 9th century. Icelanders are very proud of their heritage, even if it is sometimes violent. The...Read More
The Yule Party Month ýlir is the second winter month of the Old Icelandic Calendar. It starts on a Monday sometime between November 20th and 27th. In Snorra-Edda,...Read More
The Settlement Exhibition 871±2 in downtown Reykjavik is small but fascinating. The museum’s main attraction is the ruins of a longhouse from the 10th century. The Longhouse at...Read More
