Stories of Iceland

Two tales about the perils of being left home alone during Yule.

In the 17th century, Iceland was thrown into a panic about witchcraft. My ancestor Einar Nikulásson lived through almost the exact period of the "age of burning" and has gone down in folklore as "Galdrameistari" or "master of sorcery". These stories also implicated his descendants, especially Þórarinn Einarson, Jón Einarsson and Einar Jónsson (the last two are also my ancestors). This episode expl...

A long awaited tale with an introduction and preamble about volcanic eruptions

Bobby Fischer was a chess phenomenon, likely to most famous player to ever play the game. He wound up a fugitive who ended his life as an Icelandic citizen. This episode tells the story of Bobby Fischer in Iceland.

Episode fifty is an opportunity to think about the future of the podcast.

This is the third episode based on The Saga of the Völsungs, the last part of the story. We follow Guðrún and her relationship with Atli (aka Attila the Hun). There is a bit of tragedy. A lot of violence and a horrific scene which is not meant for children (even though children are involved).

A continuation of Völsunga Saga..

It is said that tales of dragons and dragon slayers are universal. That is not quite true. This is a story that has been retold in numerous ways. This isn't the "original" but it is one of the oldest we know.

The Hon. Arthur Dillon visited Iceland in 1834. He spent a little over a year in the country and later published a book about his travels. This episode covers both his observations on the Icelandic winter and his lasting legacy in the country.

Folk tales can take centuries to reach a finely tuned flow. This one was published about twenty years after the events that shook up the quiet farms on the northern shore of Hvalfjörður. The recording was not as good as usual but it shouldn't be too noticeable.

A couple of people have asked me about the music at the start and end of the episode. In this episode I give a little background on the songs.

Lokasenna is one of the most controversial of the Eddic poems. It is also funny and naughty. There are two versions in the feed, one with the naughtiest bits removed and this one that has everything.

Lokasenna is one of the most controversial of the Eddic poems. It is also funny and naughty. There are two versions in the feed, this one has the naughtiest bits removed.

What did the Norse really believe in? How did they view their gods, their world, their religion? Using the example of Thor, arguably the best known god of the pantheon, I will try to shed light on a complicated subject.

This is the story of Hans Jónatan, (1784-1827) Born in St. Croix in the Caribbean and died in Iceland. His life and legacy shows us that we often have misconceptions of the past and how we often forget people who are out of the ordinary.

In the summer of 1809 Iceland had a revolution. It has become a bit of a joke here. Here is a deeper dive that tries to put the story into the larger context of the life of an adventurer, a continent at war and an island that had not found its place in the modern world.

A section of the saga Eyrbyggja set in the year that Christianity became law in Iceland tell of supernatural occurrences that in many way reflect the old ways are moving out while the new ways are coming in.

A typical wonder tale with a few Icelandic motifs. But the story has ingrained itself into Icelandic culture. The Icelandic band Bellatrix was originally named \"Kolrassa Krókríðandi\" because of this story. Another band, Þursaflokkurinn, had a song \"Í gegnum holt og hæðir\" based on a line from the tale.

I chatted remotely with my friend Dr. Arngrímur Vídalín about his research and writings on \"Blámenn\". In the sagas and folklore there are characters called \"Blámenn\" who represent the strange ideas that Icelanders of yore had about black and brown people.

One of the most famous ghost story in Iceland is based on real life events that occurred less than a century before the tale was published. We have the tale but also more grounded accounts. Though the story is quite short it does reveal much about Icelandic society, the class system and the religious authority. The story also lingers in the consciousness of the people and a century and a half afte...

Many years ago I found an enigmatic reference to a murder in my family. No-one had mentioned it to me and no-one seemed to know about it. So I investigated it and tried to sort through fact and fiction.

Every year Icelanders gather round the television, often hold parties and watch their country lose in the Eurovision song contest. This year Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams make fun of this in a movie about a fictional band trying to win Eurovision. In this episode I look at Eurovision, Iceland\'s history in the contest and this new Netflix movie.

There is an election today in Iceland. It is not really interesting but I decided to make a short video. It will also end up in the podcast feed but the video is better.

A folk tale about a boy who experiences magic, violence and ghosts while being never being afraid.

The words Saga and Edda are used quite regularly while discussion Iceland\'s heritage. This is a very brief introduction.