The Destruction Of An Icelandic National Treasure
From the Vikings’ landing in 871 to the modern day, the sheep permeates Icelandic culture. The wool is known throughout the world for being one of the most luscious, luminesc
Lopapeysa For Everyone!
It’s hard not to miss the Icelandic sweater or ‘lopapeysa’ on your visit to the country. This wool is not only so resistant because it comes from arguably the best […]
Putting The Green In Greenland
Surely Eiríkur Rauði, Eric the Red, must be one of the more Viking of the Vikings. Banished from Norway for manslaughter in 960, he decided to start over in Iceland, […]
Have Some Rape With Your Coffee, Guys
Dear Men, I have reached my limit. I read yet one more harrowing account of rape and one more intelligent dissection of the case and the reactions from certain people […]
Why Iceland Doesn’t Need A Parliament (Anymore)
Presidential elections are coming up at the end of this month, and it’s arguably been the most contentious one in Iceland’s history. Among the topics that have come up in [&hel
Two Years Old: IMMI Inches Through Icelandic Parliament
When IMMI, the Icelandic Modern Media Initiative, turned two years old this month, supporters cheered a few accomplishments it has made toward protecting freedom of information. Ho
Travellers Take Their Toll On Tourist Destinations
The image of pristine wilderness is one of Iceland’s main attractions, but this resource may be in jeopardy as the environment around some of Iceland’s most popular tourist att
Everything But The Goldfish Bowl
On June 12, after months of relative international silence, Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir, Iceland’s Prime Minister, grants Reuters a rare interview. Patting herself on the back, she
Iceland’s Neighbours Turn Up Heat On Declaring Independence
In her 2007 electro anthem “Declare Independence,” Björk shouted patriotic lyrics dedicated to Iceland’s neighbours—Greenland and the Faroe Islands. “Start your own curr
When Tom Cruise (Nearly) Met The Icelandic Sheep Farmer
For centuries it’s been their territory, but that’s about to change. The Icelandic sheep farmers of the Eyjafjörður area in the north of Iceland have met their match: act
Brownies For Þóra
In June 1996, I drove from Buffalo, New York to Seattle with two friends and a fake ID so I could gamble in Vegas (I lost). I was heading into […]
Iceland Cubed
The question of how best to package Iceland for international consumption has long been a contentious issue, one that has no doubt been on the minds and lips of private […]
Mirror Mirror On The Wall, Who’s The Most Tanned Of Them All
I walk to the swimming pool. It’s cold and the wind blows colour into my cheeks. My blood vessels slowly dilate. As I step into the collective shower room, all […]
Sour Grapes And Stuff
MOST AWESOME LETTER: Hello all I do hope you are fine. I am addressing you after I read a news on your website about a camera lost and found in […]
News In Brief: Late June Edition
We’re now in mid-June and things are going famously. Tom Cruise arrived to take part in the filming of the movie ‘Oblivion,’ which will be shot in the north of […]
Shhh! Don’t Tell Anyone About Greenland
On the day after this paper hits the streets, Iceland’s presidential race will be over. Incumbent Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson may now be the longest sitting president in the history
“Freedom Of Movement Is A Fundamental Right”
As if following the pattern of a migratory bird, Iceland’s refugee issues have yet again flown into the discussion. Last year’s harbinger of spring was an Iranian refug
The Village Idiot SPEAKS
Growing up in a quaint old village in Kent, England, my Icelandic Dad liked to tell me stories about a man from Suðureyri, (a small fishing village in the Westfjords […]
The Gray Rock, Gold Coffin Bay, And Ghosts
Reykjavík’s newest neighbourhoods, Kjalarnes and Grafarholt-Úlfarsárdalur, probably have the strongest connection to elves and ghosts of the city’s ten districts. Grafarholt
So What’s This Quota System I Keep Hearing About?
Since the beginning of our time, humans have had a difficult time not killing and eating everything that moves. Remember the mammoth? Well, we decided that the furry elephants were
Iceland’s Only Baseball Club Looks For A Rally
Steindór Steindórsson used to play his home country’s most popular sports, football and handball, but the tall and stocky 16-year-old now prefers baseball, one of the more unor