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Swords & Friendship: HEMA, Staying Fit The Medieval Way
Historical European Martial Arts, or HEMA, is more than just learning to fight with ancient weaponry. It is a community devoted to becoming better through discipline and friendship. It’s also a great excuse to hit people in the face with steel swords.…
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Making Light Of Madness: ‘My Voices Have Tourettes’ Goes Digital
“So the show actually started out of frustration of me not getting gigs,” explains Dan Zerin, the man who conceptualised ‘My Voices Have Tourettes.’ The award-winning weekly event at the Secret Cellar showcases comedy by those who have tourettes, schizophrenia, and other…
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Food Of Iceland: AB Mjólk
If you’re new to the island, chances are, you’ve come across a number of milk offerings in the dairy section of your favourite grocery store. Among the most deceptive of these offerings is AB Mjólk. There are logged accounts of poor fools…
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Egg Farm To Spread Ten Tonnes Of Chicken Manure Over Field
Following the expansion of the egg farm Vallá á Kjalarnesi, the company will distribute about 10 tonnes of chicken manure per day to the land of local farm Geldingaá in Hvalfjarðarsveit, Fréttablaðið reports. That makes roughly 3,500 tonnes per year. The manure…
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Will Smith Reportedly Filming In Iceland
Will Smith is filming in Iceland for a TV show he’s working on, according to RÚV. The production company Truenorth is reportedly working with the actor, although it is unknown in what capacity. The filming crew has followed strict infection control guidelines…
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Iceland Airwaves Postponed Until 2021
The biggest music festival in the country, Iceland Airwaves, has been postponed until 2021. In a press release, the organisers of the festival said that safety is their top priority, and they are committed to stopping the spread of coronavirus. “It’s of…
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Icelandic Minister Of Justice Transported By Helicopter To Fateful Meeting
A Coast Guard helicopter transported Minister of Justice Áslaug Árna Sigurbjörnsdóttir from a horseback riding outing with her dad to the consultation meeting with Minister of Health Svandís Svavarsdóttir and then left halfway through the meeting to be flown back again, Stundin…
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Thoroughly Organised Shrimp Heist At Hvammstangi
Two tonnes of frozen shrimp were stolen from the processing plant Meleyri in Hvammstangi over the weekend. The shrimp heist was discovered on Saturday morning, and is believed to be well-planned. The police are investigating, and have already reviewed security camera footage,…
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Firework Injures Man In Heiðmörk
A man in his fifties was severely injured on the evening of August 23rd after a powerful firework exploded in his hand in Heiðmörk, RÚV reports. Ásgeir Þór Ásgeirsson, chief of police, said that the man picked up the firework, which then…
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The Effect Of COVID On Book Sales
The coronavirus epidemic has had a significant impact on Icelandic book publishing. The year started well, with sales in the first two months of 2020 about 20% higher than at the same time last year, but then they fell sharply in March…
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Government Will Not Raise Unemployment Benefits
The Minister of Finance, Bjarni Benediktsson, told RÚV that the government will not be raising unemployment benefits. However, he said that it would be possible to extend the time period of income-related unemployment benefits; i.e., unemployment payments based on how much one…
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Icelandair’s Financial Situation Up In The Air
In the midst of a global pandemic and economic uncertainty, it seems that Iceland’s sole airline, Icelandair, will be okay, at least for the time being. The Icelandic government agreed to provide the airline with a state guarantee on a credit line…
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Icelandic Government Urged To Raise Maximum Unemployment Benefits
The Icelandic Confederation of University Graduates (BHM) has called for the government to raise the maximum income-related unemployment benefits and extend the deadline to apply for these benefits so that the financial security of those who have lost their jobs due to…
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Inefficient Masks Removed From Sale
Not all masks that have been sold in Iceland meet the requirements which Chief Epidemiologist Þórólfur Guðnason outlined on the Directorate of Health’s web page on July 30th. These requirements state: “It is advisable to use a single-use mask which is discarded…
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Working Class Artist: Wiola Ujazdowska Speaks For Immigrants In Iceland
Wiola Ujazdowska was born in the Polish city of Toruń, where she studied art history and painting. In 2014, she accepted an internship with the Living Art Museum and moved to Iceland. Since then, she has been active in the art scene…
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Chess Player Threatens Opponent; Chess Court: “Out Of Our Jurisdiction”
The court of the Icelandic Chess Federation has reprimanded a chess player for unsportsmanlike behaviour at the Brim tournament series earlier this summer. He had been expelled from the tournament for accusing his opponent of cheating, but he will not be banned…
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Bus Driver Arrested On Suspicion Of Drunk Driving
At around 10:00 on the morning of August 12th, police stopped a bus on suspicion of drunk driving. According to Strætó’s information representative, Guðmundur Heiðar Helgason, the driver blew into a brethalyser and was driven away in a police car. The bus,…
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Many Houses In Iceland Built From One Ghost Ship
On June 26th, 1881, an unusual event occurred in Hafnir on the Reykjanes peninsula when a large and powerful sailing ship drifted ashore in a storm. The Jamestown had been drifting unoccupied on the high seas for months. When it ran aground,…
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Language Professor Emeritus: “Icelandic Is For Everyone”
Eiríkur Rögnvaldsson, professor emeritus of Icelandic grammar at the University of Iceland, said that it does nobody any favours to get offended by someone else’s use of the language. He made this statement shortly before leaving Málvöndunarþáttinn, a Facebook group dedicated to…
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Well, You Asked: Big Time Griller, Big Time Killer
Got a burning question? In desperate need of advice? We at the Grapevine are here to help. How do I assert my dominance over my family at summer barbecues? Since you’re asking this question, I already know you aren’t manning the grill…
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Húsavík Capitalising On Eurovision Film’s Success
The town of Húsavík has been taking advantage of its newfound popularity after the success of “Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga,” Fréttablaðið reports. Besides the new bar called Jaja Ding Dong, the Húsavík Chamber of Commerce and Tourism wants…
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PREMIERE: Matthildur Drops New Video For “Heartbeat”
Singer/songwriter and producer Matthildur has released a new video. The Reykjavík native has been making music under her own name since 2018, heavily influenced by late 90’s RnB. Her music is emotive and unafraid of touching on matters of the heart. It…
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Jaja Ding Dong Bar Opens In Húsavík
A new bar called Jaja Ding Dong opened at the Cape Hotel in Húsavík on July 11th. The owner of the bar said that any other name was out of the question after he saw the Eurovision movie starring Will Ferrell and…
