Entry 11: June 24, 2009

Mjoll Snaesdottir-The Archeology of Skalholt:

Skalholt’s history has a deep religious background and is known as one of the primary religious centers of Iceland. Because of this, a lot of attention is paid to the people that lived in and around Skalholt. Adjacent to Skalholt Church itself is an archaeological site where a bishop and around 20 male students lived and learned. The dig has been going on for five years but has recently stopped due to lack of funds. Mjoll, the lead archeologist on this project returned back to the site today and stopped to talk to us about her work and what steps are next in trying to dig up more details on the Bishop and students who lived here.

The first part of our informational session with Mjoll was a trip to the actual archaeological site. The site is defined by a series of stone walls that are sectioned off to form the outlines of rooms. While it was hard for us to determine what was what in this jigsaw puzzle of stone walls, Mjoll quickly pointed out which each room was used for and explained the type of activities that may have occurred. Once the tour of the site was complete we got to continue learning more by watching a slide show of pictures of the dig. The dig must be kept covered with grass and dirt to protect the project from being destroyed, which made it hard for us to see it when walking around, but the slide show really gave us a chance to see what the dig looked like uncovered. The most interesting thing about this particular archeological dig is that while Mjoll and her colleagues have only dug to a certain level for research (each level of soil is thought to be a century of sorts), there is always the possibility of digging further to uncover more history. However, by doing this you destroy some of the things that you have already discovered, adding to the cost and the potential loss of the program. Mjoll’s thoughts into the dig showed me why Skalholt was, and still is such an important piece of Iceland.

Entry 10: The West-Fjords Heritage Museum June 20:

One of the only museums in Isafjordur, The West-Fjords Heritage Museum is completely devoted to the fishermen of Isafjordur. The museum is located in some of the oldest homes in Isafjordur only adding to the ambiance of what is being displayed. The museum itself is complicatedly set up with displays on most everything associated with fishing. A set up of the traditional outfits that the fishermen wore and even the hooks that were used to catch the fish took up a great part of the museum. As with many of the historical/nature sites around Iceland, most everything was kept out of glass cases, with no ropes keeping visitors from touching and really getting into the materials presented. Outside of the building a demonstration of salted fish was set up with a large portion of rocks taken up by dried salted fish, a major export for Isafjordur. In addition to information on the fishermen of Isafjordur, a portion of the museum was devoted to accordions donated by Asgeir Sigurthsson, an accordion player and devotee. A wide variety of accordions ranging from 1820 until today were on display. Overall, while the museum had many materials, the written information was lacking and I think I would have appreciated it more if I had toured around with a local, or had some other kind of visual to explain to me how the fishing industry has changed throughout history. It is difficult to draw conclusions when all you have to look at are rain suits and massive fishing hooks, except perhaps that these men had and still have, one of the most challenging jobs on Earth.

Entry 9: Parliament June 18:

From what I have heard of Iceland’s parliament, it is quite rare for an Icelander to witness a session, let alone have a small tour of the buildings. To be able to see both was quite an honor, especially considering I have never even been able to do the same in my home country. My first impression of the parliament was the cross between modern and traditional. The name of parliament, Althingi, dates back to the original settlement of Icelanders and is seen throughout all the history books, and is plastered outside the parliament building still today. The building itself has two different parts two it. While the older side, where parliament is actually held, is composed of traditional stone and has an official look about it, the opposite end is a brand new modern building complete with incredible art installations. It amazed me how well these two buildings went together. It amazed me even more how it was even allowed for such a modern building to be built next to such a traditional, and historic, building that the Parliament, Althingi, represents. Another contrast that I noticed was in the Parliamentary chamber itself. The room was quite formal but the members of Parliament wore very average clothing into the session (complete with cell phones). I felt an air of informality that really surprised me, yet the way that the speeches were run, edged away at the informality and reminded me that this was official, even if people were talking and texting while people spoke. The parliament to me was a blending of the new and the old, and I think that is quite appropriate for Iceland.

Entry 8: Independence Day June 17:

The local Independence Day celebration was held in Reykholt, just a short ways away from Skalholt. Iceland’s Independence Day is a day to reflect on the independence from Denmark, even though this day specifically was not significant to the freedom of Iceland from Denmark’s control. The town, while larger than Skalholt, consists of around 500 people, but not even a fraction of them were at the celebration. This particular celebration was mostly held for the children of Reykholt as they were the ones in the parade and most, if not all, the activities centered on entertaining the children. One of the main differences that I noticed between our Fourth of July celebration and their Independence Day celebration was: one, all of the adults put on very nice clothing for this event and, two, the presence of the Icelandic flag was very limited. In the United States, Fourth of July is celebrated in shorts and T-shirts, often times with the American flag plastered on them. The relaxed atmosphere of the American celebration and the form of relaxation that the Icelandic celebration took was very different, but that is not to say that either is wrong. Keeping in mind that the ceremony that we went to was a local town, and not a country wide celebration, the notable difference could have been due to that. I would have been interested to see the country wide or larger celebration that was going on in Reykjavik to see if it had had a different feel.

Entry 7: Gudmund Gudmundson June 15:

The environment in Iceland is different than most countries, one because of the size of Iceland, and two because of the different natural resources that it offers. Iceland’s unique ability to use natural resources, such as water for hydroelectricity and geothermal power, give it a leg up on other countries in the search for environmental change. On the flip side, Iceland has a long history of struggle in maintaining the little land that they have, and it is becoming obvious that if something is not done soon then precious landmarks will be gone.

A meeting with Gudmundur Gudmundsson, a public relations representative for the Ministry of the Environment, visited us in Skalholt and talked to us about what the Ministry for the Environment is doing to prevent Iceland from destroying its natural beauty. The most important aspects of Iceland’s environment that are felt to need constant attention are the planting of forests and outdoor nature conservation. There is also great concern for the glaciers. Considering there has been a notable temperature increase in Iceland’s climate, there is cause to be concerned about the fragile glaciers that are all around Iceland. It is felt that within one-hundred years the glaciers around Iceland will be reduced to nearly 15% of their original size until they are entirely gone. In addition to the diminishing glaciers, Gudmundur told us more about the issue with fisherman and the fish shortage due to the warming of the climate. On a final note, Gudmundur explained what it would mean for Iceland’s environment to join the European Union, and while the EU is considered to help Iceland’s environment, many other political factors will affect the final decision. Gudmundur’s speech left me inspired to learn more about Iceland’s unique and challenging environment.

Entry 6: Helgafell and Eric the Red June 14:

Throughout our courses in Icelandic culture and history, we have gotten to know many characters and historical figures that have shaped Iceland. Of the books that we have read, Laxdaela Saga has had the most historical relevance because of its deep roots in the traditional Icelandic history that we have become so familiar with. The characters, and their families, in Laxdaela resemble so much of the historical settlers of Iceland that it made learning about these people more relevant to our studies. To further emphasize the relevancy between literature and history, along with our trip to Snaefellsness Peninsula, we stopped at some places that were of great importance in Laxdaela Saga. Among them were the farmsteads of Hrappstead, Kambsness, Hjardarholt and Hoskuldstead all mentioned and all largely significant to the characters of Laxdaela. All of these farms were placed in a valley of sorts with green grass surrounding nearly everything, only fulfilling the mental image that I had in my head about the locations of these farms. Of course, miles away was Helgafell, the Church and farm where Gudrun (the leading female of the saga) spent the last years of her life.

On the more historical side of things we paid a visit to the longhouse of Eric the Red, Eriksstadir, known for founding Greenland. His longhouse was quite small, as opposed to the wooden and stone farmhouses of the Laxdaela homes, and is most distinguishable because of the traditional nature of the building characterized by stone sides and a moss roof. The thickness of the walls left the interior of the building so dark that it was nearly impossible to see upon entering, but the small chimney in the center of the longhouse gave just enough light to begin to understand what it meant to live in a longhouse. The guide gave us explanations for everything in the longhouse and talked of those who lived here and what they did for a living. The women in particular created large sails for boats that took many years to create and were so valuable that they were split into many pieces and distributed amongst residents for protection. The men that lived in these homes were Vikings and long expeditions for land and goods were the main elements of their lives. As with the farmsteads, this home brought the full circle to the historical readings and even gave me a very good idea of what it was like to live in times of settlement.

Entry 5: Snaefellsjokull June 13:

Snaefellsness peninsula is located on the western side of Iceland, in the outermost strip of land. The road to get to Snaefellsness straddles between mountains and ocean with black and brown beaches less than a mile from the road itself. I never realized that Iceland had these beautiful coastlines. I got so caught up in green hills and mountains that surround me at Skalholt that I forgot that there are so many climates and eco-regions represented in Iceland. The main appeal of the Snafellsness peninsula, besides its location next to the ocean which is popular with campers, is the Snafellsjokull glacier, a tiny pinpoint of a glacier almost right on the tip of the peninsula. This glacier is believed to have special powers and provide some type of healing, but is also thought to be a gateway to hell. Before climbing the glacier we were read some passages from Under the Glacier by Halldor Laxness, which explained that, on this particular glacier, your body leaves your soul instead of your soul leaving your body.

The climb up the glacier was much different than I expected. When I think glacier, I think a large mass of ice, and while there must have been ice, a foot of loose snow covered it tricking the hiker into thinking that it was a hard surface. Another thing I noticed about the glacier was when I did step in the snow and reached something hard, my footprint left an almost turquoise blue color that was so faint I almost couldn’t see it. During all of this exploration I was overwhelmed by how quiet the glacier was. There was no wind to be heard, no birds chattering, no people really talking, and no other distractions. At times I felt as if I was walking through something, instead of just walking in air. I was and still am amazed at the ambiguity of the glacier and hopeful that I get to return to see if I have the same experiences, or different ones, only reinforcing the glaciers mystical nature.

Foss

The first mention of ‘sheeps’ occurred back in some of the first orientation meetings that we had for this trip. Pictures and stories were told of Dr. Novak’s ‘sheeps’ and the rising excitement of actually getting to see them on our trip was obvious. Finally, while on our trip to Snaefellsness, we got to see the sheep at their home, a farm called Foss or waterfall in Icelandic. The idea behind this farm, and why Dr. Novak owns these sheep, is that people can foster, or buy sheep, providing income for the sheep farmers, and in return receive all of the by-products from the sheep. Hleidis, the operator behind this concept, and her family, run the farm and oversee all of the sheep as well as the other animals that are present on the farm. We had the opportunity to eat a traditional Icelandic meal with the family as well as “herd” the sheep and watch them run off to summer pasture. The meal was a traditional Icelandic soup made with lamb and vegetables that was more than welcome on such a frigid day. Our attempts at “herding” the animals was overshadowed by the patriarch of the family, Hleidis’s father, managing to single handedly herd all of Dr. Novak’s sheep into the barn where we had the opportunity to get to know them further.

Throughout all this, I became more and more impressed by Hleidis and what her family does. This economic crisis has affected everyone, even the farmers and to be quick about it and try and bring money back to the farms through Hleidis’s program is smart. In addition, Helidis’s family again reinforced the image of family in Iceland. Her sister had a baby boy with her boyfriend who she is still happily together with. It was obvious that this boy was loved more than anything and that his presence made the family even more complete. It was so nice to see a family that, while typical in Iceland, is un-typical (or mostly unaccepted) in the United States, and to have them be so happy in the situation that they are in.

Entry 4: June 10, 2009

Hraunfossar
Hraunfossar, a waterfall in the countryside of Iceland, started a day of adventures for me and my companions. The trip to Hraunfossar was a great introduction to the day. The winding gravel roads where you could see for miles on either side put me in the state of mind to really experience the sights of Hraunfossar. Hraunfossar is a unique site in that two types of water, glacial and fresh water, mix. The glacial water is such a turquoise blue that it overwhelms the runoff of fresh water that comes in on the sides. Other parts that were beautiful were the sites around Hraunfossar such as the rock formations and the bottle necking of the glacial water which caused a huge rush of water. The water itself was possibly the freshest I have ever tasted, only emphasized by the fact that it was extremely cold. Hraunfossar is not a site to just walk around and visually enjoy but a site to really physically explore.

Reykholt June 10
This particular Reykholt was much further away than the one that is only five miles away from our little Skalholt. Nestled not far from Hraunfossar, Snorri Sturluson’s church stands in a pasture with farmland and other buildings surrounding it. A newer (and bigger) church was built near the smaller quainter church of Sturluson’s time. The compound was much more developed than it was advertised to be. Large buildings and the large church that surrounded the area, overwhelmed the parts of the compound that were even related to Sturluson. The ‘hot-pot’ that was believed to have been Sturluson’s did not even have original stone around the rim, only adding to the overwhelming feeling of modernization and beautification. The small church was restored to perfection and the archeological dig was even covered up with moss to try and maintain the area better. The tour inside the Church included explanations of the stained glass windows and the large organ which was installed there. I was most interested to hear about Sturluson himself, which we did not get to really explore (in the museum itself) or hear much about from our guide. I am hoping to connect the dots on our further adventures around Iceland.

Entry 3: June 9, 2009

Kristinn’s Tour of the Church
Skalholt Church alone, without its surroundings, is possibly one of the main reasons for so many tour bus stops. Its history and the pieces inside the Church make it a whole, but a complex whole. No church comes without a history, and Skalholt’s is particularly relevant to Iceland’s.

Kristinn, the rector of Skalholt, started off by giving us a brief tour of the archaeological dig and characterized some of the people that lived there so long ago including a previous bishop of Skalholt and the boys that lived and learned in the compound. Once inside the Church, brief descriptions of some of the bishops were given, and I believe we were all surprised at how real these people seemed after their small anecdotes.

Next we moved on to the physical aspects of the Church such as the artwork and other important pieces. It was most intriguing to hear about the stained glass and the altar piece both done by artists and both done with a specific purpose. The altar piece represented Jesus Christ who was supposed to be coming through a “hole” in the wall to bless those in the Church. The stained glass was unique in that pictures of the cross were depicted on one wall in shades of blue and more free form shapes on the opposite wall in shades of red. Kristinn explained that the red and the blue were to represent the colors of Christ and that the artist’s reasoning behind the two different walls was to create different atmospheres in the same location. I know that if I were to come to this Church and try to interpret these things myself, I would have fallen short on most of the insights that Kristinn provided for us. I now hope to walk into any Church and be able to actively appreciate my surroundings.

Erlingur June 9:
Through our ventures into the sagas of the Vikings, and especially this history of the Vikings, we have been trying to draw connections between the two and bring them closer instead of looking at them as separate entities. Erlingur Brynjolfsson, a teacher, scholar and historian began to make connections between the two when he came for a small presentation. He had creative ways of drawing attention to pieces of information through his witty insights and slide show. I could tell that Erlingur was intelligent, but he was not going to shower us with information or crowd us with his thoughts on certain things. Overall, he did make connections between the sagas and the history especially with his comments about Germans even looking to the sagas to have some of their national heritage explained. In addition, comments about how the sagas were written from Chieftains, or historical and political figures, grounded the idea of history and literature going hand in hand.

Entry 2: June 6, 2009

The Pearl June 6:
The Pearl is Iceland’s equivalent to a historical museum. The exhibits centered on the location of Iceland all the way up to the acceptance of Christianity and while this was all very informative, I did feel myself wanting a little more. I wanted to know more about the people that lived in Iceland, how they lived, and what other issues besides religion were going on this time. While I understand that museums have to be creative (and selective) about how and what they present, The Pearl just seemed to scrape the surface. On the other hand, there were certain historical moments in the museum where something struck me as really fascinating. Such as, how the naming of locations was so simple, whoever located it named it after themselves, and how the acceptance of Christianity involved a few days of contemplation. I am beginning to realize how simple, yet in some ways complex, Iceland’s history is and just how different it was from America’s history. I look forward to building on this knowledge from The Pearl inside and outside the classroom.

Reykjavik 871 +/- 2 June 6:
Even upon entering this museum, one could just tell that it was going to be different. The creative naming of this museum, Reykjavik 871 +/- 2, sets it apart from others of its kind in the fact that it is not a definite conclusion of a museum, and I think that is very appropriate. Even experts are not one-hundred percent on things and I have noticed in my time here that Icelanders do not work on a set schedule and sometimes don’t have the answer for everything (which doesn’t mean they don’t try). That being said, this museum relied heavily on technological effects and in some ways I think this detracted from the exhibit. I did not know what to expect walking into this exhibit and I found myself confused and really did not understand the point of some of the technology that was around the room. I would have liked to have seen more information about prospects of what went on in this “longhouse”. There was not enough information about what was thought to have been going on at that time and what the residents of this area were doing and as I said before relied on the technology to only provide some suggestions. Even so, I am being a little hard on the museum and I did take something away from it, but I was still mostly confused. I hope that once I visit an existing longhouse that is in its full form that I can fill in the missing pieces.

The Culture House June 6:
One regret that I have in going to this museum is that I did not go with either Dr. Grathwohl or Dr. Novak because I think I would have appreciated their knowledge on some of the scripts that were in the lower part of the museum, which I really enjoyed seeing. I enjoyed the set up of the culture house, but as with Reykjavik 871 +/- 2 I was confused as to some of the importance of the material. The room devoted to the animals was most confusing in that the many of the animals were not even found in Iceland, but as I said before I think a little guidance from the professors would have helped me to understand this museum more. The best element of this museum was the top floor with the samplings of Icelandic film. This is one time where technology did not get in the way of comprehension and it was done in such a way so as not to overwhelm you. If I could do this museum over I would have gone with the group; it is amazing what you will see when there are eight other pairs of eyes observing.

Island vs. Holland (Cultural Observation) June 6:
It was of excellent timing that we came into Reykjavik on a day when a huge sporting event was occurring. There is something about soccer in Europe that has the same effect as basketball in North Carolina: complete obsession. From experience, I have realized that sports crowds are often the best and worst crowds to observe and it was of extreme fortune that I got to witness this cultural event of sorts. I think I enjoyed this so much because I was able to actually take part in the celebration (even though it was for Holland not Iceland) by walking in the streets and witnessing the energy and sheer excitement that waved throughout the participants. In addition to witnessing the fans, just by walking in the streets with the other observers I was noticing things that I did not have the opportunity to witness while in Skalholt. The residents of Reykjavik all seem to be quite young and hip, with a European air about them, but even so there were other types of people all throughout the spectrum. I most appreciate the opportunity to be able to have the two extremes, country life and city life, in my arena of cultural appreciation.

Entry 1: June 1, 2009

Gullfoss May 31st:
Gullfoss was impressive for the fact that often times you hear and see pictures of these incredible places but I have never been to any natural wonder like this. I was first struck by the fact that for one, you didn’t have to pay to enter this natural wonder, which is strange because in the United States everything is considered to be worth something, and second there were no real limitations to how close or where you could go to enjoy the view. However, the best moment while at Gullfoss was looking around and seeing how everyone else (whether in my group or others) was appreciating this wonder. Some people had huge grins, some looked pensive, but most looked like kids at a theme park; Gullfoss a playground for adults.

Geysir May 31st:
When I think geyser I think Yellowstone National Park, which is a shame because it isn’t even the true first geyser. As with Gullfoss I was surprised at how interactive Geysir was (except for a few well placed safety ropes) and how you could essentially look directly into the bubbling hot springs with the coral blue and green colors and, if daring, could probably be close enough to some geysers to possibly feel a little steam roll off of them. I almost wish, which is strange, that I had been able to go to Geysir when there were many other people were there too because I would have liked to have seen their reactions and compare them to mine.