A section of the saga Eyrbyggja set in the year that Christianity became law in Iceland tell of supernatural occurrences that in many way reflect the old ways are moving out while the new ways are coming in.
Author: Óli Gneisti Sóleyjarson
Coal Bottom Poker Riding
A typical wonder tale with a few Icelandic motifs. But the story has ingrained itself into Icelandic culture. The Icelandic band Bellatrix was originally named “Kolrassa Krókríðandi” because of this story. Another band, Þursaflokkurinn, had a song “Í g…
Blue is the Old Black
I chatted remotely with my friend Dr. Arngrímur Vídalín about his research and writings on “Blámenn”. In the sagas and folklore there are characters called “Blámenn” who represent the strange ideas that Icelanders of yore had about black and brown people.
The Ghost of the Scorned Woman
One of the most famous ghost story in Iceland is based on real life events that occurred less than a century before the tale was published. We have the tale but also more grounded accounts. Though the story is quite short it does reveal much about Icel…
Was Murdered
Many years ago I found an enigmatic reference to a murder in my family. No-one had mentioned it to me and no-one seemed to know about it. So I investigated it and tried to sort through fact and fiction.
Eurovision, Will Ferrell and Iceland
Every year Icelanders gather round the television, often hold parties and watch their country lose in the Eurovision song contest. This year Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams make fun of this in a movie about a fictional band trying to win Eurovision. I…
2020 Presidential Election
There is an election today in Iceland. It is not really interesting but I decided to make a short video. It will also end up in the podcast feed but the video is better.
The Boy Who Didn’t Know What Fear Was
A folk tale about a boy who experiences magic, violence and ghosts while being never being afraid.
Sagas and Eddas
The words Saga and Edda are used quite regularly while discussion Iceland’s heritage. This is a very brief introduction.
The Brothers of Bakki
Everyplace has stories of fools. In Iceland those are Gísli, Eiríkur and Helgi.
Iceland in 1918
On December 1st 1918 a new political entity was established – The Kingdom of Iceland. But a virus had just swept through the capital and the country was on lock-down. There was also a volcanic eruption in Katla. So, it was a hard year.
The Naked Seal Clubber
Sæmundur “the learned” Sigfússon was a teacher, scholar, and writer but in folklore he became something else.
V-Stríðin [V-Wars S01]
Eru þjóðfræðingar eða læknar betri í slagnum við vampírur? Er vampírur yfirnáttúrulegar eða afrakstur þróunar? Eru þær kannski bara með riðuveiki?
Stráklingarnir [The Boys S01]
Óli Gneisti ræðir við Hauk Ísleifsson um The Boys. Hve góðir eru þættirnir miðað við teiknimyndasögurnar? Hverju er breytt?
Endurkoma skipstjórans – Við fyrstu sýn [Picard S01E01-E02]
Óli og Alexandra spjalla um Star Trek almennt og Picard sérstaklega. Hvað þarftu að vera búin að sjá fyrst?
Best í Brooklyn [Brooklyn Nine Nine S01-S06]
Óli Gneisti ræðir við Siggeir Ævarsson um gamanþáttinn Brooklyn Nine Nine.
Hver horfir á Vaktmennina?
Óli Gneisti ræðir við Kristján Lindberg um Watchmen. Hvernig standast þættirnir samanburðinn við teiknimyndasöguna? Er þetta skárra en kvikmyndin? Gengur þetta upp? Á meðan spjallið átti sér stað tilkynnti HBO að það yrðu ekki gerðir fleiri þættir….
A Trollish Yuletide Tale
It is a liminal period and all sorts of creature make their presence known.
Jólasamanburðarfræði [Community S01E12]
Gunnsteinn Þór kemur í heimsókn og spjallar við pabba sinn um jólaþátt úr fyrstu seríu af Community. Má slást um jólin? En í júlí? Hver á jólin?
Jólabeltisdýrið fljúgandi [Friends S07E10]
Siggeir Ævarsson kom í heimsókn og spjallaði um jólaþáttinn The One With The Holiday Armadillo.
Endur fyrir löngu [DuckTales 2017 S01-S02]
Óli Gneisti ræðir við Kristján Lindberg Björnsson um DuckTales (Sögur úr Andabæ). Þeir setja þættina í samhengi við eldri útgáfuna (1987-1990) en þó sérstaklega við Andrésblöðin. Var yfirhöfuð þörf á því að endurhlaða þessa þætti?…
Myrkraefnin hans – Við fyrstu sýn [His Dark Materials]
Óli ræðir við Sigurstein J. Gunnarsson um fyrstu tvo þættina af His Dark Materials. Þeir eru báðir aðdáendur bókanna en eiga það sameiginlegt að vera minna hrifnir af myndinni The Golden Compass (2007) – allavega í samanburði við þættina….
Where in the World is Iceland?
Iceland is in the North-Atlantic but where does it fit into the world around it?
Ríkharður og Marteinn [Rick & Morty s01-03]
Óli Gneisti fékk Rakel Ósk Þorgeirsdóttur í heimsókn til að ræða um Rick & Morty af því tilefni að ný sería af þáttunum er væntanleg. Umræðan fór um víðan völl.
Glóandi Glímudrottningar [GLOW s01-s03]
Í þessum þætti kemur dr. Íris Ellenberger og ræðir við Óla Gneista um Netflix þættina GLOW. Þau spjalla m.a. um hvernig þáttunum tekst að fjalla um vandamál og skugga níunda áratugarins, alnæmi, fordóma gegn samkynhneigðum, fráleitum staðalmyndum og kú…
Óður Íri og aðrar andhetjur [American Gods S02]
Í þessum þætti ræða Óli og Haukur um aðra seríu American Gods. Þeir eru ekki alveg sammála um gæði hennar en hafa nóg að segja.
Óðinn í Vesturheimi [American Gods s01]
American Gods eru sjónvarpsþættir byggðir á samnefndri skáldsögu eftir Neil Gaiman. Í þessum þætti ræðir Óli við Hauk Ísleifsson um fyrstu þáttaröðina. Saman setja þeir þættina bæði í samhengi við bókina og goðafræðina sem liggur að baki….
Nýgræðingar [Scrubs]
Í þessum þætti ræðir Óli Gneisti við Alexöndru Briem um þættina Scrubs sem voru framleiddir á árunum 2001-2010.
Botninn – Kynning
Botninn er nýr hlaðvarpsþáttur sem fjallar um menningarneyslu af ýmsu tagi með sterka áherslu á sjónvarpsefni.
The Tale Heard Around The World
Tales travel around the world. Here is a story you might have heard before but not like you’ve heard it before.
The Berserker of Butter-Hill
My great great grandfather was a simple and poor man who tried to do his duty while facing overwhelming odds.
Sledgehammer Judgements from an English Poet
In 1936 the British poets W.H. Auden and Louis MacNeice traveled around Iceland and wrote this rather odd book. In this episode I talk about their impressions of Iceland and Icelanders and shed a little light on how the people of Iceland view their writings.
Let’s Talk About Elves, Baby
Just to start with, that is not a house for elves. It is just a model house.
This episode was inspired by a “fact” from the British panel show QI. Here I talk about believe in the elves in Iceland, misconceptions about those beliefs and I also tell two folk tales about the origin of the elves.
Goldie Locks and Beardie
The tale of Goldie and Beardie is about the early settlement and Christianization of Iceland.
The Tourism Boom in Post-Crash Iceland
After the Crash of 2008, Iceland began to rely heavily on tourism.
Iceland’s Only Serial Killer
In 1596 Björn Pétursson was executed for murder. In the following centuries a legend formed, mixing folklore and fact. This is the story of Iceland’s only serial killer.
The Smartest People In The World
In a short episode, Óli triest to answer a question from a supporter. What do Icelanders think of Leifur Eiríksson and his discovery of Iceland in the year 1000.
A Mazing Tale
The Banking Crisis of 2008-2009 is usually called “The Crash” in Iceland. Every Icelander was touched and this is my story.
Queen of Elves
According to folklore, the Icelandic elves were always dangerous but Yuletide was an especially dangerous period when the veil between worlds became thin.
The Hornless Cow and The Carl’s Son
Búkolla is one of the most famous Iceland folk-tales. It is reimagined almost every year in books, songs and art. In this episode you will hear the story and get a little context as well.
Whose People Are You?
Icelanders are obsessed with genealogy. In this episode this gets traced back a thousand years. The connection we have to the settlers, foreign royalty and what the records don’t say.
Gable Mountain Farm
In Vopnafjörður there is a farm called Bustarfell which has long history and is connected to many stories.
Where is Haukur?
The story of Haukur Hilmarsson, an Icelandic activist who tried to save Icelandic nature, asylums seekers and the Kurdish people.
The Icelandic Sport Saga
As the Icelandic men’s football team starts its first game ever at the World Cup it is fitting to look back in time at the sports of Iceland, from the sagas to the vikingclap.
Special Video Episode (Free)
A special free video episode on www.patreon.com/storiesoficeland
Ragnar Furry Pants and the Sagas
Ragnar Loðbrók (furry pants) is one of the most famous heroes of Icelandic literature. Today he is more famous as the lead character of the television series Vikings but here is the original story.
The Deacon of Dark-River (Folktale Special)
A episode devoted to the folktale The Deacon of Dark-River – including a reading of the tale.
What’s in an Icelandic Name
The patronymic naming system used in Iceland is rather perplexing and we have unusual laws dealing with both first names and last names.
Hear, Smith of Heavens
An old poem serves as an introduction to the most violent age of Icelandic history.
Yule – Not Christmas
Iceland has thirteen Yule-Lads, a cat which eats children, strange songs and a long colorful history of celebrating Jól.
The Thing About Þings
A word you hear again and again in Iceland is þing but what does it really mean and what is its history? We take a journey through the ages of Iceland to figure it out.
Smoke by the Water
This is the story of Reykjavík but also about how Iceland was discovered.
Troublemaker Valley
In the north of Iceland there is Valley called Svarfaðardalur. It has long history, beautiful scenery and great stories. From the ghosts of the Sagas to the impoverished children of the early twentieth centuries.