Tag: icelandic
-
Old Norse-Icelandic Calendar: 2019-2020
Want a cool graphic to help you navigate this year like a Viking? Want one that’s historically informed to the best of this author‘s abilities? Well, for starters then, that was a poor use of the term ‘Viking,’ as most of my guests and readers will know by now. And if that sentence stumps you,…
-
An Icelandic Pilgrim amid the Crusades: Nikulás Bergsson
During the mid-twelfth century, an Icelander named Nikulás Bergsson went on a pilgrimage that took him over 4,000 miles away from his home in northern Iceland to Jerusalem in the Holy Land. We don’t know much about him, but it is clear that he was a lettered Benedictine monk.[1] Around the year 1153, however, Nikulás…
-
“All Waters Flow to Dyrafjord”
This quote comes at a pivotal movement of Gisli’s Saga, when a man named Vestein decides to face his fate despite warnings from his friends. At this point, those friends (who were sent by Gisli himself) had ridden tirelessly to catch up to Vestein, and they implored him to turn around before riding into the…
-
Njal’s Saga: A Medieval Best-Seller Most People Haven’t Heard of (Audio Version)
Meet Njal’s Saga, a medieval best-seller that most people haven’t heard of. But despite its relative obscurity today, it stands out as an epic story fused with both archetypal heroes and the tragic social realities of the ‘Viking’ world, which have become a cage trapping them and plunging them into a endless tide of human violence beyond…
-
Resources for Njal’s Saga
Never heard of Njal’s Saga? Don’t worry, you’re not alone—it’s actually a medieval best-seller most people haven’t heard of. But luckily, all you have to do is read this post to get yourself acclimated, and then you’re all set to enjoy one of medieval Iceland’s finest sagas (as so many saga-enthusiasts proudly proclaim)! That introductory…
-
Njal’s Saga: A Medieval Best-Seller Most People Haven’t Heard of
If you want to experience a medieval Icelandic ‘family’ saga at peak performance, then this is the saga to read. […]
-
Selections of Poetry by Jónas Hallgrímsson
Jónas Hallgrímsson (1807-1845) is still frequently regarded as the most loved and admired poet of Modern Iceland.[1] He grew up on a rural farm in North Iceland (Hraun in Öxnadalur), where he learned and lived the oral traditions of Icelandic folklore, poetics, and saga reading; but, when he was sixteen, he spent six years studying…
-
Exploring Reykjavík’s Museums (Must-see Spots for Saga Fans!)
Today I’m going to continue the tale that I began in my previous post about my wanderings in Iceland! So do read that if you haven’t—but if you have, áfram! After that delicious dinner at Café Loki, I wandered back to my hotel for some much needed rest. I don’t recall how many hours I…
-
Rímur: Reciting Part I of Gisli Sursson’s Epic
Behold! a modern Viking’s poem! Hear a skald recite the first part of an epic poem inspired by Gisli Sursson’s Saga, a work of medieval Icelandic literature written during the 13th century. This part of the poem recounts the first chapter of that saga, which takes place in Norway just a few generations before Gisli’s time. Quick…
-
Gisli Sursson’s Epic, Part I
Part I of my epic poem based off of Gisli Sursson’s Saga, a work of medieval Icelandic literature composed during the 13th century! It has been composed by me and therefore should not be mistaken for a historical source. Please consider reading the ‘original’ prose story before (or after) enjoying this poetry.
-
Fjorn Wanders in Iceland (July-August 2018), Part I
A few weeks ago now (on the evening of August 18th), I returned home from a 3-week long trip in Iceland, where I was studying Icelandic through an intensive language course in a small town called Ísafjörður (which you can learn more about here). But, as you can see, it has taken me a while…
-
Unn or Aud? The Saga(s) of a Remarkable Woman
In this gathering we talk about the remarkable Aud the Deep-minded, an impressive woman from medieval Iceland who boldly saved her family from destruction and became one of Iceland’s most famous settlers. But there’s a catch: she hasn’t always been remembered in quite the same way. In the sagas recounting her deeds, she has been…
