History & Language
The Reykjavík Grapevine takes on Iceland’s history, language and related topics
Most read
Latest
-
“An Absurd Film Set In Reykjavík”
In September 1942 the inhabitants of Reykjavík had breakfast in a state of shock. They were reading an article in Morgunblaðið newspaper about a new Hollywood film set in their city, starring the world famous Norwegian figure skater and movie star Sonja…
-
“The Fag-End Of Civilization”
It is no secret that the village of Reykjavík was not only a tiny place in the eyes of 19th century tourists in Iceland but also a “filthy” and “desolate” shantytown. Iceland was a poor and isolated country back then. By 1900…
-
Raccoons In Iceland: A Sad History
As visitors to Iceland will no doubt soon realise, Iceland’s fauna is not particularly diverse. Several attempts have been made to remedy this fact by importing exotic (at least by Icelandic standards) animals to Iceland, but these trials have not been too…
-
“Icelandic Blood Has Been Shed”
This year marks 100 years since the outbreak of World War I, one of the deadliest conflicts in history, which took the lives of millions of people around the globe. Although Iceland was not directly involved in the war, as the Danes—who…
-
Danish Surveyors On A Road Trip Around Iceland
In the years 1900-1910, several teams of surveyors from the Danish Geological Survey institute travelled around Iceland, taking photos and working on a map of the country. In 1985, the Danish Geological Survey presented its Icelandic counterpart, LandmÒlingar Ísland, with the Danes’…
-
The Nazi King Of Iceland
In his 1952 memoir, the German nobleman Prince Friedrich Christian of Schaumburg-Lippe unveiled the details of a meeting he had with three Icelanders in Berlin during the spring of 1938. The meeting had taken place at the offices of the Reich’s Ministry…
-
Lemúrinn: Thorarinn Gunnarsson: Iceland’s Forgotten Sci-Fi Superstar
With powerful AI-controlled ships, the Starwolves have been defending the Republic against the numerically superior but technically inferior Union forces, a decidedly one-sided battle that has lasted for centuries. However, that may soon change. The commander of the Union forces is drafting…
-
They Are Coming
Newspaper articles from the time do not agree on whether the event was “full of people” or if the cinema, where the conference was held, was half empty. That perhaps depends on one’s perspective. At any rate, the event was somehow connected…
-
A Nazi’s Disappointment With Iceland
In the early hours of May 10, 1940, British forces launched Operation Fork, invading Iceland. One of their first tasks, upon disembarking in Reykjavík, was to arrest the German consul, Dr. Werner Gerlach. He was a fanatical member of the Nazi Party…
-
Greater Beings In The Stars Will Be Frequent Guests
At the start of each New Year we are tempted to make predictions. Lemúrinn will make no such forecast for 2014 as we think it is generally a bad idea to predict much about the future. Instead we will look at an…
-
Lemúrinn: Crossing The Volcanic Wasteland With A Camera And Polished Shoes
Horace Dall (1901-1986) lived on a hill in Luton, England. He pointed telescopes towards the stars and photographed the planets of the outer region of the solar system. He was an optician and an innovator of scientific instruments. But he was also…
-
Lemúrinn: The Graf Zeppelin Visits Reykjavík
“On Thursday, July 17, at around 11:00 AM, the citizens of Reykjavík looked up at the sky in astonishment as the magnificent German airship Graf Zeppelin sailed towards the city. Slowly and majestically it approached, its grey body shining in the sunlight.…
-
Lemúrinn: The Presence Of A People
In the last decade of the 19th century a young Englishman named Frederick W.W. Howell travelled extensively in Iceland, visiting parts of the country that were overlooked by most other travellers and taking priceless photos of the island and its inhabitants. Here…
-
Lemúrinn: Icelandic Doppelgängers
Doppelgängers are a mystery. Why does Russian President Vladimir Putin totally look like the Italian merchant Arnolfini in the haunting masterpiece by Jan van Eyck, painted in 1434? And how did Saddam Hussein find the look-alikes that he allegedly employed as his…
-
Was Reykjavík A Shithole In The Seventies?
“This is the ugly city of my youth,” wrote the prominent writer Guðmundur Andri Thorsson about a Facebook album of photos taken when he was a teenager in Reykjavík during the seventies. It was clear after the photos had spread through the…
-
Celebrating One Thousand Years Of Alþingi In 1930
In the summer of 1930, 28-year-old Swedish photographer and scholar Berit Wallenberg travelled to Iceland where she spent a couple of weeks. She was a member of the Wallenberg dynasty, a prominent Swedish industrialist and banking family. The most famous Wallenberg is…
-
Lemúrinn: The Icelandic Tourist Experience In 1925
In July 1925, a German cruise ship called the SS München stopped in Reykjavík, its first stop on a month-long trip to the wild north, including subsequent stops in Jan Mayen, Svalbard and the north of Norway before returning to Germany in…
-
Great Moments in Icelandic History
When it comes to feats of strength, Iceland rules the world. With a world-leading eight World’s Strongest Man championships, the country is internationally renowned for its formidable bodybuilding fortitude and virility. Many Icelanders proudly remember when burly Jón Páll Sigmarsson lifted the…
-
Great Moments in Icelandic History: Iceland wins the Cod Wars
I recently ate a delicious piece of cod in one of Reykjavík´s leading fish restaurants. All the while, I had a niggling awareness that my new adoptive country, Iceland, and my motherland, The Great British Empire, had fought no less than three…
-
Great Moments In Icelandic History: Iceland gets its first Olympic Medal
While many right now are cheering on Iceland’s Olympians competing in Beijing, there still remains great national pride and honour in remembering that unforgettable moment in time when the country won its very first medal. While Iceland’s Olympic history goes back to…
-
Great Moments in Icelandic History: Iceland get the beer back
Imagining Reykjavík without beer is like imagining Amsterdam without hash brownies. However, only nineteen years ago (!) it was against the law to sell and buy beer in Iceland. The long, strange saga began in 1908 when Icelanders actually voted for a…
-
Great Moments in Icelandic History
It was a bright and sunny day, on August 31, 2004. People smiled to each other, strolling easily down the streets of Reykjavik, a light breeze coming off the sea, no one suspecting that two great national icons were poised to converge.…
-
THE CARS THAT SHAPED THE GENERATIONS
Land Rover Originally created in the aftermath of World War II as a bulletproof all terrain vehicle for the army, it soon found popularity among farmers, and nowhere more so than here. Hordes were imported in the late 60´s, and some of…