Did you ever wish you could trace the travels of the heroes of the Icelandic sagas, and know precisely where each of them uttered an unforgettable sentence, or died a heroic death? Well, now you can. The Icelandic Saga Map has just been awarded the Utilization Award (Hagnýtingarverðlaun) at the University of Iceland, RÚV reports.
The map is accessible to the public on the internet. On the right hand side of the screen, you can read any Icelandic Saga you like in Icelandic, and view a map of Iceland on the left hand side of the screen. Every farm or place name mentioned in the sagas has a link, which, if pressed, points to the exact location on the map. All instructions are in English.
The Icelandic Saga Map is the brainchild of Emily Diana Lethbridge, a PhD graduate from the University of Iceland Centre for Medieval Studies. Along with her, Trausti Dagsson, Hjördís Erna Sigurðardóttir, Gísli Pálsson and Logi Ragnarsson have worked on the project, which is the result of five years of research of the Icelandic sagas.
The selection committee commented that the project indisputably shows the utilization possibilities of harnessing Icelandic cultural heritage, both for education and recreation.
You can view the map here.
