History & Language
The Reykjavík Grapevine takes on Iceland’s history, language and related topics
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Now & Then: We Read You, Queer And Clear
Pride in Reykjavík for 32 years Iceland’s Annual Pride Parade took place on August 9. It was the 27th such parade, with the first, also pictured above, taking place on Sunday, June 27, 1993. Between 1995 and 1999 no Pride Parades took…
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Now & Then: Goosestepping
History doesn’t repeat; it rhymes History doesn’t repeat; it rhymes, is a quote often attributed to Mark Twain. Perhaps Mr. Twain was thinking about how many famous ancient Greek philosophers thought of history, not as a linear process but a cyclical one,…
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Respect People’s Pronouns!
The Grapevine’s guide to sounding Icelandic, one word at a time In the 2023 Áramótaskaupið, national comedy icon Villi Neto says to the camera, “Hér er hán, um hán, frá háni, til háns — það skiptir ekkert máli.” Okay, hang on a…
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Now & Then: The Blue Lagoon
From power plant runoff to tourist hotspot With more than a million visitors a year, The Blue Lagoon remains one of the most popular tourist destinations in all of Iceland, which might sound strange given that unlike all the other popular destinations…
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Just Sayings: Ég Kem Af Fjöllum
The Grapevine’s guide to sounding Icelandic, one word at a time All languages will have a few nonsensical phrases that are used completely seriously, and Icelandic is certainly no exception. We’ve covered these in the past, through a column called “Just Sayings.”…
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Here’s A New Word For You, Dummy!
The Grapevine’s guide to sounding Icelandic, one word at a time As you’ve gathered from our beautiful cover photo by Timothée Lambrecq (and our Editorial and On The Cover, which we’re sure you’ve diligently read), we’re talking about travelling the Ring Road this…
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Now And Then: Pits Of Despair
Cities need wastelands Walk along the harbour road at Geirsgata today, and you’ll be greeted by something relatively novel in the history of Iceland: an immaculately modern, clean, pedestrianised new district that wouldn’t look out of place in Copenhagen. There’s shops like…
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Word Of The Issue: Another Trip Around The Sun
The Grapevine’s guide to sounding Icelandic, one word at a time If you’re reading this hot off the press, then we’re about to reach the summer solstice on June 21. In our last issue, we tackled what makes the Icelandic summer uniquely…
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Now And Then: Sculpted Independence Day Heroes
And how they end up as LDS tropes We’re at Austurvöllur, the heart of Reykjavík. The green oasis in front of Alþingi, where people sometimes protest, while others try to enjoy the summer and where some of the more colourful characters of…
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Word Of The Issue: Bunk Drunk
The Grapevine’s guide to sounding Icelandic, one word at a time Making the rounds every so often is a list of 37 Icelandic terms for different levels of drunk you can be. There’s góðglaður (a good-happy level of drunk), hestfær (horse able,…
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Word Of The Issue: Endless Anglicisms
The Grapevine’s guide to sounding Icelandic, one word at a time The Icelandic you learn in language courses is one thing, but once you hit the streets, join a dating app, or eavesdrop at a local pool, reality hits — Icelandic might…
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Now And Then: Bums & Barons
The Grapevine office’s drunk past This publication has operated out of the building pictured here, Hafnarstræti 15 in downtown Reykjavík, for almost two decades. While this building and its interior has remained exactly the same during these years, literally everything around it…
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Now And Then: The Language Tower
How architecture adds to the language When explaining why the Icelandic language has remained somewhat unaltered for a millennium it is often said that it is because that for centuries, Icelanders had nothing new to talk about because nothing changed. If you…
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Word Of The Issue: Pope’s Garden
The Grapevine’s guide to sounding Icelandic, one word at a time On May 8, white smoke emerged from the chimney of the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel, signalling the election of a new Pope. Icelandic has its own spelling of the word Pope, páfi,…
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From Army Brats To Luxury Flats
The military past of Reykjavík’s west side Eighty years is a lifetime. And a lot of things can change in a lifetime. The older picture, taken from the then newly built grammar school Melaskóli shows you how much of what is now…
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Word Of The Issue: Bakarameistarinn
The Grapevine’s guide to sounding Icelandic, one word at a time One of the plights of tourists and foreign-born Icelanders alike is ordering food with a daunting Icelandic name. Maybe you’ve found yourself in a bakery looking at a delicious-looking treat —…
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Now And Then: Diving Into A Piece Of History
Deciphering the subtle transformation of Sundhöll Reykjavíkur Having opened to the public in 1937, Sundhöll Reykjavíkur is Reykjavík’s oldest swimming pool. Like so many of Iceland’s iconic buildings from the first half of the 20th century, it was designed by state architect…
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Word Of The Issue: Grýlukerti
The Grapevine’s guide to sounding Icelandic, one word at a time It’s been a fickle few weeks, weather-wise. Is it spring? Is it still winter? This often-changing weather keeps us on our toes (or desperately checking vedur.is and cursing when reality does…
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Saga Stories #11: Laxdæla Saga (Part 2)
Professor Matthew Roby has returned with more Saga Stories for all you Grapeviners! Join us for the second of two episodes on Laxdæla saga, filmed in the region of Dalasýsla, where much of the saga’s action takes place. The episode is filmed…
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Word Of The Issue: Duglegur
The Grapevine’s guide to sounding Icelandic, one word at a time The certain type of grit that keeps an Icelander on their two feet, walking (trudging) forward against unrelenting wind has always impressed me, and intrigued me. Undoubtedly, growing up in this…
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Word(s) Of The Issue: A Menagerie
The Grapevine’s guide to sounding Icelandic, one word at a time Despite the fact that the word “menagerie” is often used to describe an accumulation of all sorts of things, it is first and foremost a word that describes a collection of…
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Around The World In Words
Time travel to Medieval Iceland at Arnastófnun It’s winter and you’re tired of being cooped up at home. The nights are still long and the weather is bad. You need a little escape, but nothing too far from town. A day trip…
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Saga Stories #11: Laxdæla Saga (Part 1)
Professor Matthew Roby has returned with more Saga Stories for all you Grapeviners! Join us for the first of two episodes on Laxdæla saga, filmed in the region of Dalasýsla, where much of the saga’s action takes place. This first episode is…