It’s relative. To you or me, the one below would be cold, but to a troll, well …
Vestdalsá
… nice! You could just, you know, stay in forever!
Hot or Cold Showers in Iceland? Which is Best?
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Category Archives: Huldúfolk
An Old Gate Post Without A Farm
If you explore old farm sites in remote areas in Iceland, you will find boulders, set at the boundary of a tun, a house field manured from a barn. This, in Icelandic culture, is a yard, or garden. A pretty special place. With a boulder.
These boulders are all chosen. Many have animal shapes. Many of those are ravens. Some are dwarf stones. Here on the old road up to Vatnjökull from the Fljótsdalur, it’s a raven, which is fitting, because when you walk up the trail, the ravens are watching the whole time, to see if you’re going to tumble down into the gorge and become lunch. it’s best to honour wise creatures like that.
A Cold Day, and a Warm One at Buðir
December 21 is a cold day in Buðir, with not much light. It’s a day when a little human light works wonders.
And look what it achieves! By June 21, everything is light.
It works the other way. If you don’t honour the midsummer troll, you don’t honour the midwinter dark, or light up the night to make way for the sun. It’s just the way it is.
Kálfáfoss
Intersection of Road 54 and 574.
When the wind comes up, it blows this column of water nearly horizontally. Note the trolls in the cliff near the fall’s base.
Watching the Sea
It’s hard not to look out to sea in Iceland, waiting for mysterious voyagers. Even the land does it.
Arnarstapi
It’s a lonely thing, but doing it together with an island eases that and teaches patience.
The Sphinx of Iceland
Lóndrangar. With her kids. Climbing all over her, really.
And isn’t that her mate on the right, staring off into space? Why not! Even an ogress has a family life!
All the Pretty Little Ones
At midsummer (at Lóndrangar), the little ogre babies sprout pretty flowers and grasses.
The rest of the year, they’re just lumpy. Don’t worry. At midsummer, everyone is alive and well and it’s OK to be charmed. In winter, though, a wave might take you.
Queen of the Dragons on the Hunt for Lunch
With her crown on, of course.
Raudholl
Good thing she’s quite slow.
A View into Fairyland
Only on the Buðarhaun lava field. Only on Midsummer Night’s Eve.
Don’t look too closely. Walk quickly on. Be careful not to trip.
Baby Troll
Another example of how everything comes alive at Midsummer. Note as well, the Old Norse tradition of lifting up the Earth’s skin, making an oath, and setting the skin down to seal it, as told so well in Gunnar’s Sworn Brothers.
From the German Book Club Edition of 1933. Note the Arch.
You can read a detailed post about the book here: https://afarminiceland.com/tag/the-sworn-brothers/
A Farm in Iceland 