We have a red day in Iceland tomorrow. Well some do, I have a glittery, purple, silvery, navy blue, dark-grey day.  more

The Norwegian government supports many of Iceland’s arguments in the case of the EFTA Surveillance Authority (ESA) against Iceland in the Icesave dispute, which is currently before the EFTA Court, in their written remarks to the court.  more

Click on the picture to watch an audio slideshow of the lambing season at Brimnes, a farm in the north of Iceland, in April 2008. Sheep farmer Arnar Gústafsson and his girlfriend Edda Björk take shifts watching over the nearly 300 ewes and helping them give birth 24/7 for about two months or until the last lamb is born. In Iceland, the arrival of lambs is synonymous with the arrival of summer. The lambing season is currently at its height.  more

Located just 40 minutes by car and six minutes from Keflavík International Airport, Sandgerdi (“Sandy Hedge”) is a growing town of 1,700 with a storied history and loads to see. Read this special promotion about the hidden secrets of one of Iceland's most charming seaside villages.  more

Shedding light on Iceland’s thousand-year history, as manifested in remains ranging from Viking graves to enchanted sites, Mannvist is a fundamental piece of writing. Ásta Andrésdóttir met with its author, archaeologist Birna Lárusdóttir.

Published in the 2012 spring issue of Iceland Review – IR 01.12. By Ásta Andrésdóttir. Portrait by Páll Stefánsson.

“My goal was to write a comprehensive and accessible book about Icelandic archaeological sites, which in my opinion was needed. The focus of the media and the general public tends to be on either particular pieces or some major discoveries bound to change our perception of the past, when there are so many smaller but just as important categories that never get the credit they deserve. Perhaps variety is the key concept behind it,” says archaeologist Birna Lárusdóttir of her book Mannvist (Opna, 2011) whose title can be translated as ‘traces of human activity’. Issued at the end of last year, this debut work has already earned critical acclaim and received a few prestigious awards. Moreover, a testimony to its accessible nature, it has been very well received by the general public. The book, which is filled with photographs and speaks in simple yet eloquent terms, is divided thematically into chapters. It deals with various aspects of the lives of Icelanders over the course of a millennium, from Viking graves to fishermen’s huts, milestones to man-made caves, outlaws’ hideouts to places of worship.

“What sets Iceland apart from elsewhere in Europe is how late the city system developed and we entered modernity. Up until the mid 20th century, people were still living in turf farms, just like they did during the Viking Age,” Birna replies when asked about the defining characteristics of Icelandic archaeological remains. She then tells the story of a Dane who came to Iceland around the year 1900. “Daniel Bruun was a major pioneer in archaeological research here. He was quite shocked and bewildered by what he saw. So instead of documenting only Viking remains as he had planned to, he decided to research and document what he saw; for example contemporary structures.”

Elves and Enchanted Sites

Interestingly, the book also explores even more intriguing territories, such as supernatural remains of a world beyond. These include spellbound sites, landmarks and other places related to customs, folk belief and folklore. This is a varied field, including trolls that have turned into stone, places where monsters have been spotted, and sites which people believed to have sacred powers, for example Gvendarbrunnar Springs, which according to legend were blessed by medieval bishop Guðmundur góði. This can even apply to entire mountains, such as Helgafell on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula, which is first cited as having supernatural powers in Eyrbyggja Saga, dating back to the 13th century.

You can read the remainder of this article in the 2012 spring issue of Iceland Review – IR 01.12. Four times a year the print edition of Iceland Review & Atlantica brings you a wealth of articles on all aspects of life in Iceland including Páll Stefánsson's latest images of the country's majestic landscape. Click here to subscribe. Click here to browse through a selection of pages from the current issue.

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Shedding light on Iceland’s thousand-year history, as manifested in remains ranging from Viking graves to enchanted sites, Mannvist is a fundamental piece of writing. Ásta Andrésdóttir met with its author, archaeologist Birna Lárusdóttir.  more

Two more gigantic aluminum smelters using green and clean energy produced in Iceland. Is that the best choice we have to secure the future economy of the Republic of Iceland? Or shall we protect the valuable and venerable Icelandic nature for future generations?  more

Starting with the mega-success of CCP’s Eve Online, the Icelandic gaming industry has been steadily growing. Whether a children’s game, legal gambling software or a device that can read your mind, the vision of the people in this burgeoning industry is bound to shape our future.  more

Amiina’s sound is intimate and rife with mellifluous dialogue. Though lyrics are few and far between, that’s not to say Amiina's new album Kurr doesn’t strike a chord with its listeners. On the contrary, it resonates in the most unexpected of ways.  more

Click on the picture to watch an audio slideshow of the lambing season at Brimnes, a farm in the north of Iceland, in April 2008. Sheep farmer Arnar Gústafsson and his girlfriend Edda Björk take shifts watching over the nearly 300 ewes and helping them give birth 24/7 for about two months or until the last lamb is born. In Iceland, the arrival of lambs is synonymous with the arrival of summer. The lambing season is currently at its height.  more

The current issue of the quarterly magazine Iceland Review includes interviews with fashion photographer Saga Sig and conceptual artist Rúrí. Also, we take you to Grímsstaðir á Fjöllum, that desolate land coveted by a Chinese tycoon, and also explore Icelandic archeological remains. We discuss the Icelandic Church, the flourishing gaming industry, debate the future of Iceland’s energy resources and interview the president of the Icelandic National League of North America. Subscribe now and receive a free photo book by IR’s editor Páll Stefánsson of the Eyjafjallajökull eruptions. Click here to subscribe to the magazine and here to buy a gift subscription.  more

The Reykjavík Shorts&Docs was held in Reykjavík from May 6 to 9 in Bíó Paradís, and what an enriching experience it was to attend the festival.  more

“The House Project” currently on display in Hafnarborg, the Hafnarfjörður Centre of Culture and Fine Art, is a new artwork by Hreinn Friðfinnsson consisting of a photography series of the three houses. His work is described as “a poetic and philosophical exploration of every day human experience.”  more