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Landvættir: The land-spirits guarding Iceland's shores and landscapes
Tales of these mythical creatures, guardians of the Land of Fire and Ice, can be found in the sagas and are best described as potent and protective spirits.10 months ago — Culture and religion -
Njáls saga: Law and bloodshed in Viking Iceland
With a body count higher than an episode of The Sopranos, Njáls saga remains a high point in exploring honor, violence, and fatalism. It speaks to the traumatic effect and self-perpetuating cycle of bloodshed within Viking society.1 year ago — Culture and religion -
The Eagle has landed: Viking ship Örninn on view in Iceland
The latest attraction at Viking Park Iceland sits beneath a burial mound dating back a thousand years or more.2 years ago — News -
Gunnar Hámundarson: The legendary warrior of Iceland's Age of Settlements
Centuries before the Olympics, Gunnar Hámundarson stands out from the sagas as a man of incredible athletic ability. His martial prowess saw him labeled as being nearly invincible in combat. Is there any historical truth in these tall tales, or is Iceland's famous warrior just literary hyperbole?2 years ago — History -
The remarkable life of Aud the Deep-Minded, Viking matriarch
Women's stories and voices were often silenced and marginalized throughout the early medieval period. Piercing this stony, sexist silence down the ages is the story of Aud the Deep-Minded, one of this period's most remarkable Viking women.2 years ago — History -
Book review: Viking Age Iceland
Jesse Byock examines how Iceland, a peaceful and egalitarian proto-democracy free from feudalism, wars, and invasion during the early medieval period, could produce such violent and bloody literature as the famous sagas. This intriguing question forms the essence of his study.2 years ago — Reviews
