A huge god stands atop a jagged peak, his eyes fixed on his target. A giant looms in the mist below. With one hand, he swings his hammer, which glints like lightning in the darkness. The weapon connects, and the giant falls. The ground quakes and the obsidian valley splinters to forever shape the landscape.…
Valkyrie, Freyja, and women of the Viking era A well-behaved woman rarely makes history. Laurel Thatcher Ulrich **Trigger warning for blood, gore, descriptions of war and bloodshed** Freyja’s Chosen The Norse goddess Freyja chooses her slain We wind and wind the web of spears, there where the banners of bold men go forth; we must…
Cattle die. Kinsman die. The self must also die. I know one thing that never dies. The reputation of a dead man. Havamal Stanza 77 Fate, life-changing decisions, and treating all with dignity Recently I had the pleasure of penning an article for my favorite guiding company, Midgard Adventure about my favorite destination there, Thor’s…
Exploring Iceland’s Unseen History Myth, Mysticism, and Magic When most people think of Iceland they picture majestic glaciers, volcanoes, mystical waterfalls, and the dancing green of the aurora. Drone footage of colorful canyons and black sand beaches flood Instagram, along with pictures of the otherworldly highlands and blue ice caves of the south. It all…
A Short Story Skogàr, Iceland Richly stacked is Thrasi’s chest under Skogar’s waters cold whoever goes there first will find wealth untold. –Icelandic folk rhyme It was nightfall in Skogàr, a small settlement on Iceland’s southern coast. A waterfall thundered down from a ridge. Its roar could be heard miles away. East of it, the…
GALDRASYNING Á STRÖNDUM We tell tales of magic – Icelandic Museum of Sorcery and Witchcraft Fancy the occult? Get a fascinating, and sometimes strange, glimpse of the lesser known world of 17th century Iceland at The Icelandic Museum of Sorcery and Witchcraft An elder man sits slumped over a pile of bones and feathers. In…