Almost everyone who went to the polls on Saturday—also government supporters—voted “no” on the Icesave legislation. How is that a vote of no confidence?  more

President of Iceland Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson presented the Landsbjörg search and rescue association (ICE-SAR) with daily newspaper Fréttabladid’s annual society award and a prize of ISK 1 million at a ceremony in the Culture House yesterday.  more

Click on the picture to watch this audio slideshow about Icelandic domestic animals. Many people are familiar with the Icelandic horse, a special breed of small sturdy colorful horses, which have a unique gait called tölt. The Icelandic sheep is also well known, as are the Icelandic cows and the Icelandic sheep dog. However, fewer people have heard of the Settlement Goat and Settlement Hen.  more

Akureyri (“gravel bank field”) promises visitors a lively stay with its many art galleries and museums, outdoor recreation in summer and winter, an awakening of the taste buds at the town’s gourmet restaurants and breathtaking views of natural sites around the corner. Take a look at this special promotion about Iceland’s northern capital.  more

Review by Eygló Svala Arnarsdóttir.

Icelandic Folk Legends – Tales of Apparitions, Outlaws and Things Unseen is a collection of Icelandic folktales translated by one of Iceland’s most widely read bloggers, Alda Sigmundsdóttir of the Iceland Weather Report, first published by Bjartur in 1997 and republished in 2007.

The small and handy book includes the translation of 12 folk stories, both stories that practically every Icelander knows by heart, like The Deacon of Myrká Church and Thorgeir’s Bull, as well as lesser known stories like The Vanished Bride and The Hidden Man and the Girl.

The collection includes a little bit of everything: ghosts, trolls, wizards and witches, outlaws, hidden people (elves), monsters and even Satan. As such the book provides a good overview of the different categories of Icelandic folk legends.

I imagine that it must be difficult to translate folk legends, which contain old-fashioned language and references to things and customs that people aren’t always familiar with today.

Folk stories are written in a straightforward style and usually don’t include much color or explanation and I feel Sigmundsdóttir did a good job in maintaining that style while making the stories understandable. There are also footnotes where further explanations are needed.

However, I would have preferred to have these stories presented in a broader context. For example, a general introduction on how Icelandic folk legends were preserved orally until, inspired by the brothers Grimm, Magnús Grímsson and Jón Árnason began documenting them in 1845.

I would also have liked more detailed information for each story, such as a map explaining where it took place.

For that reason I prefer A Traveller’s Guide to Icelandic Folktales to this book, which is perfect for tourists driving around the country, eager to learn more about the mysticism connected to their destinations.

Nevertheless, I also recommend Icelandic Folk Legends – Tales of Apparitions, Outlaws and Things Unseen. Folktales are a window to a nation’s soul and these stories are no exception. I especially like the broad variety of tales chosen for this book.

As the translation is excellent, this book is an easy read. It is a good present for people interested in learning more about Iceland’s past without too much effort. It explains how Icelanders dealt with the harsh realities they had to face and how these stories sprung from it.

Contact the publisher: bjartur@bjartur.is for questions on availability or the Alda Sigmundsdóttir via her blog.

Eygló Svala Arnarsdóttir – eyglo@icelandreview.com

Eygló graduated with a Bachelors degree in communication studies from the University of Erfurt, Germany, in 2004. In 2006, she graduated with a Masters degree in journalism from the University of Westminster, London. She has worked as the web editor for Iceland Review since October 2006. Eygló received an award for her entries in a nationwide short story competition in 1997, 1998 and 1999.

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Mordingjarnir have been in the forefront of a small but steadily growing punk scene in Iceland in the last couple of years. Their two previous albums were raw and energetic in the classic punk do-it-yourself manner. On Flóttinn mikli the rough edges have been rubbed down and the sound is much more radio friendly.  more

There’s a new breed of traveler roaming the globe these days. Set on doing more than going to location x, snapping a few memorable photographs of the tourist traps therein, and returning home with some knick-knacks for their mantle, voluntourists are spending longer periods of time in their destinations of choice, giving back to their host communities and getting lifelong memories in return.  more

If you visit Reykjavík Art Museum – Hafnarhús this week you can disappear into the “Neverland” of Katrín Elvarsdóttir, an exhibition featuring the artist’s photographs of caravans, shrubs, trees, buildings, or lanes. The exhibition is part of Hafnarhúsid’s D series.  more