Historical Importance of the Vikings

Blog: IH
Status: Published
Author: Mike McLaren
Original Link: Viking Importance

Headline:
Historical Importance of the Vikings

Vikings — the first images that come to mind are of barbaric marauders ravaging, looting, and terrorizing the coasts of northern Europe. That may be accurate, to some degree, but not entirely. The Vikings gave the world sagas, collections of stories and poems that shaped the way modern fantasy and science fiction are written today. Without the old literature of Iceland, there probably would not have been J.R.R. Tolkien’s Hobbit.

The Vikings also gave the world the enduring legacy of the Alþingi , the world’s first parliamentary government. What we know of Norse mythology and Scandinavian history was written in Iceland.

To sustain themselves with food crops and livestock, they would have needed a calendar, and therefore a knowledge of the stars. To know the cosmos is to also understand mathematics.

Beyond literacy, political savvy, and agriculture, the Vikings were also a people who traveled the globe far and wide, in boats, which could only have been done with their knowledge of the stars and planets, and mathematics. In other words, the Vikings also knew science. To cross the ocean for global exploration and trade, in boats that could also serve as warships in shallow tides, the Vikings had to know more than just thumping people on the head.

And they did.

Fierce warriors, to be sure, they were feared opponents, but they were also sought after for trade, and for imparting their technological advancements. Kings in Scandinavia and other parts of Europe commissioned Viking longships, because in the years between 900 and 1100AD, no one could craft a sea-going vessel to match the Viking longship.

Their art, delicately crafted and intricately tooled, has been unearthed in archaeological sites across the globe. Their literature paved the way for current best-selling books and blockbuster movies. They gave the world a government which serves as foundation for governance in countries all over the current world.

In truth, the Vikings gave to and educated the world as much as the Greeks and Romans.

As you discover Iceland, with its hard, finicky weather, its rumbling mountains and tectonic activity, blue ice glaciers, and its isolation from the rest of the world, you have to image that the people who could settle in such a land, and who could be successful, must have been a bit smarter than the average polar bear.

From any Icelandair Hotel, you can easily tour and explore a world that marries fire with ice, and you can visit museums and landmarks to learn more of Viking history. If you stay long enough, you might even become a Viking yourself!

If You're Not A Viking, You're Not From Iceland

Blog: IH
Status: Published
Author: Mike McLaren

Original Link: Icelandic Heritage

Headline:
If You’re Not A Viking, You Probably Don’t Live in Iceland

Intro:
Settled permanently in 874, Iceland has retained its Viking and Celtic heritages so well that… well, if you’re not Norse, you’re probably just visiting.

Content:

Fifteen million years ago, a volcanic plume unleashed itself through a crack in the ocean floor and boiled its way upward to become a landmass above water. For the next twelve million years—and even today—seismic activity shaped and reshaped the small island country near the topmost arc of the Earth.

One thousand one hundred forty-one years ago, that landmass became the country of Iceland, the name given to it by Ingólfur Arnarsson, the man historians claim founded the first permanent settlement in the land of fire and ice. From its worldly, political inception in 874 to 930, more settlers arrived, determined to make Iceland their home. They were Vikings from Denmark and Norway. Even today, sixty percent of the total population of 330,000 Icelanders are of Norse descent. Thirty-four percent are of Celtic descent. It is believed Scottish monks arrived in Iceland prior to the settlement of the Vikings, thus the initial connection to the current Celtic heritage. Historians generally believe that Celts were immigrated to Iceland as slaves in the early years, having been ravaged by Viking raids in Scotland and Ireland.

Of the total Icelandic population, only six percent cannot claim Nordic or Celtic heritage. Native Icelanders can trace back their origins in the National Registry to several hundred years. Even today, during small talk, people bring up ancient names, as if the old Vikings are still around.

For several centuries, Denmark ruled Iceland, then Norway took possession in the 15th century, and then Denmark regained its rule, which held for centuries. Iceland did not regain its independence until 1944.

In general, and in keeping with their Viking heritage, Icelanders are a hardy, self-confident people, with a rampant desire to live, learn, share, and survive. They are a people who gave the world its first parliamentary government, and who gave the world Icelandic Sagas, a style of literature and storytelling that is responsible for modern fantasy and heroic movies and books.

But though Icelanders take their ancient ancestry very seriously, they are focused toward the future, pioneering safe and sustainable ways in which the world can solve its energy crisis. Ninety percent of Iceland is powered by geothermal sources, the cleanest, most efficient method of generating electricity on Earth. Transforming themselves over the centuries from being raiders, pillagers, and plunderers, Icelanders have become a people with no standing army, more technological savvy than most, and a desire to put education at the top of their social priorities.

Iceland is credited as the most literate and educated country in the world. They are also often credited as being among the most happy people on the planet.

But make no mistake, once a Viking always a Viking; you have to be to enjoy living a world covered by glaciers and rocked with volcanos.

Bobby Fischer: Iceland's Mate of Chess

Blog: IH
Status: Published
Author: Mike McLaren

Original Link: Bobby Fischer IH Content

Headline:
Bobby Fischer: Iceland’s Mate of Chess

By the age of fifteen, Bobby Fischer had already proved his brilliancy in the game of chess, had already captured the U.S. Chess Championship at the innocent age of fourteen, then the next year became the youngest World Grandmaster. Fifteen years later, Bobby Fischer stunned the world in what was called the “Match of the Century”.

photo: Philip Rother

In 1972, at a time when tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union threatened to swirl into an uncontrollable tempest, Fischer faced off against Boris Spassky of the USSR for the World Championship. The match began July 11, 1972, and lasted two months, at the Laugardalshöll arena in Reykjavík, Iceland. At the closing ceremonies on September 3, Fischer was crowned the first American-born player ever to win the World Chess Championship.

It was a match caught in an aura of political intrigue, accusations of psychological warfare, and grandiose rhetoric, and was most likely a catalyst for the volatile life Fischer would lead until his death.

Fischer maintained his title for three years. When set to defend it in 1975 against Anatoly Kasparov of the USSR, Fischer refused to play because the World Chess Federation would not acquiesce to his particular demands. For the next twenty years, the chess phenomenon removed himself from mainstream popularity, though he was often quoted for his anti-American and anti-Semitic remarks.

The most volatile event of Fischer’s career happened on the twentieth anniversary of his historical World Championship victory. In 1992, Fischer sat once again against Spassky for an unofficial rematch, held in Yugoslovia, which at the time was under heavy economic sanctions by the United States. Told by the U.S. not to participate in the rematch because of the sanctions, Fischer defied the order, played the match and won it, and received over $3 million dollars for the win. The U.S. issued a warrant for Fischer’s arrest, and the man who many called the greatest player of the game became a country-less fugitive.

Finally arrested in Japan in 2004, for allegedly using an expired passport to board an airplane, Fischer needed to avoid deportation back to the United States, where he had every chance of spending the rest of his life in jail. Fischer renounced his U.S. citizenship and appealed to Germany for asylum. His appeal was not granted. Fischer then sought Iceland, and though his original appeal was denied, the Iceland Althingi reversed the decision and granted Fischer full citizenship for humanitarian reasons, and as thanks for “putting Iceland on the map” in 1972.

Over the next four years, living in obscurity, Fischer did make friends and enjoyed reading, fishing, and sight-seeing. In a country populated heavily with chess enthusiasts, he never had to look far for a game.

Fischer died of kidney failure January 17, 2008, at the age of sixty-four. Per his wishes, he was buried at Laugardælir Lutheran Church, in Selfoss.

You can stay in the Gimli Suite at the Icelandair Hotels Reykjavik Natura — the same suite where Bobby Fischer stayed during his defeat of Boris Spassky in the 1972 World Chess Championship. Located in a green area of the city, you can enjoy hiking, biking, nature trails, and fine local cuisine.

Five Days Through Fire and Ice

Blog: IMG
Status: Published
Author: Mike McLaren
Original Link: Five Days Through Fire and Ice

Headline:
Five Days Through Fire and Ice

One of the most memorable ways to experience Iceland is to walk it, and we mapped our five-day Kingdom of Glaciers and Northern Lights tour to ensure you see everything that makes Iceland unique.

On the first day, we’ll pick you up in Reykjavik to begin the journey, heading east to the Golden Circle to vist Geysir hot spring and the Gullfoss waterfall. Geysir itself is not all that active, but nearby is Stokkur, which spouts a column of water and spray 100m (328ft) up about every six minutes. All around, steam vents from the belly of the Earth, and mud pools bubble across the land. The surreal area is a natural wonder of geothermal power, and illustrates why most of Iceland’s energy is harnessed from geothermal sources.

Headed just a stone’s-throw north, we’ll reach the River Hvítá, and Gullfoss, Iceland’s most spectacular waterfall. The water at Gullfoss plunges in two tiers, 11m at the first section and 22m at the second, for a total 33m (105ft) drop into a ravine which dives nearly 70m (230ft), and stretches for 2.5km (1.5 miles). The water flows through a fissure created by Iceland’s volatile volcanic activity. Since there are no fences or guardrails, you can stand just a breath away from the thundering falls. If you want to get soaking wet, don’t wear waterproof clothing, but if you wear glasses be sure to have handy a kerchief for constant lens wiping. Wear boots that can take you through mud and over slippery rocks, and over snow and ice in the winter.

Our next adventure winds along the black sand beaches of the south coast to the Þorvaldseyri visitor center, where you’ll stand at the foot of Eyjafjallajökull volcano and learn about the eruption which grounded air traffic for several weeks in 2010 all across Europe. Then, less than a ten-minute jaunt, we’ll arrive at the Skógar Folk Museum to discover Iceland history, traditions, and culture. The museum holds over 6000 artifacts, with multiple displays of Icelandic housing through the ages.

Having seen water spout and fall, and after standing beneath a volcano — the fire aspects of Iceland — we’ll spend our remaining days experiencing the spectacular ice aspect of Iceland upon the glaciers of Vatnajökull National Park, the largest national park in Europe.

Vatnajökull is the largest icecap outside the polar regions, and covers roughly thirteen percent of Iceland’s entire landmass. The ice is 1,006m (3,300ft) thick in some places. The park is a canvas of brawny mountains, table ridges, outwash plains, and sandy deserts. In places, Vatnajökull reaches 2,100m (6890ft) toward the sky, and in other places sinks nearly 300m (984ft) below sea level. The oldest ice taken from Vatnajökull was formed just before a volcanic eruption in 1150. Seven volcanoes rest below the Vatnajökull ice cap; Bárðarbunga, Hamarinn, Grímsvötn, Þórðarhyrna, Kverkfjöll, Esjufjöll and Öræfajökull—though at the moment, Bárðarbunga is not asleep..

Leaving the icecap, we’ll visit Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon, with its icebergs sailing toward the North Atlantic, and which is increasing in size from the melting of Vatnajökull.

Somewhere along this five-day journey, we’ll spend an entire evening hunting the Northern Lights.

This winter trip takes in everything that is Iceland — fire, ice, and Northern Lights. On any of the five days along our journey, we’ll walk anywhere from two to six hours, often divided into smaller walks. All accommodations are in cozy country hotels.

Book yourself for our Kingdom of Glaciers and Northern Lights tour, and discover the meaning, myth, and magic of Iceland.

Our Kingdom of Glaciers and Northern Lights page

Official Gullfoss Web Site

Searching for Elves and other Ancient Lore in North Iceland

Blog: IH
Status: Published
Author: Mike McLaren
Original Link: Elves in Iceland

Headline:
Searching for Elves and other Ancient Lore in North Iceland

Intro:
Traveling from Akureyri to Ásbyrgi and Jökulsárgljúfur National Park, only skeptics and those who aren’t looking don’t see elves, and maybe a troll or two.

Content:

Survey the people of Iceland about the existence of elves and you get:

• 17% say most definitely
• 37% say probably
• 13% say maybe not
• 19% say no

Across the entire high-tech country of fire and ice, only 19% disclaim the existence of elves, probably because those few just don’t know any better, or because they haven’t seen the proof like everyone else has in Iceland — or perhaps they haven’t taken classes and workshops at the elf school in Reykjavik to learn about the thirteen different kinds of elves who inhabit the diverse and mesmerizing landscapes.

To learn for yourself, head to Akureyri in north Iceland to explore myriad mythical landscapes, then travel just a bit east to venture into a land of Viking lore, and edge just a bit further to Ásbyrgi and the spellbound world of Jökulsárgljúfur National Park.

South of Akureyri, Iceland stretches in long desolation across craggy plateaus and valleys scarred by volcanic activity. Travelers, especially in olden days, avoided the area to remain clear of trolls, ghosts, and the outlaws who perhaps survived only by making pacts with non-human beings.

Across Eyjafjörður, Iceland’s longest fjord, and just forty-five minutes to the east of Akureyri thunders Goðafoss, one of many spectacular waterfalls along your adventure. The falls roars along the Diamond Circle, a loop of road which travels across lava-scapes that make you think you’re traversing the moon. Around the corner looms Hverjkall, an unmistakable volcanic crater 420 m (1,380 ft) in elevation. Below it sits lake Mývatn, which ripples amidst rich vegetation, and huge populations of waterbirds. It is not surprising, according to legend, to find a monster below the surface of an Iceland lake.

One more jaunt to the east, life in Jökulsárgljúfur National Park is fed by the river Jökulsá á Fjöllum, which flows from beneath the Vatnajökull icecap in the south, and empties into Öxarfjörður bay on Iceland’s northern shores. The journey into the park begins at Ásbyrgi and a horseshoe shaped canyon, formed by a thundering hoof of Sleipnir, the eight-legged steed of Odin, leader of the Norse gods. Fifteen minutes away, along the river Jökulsá, stands the enchantment of Hljóðaklettar (“Echoing Rocks”). Geologist’s aren’t exactly sure how the towering basalt formed into strange spirals, rosettes, and honey-combs, but the acoustic effect reflected from the black walls makes it impossible to determine the direction of the echoing Jökulsá á Fjöllum. Upriver plunges Dettifoss, Europe’s most powerful waterfall. Spray fills the air and sprinkles the sky with rainbows.

North Iceland abounds with landmarks that defy imagination, and as you explore the surrealistic formations of the earth you can’t help but see where trolls have been turned to stone… and then a faint sound, and as you look you’ll see just a glimpse of something — or a small someone — darting just out of sight. Those who know say the spirits of Iceland’s natural world will not bother you if you do not bother them. They are, however, just as curious about us as we are of them, so it only stands to reason that, with vigilance and a little patience, the human world comes into contact with a surreal world, in the same way that fire mingles with ice in Iceland. It’s up to you to discover what most Icelanders know: the country is alive with a world that some think exists only in our dreams.

Elves, trolls, ghosts, and other assorted spirits of the natural world abound not just in north Iceland, but throughout the entire country, and Icelandair Hotels has nine locations situated in all the places where you need to go to find the Huldufólk (elves).

In the north, you can stay at our Icelandair Hotel Akureyri, or our Icelandair Hotel Herad in . Either puts you within easy distance for discovery!

You might also be interested in:

East Iceland: A World of Magic and Monsters

Álfaskólinn, Iceland´s Elf School

The Elves...

Iceland’s 13 Yule Lads - Don’t Call them Santas

Iceland’s Dettifoss Waterfall - Europe's Most Powerful

Things to do in Akureyri

Halldor Laxness, Iceland’s Nobel Prize Winner

Blog: IH
Status: Published
Author: Mike McLaren
Original Link: Halldor Laxness

Headline:
Halldor Laxness, Iceland’s Nobel Prize Winner

Halldór Laxness, a fourteen-year-old farm boy from the countryside of Mosfellsbær, published his first newspaper article in 1916. Three years later he published his first novel, Child of Nature. Then thirty-six years later, Laxness became the only Icelandic writer to ever receive the Nobel Prize in Literature, "for his vivid epic power which has renewed the great narrative art of Iceland."

His career spanned seventy-nine years. Many of his twenty-two novels remain in print, which you can find at Eymundsson bookstores throughout Iceland.

Laxness wrote stories, travelogues and essays, several poetry collections, and eight plays. He began his literary career writing about his explorations of religion and his spiritual search. Baptized in the Catholic church as Halldór Kiljan Laxness, a name which honored the place where lived and harkened to Saint Killian, he eventually gave up his religion and focused his work primarily around socialist ideas.

He published his first significant work, The Great Weaver from Kashmir, in 1927, after traveling extensively throughout Europe, and coming under the influence of Upton Sinclair, with whom he later became friends.

In between his own writing, Laxness published several Icelandic translations of the world's major authors, including Ernest Hemmingway's A Farewell to Arms.

At the end of World War II, Laxness gained notoriety for his book, The Atom Station. The U.S. had taken over the occupation of Iceland from the British, and made a request to build a permanent military base at Keflavík. Laxness, afraid that Iceland would lose its autonomy and would also become a target for nuclear attack because of the proposed base, wrote his book in opposition to U.S. involvement in Icelandic affairs. Not long afterward, Laxness was blacklisted in the United States.

His career, however, remained strong throughout the rest of the world, and for the rest of his life. He finished his last work in 1987, with his memoirs. Several of his stories were published after his death in 1998. His books have been translated into 43 languages.

Gljúfrasteinn, the former home of Halldor Laxness, was opened to the public as a museum in 2004. The house sits on the banks of the river Kaldakvísl, in Mosfellsbær, just a fifteen-minute drive from downtown Reykjavik. Preserved just as it was when Laxness lived and wrote there, the house is open for guided tours, and hosts summer concerts.

Ice and Fire Fuel Iceland’s Geothermal Future

Blog: IH
Status: Published
Author: Mike McLaren

Original Link: Iceland Geothermal IH

Headline:
Ice and Fire Fuel Iceland’s Geothermal Future

Intro:
Drilling three kilometers into the earth, Iceland gathers steam and hot water which are used to provide 90% of the country with clean, sustainable power.

Content:

Iceland is just that—a land of ice. Vatnajökull Icecap, in the southeast of Iceland, is one of the largest glaciers in Europe. But underneath all that crystalline water roils boiling rock. Iceland also steams, hisses, and flows with Vulcan’s power, specifically because the small island country straddles the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a tectonic landmark of Earth, where the North American and European plates tear apart at 2.5 cm (nearly 1 inch) a year. This tectonic activity causes seismic and volcanic activity, which makes Iceland one of the most volcanic and seismically active places on earth.

Still, there is ice, and there are 300,000 people who live in Iceland… and people need heat… and so the people of Iceland figured out a way to turn Vulcan’s power into useable energy.

Technically, the country of Iceland is a segment of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Everywhere you go, steam vents from fumaroles, mud bubbles upon the surface of the land, and geysers spew hot water and steam toward the sky. All of that activity equates to energy—what is called geothermal energy. Icelanders capture that energy by drilling 3 kilometers (nearly 2 miles) deep into the earth to find pockets of hot water and steam, which they harness as a power source.

In one of six geothermal stations in Iceland, the water and steam are separated. The steam is used to power turbines which turn big magnets, which in turn creates electricity—power that is transferred to cities, villages, and individual locations. This geothermal power provides more than half of Iceland’s energy needs.

The hot water is also used in pipes that run beneath the streets of the country’s bigger cities. The heat from the water keeps the streets clear of ice and snow. The hot water is also used to heat 90% of the homes in Iceland, and allows greenhouses to grow crops that might otherwise be available on if imported.

The Romans knew about steam power two millennia ago, and steam powered the world into the Industrial Age at the turn of the 20th century. Iceland, however, beginning in 1946, forged its way to become the world leader in the methods that make renewable steam power one of the cleanest and most sustainable sources of energy for the future.

From any of our Icelandair Hotels, you are not far away from a geothermal power station, which you can discover and tour. Our Icelandair Hotel in Keflavik is right next door to Blue Lagoon, the world famous spa which is a result of the adjacent geothermal plant. Our Reykjavik Natura and Reykjavik Marina hotels in downtown Reykjavik are just forty minutes from Blue Lagoon.

Surreal Power of Dettifoss Waterfall

Original Link: Dettifoss

Though only 100m wide, and just 45m high, Dettifoss currently reigns as the most powerful waterfall in Europe — 500 cubic meters (96,500 gallons) of water per second. The spray of the waterfall, visible a kilometer away in all directions, forms vibrant double rainbows across the river Jökulsá á Fjöllum, which flows through a black gorge of jagged, columnar basalt.

Dettifoss means, literally, “Waterfall,” though over the years it has collected other names, such as “The Beast” and “The Raging Waterfall.” It provided the open backdrop for Ridley Scot’s movie, Prometheus, and is the namesake of a musical piece, written by the Iceland composer, Jón Leifs.

Dettifoss cascades near the southern boundary of Jökulsárgljúfur National Park, the most precious gem of Northeast Iceland. Getting to Dettifoss is not difficult, but neither is it a quick stroll in the park. To reach the eastern 2WD car park, you’ll putter along at 15 kph (10 mph). It is prudent to check road conditions to ensure the route is passable for the time of year when you visit.

West access to the falls requires 4WD, and roughly a twenty-minute walk. Once there, your heart rate increases as you stand on the rim of a canyon, with no walkways, viewing pads, or guardrails. Be prepared to get wet from the spray. Nothing stands between you and the thundering water.

Twenty minutes upstream (south) of Dettifoss you’ll find Selfoss, a little sister just as impressive in her own right. Downstream (north), just 2 km, you’ll come upon Hafragilsfoss, another waterfall which plunges into the deepest part of Jökulsá canyon, and which cuts through the Randarhólar crater row, ridges of lava that have collected from the spatter of the volcanic fissure in the east wall of the canyon.

Jökulsárgljúfur National Park will astound you with its surreal beauty. From the cliffs of Ásbyrgi — where Óðinn’s horse stamped a huge footprint in the earth — to the echoing rocks of Hljóðaklettar, you won’t find it hard to imagine that you’ve left the Solar System on an adventure to another world in a different galaxy.

You can read about spectacular places, or look at pictures, but Icelandic Mountain Guides offers several tours through some of the most stunning, surreal landscape in Iceland, to give you first-hand experience to last a lifetime.

Check out our spectacular tours through northeast Iceland:

Ásbyrgi - Mývatn - IMG44

Sixty-three kilometers and four days in Iceland’s eerie, Jökulsárgljúfur National Park. You’ll get soaked at Dettifoss, and will experience lava fields, craters of the Krafla volcano, and the famous lake Mývatn. The tour will exhilarate you with the sensation that you’ve walked from pastoral fields to craters on the moon.

Mývatn-Askja - IMG45

During this five-day backpacking adventure, we’ll hike from Lake Mývatn to Askja, with its natural beauty, diverse flora and fauna, and landscape shaped by volcanic activity. The colors, the scenery, and the stunning changes in landscape will provide you with memories you won’t be able to forget.