On the eastern shore of the Vatnsnes peninsula in the northwest of Iceland there lies an amazing rock formation dubbed as ‘Hvítserkur’ (literally meaning ‘white shirt’ in Icelandic). The 15 metre (or approximately 50 feet) tall sea stack resembles a dragon (or a troll, depending on the angle of perspective) drinking from the North Atlantic Ocean. Hvítserkur…
According to Landnámabók (a medieval manuscript detailing the Norse settlement of Iceland), Ingólfur Arnarson is widely ascribed to have been one of the first permanent settlers of Iceland, alongside his wife, Hallveig Fróðadóttir, and his foster brother Hjörleifur Hróðmarsson. A nobleman of Norwegian descent, Ingólfur (his name literally meaning ‘noble wolf’) was forced to leave early medieval…
It is customary in Iceland to give books as gifts on Christmas Eve. This tradition should come as no surprise to foreigners as Iceland disposes of a tremendous cultural heritage with respect to literature. So it is that from the Viking Age and High Middle Ages (periods of time throughout which the Icelandic sagas and the…
In Iceland, the tradition of celebrating Christmas is quite special. This holiday is celebrated in a unique way by the Icelanders and consists of exceptional characters rooted in the Icelandic folklore. If Santa Claus is most commonly responsible for bearing and giving the gifts on the Christmas Eve pretty much elsewhere in the world, in…
Iceland is a Nordic nation situated at the crossroad between the North Atlantic Ocean and the Arctic Ocean, with total area of 102,775 square kilometres. The natural treasures of this volcanic island are bewildering, being thus the direct or indirect effects of the magmatic formation of the country commencing 70 million years ago. Analysing its…
