Folklore Friday

A Wicked Troll that Enchanted Icelandic Priests – Folklore Friday

This episode is part of my Folklore Friday series, where I am sharing fascinating stories from Icelandic folklore on Fridays throughout 2024. A Troll Lurking in Iceland’s East Fjords Mjóifjörður (or narrow fjord) used to have up to 100 inhabitants centuries ago but it is now only about 14 people live there. During the winter…

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Skuggabaldur: Iceland’s Ferocious Shadow Cat – Folklore Friday

This episode is part of my Folklore Friday series, where I am sharing fascinating stories from Icelandic folklore on Fridays throughout 2024. What is a Skuggabaldur? The Skuggabaldur is a fascinating animal in Icelandic folklore. Whether or not this type of animal really exists is hard to say but there are some interesting stories about…

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The Devious Corpse of Finnur the Sorcerer

This episode is part of my Folklore Friday series, where I am sharing fascinating stories from Icelandic folklore on Fridays throughout 2024. Why Finnur is a Feared Sorcerer A sorcerer named Finnur that lived a long time ago. So many people feared him and when he died no one wanted anything to do with the…

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Katla The Witch & Her Magical Pants – Folklore Friday

This is part of my Folklore Friday series, where I am sharing an Icelandic Folklore story every Friday in 2024.  Katla The Witch The story today is about how Katla volcano got its name. I’ve seen the name for this folklore as “Katla the Hag”, but I’m not much a fan of that name. Basically,…

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Iceland’s Ox-Whale Terrified People For Centuries – Folklore Friday

This is part of my Folklore Friday series, where I am sharing an Icelandic Folklore story every Friday in 2024.  The upcoming story is based on a description of the Ox-Whale in the book “Meeting with Monsters – An Illustrated Guide to the Beasts of Iceland” by Jón Baldur Hlíðberg and Sigurður Ægisson. It is…

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Aliens on Snæfellsjökull Glacier? – Folklore Friday

This modern-day folklore mixes the supernatural with Iceland’s gorgeous landscape. It all starts with a man named Dillon, a Brit that had traveled to Iceland many times. One day he claims to have been contacted by aliens who told him to gather people in Iceland on November 5th, 1993 because they were going to be…

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The Icelandic Midwife & the Elves – Folklore Friday

This episode is part of my Folklore Friday series, where I am sharing fascinating stories from Icelandic folklore on Fridays throughout 2024. This week’s tale is about a talented human midwife who ends up with a special ability after helping some elves. Please note that there is a violent act shared in this story and…

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Naustahvilft: The Troll Seat in the West Fjords – Folklore Friday

A quick but fascinating Icelandic folklore tale about Naustahvilft. According to the legend, a troll was hurrying home to avoid being turned into stone by the sun that was going to rise soon. She was traveling quickly enough that she was ahead of schedule and was able to stop to rest. The area that she…

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Is Hekla Volcano the Gateway to Hell in Iceland? – Folklore Friday

For this episode of Folklore Friday we’re diving into the chilling tales and explosive history of Iceland’s very own Mount Hekla, often dubbed as the “Gateway to Hell”! Hekla Volcano’s Eruption Patterns & Destructive Past Our story begins in the year 1104, when Hekla made its grand entrance into the annals of volcanic history with…

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The Famous Trolls of Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach – Folklore Friday

At the famous, beautiful, and dangerous Reynisfjara black sand beach there are three sea stacks clearly visible out in the ocean. They look as though they have popped up out of nowhere but there is a story behind their existence. Legend has it that two trolls were trying to pull a ship to shore during…

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