Songs Of The Dammed: Hvalárvirkjun And The Future Of Árneshreppur
When people talk about Iceland’s economic boom days, they are largely referring to the greater Reykjavík area. Roads are repaired and renewed, construction cranes are everywhere
Different Sounds: NonniMal’s Electric Dreams
Jón Brynjar Óskarsson—best known for making fast-paced and hypnotic techno music under his lead pseudonym NonniMal—is a musician that has been an active member of Iceland’s
Viking Spirit: Charge Into The Einherjar Viking Organisation’s Anniversary Festival
All eyes are on Iceland right now. The Icelandic men’s national football team recently made world news when they entered the FIFA World Cup for the first time ever. Even [&hellip
Icelandic Whaler: “Slow News Period” To Blame For Coverage Of Rare Whale Kill
Kristján Loftsson, the director of Iceland’s sole fin whale hunting company, Hvalur hf., gave a very candid interview with Icelandic public broadcasting on their most recent
An Island Unto Themselves: A Solstice Adventure On Grímsey
The island of Grímsey is the only place in Iceland that’s in the Arctic Circle. Getting there was quite the journey. We left Reykjavik at 2:30am to arrive in Dalvík […]
Knock Knock Knockin’ On Reykjavík’s Door: Also Bands That Should Retire
Notoriously relevant rockers Guns N’ Roses will be welcoming Reykjavík to their aural jungle on July 24th. The concert will be Iceland’s biggest concert ever—take that Justi
Weird, Unafraid And Upbeat: Collaborative Duo Stelpuróló Talk Music
Local rap musicians HOLY HRAFN (Óli Hrafn Jónasson) and Stelpurófan (Þorgerður María Þorbjarnardóttir) form the musical collaboration Stelpuróló. In the past months, they
The Midwives’ Tale: Government Continues To Ignore Demands
Negotiations between the midwives and the government have been ongoing for two years, with the crux of the disagreement centering on low salaries and difficult working conditions.
Word Of The Issue: Karphús
The word of the issue is karphús, a word of unclear origin but more than one meaning. Karphús is almost always used in the context of “að taka einhvern í […]
Well, You Asked: Cha-Ching Cha-Ching, Ka-Boom Ka-Boom
Dear Grapevine, I am down to my last 2,000 ISK and still need to eat for the rest of the month. What do I do? Brokeness and hunger. It’s a […]
Icelandic Biologist Considers It Likely Killed Whale Is Rare Hybrid
A DNA sample of the whale killed in Icelandic waters last week is currently being tested, and an Icelandic biologist believes it likely the whale is a blue-fin hybrid. Meanwhile, [
Horsin’ Around at Landsmót Hestamanna
Over the week of July 1st to 8th, thousands of people from Iceland and abroad gathered on a grassy hill while wind and rain whipped into their faces and the […]
The Transformative Quality of Paper: ‘Lignin’ Sheds Light On Matter
Have you ever wondered about the process that a sheet of paper goes through before it becomes the sleek piece of A4 we all know so well? Have you considered […]
The First Ladies Of Beer: Lady Brewery’s Craft Beers Turn Heads In The Male-Dominated Scene
In September of last year, Ragnheiður “Raxel” Axel and Þórey Björk Halldórsdóttir—a food industry worker and a designer, respectively—started a kitchen experime
Lamentations And Fish Oil: Skálholt’s Bible Exhibition Unveils Iceland’s Struggle With Translating God’s Word
While Iceland might not be famous for being hardcore religious, Icelanders, or at least the family of the late reverend Sigurður Pálsson, still appreciate their bibles. Fourteen
Look Who’s Spitting: BLVCK POX On Babies, Beats And Bombshells
You might not have heard of BLVCK POX but in the local hip-hop game in Reykjavík, he’s a strong contender. He’s one of the rappers that bubbled up on SoundCloud […]
What’s The Matter, Don’t You Speak Greek?: Anne Carson Returns To Reykjavík
Literary fame is a finicky kind of fame. A writer can have raving reviews in the New York Times, The Guardian, The New Yorker, and more; she can win slews […]
Cue The Hava Nagila: Iceland’s First Rabbi Has Arrived
While Iceland has a population of more than two hundred Jews, the country has never had a dedicated Rabbi in residence until now. Just a few weeks ago, Rabbi Avi […]
Great Moments In Icelandic Cuisine: The Potato
I could not have lived in Iceland 250 years ago. Why, you may ask? Because the potato had not yet arrived in Iceland at that time. Life would not have […]
War Of The Nerds: The Icelandic Horse Minefield
Picture a huge Lord of the Rings fan. They’re so into the books or movies or whatever that they decide to name their beloved Icelandic horse after one of their […]
Ask A Linguist: Why Is Icelandic Such A Difficult Language To Learn?
Whether you’ve already been to Iceland several times or whether it’s your first visit, you might encounter some struggles in deciphering or even speaking Icelandic. Thi