Archive for 'Icelandic culture'
Witchcraft in Iceland. Posted by hulda on Oct 17, 2014
As October is halfway done what better time to write a little about witches? Icelandic ones that is, so alas the pretty ladies riding brooms won’t come into picture. The grand majority of Icelandic witches were male and though female ones did exist and were even punished for witchcraft, fact is that of all of…
Sunny with a hint of poisonous gas. Posted by hulda on Oct 9, 2014
The whole capital city region has been engulfed in a sulfur dioxide cloud since Monday, and it seems to go on for at least until the wind changes direction. Yes, the volcanic eruption is still going on. The world may have forgotten it by now but a volcano does not care about whether it’s being watched or…
The reliable rhubarb. Posted by hulda on Sep 30, 2014
Last week’s Recipe for Marital Bliss reminded me again of something very Icelandic – rabarbari or tröllasúra (= trolls’ sour), rhubarb. While it does not originate in Iceland and in fact arrived here comparatively late (from Denmark and at the end of the 1800’s) Icelanders really took a liking to it. And why not –…
Recipe for marital bliss. Posted by hulda on Sep 25, 2014
Want to bake something really, really Icelandic? Hjónabandssæla, “marital bliss”, is a perfect autumn treat! Before we go on I want to warn you that although “marital bliss” is something so deeply Icelandic that every Icelander will immediately recognize it, no two families actually bake it alike. You’ll be hard at work if you try…
Reykjavík ravens. Posted by hulda on Sep 18, 2014
Autumn, nothing makes its arrival clearer than seeing a familiar shape fly over Reykjavík, perch on lamp posts and sing – er, cronk – from the rooftops. Ravens are back in town after spending the long summer in the countryside, during which time their place in the city is claimed by seagulls. Now its their turn…
Icelandic sweater I love you. Posted by hulda on Sep 10, 2014
There are few items of clothing that could ever take the place of lopapeysa, the Icelandic wool sweater, in my heart. Made of Icelandic wool it quickly felts into an all-weather garment that will keep you warm and dry in almost any possible condition, and wearing two on top of each other will easily get you…
Iceland’s ice cream day. Posted by hulda on Aug 27, 2014
Despite the volcanic activity life in Iceland goes on as usual. I’m still following the volcanic activity in the (now somewhat faultily named) post Bárðarbunga eruption just hours away? but meanwhile let’s look at what else is going on on this little island. Hveragerði is a small town on the south coast of Iceland that’s…