Of all the Scandinavian languages Icelandic remains closest to the Old Norse spoken by Vikings and other early Scandinavians.

Written Icelandic has changed little since the 13th century. This means that speakers of modern Icelandic may be able to read the sagas and Eddas penned over 800 years ago with some ease. However, Icelandic pronunciation changed significantly between the 12th and 16th centuries, particularly in the vowels. 

Despite centuries of Danish rule over the island Icelandic was not greatly influenced by the Danish language, despite efforts to impose it as the official language. This may be due, in part, to the relative isolation of the island, but also due to an active effort by Icelanders to preserve the purity of their language. Today, loan words from other languages have been almost completely eradicated from Icelandic. 

Norse mythology’s picture of the afterlife separates the dead into two realms depending upon the manner of their death. The spirits of those who died valiantly in battle ascended to Valhalla, the great mead hall of the gods in Asgard. Those who died of old age or sickness spent their afterlife in Helheim, a realm within Niflheim ruled over by the goddess Hel, from whom the realm gets its name. Hel is also said to be a daughter of Loki.

[Picture: The goddess Hel accompanied by a hound.]

The oldest printed map of Iceland; published for the first time in 1528 in Venice.

White Dryas (also called Mountain Avens) was adopted as the national flower of Iceland in 2005 after a nationwide poll.

Snorri Sturluson was an Icelandic historian, poet and politician who lived in the 12th and 13th centuries. From him comes the majority of written history of Iceland and Norway in the 10th and 11th centuries as well as much of what we know about Norse Mythology.

Snorri authored the Prose Edda, Skáldskaparmál, Háttatal, Heimskringla, and Egil’s Saga. Without these writings we would know very little about the views and thoughts of Icelanders at these times, or really of Germanic peoples in general. 

Recent archaeological excavation of Viking Age graves in northeast Iceland may suggest that human sacrifice was practiced during pagan times.

The site lays within the valley Þegjandadalur and consists of an L-shaped turf wall believed to have been constructed before Christianity spread to Iceland in 1000CE. Within the wall were discovered pieces of human skull, the jawbone of a cat, and various other animal parts. The remains of a newborn baby were discovered in a grave beside the wall. 

Archaeologists from the site cannot confirm whether this is proof of human sacrifice, but the practice of putting sacrificial remains, including those of newborn infants, inside walls was practiced by other pagan cultures. Little is known about these practices in Iceland.

Although listed separately by Icelandic historian Snorri Sturluson, the Norse goddesses Vár and Vör are believed by most scholars to be one and the same. Vár is the goddess of contracts and marriages, while Vör is said that she is so wise that nothing can be hidden from her.

Vigdís Finnbogadóttir was Iceland’s fourth president, serving four consecutive terms from 1980-1996. She was the first female president in Europe, as well as the first female democratically elected president in the world.

There is no such thing as a female viking. The Old Norse term vikingar applied exclusively to men who sailed from Scandinavia for the purpose of raiding or trading. Women usually only sailed for the purpose of establishing new colonies in distant lands; for settlement.

Women in Viking Age society were in charge of the household, and in charge of making certain that food lasted through the winter. When the men were away raiding and trading, women were in charge of the farm. Although women were bound to house and family, they held a great deal of influence in society, often having full control over the distribution of food and clothing. 

There is little evidence that female warriors, valkyrie, ever existed outside of mythology. Though women were trained in swordsmanship in order to defend their homes.

Further Information

In the 14th century the Black Death spread to northern Europe. 

The plague hit Denmark first and spread to Norway, Sweden and Finland. From there it was transmitted to settlements in Iceland and Greenland. Between 45-55% of the population in Scandinavia was killed. The Greenlandic settlements were completely wiped out.

Since its independence in 1944 Iceland’s economy has been largely dependent on the fishing industry. During the 1950’s-1970’s England contested Iceland’s control of the fishing grounds. These conflicts became known as the Cod Wars.

Three separate wars were fought as Iceland expanded their exclusive fishery zone from 4nmi to 12nmi, then to 50nmi in 1972, and then to 200nmi in 1975. During these conflicts Icelandic fishing boats were escorted by Coast Guard vessels equipped with net cutters.

The conflict ended in 1976 after Iceland threatened to close a major NATO base and the British government conceded, agreeing not to fish within the previously contested 200nmi zone.

A vǫlva or völva is a shamanic seeress in Norse mythology.

Völva were practitioners of shamanis, sorcery, and witchcraft. They were held in high esteem for their abilities and their wisdom. Even the gods came to the völva for fortune telling and council. The term völva means “wand carrier” or “staff carrier”, and they used magic wands or staffs to aid in their magic.

Völva also existed outside of mythology. In Viking society a völva was an elderly woman released from familial bonds who wandered the land and was summoned in times of crisis to provide wisdom and aid, but now without charging for these services.

While völva were highly respected, men who practiced sorcery or witchcraft were shunned and often tortured and murdered for their transgressions.

The Icelandic horse is a unique breed of horse developed from the ponies brought over by Scandinavian settlers in the 9th and 10th centuries. The breed has two unique gaits, the tölt and the skeið, flugskeið, or “flying pace”.

All of the Nordic countries and their associated territories have adopted a Nordic cross flag (except Greenland).

The first incarnation of this design was the Danish Danneborg, with the earliest undisputed appearance between 1340-1370. When Sweden declared independence from the Kalmar Union it adopted a flag of the same style with the blue and gold coloring from its national coat of arms. Norway had the first Nordic cross flag to feature three colors, designed in 1821 but not officially adopted until 1844.

During the Viking Age, Viking explorers traveled over the entire north Atlantic. They reached as far south as northern Africa, as far east as Russia and Constantinople, and as far west as North America. 

The motivations behind such aggressive expansion are unknown. Some theorize that the Vikings had outgrown their traditional territories, or that they were seeking revenge for forced Christianization of other Pagans, or that they were simply exploiting the weaknesses of surrounding regions.