Stories of Iceland

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Stories of Iceland is a podcast that focuses on the history, culture and folklore of this strange little island.

Óli Gneisti Sóleyjarson

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    • Nov 12, 2023 LATEST EPISODE
    • infrequent NEW EPISODES
    • 22m AVG DURATION
    • 53 EPISODES

    4.8 from 64 ratings Listeners of Stories of Iceland that love the show mention: oli, icelandic, he'll, bedtime, voice, stories, wonderful, listening.



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    Latest episodes from Stories of Iceland

    It Takes Too Long To Fill The Souls Of Priests

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 12, 2023 18:58


    A long awaited tale with an introduction and preamble about volcanic eruptions

    Bobby Fischer in Iceland

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 6, 2023 31:39


    Bobby Fischer was a chess phenomenon, likely to most famous player to ever play the game. He wound up a fugitive who ended his life as an Icelandic citizen. This episode tells the story of Bobby Fischer in Iceland.

    That Reminds Me of a Story

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 30, 2023 16:19


    Episode fifty is an opportunity to think about the future of the podcast.

    The Matter of Atli

    Play Episode Listen Later May 3, 2023 25:51


    This is the third episode based on The Saga of the Völsungs, the last part of the story. We follow Guðrún and her relationship with Atli (aka Attila the Hun). There is a bit of tragedy. A lot of violence and a horrific scene which is not meant for children (even though children are involved).

    The Shield Maiden's Wrath

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 15, 2023


    A continuation of Völsunga Saga..

    saga wrath shield maiden
    The Dragon's Bane

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 4, 2023 25:01


    It is said that tales of dragons and dragon slayers are universal. That is not quite true. This is a story that has been retold in numerous ways. This isn't the "original" but it is one of the oldest we know.

    A Winter in Iceland 1834-1835

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 3, 2023 23:56


    The Hon. Arthur Dillon visited Iceland in 1834. He spent a little over a year in the country and later published a book about his travels. This episode covers both his observations on the Icelandic winter and his lasting legacy in the country.

    The Beast of Katanes

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 9, 2022 15:55


    Folk tales can take centuries to reach a finely tuned flow. This one was published about twenty years after the events that shook up the quiet farms on the northern shore of Hvalfjörður. The recording was not as good as usual but it shouldn't be too noticeable.

    Songs of Exploding Sands

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 31, 2022 21:46


    A couple of people have asked me about the music at the start and end of the episode. In this episode I give a little background on the songs.

    [NSFW] Loki Plays the Dirty Dozens

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 7, 2022 28:06


    Lokasenna is one of the most controversial of the Eddic poems. It is also funny and naughty. There are two versions in the feed, one with the naughtiest bits removed and this one that has everything.

    [Safe] Loki Plays the Dirty Dozens

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 6, 2022 27:58


    Lokasenna is one of the most controversial of the Eddic poems. It is also funny and naughty. There are two versions in the feed, this one has the naughtiest bits removed.

    Thor and the Norse View of Gods and Religion

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 23, 2022 22:54


    What did the Norse really believe in? How did they view their gods, their world, their religion? Using the example of Thor, arguably the best known god of the pantheon, I will try to shed light on a complicated subject.

    A Runaway Slave in Iceland

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 8, 2021 28:26


    This is the story of Hans Jónatan, (1784-1827) Born in St. Croix in the Caribbean and died in Iceland. His life and legacy shows us that we often have misconceptions of the past and how we often forget people who are out of the ordinary.

    The Dog Days King

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 4, 2021 60:19


    In the summer of 1809 Iceland had a revolution. It has become a bit of a joke here. Here is a deeper dive that tries to put the story into the larger context of the life of an adventurer, a continent at war and an island that had not found its place in the modern world.

    The Hauntings at Yuletide

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 23, 2020


    A section of the saga Eyrbyggja set in the year that Christianity became law in Iceland tell of supernatural occurrences that in many way reflect the old ways are moving out while the new ways are coming in.

    Coal Bottom Poker Riding

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 17, 2020 28:02


    A typical wonder tale with a few Icelandic motifs. But the story has ingrained itself into Icelandic culture. The Icelandic band Bellatrix was originally named "Kolrassa Krókríðandi" because of this story. Another band, Þursaflokkurinn, had a song "Í gegnum holt og hæðir" based on a line from the tale.

    Blue is the Old Black

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 20, 2020


    I chatted remotely with my friend Dr. Arngrímur Vídalín about his research and writings on "Blámenn". In the sagas and folklore there are characters called "Blámenn" who represent the strange ideas that Icelanders of yore had about black and brown people.

    The Ghost of the Scorned Woman

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 21, 2020


    One of the most famous ghost story in Iceland is based on real life events that occurred less than a century before the tale was published. We have the tale but also more grounded accounts. Though the story is quite short it does reveal much about Icelandic society, the class system and the religious authority. The story also lingers in the consciousness of the people and a century and a half after the events took place there were still people searching for justice.

    Was Murdered

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 13, 2020


    Many years ago I found an enigmatic reference to a murder in my family. No-one had mentioned it to me and no-one seemed to know about it. So I investigated it and tried to sort through fact and fiction.

    Eurovision, Will Ferrell and Iceland

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 7, 2020 20:09


    Every year Icelanders gather round the television, often hold parties and watch their country lose in the Eurovision song contest. This year Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams make fun of this in a movie about a fictional band trying to win Eurovision. In this episode I look at Eurovision, Iceland's history in the contest and this new Netflix movie.

    2020 Presidential Election

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 27, 2020


    There is an election today in Iceland. It is not really interesting but I decided to make a short video. It will also end up in the podcast feed but the video is better.

    The Boy Who Didn't Know What Fear Was

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 8, 2020


    A folk tale about a boy who experiences magic, violence and ghosts while being never being afraid.

    Sagas and Eddas

    Play Episode Listen Later May 3, 2020


    The words Saga and Edda are used quite regularly while discussion Iceland's heritage. This is a very brief introduction.

    The Brothers of Bakki

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 2, 2020


    Everyplace has stories of fools. In Iceland those are Gísli, Eiríkur and Helgi.

    Iceland in 1918

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 24, 2020 17:56


    On December 1st 1918 a new political entity was established - The Kingdom of Iceland. But a virus had just swept through the capital and the country was on lock-down. There was also a volcanic eruption in Katla. So, it was a hard year.

    The Naked Seal Clubber

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 29, 2020 20:03


    Sæmundur "the learned" Sigfússon was a teacher, scholar, and writer but in folklore he became something else.

    Avalanche

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 15, 2020 11:41


    For most Icelanders the year 1995 is the year of avalanches.

    A Trollish Yuletide Tale

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 24, 2019 16:01


    It is a liminal period and all sorts of creature make their presence known.

    Where in the World is Iceland?

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 9, 2019 20:47


    Iceland is in the North-Atlantic but where does it fit into the world around it?

    The Tale Heard Around The World

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 4, 2019 16:54


    Tales travel around the world. Here is a story you might have heard before but not like you've heard it before.

    The Berserker of Butter-Hill

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 8, 2019 19:46


    My great great grandfather was a simple and poor man who tried to do his duty while facing overwhelming odds.

    Sledgehammer Judgements from an English Poet

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 2, 2019 36:50


    In 1936 the British poets W.H. Auden and Louis MacNeice traveled around Iceland and wrote this rather odd book. In this episode I talk about their impressions of Iceland and Icelanders and shed a little light on how the people of Iceland view their writings.

    Let's Talk About Elves, Baby

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 7, 2019 18:06


    Just to start with, that is not a house for elves. It is just a model house. This episode was inspired by a "fact" from the British panel show QI. Here I talk about believe in the elves in Iceland, misconceptions about those beliefs and I also tell two folk tales about the origin of the elves.

    Goldie Locks and Beardie

    Play Episode Listen Later May 20, 2019 23:07


    The tale of Goldie and Beardie is about the early settlement and Christianization of Iceland.

    The Tourism Boom in Post-Crash Iceland

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 21, 2019


    After the Crash of 2008, Iceland began to rely heavily on tourism.

    Iceland's Only Serial Killer

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 28, 2019


    In 1596 Björn Pétursson was executed for murder. In the following centuries a legend formed, mixing folklore and fact. This is the story of Iceland's only serial killer.

    The Smartest People In The World

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 14, 2019 8:49


    In a short episode, Óli triest to answer a question from a supporter. What do Icelanders think of Leifur Eiríksson and his discovery of Iceland in the year 1000.

    iceland icelanders smartest people
    A Mazing Tale

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 2, 2019 26:46


    The Banking Crisis of 2008-2009 is usually called "The Crash" in Iceland. Every Icelander was touched and this is my story.

    Queen of Elves

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 24, 2018 24:04


    According to folklore, the Icelandic elves were always dangerous but Yuletide was an especially dangerous period when the veil between worlds became thin.

    The Hornless Cow and The Carl's Son

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 9, 2018 17:29


    Búkolla is one of the most famous Iceland folk-tales. It is reimagined almost every year in books, songs and art. In this episode you will hear the story and get a little context as well.

    Whose People Are You?

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 19, 2018 20:55


    Icelanders are obsessed with genealogy. In this episode this gets traced back a thousand years. The connection we have to the settlers, foreign royalty and what the records don't say.

    Gable Mountain Farm

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 15, 2018 20:42


    In Vopnafjörður there is a farm called Bustarfell which has long history and is connected to many stories.

    Where is Haukur?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 23, 2018 18:40


    The story of Haukur Hilmarsson, an Icelandic activist who tried to save Icelandic nature, asylums seekers and the Kurdish people.

    The Icelandic Sport Saga

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 16, 2018 20:18


    As the Icelandic men's football team starts its first game ever at the World Cup it is fitting to look back in time at the sports of Iceland, from the sagas to the vikingclap.

    Special Video Episode (Free)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 8, 2018


    A special free video episode on www.patreon.com/storiesoficeland

    Ragnar Furry Pants and the Sagas

    Play Episode Listen Later May 25, 2018 21:06


    Ragnar Loðbrók (furry pants) is one of the most famous heroes of Icelandic literature. Today he is more famous as the lead character of the television series Vikings but here is the original story.

    The Deacon of Dark-River (Folktale Special)

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 23, 2018 14:40


    A episode devoted to the folktale The Deacon of Dark-River - including a reading of the tale.

    folktale dark river
    What's in an Icelandic Name

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 17, 2018 20:30


    The patronymic naming system used in Iceland is rather perplexing and we have unusual laws dealing with both first names and last names.

    Hear, Smith of Heavens

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 10, 2018 22:24


    An old poem serves as an introduction to the most violent age of Icelandic history.

    Yule - Not Christmas

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 20, 2017 30:58


    Iceland has thirteen Yule-Lads, a cat which eats children, strange songs and a long colorful history of celebrating Jól.

    The Thing About Þings

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 27, 2017 23:11


    A word you hear again and again in Iceland is þing but what does it really mean and what is its history? We take a journey through the ages of Iceland to figure it out.

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