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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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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…
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Old Photo From Reykjavík Sparks Discussion About Time Travel
A photo taken in the centre of Reykjavík in 1943 has attracted the attention of the world press, reports Fréttablaðið. “There is nothing strange about seeing a well-dressed man talking on the phone while standing on a busy street corner. But what…
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Ask An Expert: Why Are Icelandic Houses So Colourful?
If you’ve ever walked down Hverfisgata, or any street in Iceland for that matter, you’ve probably noticed a wide range of house colours. Vibrant greens, blues, purples—you name it, there’s a house in that colour. While we appreciate the architectural rainbow, we…
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Great Moments In Icelandic History: President Refuses To Sign Law
The president of Iceland used to be a largely ceremonial position. All we ever expected of our heads of state was to carry themselves regally, take foreign dignitaries to Gulfoss and Þingvellir, and put their signature on the laws Parliament passed. A…
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Empowering Children Through History: “Daughters of Iceland” By Nína Björk Jónsdóttir
The Icelandic sagas tell the stories of the strong and courageous people who settled on the inhospitable shores of this island. But for author Nína Björk Jónsdóttir, the women of history always seemed to be overshadowed by their husbands and fathers, even…
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Flag-Coloured Pearl Found At Archaeological Dig
A pearl with the Icelandic flag colours from the beginning of Icelandic settlement was found during an archaeoligical dig in Seyðisfjörður, reports RÚV. [su_pullquote]The Volcano is on (again) at Fagradalsfjall! Check out our volcano merch in the Grapevine shop: books, T-shirts, posters…
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Mittens Dated As 1100 Years Old
Mittens found in Akranes in 1960 are dated to be 1100 years old, reports RÚV. [su_pullquote]The new Reykjavík Grapevine print issue is out! Subscribe to it in our shop or join our High Five Club to get it in your inbox. If…
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Saga Stories #10: What Happened On Drangey Island?
Join Dr Matthew Roby for an extra special episode of Saga Stories about the famous Grettis saga sterka, known in English as “The Saga of Grettir the Strong.” Grettir is an extremely complicated hero: sometimes kind and honourable, sometimes lazy and rude,…
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Saga Stories #9: Berserks and Zombies in Eyrbyggja Saga
Join Dr Matthew Roby on another trip to the majestic Snæfellsnes peninsula for the second of two videos about Eyrbyggja saga. This saga depicts more supernatural phenomena than most others of the same genre, and this video looks at two such episodes:…
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Vikings Arrived To The Americas Before Columbus
Recent analysis of small pieces of wood from timber-framed buildings in Newfoundland confirms that Vikings arrived in the North America at least 471 years before Christopher Columbus. The Guardian reports that the new type of dating technique used a solar storm from…
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Saga Stories #8: Witches and Wonders in Eyrbyggja saga
Join Dr Matthew Roby on another trip to the majestic Snæfellsnes peninsula for the first of two videos about Eyrbyggja saga. This text depicts more supernatural phenomena than most other family sagas and this video looks at two such episodes: the first…
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Artist Erik DeLuca Shows Iceland’s Failure In The Holocaust
December 10th, 1938: The Ministry of Justice receives a letter from 27-year-old Telmar and Paula Toller and their four-week-old son Denny. Jews from Berlin, they plead for a residence and work permit to Iceland. Telmar was an engineer, electrician and baker. One…
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Fishing Artefacts Found In Seyðisfjörður
Remains of an old sea shop may have been uncovered during an archeological excavation in Seyðisfjörður over the summer, reports RÚV. 200-year old mills have also been discovered on the site, but the potential uncovering of a sea shop is much more…
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Saga Stories #7: Bárðar Saga Snæfellsáss
Join Dr Matthew Roby on a trip around the beautiful Snæfellsnes peninsula and he’ll tell you the tale of Bárðr, a troll who comes to Iceland with the other original settlers during the ninth century and eventually becomes a guardian spirit for…
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Resolution Found In Húsafell Tombstone House Mediation
A resolution has been found in the debate over the status of the tombstone house in Húsafell after a controversy spanning five years. History A statement posted on his Facebook page told the story. The structure was built in 2016 by Páll…
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Ask An Expert: How Were Clothes Symbolically Depicted In The Sagas?
For a modern reader picking up the Sagas of the Icelanders for the first time, they can often be struck by the strange modernity of the prose. However, there are just as many, perhaps more, instances that leave us confused. The world…
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Discovery of Man-Made Caves Brings History Into Focus
A snapshot the Icelandic landscape during the time of historical figure Snorri Sturluson is becoming clearer. Last summer, man-made caves were discovered southwest of Oddi in southern Iceland, tucked under verdant sandstone hills. With further excavation continuing from mid-July of this year,…
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Saga Stories #6: Harðar Saga
Join Dr Matthew Roby on a trip around southwest Iceland and he’ll tell you all about Harðar saga, the tale of an unlucky hero, some tough outlaws, and two even tougher women. For the first story, we travel to the southwestern shore…
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Iceland’s Film History Traced In New TV Series
“Iceland: bíóland” is a new TV series starting on Sunday that explores the history of Icelandic cinema since the beginning of the 20th century. The show’s director, screenwriter and narrator, Ásgrímur Sverrisson, spoke with RÚV about the show and what it will…
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Longest Icelandic Love Letter Four Meters Long
The longest Icelandic love letter measures four metres in length and originates from around 1900, when a young couple corresponded between Reykjavík and Copenhagen. Rakel Adolfsdóttir, curator of the Icelandic Women’s Museum in Víðsjá, presented the letter and talked about its history…
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Portrait of a City: Reykjavik Between Legend, History, and Tourism
This article originally written in Italian for Il Giornale dell’Architettura (The Architectural Post) by Sofia Nannini was translated by Nico Borbely. Sofia Nannini is a PhD student in History of Architecture at Politecnico di Torino. Her research interests focus on construction and…
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Writer Researching 1627 Ottoman Invasion Of Iceland Befriends Algerian Asylum Seeker
“The Turkish Invasion really brought us together,” says writer Steinunn Jóhannesdóttir on her acquaintance with an Algerian woman who sought refuge in Iceland years ago. The two became great friends, as they were able to connect through Steinunn’s knowledge of the woman’s…