Iceland is rich in folklore; its mountainous landscape, wide-open spaces, harsh climate and long winter darkness must have made it easy, in bygone times, to imagine ghosts, trolls and other supernatural creatures lurking around every corner.Educator and tale-teller Jón R. Hjálmarsson (1922–2018) retells many of the most famous of Iceland’s folktales and brings trolls and elves, wizards, mermen and a host of other mysterious beings to life.
Iceland is rich in folklore; the mountainous landscape, wide-open spaces, harsh climate and long winter darkness must have made it easy, in times gone by, to imagine ghosts, trolls and other supernatural creatures lurking around every corner. A Traveller’s Guide to Icelandic Folk Tales is a collection of 60 local legends, designed to accompany the traveller on the road around Iceland. The scene is set for each story with a description of the surrounding landscape and a brief history of the region, as well as practical information about routes to the various locations. The stories themselves are retold by experienced guide and historian Jón R. Hjálmarsson. Trolls and elves, wizards, ghosts, mermen and a host of other mysterious beings come to life in these pages to enliven the traveller’s journey around Iceland.
A lively and absorbing description of the development of the Icelandic nation from the settlement more than eleven hundred years ago up to the present date. In concise and highly informative accounts, written with general reader in mind, the book charts the glories and achievements of the Republic and Saga Age, the bitter and bloody civil war which led to humiliation and suffering under colonial rule, and nationalistic awakening which has created a thriving modern republic with a deep attachment to its unique past.