Just Sayings: “Ekki er úti öll nótt enn, sagði draugurinn”

This saying is from one of Iceland’s most famous books, simply called ‘Íslenzkar þjóðsögur og æfintýri’, which was compiled and published by Jón Árnason. The saying translates to this: “The night is not over yet, said the ghost.”

The story is about a poor worker who meets a greedy ghost of a rich man. The ghost for some reason mistakes this poor bastard for a fellow ghost—weird because he sniffs him pretty thoroughly beforehand. Anyway, the ghost takes the worker to a barn where the ghost had hidden its gold when they were still alive. The worker then shuts the barn, makes sure no daylight comes in, and delays the ghost as he plays with its money. As dead people do, I suppose.

In the morning, the worker tells the ghost, “The night will soon be over,” to which the ghost replies, “The night is not over yet.”

When it’s bright again, the worker suddenly opens the barn door forcing the ghost to its grave. But suddenly, the worker blocks the ghost, forcing it to promise him that he will not leave the grave again. The ghost reluctantly agrees. Of course, the worker then takes the money, and the ghost never returns. Because what the hell are you gonna do with gold after death?

The moral of the story is… well, unclear. But the saying is often used in Icelandic and means that there is still a chance even if you are in a narrow position. It’s particularly used in politics or business—you know, the stuff ghouls are good at.

Note: Due to the effect the Coronavirus is having on tourism in Iceland, it’s become increasingly difficult for the Grapevine to survive. If you enjoy our content and want to help the Grapevine’s journalists do things like eat and pay rent, please consider joining our High Five Club.

You can also check out our shop, loaded with books, apparel and other cool merch, that you can buy and have delivered right to your door.