Tag: Iceland

The Imposing ‘Rocky Dragon’ Hvítserkur From Northwestern Iceland

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…


Ingólfur Arnarson And The Foundation Of Iceland’s Capital City, Reykjavík

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…


The Icelandic Christmas Tradition Of Giving Books As Gifts

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…


The History Of The Turf Houses In The Faroe Islands And Iceland

The tradition of building houses with turf roofs in the Faroe Islands and Iceland dates back to the Viking Age. These architectural structures are the result of the climate on these islands, the requirements of the Norse society that settled them during the early Middle Ages, and last but not least of the local environmental…


Top 5 Greatest Viking Longships Of Contemporary Times

Here is a top of the five greatest Viking Age longships built in contemporary times. The following are either replicas of well known Viking longships or vessels that have been built from scratch, based on the concept of the ships used by the Norsemen during the early Middle Ages. For this top, there have been…