And yet, lounging in the geo-thermally heated Sky Lagoon, gazing across the dramatic Atlantic while sipping sparkling wine, it all made sense. We had come to a land rippling with history, mythology, and, dare I say, movie locations, and to a tenacious people steeped in hospitality and fierce endurance.

The Icelandic people trace their ancestry to Norwegian Vikings who, having challenged their king, were cast out on pain of death.  Even uninhabited, inhospitable Iceland had its attractions after that.  All the same, it‘s astonishing to me how enough of them survived the early winters in a land where few species grow even during the summer months. Apparently, it’s largely due to the shark! Perhaps via a tragic accident, the early settlers discovered that the local sharks are poisonous when fresh, as they lack kidneys.  Once rotted, they emit a powerful ammonia smell (we know, we tried this “delicacy”), but they are safe to eat, if somewhat unpalatable. Furthermore, perhaps prompted by further unhappy occurrences, the early settlers discovered a species of moss that offered the only source of Vitamin C at that time.  Not the most auspicious start for a nation that now boasts fine cuisine and a healthy diet.  

As the early Icelanders established themselves, disputes arose.  Regardless of the bloodthirsty Viking image, they wanted to resolve them in a civilized manner and, given their heritage, could not contemplate the intervention of a king. (Sounds all too familiar to contemporary Americans.)  Consequently, the world’s first parliament was established in 930 CE, ironically, at a place of division. The ancient site is found near where the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates strain apart.

Iceland’s geology has had a major impact on its history and culture.  A land that alternately roars with volcanic fire and creaks with glacial ice was inevitably isolated from all but the hardiest of travelers.  So much so that Icelandic speakers can interpret Old Norse, whereas their Scandinavian counterparts, with their now modified languages, cannot. The first Vikings brought both Christianity and the worship of pagan Norse Gods. Many celebrate Yule as opposed to Christmas with its mysterious traditions, including, so they say, the consumption of rotted skate.  Apparently, a shark smells like sweet perfume in comparison.

And, of course, we saw wonders. Clear, cold waterfalls that crashed from great heights, rivers of ice, geysers soaring steamily into the sky, just as we put the camera down!  Perhaps, my favorite was the black beach in the south of Iceland, close to the village of Vik — this means bay, Reykjavik being “smoky” bay since the intrepid early dwellers, approaching by sea, mistook the mist from steam springs for smoke. But I digress. There’s a lot that’s mysterious, menacing, otherworldly about this back beach, nestled in a cove of formidable black basalt cliffs, with a tide that screams in, dragging unwary folk to their deaths in its undertow. Despite the ominous threat, there is something beautiful here when the sun breaks through the clouds to dance on the waves and illuminates the cave where a bride and groom stand in awe, maybe at the vows they have dared to take, or at the majesty of this wild place. Apparently, they are not alone in their wonder. Scenes from “The Lord of the Rings,” “Game of Thrones” and the “Viking” series were inspired by this bay.

Life is no longer quite so harsh for modern Icelanders; their homes are heated geothermically, they have a fine education system and government-supported healthcare, but in a land where the light seems to go out of the world for a few days over the winter solstice, I salute their ingenuity, determination, and strength of character. 

 Iceland, we miss you already!

News Flash!

I love receiving your comments. A friend let me know the “send” function for comments wasn’t working.  It’s fixed now.  
Feel free to comment away!

End Notes

Reading

Listening

Ba’hari Ghibb
Spooky Men’s Chorale

Viewing

The Gilded Age

Poetry

Jungle Owlet
Pascale Petit