This is quite fascinating. Even though my father was Icelandic, I’d never heard these stories. I’ve only known about the Sagas because our ancestor is Snorri Sturluson. My father was born in a sod house in the far north of Iceland and had a very tough childhood. He didn’t see a car until he was 12. When he was five years old he was quite sick. He and his mother rode by horseback to the nearest doctor, a day’s ride away. Now Iceland is very prosperous but back then it was one of the poorest countries in Europe.
That's really interesting! Is his childhood home still there? Have you visited? If you understand some icelandic there are stories that were never translated or with such old translations that don't do the originals any justice, that you can read online.
That is beyond amazing! I'm glad that they preserved the old houses.
I have worked at similar outdoors museums as a museum teacher, sitting in the houses wearing clothes from long ago, doing crafts and talking to visitors. And I think that there is both a positive and a negative outcome of that way of living as they did long ago, in that life was often hard, but you knew what was coming, life following the natural cycle, so a lot less stress.
Today so many are burned out from not knowing about the future, or what life will be next year or in 5, 10 etc years from now.
no, not fluently, but I'm swedish and I've read a lot of old swedish manuscripts and danish and norwegian. I'm learning Norrøna wich is the source language of the old texts, just enough to understand them.
This is quite fascinating. Even though my father was Icelandic, I’d never heard these stories. I’ve only known about the Sagas because our ancestor is Snorri Sturluson. My father was born in a sod house in the far north of Iceland and had a very tough childhood. He didn’t see a car until he was 12. When he was five years old he was quite sick. He and his mother rode by horseback to the nearest doctor, a day’s ride away. Now Iceland is very prosperous but back then it was one of the poorest countries in Europe.
That's really interesting! Is his childhood home still there? Have you visited? If you understand some icelandic there are stories that were never translated or with such old translations that don't do the originals any justice, that you can read online.
Yes, it still exists! It was moved to the Árbær Open Air Museum in Reykjavik.
https://borgarsogusafn.is/en/arbaer-open-air-museum
I stayed at the family’s sheep farm and am glad I didn’t have to grow up there.
Unfortunately I don’t understand Icelandic so I’ll have to be content with the English translations. Can you read Icelandic?
That is beyond amazing! I'm glad that they preserved the old houses.
I have worked at similar outdoors museums as a museum teacher, sitting in the houses wearing clothes from long ago, doing crafts and talking to visitors. And I think that there is both a positive and a negative outcome of that way of living as they did long ago, in that life was often hard, but you knew what was coming, life following the natural cycle, so a lot less stress.
Today so many are burned out from not knowing about the future, or what life will be next year or in 5, 10 etc years from now.
no, not fluently, but I'm swedish and I've read a lot of old swedish manuscripts and danish and norwegian. I'm learning Norrøna wich is the source language of the old texts, just enough to understand them.
Do you live in Sweden now? I grew up in California but now I live in Japan.
Yes, I live almost in the middle of Sweden
This looks really interesting! I’m looking forward to reading it when I have a few moments!
Thank you! I’m researching for a book on werewolfs in Scandinavia (broadly defined) and this is came up as a part of that.
That sounds great! I'll definitely read more of your stuff