Tag: Culture

Björk was Iceland’s first celebrity to truly achieve overseas fame. However, Björk Guðmundsdóttir, as she is called by her full name, is by every definition, an icon of the Icelandic culture scene. In her unique, quirky, and unapologetic way she has charmed the world and she is nowhere close to retiring. 

The short version of her life and career is captured in this video, but stick around if you want some deeper knowledge!

• See the nature that inspired Björk on an Iceland adventure trip.

Björk, the early years

Björk was born on 21 November 1964 in the capital of Iceland, Reykjavík. Her parents, Guðmundur (union leader and electrician) and Hildur Rúna (activist) divorced early in her life and she went on to live with her mother in a commune.

Her stepfather was a guitarist in a band called Pops, so music was surely a part of her upbringing. At the age of six, Björk was enrolled in a music school for children where she studied classical piano and the flute thus marking the beginning of her music career.

Where it all began

At one of the school’s recitals, Björk was recorded singing by her teacher. Luckily, this teacher then sent in the tape to the leading radio station in Iceland. So, the recording of Björk singing was broadcast nationally.

Eventually, she landed a recording contract which led to her self-titled début album Björk. The album was recorded when she was 11, but released in December 1977. Björk contained famous Icelandic children songs sung by Björk. 

Björk, the teen

From lighthearted children’s music, the ever so cool 14-year-old Björk formed an all-girl punk band, called (in English) Spit and Snot. And, the following year she would not only start a new band, this time a jazz fusion group called Exodus, but also graduate from music school. 

In 1982, Björk and bassist Jakob Magnússon formed the group Tappi Tíkarrass which roughly translates in English to ‘Cork Bitch’s Ass’ – never a dull moment in linguistics. 

The group was later featured in the documentary Rock in Reykjavík, where a famous photo of Björk in a yellow dress was used for the cover. Fun Fact: You can actually find this cover sold as a poster in many of the local tourist and book shops downtown! 

Björk, the young adult

Rokka Rokka Drum was the next group that Björk formed. This was the first time Björk had worked with poet Sjón, whom she had long known and shared a close friendship. Around the same time, she met guitarist Þór Eldon, who she would later date and who fathered her son.  

It was right around this time that Björk started to develop the vocalization she is still known for today: the howls and high-pitched shrieks.

But where did her signature sound come from? A radio show in Iceland called Áfangar was suddenly cancelled. To celebrate the end of the show with a bang, a few artists were asked to play the final live show.

Björk, Einar Melax, Einar Örn Benediktsson, Sigtryggur Baldursson, Guðlaugur Óttarsson, and Birgir Mogensen played the gig. Together, on this night, they developed a gothic rock sound. They played so well together, they decided to continue playing together as a group using the name Kukl (meaning sorcery in Icelandic).

Kukl, the band

Kukl released their first single in 1983, followed by a performance a music festival in Iceland headlined by the English anarchist punk band Crass. The headlining band loved Kukl’s act and their record label, Crass Records offered the band a record deal.

Furthermore, the following year the album The Eye was released leading to a 2-month tour around Europe where Kukl performed at the famous Roskilde festival in Denmark, becoming the first Icelandic band ever to play that gig. 

The following year, Björk discovered she was pregnant. She continued touring, but the band eventually split up. Subsequently, Björk and Þór Eldon got married in 1986 and welcomed their son Sindri into the world a little later. 

The Sugarcubes

In the summer of 1986, Einar Örn and Björk’s then-husband Þór Eldon formed the art collective Smekkleysa or ‘Bad Taste’ as it was called in English. The plan for it was to be both a record label and a book publishing company and old friends came in to take part.

As time went by, the Kukl band was half-reestablished and they started playing again. At one of their earlier performances the band, however, started referring to themselves as the Sugarcubes or Sykurmolarnir in Icelandic and it stuck. That was to become the beginning of something big!

On a personal level, Björk and Þór had divorced but kept working together. 

The Sugarcubes go abroad

On Björk’s 21st birthday, they released their first 2songs and by the end of that year they were already signed. They translated one of their first singles, Afmæli, and on 17 August 1987 it was released in the UK under the name Birthday. The following week it would win single of the week by Melody Maker. By 1988, the Sugarcubes were signed in the US and their they recorded their first album Life’s Too Good. 

The album sold well and the Sugarcubes toured North America and received tons of positive feedback. The band even went on to appear on Saturday Night Live.

Sadly their following album Here Today, Tomorrow Next Week didn’t turn out to be as successful and Björk started working on her solo stuff. She had by this time decided to leave the band but was bound by contract to finish the third album and follow it up with a tour.

She held her end of the deal and Stick Around for Joy came out in 1992. Although not long-lived, Rolling Stone called the Sugarcubes the biggest rock band to emerge from Iceland. 

Björk goes solo

Some of Björk’s first solo work was for Sódóma Reykjavík which would later prove to be somewhat of an Icelandic cult movie. She was featured on 2 songs on the soundtrack.

She also took on some background vocals, but one of her best-selling albums in Iceland is still a jazz collective album she collaborated on with Tríó Guðmundar Ingólfssonar called Gling-Gló.

However, around this time Björk’s interest in house music also came about when she contributed vocals on the 808 State’s album Ex:el. In the same year, she met harp player Corky Hale whim whom a recording session would spark her future album Debut. 

Björk moves to London

In 1993, she began working with producer Nellee Hooper who was, amongst others, famous for producing Massive Attack. Their collaboration birthed Björk’s first international solo hit Human Behaviour. It didn’t receive loads of radio time but it did gain a lot of airtime, especially on MTV. 

The video was directed by Michel Gondry and they were to work a lot together in the following years. 

Björk’s first solo album

Björk’s first solo album Debut came out in June 1993 and was named Album of the Year by NME, eventually going platinum in the US. The album had some personal songs for Björk, many of which she has written as a teenager. It varied greatly in instrumentation yet maintained a dancy rhythm throughout.

Tracks include:

• ‘Venus as a Boy’
• ‘Like Someone in Love’
• ‘The Anchor Song’

Björk, the award-winning artist

The following year, Björk was greatly awarded at the Brit Awards, winning Best International Female and the Best International Newcomer. Her acknowledgment led to some seriously high-profile collaborations. She worked with David Arnold on the song ‘Play Dead’ for the film The Young Americans and later appeared on tracks for Plain before co-writing the song ‘Bedtime Story’ for none other than Madonna! 

Björk’s next album was released in June 1995 and was called Post. She collaborated with some new artists for this project, which you can see in some of the work as trip-hop and electric sounds start to show on tracks like ‘Possibly Maybe’ and ‘Enjoy’. This is said to have been influenced by Howie B, Tricky, and her old friend Graham Massey.  

The album was a total hit, landing a place on any top album list during that time. Reaching its height in 2003, when the album was ranked at 373 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. Not too shabby! 

Perhaps, the most famous song on Post. 

1997 and onwards

Björk’s next album Homogenic was released in 1997. This album marked a noticeable shift in style and never before had she been this personal, emotional, and experimental, which many would still say was her style. Some of the beats on the album are thought to reflect the landscape of Björk’s home country Iceland very visible in the song ‘Jóga’. 

The album reached gold in the US in 2001. And contained songs like:

• ‘Bachelorette’
• ‘All Is Full of Love’ (first music video ever to be released on DVD)

The musical trial

In 1999 Björk, was accepted to write and produce the score the musical-film Dancer in the Dark. The film was directed by Lars Von Trier who after a lot of effort, managed to convince Björk to take on the leading role of Selma. The film debuted on the 53rd Cannes Film Festival and received the Palme d’Or with Björk receiving the best Actress Award for her role. She was later quoted as saying this would be her only musical she would ever do. 

The soundtrack, however, went even further and was released with the title Selmasongs. One of the songs on the album ‘I’ve Seen It All,’ which was a duet with Radiohead’s Thom Yorke, went on to be nominated for an Academy Award and was performed at the 2001 Oscars. This is when Björk famously showed up wearing her legendary, Marjan Pejoski’s Swan Dress.

Björk in the early 2000s

In 2001, Björk released yet another album, her fastest-selling album to date, selling 2 million copies in one year. The album is called Vespertine.

This was her biggest project yet, bringing in artists from a wide spectrum and needing acoustics at the highest level for her subsequent shows. The album featured chamber orchestras, hushed vocals, harpists, DJs, choirs, household-made micro beats, and personal, vulnerable themes.

The album consisted of songs such as:

• ‘Hidden Place’
• ‘Pagan Poetry’
• ‘Cocoon’

During the tour of the album, Björk was accompanied by Matmos, Parkins, and perhaps, most surprisingly, an Inuit choir, who she had traveled to Greenland to audition. 

In 2002, the CD box set Family Tree was released. It consists of selected rare material which had never-seen-before compositions, including her work with the Brodsky Quartet.

Alongside it she also released a greatest hits album. Those songs were carefully chosen through a fan pool on Björk’s website and a DVD collection of all her solo music videos!.

In late 2002, Björk gave birth to daughter Ísadóra Bjarkardottir Barney. She is the daughter of Björk and Matthew Barney an American contemporary artist and director. They were together from 2000–2013.

Medúlla

In 2004, the Medúlla album was released. Björk originally intended the album to be completely vocal-based album, working with artists like throat singer Tanya Tagaq, beatboxer Rahzel, beatboxer Dokaka, avant-rocker Mike Patton, Robert Wyatt, and several choirs, but eventually led instruments into the production. The album received a Grammy nomination.

Later that year, Björk performed ‘Oceania’, specially written for the occasion at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. As she sang, her dress slowly started spreading out revealing a 10,000 sq foot map of the world. The map then blew over all the athletes competing creating a magical moment at the opening ceremony. 

Songs to appear in the following months were, ‘Triumph of a Heart’ and ‘Where Is the Line’.

2005 to 2010

In 2005, Björk and then-partner Matthew Barney collaborated on an experimental film. This was Björk’s second film at the time, called Drawing Restraint 9.

Through the film they explored Japanese culture and in the film the couple turn into whales. Björk also did the film’s soundtrack. T

his was quite the film year for Björk but she additionally appeared in the documentary Screaming Masterpiece, which delves into the Icelandic music scene. In it clips of the Sugarcubes, Tappi Tíkarrass, and interviews with Björk are displayed. 

Right around this time, Björk was, for the second time, the winner of the Best International Female Solo Artist at the Brit Awards. She was also awarded the Inspiration Award at the Annual Q Magazine Awards, an honor which she accepted from Robert Wyatt, who she had collaborated on Medúlla with.

Volta

In 2007, Björk released Volta, a full-length studio album ranging the whole spectrum. It consisted of inputs from artist like hop hip produced and ‘The Way I Are’ star, Timbaland, singer Anohni, poet Sjón (with her in the Sugarcubes), kora master Toumani Diabaté, electro beat programmer Mark Bell, an all-female Icelandic choir, and pipe player Min Xiaofen. Volta was Björk’s first album to reach the top 10 in the US, but also reached number 3 in France and 7 in the UK. 

Some of the best recognized songs from the album:

• ‘Earth Intruders’
• ‘Innocence’
• ‘Declare Independence’
• ‘Wanderlust’
• ‘The Dull Flame of Desire’

The next release we saw from Björk was quite the original one. It was announced by an eBay auction. It was a new track named Náttúra (‘Nature’) and was intended to ‘encourage active support for a more environmental approach to Iceland’s natural resources’, reflecting Björk’s longstanding environmental activism. 

Björk from 2010

In June 2010, Björk, in collaboration with Dirty Projectors, announced that they would be creating a joint EP, called Mount Wittenberg Orca, intended to raise money and awareness for marine conservation. Later that year she released ‘Comet Song’ which featured on the Moomins and the Comet Chase soundtrack.

The same year Björk collaborated with fellow Icelander Ólöf Arnalds on a song called ‘Surrender’.

On 7 December 2010, she released a song called ‘Trance’, which she had been keeping for some time. It was also a backing track of a short film made by artist Nick Knight, titled ‘To Lee, with Love’, as a tribute to McQueen. Björk collaborated with him on multiple occasions.

Biophilia

In 2011, Björk released Biophilia and managed to surprise everyone with her originality and creativeness. The album was much more than just an album but it combined music with technological innovation and themes of both nature and science.

It was the world’s first app album and each song had its own app to be downloaded. In 2014, they were made permanent in the MoMA in New York. 

The project also entailed an educational collaborations with specialized workshops for school children aged 10–12, bringing together music and science. The program was eventually bought by the Reykjavík City Board of Education to all schools in the city over the following three years.

Biophilia toured for 2 years and included songs such as: 

• ‘Crystalline’
• ‘Cosmogony’
• ‘Virus’
• ‘Moon’

In 2013, Björk was featured alongside Sir David Attenborough in a Channel 4 documentary called when Björk met David Attenborough. They discussed the human relationship with music putting the main focus on Biophilia. 

Björk now

The next album to come from Björk was Vulnicura, made in workmanship with Arca and Haxan Cloak. This was Björk’s ninth album.

Tragically, the supposed full version of the album leaked 2 months before only days after being announced. In an effort to salvage the loss in sales and publicity, and to make sure the fans got the proper quality version, it was made available worldwide on iTunes. 

This invasion was probably even more personal since the album was Björk’s chronicle of her break-up with Matthew Barney. 

• ‘Black Lake’
• ‘Mouth Mantra’
• ‘Stonemilker’

Björk at MoMA

In 2015, New York’s Museum of Modern Art hosted an exhibition covering Björk’s career from Debut to Biophilia. Although this hadn’t been previously announced, some parts of Vulnicura were included.  

On 2 October 2015, Vulnicura Strings was announced. The album was an acoustic version of the previous hit record. It featured additional string arrangements plus the viola organista, a unique string instrument played on a keyboard designed by Leonardo da Vinci.

Moreover, only a week later the live version was announced on a double CD/LP set, but that it would be sold exclusively through Rough Trade record shops. It sold out in five days. Each format is limited to 1,000 copies each, making it one of the rarest physical releases of her recent career. 

Vulnicura went on to be nominated for a Grammy Award. 

Björk Digital

In June 2016, Björk opened the Björk Digital virtual reality exhibition in Sydney, Australia. The exhibition showcases all the virtual reality videos completed for Vulnicura so far. It was also the world premiere of Notget.

Björk made the exhibition into immersive visual worlds using 360-degree cameras, drones, and 3D printing. Subsequently, this is also around the same time she started using custom-made masks more. Here‘s a fantastic video with the mask-maker James Merry.

She DJed the opening night in Sydney, returning in Tokyo for the same show. During her time in Tokyo, Björk made world history by featuring in the first-ever virtual reality live stream via YouTube. 

Additionally, Björk gave a live performance of the Vulnicura song ‘Quicksand’, with the footage being incorporated into the ‘Quicksand’ VR experience.

Björk Digital has traveled around the world, making stops in London, Montreal, Barcelona, Los Angeles, and Houston.

Björk the activist

In 201,7 Björk once again used her music to put the focus on important issues when she announced a special box set of 7 records would be launched to support Planned Parenthood.

It featured a wide range of musicians, visual artists, comedians, and authors, all of whom have contributed new, previously unreleased or rare material. 

Utopia

In 2017, Utopia hit the market again working with Acra on its production. Funnily, Björk has described it as her Tinder (dating app) album, alluding that the one before was her heartbreak album. By the same token, the album was completely different from any other. Decorated with flutists and Björk even playing the flute herself.

The album was nominated for the Best Alternative Music Album, making it Björk’s fifteenth nomination for the Grammys. 

Songs from the album include. 

• ‘The Gate’
• ‘Blissing Me’
• ‘Arisen My Senses’
• ‘Utopia’

In 2018, Björk announced a new project, Cornucopia, which opened in May 2019 at the Shed. It is Björk’s most elaborate stage concert to date. 

Things you might not know about Björk

• Björk was actually a child star in Iceland.
• By the age of 12, she has already debuted her first album.
• The name Björk is Icelandic and means ’birch’, like the tree. 
• Björk is a mother of two, son Sindri and daughter Ísadóra. 
• In 1996, an obsessed fan, Richardo López, attempted to kill Björk, mailing her a letter bomb.
• In 2000, Björk was nominated for an Oscar for her song ‘I’ve Seen It All’.
• Björk was the first to release music videos on DVD.
• Björk released the first app-album.
• The video for the song ‘Pagan Poetry’ was banned on MTV as it shows graphic piercings, Björk‘s exposed nipples, and even a scene simulating fellatio. However in 2002, it was aired unedited as part of a late-night special on MTV2 titled, ‘Most Controversial Music Videos’.
• Björk was invited to record the famous ‘Gollum‘s Song’ for the film The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. However, she declined the invitation as Björk was by then pregnant with Ísadóra. The song was instead recorded by another Icelandic artist, Emilíana Torrini.
• Björk performed her version of the song ‘Gloomy Sunday’ at Alexander McQueen’s memorial service in London.

Iceland is famous for its incredible statistics. Especially when it comes to literature. One out of ten Icelanders will publish a book in their lifetime and on average an Icelander will read 2.3 books a month!

This makes Iceland the world record holder for both book publications as well as books read per person a year. 

• Browse Reykjavík’s bookstores on a multi-day trip to Iceland.

The great Icelandic writing tradition reaches back to the 13th century. This is when Icelanders began telling tales of the Viking age. Since then this custom has only grown stronger.

Icelandic writers take on almost every genre. From modern sagas to poetry, from kid’s books and sci-fi to erotic fiction, but by far the biggest of them all is crime writing.

The dark Icelandic winter nights leave a lot to the imagination and have sparked many lore and fantastic thrillers. It’s no wonder Icelandic crime writers are dropping one bestseller after another. 

In recent times, audiobooks have also gained a lot more popularity in Iceland, like most places and thankfully the market has responded. Storytel is the Icelandic Audible: very user-friendly and comprehensive. 

6 Icelandic authors you need to know about

1. Arnaldur Indriðason

Arnaldur was born on 28 January 1961 in Reykjavík. He finished a BA degree in history at the University of Iceland and later became a journalist.

He published his first book in 1997 and is today is one of Iceland’s best known and most widely translated authors. Arnaldur is exceptionally productive, but he has published at least one book a year since his first one in 1997! 

Arnaldur’s books have been made into movies, the best known being Jar City from 2006. Many of his books feature protagonist detective Erlendur. Many Icelanders anxiously await a new book from Arnaldur each year.

But as many know from viral posts on Facebook, Christmas is when the jólabókaflóðið or ‘Christmas book flood’ takes place, when all the local authors publish their books. The timing of the publishing schedule could not be more perfect for holiday gift giving and cozying up with a new book during the holidays.

2. Yrsa Sigurðardóttir

Yrsa was born on 24 August 1963 in Reykjavík. She finished a BS degree in engineering in 1988 and later a master’s degree in engineering from Concordia University in Canada.

A year after finishing her masters, Yrsa published her first book. This might surprise those who recognize Yrsa today, but her first book was actually a children’s book. It was called Þar lágu Danir í því, and was published in 1998.

The book was later followed by a few more in the children’s genre. They were well received and up until 2005, Yrsa was well on her way to becoming a known children’s book writer in Iceland.

That is when out of the blue she published her first thriller, Last Rituals which put Yrsa on the map. The book would later be translated into 30 languages and published in over 100 countries! Today many know her as the author of I Remember You as it was later made into a chilling thriller movie.

3. Andri Snær Magnason

Andri Snær was born on 14 July 1973. He graduated from the University of Iceland with a BA degree in Icelandic but had by then already published his first book of poems.

The poetry books would later become a series, but after that Andri Snær turned to writing children’s books. Andri Snær’s most famous children’s book, the Story of the Blue Planet, has been made into a play and shown in a few different countries.

As someone who grew up reading his book and going to the play, I can tell you that Andri manages to create a magical world filled with wonder and possibilities. This is a great book to bring back from Iceland to read to little ones.

More recently, Andri Snær has turned his attention to writing politically driven literature. Those who have gained the most attention are Draumalandið and he also worked on a documentary of the same name, as well as Lovestar.

In 2016, Andri Snær announced that he would be running for president of Iceland, however Guðni Th. Jóhannesson won the race.

4. Einar Már Guðmundsson

Einar Már was born on 18 September 1954 in Reykjavík. He graduated in 1979 from the University in Iceland with a degree in history and literature, but would later continue his studies in Copenhagen where he lived for several years.

Einar’s first book came out in 1980. He has published 26 books in his career and has received the Nordic Council Literature Prize for his contribution. His most famous book in undoubtedly Angels of the Universe, which was later made into a film.

Einar’s books have been translated into many languages, including Italian, Bulgarian, Chinese, Dutch, Korean, Slovenian, Danish, Finnish, and Greenlandic. 

5. Steinunn Sigurðardóttir

Steinunn was born on 26 August 1950. She graduated with a degree in psychology and philosophy from University College Dublin in 1972. Surprisingly though by this time, Steinunn had already published her first poetry book three years earlier, at the age of only 19.  

Steinunn has throughout the years devoted her time quite equally to each genre, but she has written children’s books, poetry, short stories, fictional novels, memoirs, whole plays, and even done some translations. 

FYI: A well established Icelandic fashion designer is also called Steinunn Sigurðardóttir. This might confuse you a bit in your Google search. They are not one and the same. But both excellent in their trade.

6. Auður Ava Ólafsdottir

Auður Ava was born in Reykjavík in 1958. She has taught art history at the Icelandic University of the Arts and was a lecturer in art history at the University of Iceland from 2003 to 2018.

Furthermore, Auður has put on art exhibitions and frequently commends as an expert on paintings and historical art pieces in various media in Iceland. 

Her book the Greenhouse (2007) is one of her most renowned pieces, but the one that won her the prestigious French award Mé­dic­is was Miss Iceland (2018). Auður Ava’s first book came out in 1998 but altogether she has had 8 books published (9 if you count her book of poetry from 2010). 

6 Icelandic books you need to read

1. The Sagas of Icelanders

The Icelandic sagas are a collage of stories from the middle ages in Iceland. There are 40 sagas in total. They cover tales of kings and Vikings and are some of the best-documented stories from this time world-wide. The sagas are unquestionably the crown jewel in Icelandic literature.

Due to the extreme isolation of Icelanders throughout the centuries, the Icelandic language spoken today is pretty much the same as these stories were written in. This makes it quite easy for anyone who speaks Icelandic to read them in their original form. Thankfully, for those who don’t, the sagas have also been translated into many other languages!

These are some of the most famous sagas. 

Egils saga

Egill was, quite frankly, a great poet with anger issues which he displayed from an early age. In the stories, the truth has a bit of added flavor. This artistic license is demonstrated in scenes like when Egill, at the age of 3, rides his horse to a party, drinks until drunk, and recites a poem written by himself. Nevertheless, it is an incredible tale! 

Grettis saga

The story of Grettir the Strong is probably one of Iceland’s craziest heroes and his story is about his time as an outlaw. You’ll want to read up on his shenanigans if you visit North Iceland where he lived. There you will, for example, find Grettislaug hot pool where he bathed after having swum across fjord Skagafjörður, as legend tells it, with a sheep under his arm!

Njáls saga

Njáls saga is an incredible tale of families, disputes, honor, revenge, love, and bloody murder. In it, you’ll find some of Iceland’s most famous characters and the namesake to many Icelanders today who carry their name with pride. The majority of the stories take place on the south coast of Iceland, especially in Landeyjar, the plains that surround the Seljalandsfoss waterfall.

2. Atom Station, Halldór Laxness

Halldór Laxness is the only Icelanders ever to win a Nobel Prize. However, many don’t know this but Gunnar Gunnarsson, another Icelander, was nominated 4 times!

But back to Laxness, if you ask an Icelander to name an Icelandic writer, Laxness is typically the first to come to mind.

From his detailed descriptions of life in a fishing village, human connection, and communication, to lovingly crafted characters, Laxness has made himself an unmovable pebble in the Icelandic culture pond.

Atom Station was published in 1961 and sold out the very same day. It is political yet truthful, and for anyone trying to understand Icelandic society better, it truly gives great insight.

However, choosing just one of Laxness’ books is difficult. So, I will personally vouch for Independent People and Salka Valka, which should join Atom Station on your Icelandic reading list!

3. The Day is Dark, Yrsa Sigurðardóttir

Here, Yrsa once again proves her dark sensibilities can work magic in the crime fiction genre. The main character is Þóra – who plays the main role in Yrsa’s crime series – an Icelandic lawyer who, through her German banker boyfriend, gets tangled in an investigation involving the disappearance of two Icelanders.

The investigation takes her to Greenland where the main story takes place. Prepare for a lot of mystery and suspense, plot twists, and chills up and down your spine!

4. 101 Reykjavík, Hallgrímur Helgason

This book is simply the perfect blend of humor and dreadful reality explored through the unaccomplished 30 something oddball Hlynur, who falls in love with his lesbian mother’s lover. There are twists and turns and each page invites you to a new dilemma without becoming a farce.

Hallgrímur Helgason is an artist with words just like a paintbrush, he is one to follow. 

5. Moonstone: The Boy Who Never Was, Sjón

Sjón is to many famous for his series of short works written and translated in the 2000s. However, to others, he is one of the founders of the Sugarcubes, the band that started Björk. 

Nonetheless, The Boy Who Never Was is reason enough for you to take notice of Sjón. The boy that the title refers to, is a 16-year-old in Reykjavík in 1918 who sells his body to men for money.

The story is tragic yet beautiful in some way. The boy’s daydreaming and infatuation with cinema play a vital role in the telling of the story. Eventually, the story is revealed to be quite personal to Sjón. Which certainly came as a surprise but for me added a genuine touch to the whole ordeal. 

6. Angels of the Universe, Einar Már Guðmundsson

This is an amazing story that everyone in Iceland reads as a part of their mandatory high school studies. It is a tale of mental illness, decorated with humor through humanity in its purest form.

In the book, Einar Már tells stories of his childhood neighbors, respectfully writing them in with made-up stories. The book and many of its scenes have carved into the Icelandic nation and you can find references all around in daily life.

The 2000 movie, directed by Friðrik Þór Friðriksson, is also fantastic and well worth a watch, starring many of Iceland’s most prominent actors.

Bonus mention: Burial Rites, Hannah Kent

This is Hannah’s first book ever published and is based on true events that took place in Iceland in the dark winter of 1829. Hannah became consumed with the story when she lived in Iceland for a rotary exchange year at the age of 17. And, luckily for us, decided to pursue it. 

The story is remembered in Iceland as the last execution, but is also a tale of social classes, poverty, betrayal, love, jealousy and, eventually, murder and cover-up.

The book became a best-seller all around the world as people bonded with the main character, Agnes. This was then followed by an announcement in 2017 that the book would be made into a film starring Jennifer Lawrence in the role of Agnes.

An Icelandic interview with Hannah Kent about the book in English from 01:01.

The image many have of the Icelander is someone with fair skin, blonde hair, husky blue eyes, and possibly freckles. The stereotypical dressing would then be layers and layers of clothing made from local materials like wool and leather.

In fact, the Icelandic wool sweater or lopapeysa as the locals call it has become somewhat of an Icelandic icon.

• Pick up a lopapeysa of your own on a trip to Iceland.

The traditional lopapeysa comes in natural colors: black, white, brown, gray, and beige. Those are made from uncolored wool. The most popular patterns are zig-zagged once but with increased popularity, in recent years the pattern creations have taken a new life.

Nowadays you’ll see children wearing them with incredible animal ribbons, adults with different threads in contrast with the wool and sometimes the patterns even make up landscapes or fan-art. 

Furthermore, you can get them with a zipper, buttons, hoodie, long sleeves, and short sleeves. 

Today you can buy them all around the country, at farmers’ markets, second-hand stores, Handknitting Association of Iceland shops, and some tourist-aimed locations like Gullfoss and Geysir.

If you’re planning on getting one, do it early in your trip. There is nothing that will keep you as warm, dry, and breathe as nicely as a wool sweater when traveling around Iceland!  

What makes Icelandic wool so unique?

Icelandic wool sweaters are solely made from the wool of Icelandic sheep: a breed of sheep that has been isolated for over 1,100 years and adapted to the incredibly harsh weather rand sub-Arctic climate.

As a result, their wool, which is truly compatible with any other kinds of wool, is made up of a distinctive mixture of inner and outer fibers. Of which the inner fibers are fine, soft, and insulating, while the outer fibers are longer, tough, and glossy, making them water-resistant.

The combination of the two makes for the perfect layer of clothing for cold climate. Which is exactly something you will be dealing with when visiting Iceland. 

Additionally, the wool comes in many different colors, so when knitted together the patterns become unbelievably beautiful. 

What colors can you get the sweaters in?

The wool is now artificially colored in any color of the rainbow so you can get sweaters in just about any pigment you want. However, if you are looking to get an Icelandic sweater in an au naturel color, you might want to keep on reading. Especially if you want to see some of the strangest words found in the Icelandic language! 

The colors of the Icelandic sheep are split into three categories. There are the colors, the patterns, and the two-colored sheep. 

There are only 4 natural colors: white, yellow, black, and rusty brown, but there are 6 patterns, and the 2-colored ones appear in numerous ways. Just for the fun of it, I’ll show you the Icelandic names of those colors. 

First the patterns:

• hvítt
• grátt (grámórautt)
• golsótt (mógolsótt)
• botnótt (móbotnótt)
• grábotnótt (grámórubotnótt)
• svart (mórautt) án mynsturs

And then the various two-colored ways the sheep can appear in:

• Baugótt
• Dropótt
• Kjömmubíldótt
• Höttukápótt
• Hosótt
• Leistótt
• Krögubíldótt
• Jakobsbíldótt
• Huppukápublesótt
• Krúnuleistótt
• Hosukrögótt
• Arnhöfðótt
• And the list just goes on! 

Are wool sweaters only for tourists?

There was a time when I was growing up when these amazingly warm garments weren’t in style, but when the economy crashed in 2008 Icelanders went back to their old ways. They started making home-made blood and liver pudding and equal in cultural significance, started knitting wool sweaters.

Since then, brands like Farmers Market and Geysir have popped up, taking the conventional sweaters and making them cool again. Now you’ll see even the most stylish of fashionistas wearing the sweaters!

Fun facts about the Icelandic lopapeysa

• Some say that Auður Laxness is the designer behind the first Icelandic lopapeysa. She was the wife of Halldór Laxness who was the first and only Icelander to win a Nobel prize. 
• You can get them with a zipper, buttons, a hoodie, long and short!
• Lopi means wool and peysa means sweater, ergo lopapeysa means wool-sweater. 
• The lopapeysa isn’t an ancient tradition but was only first made in the mid-20th century!  
• The traditional lopi be a bit itchy, but you can ask for softer yarn sweaters or simply wear a turtleneck underneath. 
• The Icelandic wool sweaters are all handknitted and can not be machine-made. 
• You can buy a lopapeysa in many second-hand shops or at the Kolaportið flea market for a lower price! 
• Icelandic parents dress their children in wool from the day they are born. This makes most Icelanders completely resistant to the itching!
• Icelanders like to keep wool the closest when dressing to stay warm. The closer the better!

How much does a lopapeysa cost?

The cost depends on 2 major factors. These are the location in Iceland, and whether or not you are willing to buy a used one.

Used ones start at about ISK 8,000, but they do go up to about ISK 20,000 when bought new in downtown Reykjavík. However, if you head further out of the city the prices often go down. Local farmers’ markets in smaller towns and villages, for example, are a great place to buy one. Especially since then the chances are the person selling it is the one who made it!

How to clean an Icelandic lopapeysa

The sweaters are hand-wash only in lukewarm water (30°C/86°F). Soak in the water with a few drops of laundry detergent and be careful not to rub or wring too much but softly squeeze the liquid through.

Now, try to wring out the garment to release the water. If needed, you can spin it in the dryer for about 1–3 minutes to remove excess moisture. Leave to dry on top of a towel. 

Other popular Icelandic wool products

• Wool socks
• Wool blankets
• Fur rugs
• Wool gloves

Find out more about Icelandic souvenirs to take home!

Carrying an Icelandic name can be quite humorous at times. Especially when you tell it to someone who doesn’t know the language. The names can be long, have letters unique to the Icelandic language and then they change depending on how the person is being talked about.

The name Egill for example, a common male name in Iceland, changes to Agli when put in a sentence like ‘I am with Agli’. This can be confusing even to those native to Iceland. 

I swear it, sometimes I think they made up these rules simply to make it more difficult. 

• Try your hand at saying Icelandic names on a vacation to Iceland.

My name, for instance, is one of those names that the Vikings made up after having arrived in Iceland. The isolation then made it so that the name didn’t travel to the rest of Scandinavia. Making it unknown and, frankly, quite bizarre outside the island.

However, the name became popular in Iceland and has not lost its place in the top 10 for centuries. Ragnheiður means ‘as bright as the old pagan gods’ and is a female version of the famous Viking male name Ragnar. But it wasn’t until I started traveling that this name started causing troubles. I remember standing at gate to board a plane in Laos and the administration office workers grouping together to see who, or possible what, would appear when they called out this ridiculous name.

We don’t all have odd names or names that are challenging in spelling and pronunciation. With globalization that we have seen during the last century, Icelanders have begun seeking international names for their children. Names like Andrea (female), Viktoría (female), Leó (male), and Gabríel (male) are now typical names in Iceland. Although, of course, mixed with the traditional Sigurður (male), Guðrún (female), Ingibjörg (female), and Þorsteinn (male).

But now I have gotten ahead of myself. Let‘s go way back to the roots.

Origin of Icelandic names

The names of the first people here in Iceland came mainly from the Nordic countries. However, when those Norse people were sailing to Iceland they would often stop in the Celtic islands, Ireland, and Scotland, to barbarically kidnap women and take them to Iceland. This tragic yet often unmentioned part of history would later prove to have added a twist to the Icelandic naming culture. 

Here are some examples of original names:

• Flóki (male)
• Ingólfur (male)
• Einar (male)
• Helgi (male)
• Ketill (male)
• Auður (female)
• Arnkatla (female)
• Hallbera (female)
• Kaðlín (female)
• Þuríður (female)
• Valgerður (female)

After the settlers had arrived new names started popping up. Those were often simply made up from those pre-existing, with slight alterations such as Álfheiður (‘bright like an elf’) or Ásdís (‘divine fairy’). The prefix Álf– was already a circulation and so was Ás-, both in a male and female version. Moreover the suffix -dís was recognized in common names like Herdís.

Fun fact: Icelanders still use this tradition today, simply taking apart and replacing prefixes and extensions. 

Then there were other inspirational factors such as the landscape. The name Snælaug (‘snow pool’) didn’t appear until about 1155. Her mother’s name was Geirlaug, so it is obvious where the extension came from and the prefix. Well, that’s also quite overt. There is no shortage of snow or hot pools in Iceland. And, actually, they go together perfectly!

The years went by and Icelanders started experimenting more and more, taking inspiration from anywhere they could get it. Therefore, it might not have been much of a surprise that when religion changed in Iceland, going from Paganism to Christianity, the names changed with them.

This is when Guðleifur (male), Rakel (female), Pétur (male), Guðfinna (female) and other biblical names – or with the prefix Guð– meaning ‘God’ – started taking their place. Many of these names are some of the more popular names in Iceland still to this day.

Other naming influences in Iceland

Another naming influx came when Icelanders started traveling more and getting further influence from abroad. This meant more royal names, like Anna in the mid-15th century, Elísabet (Elisabeth) in the late 16th century, and Kristján (Christian) arrived around the same time.  

Until the mid-18th century, Icelanders only carried one name, with the addition of their last name. It wasn’t until 2 parents named a pair of siblings each with 2 names that the second name trend took off. This has led to the majority of the population carrying 2 names.

People in Iceland often joke that 2 names make it easier to scold your child. Gives yelling the name more weight!

Facts about Icelandic names, laws, and naming etiquette

• There are only about 3 names that are used both for girls and boys, the rest is gender-based.
• All Icelandic names have a meaning. Just try asking the locals you’ll meet in Iceland.
• Icelanders do not have family names with just a handful of exceptions. 
• Icelanders have special words for when someone carries the same name. When two women carry the same they are nöfnur and when two men carry the same they are nafnar. Furthermore, when two women carry the exact name from start to finish (for example both called María Kristín Þorkelsdóttir) they are what is called alnöfnur, which basically means the-whole-same-name. The male version is alnafnar!
• Icelanders do not change their last names when they get married. A system that simplifies things especially in modern times where divorce is so common.
• Most families have a few last names for their members. 
• There is an ancient tradition in Iceland to name after those who come to the mother in her dreams whilst pregnant. This is done out of fear that the unborn child will be harmed if you don’t follow this request of the dream visitor. This was believed to be especially true if the person visiting was deceased. This is actually how my grandmother got both her names!
• Icelanders used to, and some still today believe that names have powers. This would, for example, mean that parents of a baby boy that was sickly at birth would often name him Ófeigur which basically means ‘immortal’.
• Some names are only allowed as first names and others only as middle names.

How do Icelanders choose names for their children?

There is no doubt that there is still a very strong tradition of naming after your parents or grandparents. Although tradition is nowhere close to where it used to be, people often talk about the want to name after their loved ones sneaking up on them once the young ones are born.

This might also have to do with the small community feeling and therefore closeness of most families. Grandparents more often play a very big role in the life of their grandchildren. One could even go as far as calling them, back-up parents. 

Nonetheless, Icelanders choose their names just like many other nations. However, if we are making a point about the difference the dream tradition mentioned before and then, of course, the omnipotent naming committee would be the winners!

Icelandic Naming Committee

Iceland has a naming committee that approves or denies names that have never been used before. No, this is not a joke.

The government simply made a committee of lawyers, professors in the Icelandic language, and other qualified scholars to interpret the laws that the parliament had passed. They gather once a month and go through all the applications. Some of them pass and others don’t.

The newly accepted names always make the news along with those denied. The comment section often goes quite active at this time as people seem to have very strong opinions about what to and what not to name a child.

The naming laws that they follow basically state 3 things:

1. The name can not cause the named harm or difficulty.
2. Boys must be named male names and girls must be named female names.
3. The name must be able to follow Icelandic grammar rules and adjustments.

Perhaps not much of a surprise, but the very existence of this committee has been criticized in recent years. Some have even gone as far as saying that it goes against basic human rights. Those that want to keep the committee mostly argue for the sake of our language and grammar. 

Here are some from late 2019 that were approved:

• Sólúlfur (male)
• Maríón (male)
• Systa (female)
• Lynd (female)

And these have been rejected:

• Kona (female)
• Theo (male)
• Zelda (female)
• Zion (male)
• Alex (female)
• Sukki (male)
• Thurid (female)

Most common Icelandic names

Iceland, like most other countries, sees a rise in certain given names when pop stars, characters, celebrities, or other achievers rise in their fame.

This became evident a few years back when the Icelandic actor/director Baltasar Kormákur started directing movies abroad like Contraband and Everest. People started hearing about him and his success and all of a sudden every other boy was called Baltasar. 

Many don’t know this but Baltasar Kormákur was actually just the second one to receive the name but the first was his father Baltasar Samper. The name, like his father, comes from Spain. Third to receive the name was Baltasar Kormákur’s son Baltasar Breki, but it wasn’t until much later that the name caught on.

But even with the popularity of special names through fame or trends, the fact of the matter is that most of the more common names stay the same in Iceland. This is probably due to the strong tradition of naming after your parents/grandparents.

About 35% of young Icelanders carry their grandparents’ names. And, if you look into the older generation the numbers are even higher.

Most common Icelandic girl names

1. Guðrún
2. Anna
3. Kristín
4. Sigríður
5. Margrét
6. Helga
7. Sigrún
8. Ingibjörg
9. María
10. Jóhanna

Most common Icelandic boy names 

1. Jón
2. Sigurður
3. Guðmundur 
4. Gunnar
5. Ólafur
6. Einar
7. Kristján
8. Magnús
9. Stefán
10. Jóhann

How do Icelandic last names work?

Icelandic last names have gained a lot of attention in recent times. This has mainly been due to the sport achievements of those carrying them. Whether it has been all the -sons playing FIFA World Cup, UFC fighters or all the -dóttirs coming out on top at the Crossfit games, their names have not gone unnoticed. 

The naming system in Iceland is the old Scandinavian system which all the countries once used. It is a paternal system where the father gives his children his first name as their last name adding -son if the child is a boy and -dóttir if the child is a girl. This might seem confusing at first, but really it is not. Let’s try some examples.

Another fun fact about Icelandic last names: only 4% of the Icelandic nation carries a family name. But by naming law family names are very hard to keep in Iceland as they can only be passed on through the father.

So, if a father has 3 daughters and no sons, the name should die with the daughters. Having said that, these very daughters have often applied and got accepted to name their children using the family name giving it a new chance.

Until, of course, someone again only has daughters. As you can see the system is quite old and outdated in many ways.

Nowadays we see a slight change in the system. People are starting to put a question mark on the fact that only the father’s name becomes the last name of the child. And, like with many things questioned in Iceland, this has resulted in a rapid change.

Now some use both parents’ names before adding -son or -dóttir, but back in the day using the mother’s name meant that the father had abandoned the family. This could cause shame, so mothers would often apply for exceptions to have their child get the name from their grandfather.

Today, you don’t see this. People proudly carry their last name, be it from the father, mother, two mothers, or two fathers.

Icelandic name meanings

As I stated in the facts above, Icelandic names all have meanings. This is said to be one of the factors the Naming Committee members look for when choosing whether or not to accept it. 

The meanings range a lot, some are very adventurous and fun but others will simply say ‘male version of X’. If you want to look up meanings of specific Icelandic names you will have a hard time finding them in any other language besides Icelandic, but with Google Translate by your side, you might just get somewhere. 

Examples of Icelandic names and their meanings

Icelandic names you could possibly use

Many of the Icelandic names have letters that only exist in the Icelandic alphabet. We are talking letters like Æ, Ð, Ý, Á, and Ú. Even so, we see an increased interest in people wanting to use Icelandic names when it comes to naming their children.

The parents might have met here, fell in love here, got engaged here, married here or maybe even possibly made the baby here. Whatever the inspiration might be, this has often proven quite tricky once they start looking for a usable name.

Therefore I am hoping to use this last part to help a little bit if you are finding yourself in this position. 

Internationally friendly Icelandic names for boys (and their meaning):

• Alvar, rich
• Ari, eagle
• Darri, spear
• Elmar, ship
• Emil, friendly
• Flosi, happy man
• Funi, fire
• Hilmir, king
• Logi, flame
• Nói, he who lives long
• Orri, a bird’s name
• Salvar, home protecteor
• Sigmar, famous in battle
• Uni, carer
• Vilmar, great warrior

Internationally friendly Icelandic names for girls (and their meaning):

• Freyja, pagan goddess of love and fertility 
• Edda, ancestress
• Harpa, instrument or the old month (spring)
• Hekla, an Icelandic volcano
• Katla, an Icelandic volcano
• Hilda, battle
• Hrefna, raven
• Karitas, love, endearment
• Lind, pond
• Lukka, luck or happiness
• Saga, saga
• Sunna, sun
• Von, hope