FUN FACT 2ND EDITION, The protectors

Landvættir  pronounced (Land- vi-tir) with an emphasis on, vi, are spirits of the land in Norse mythology 

Iceland is protected by four great guardians

According to a saga in Heimskringla a king of Denmark, King Harald Bluetooth Gormsson intending to invade Iceland, had a wizard send his spirit out in the form of a whale to scout it out for points of vulnerability. Swimming westwards around the northern coast, the wizard saw that all the hillsides and hollows were full of landvættir. 

The dragon (Dreki) in the east

The Griffin (Gammur) in the north

He swam up Vopnafjörður, intending to go ashore, 

but a great dragon came flying down the valley toward him, followed by many snakes, insects, and lizards, all spitting poison at him. So he went back and continued around the coast westward to Eyjafjörður, where he again swam inland. This time he was met by a great bird, so big that its wings touched Breiðafjörður. 

There he was met by a huge bull, bellowing horribly, with many landvættir following it.

The bull (Griðungur) in the west

 The giant (Bergrisi) in the south.

He retreated again, continued south around Reykjanes, and tried to come ashore at Vikarsskeið, but there he encountered a mountain bergrisi,a giant with his head higher than the hill-tops, with an iron staff in his hand and followed by many other giants (jötnar). He continued along the south coast but saw nowhere else where a ship come in, "nothing but sands and wasteland and high waves crashing on the shore.

The four landvættir are now regarded as the protectors of the four quarters of Iceland, and are portrayed on their coast of arms and their money. 

Fun Icelandic Facts

Þetta Reddast!

Pronounced (Th-eh-T-a Red-dast) Icelandic motto that means “It will save itself” or “It will fix itself.”, “Everything will work out” or “Don’t worry or be afraid. It will be okay.” the words fall off the tongue with a grin and a shrug of their shoulders. Similarly to the lion kings Hakuna Matata Its a wonder phrase!
Life on this Island could often be a bit harsh, so Icelanders developed a carefree mentality when faced with hardship and maintain a belief that things will work out. 



Life got you down? lose your passport? cant find your keys? Þetta Reddast!
I get tattoos in every country I spend more than a month, and I think I have just found my Icelandic tat. 

líkar ekki veðrið bara bíddu bara aðeins

or If you do not like the weather just wait a minute.

Due to its location WIND IS A THING! In Iceland it can be what would be considered REALLY windy anywhere else at any time of year. This is a thing constatly, Chicago ait got shit on this place.  People spend time attached to the fences  and signs being too scared to move off because of the wind. But this also means the weather changes, FAST! One day I spent being blown around in hail, snow, rain and in the sun, all with in 2 hours. So if you wait for nice weather before going from point A to point B, take your chance when you have it! and hope the wind is in your favor. 

What the SHIT

On my 2nd day in Iceland and first day of my internship at Dill I was learning some recipes and techniques in the prep kitchen when I get handed some smokes trout to d-bone and cut up. Me being the snack attack of a human being that I am, I chop off a small bit and taste it. It was a strange flavor I just couldn't put my finer on. It was defiantly smoked and it was defiantly fish but, there was something else.

Dances with dung

What is this smokes with I ask myself, this is not a wood flavor i recognize, so I ask. Sous chef Muni walks in and I ask him, "what type of wood is this smoked with?" and as the answer rolls off his tongue he says it like its the most normal thing in the world....

Iceland, No trees 

"Its not wood, it is smoked with sheep shit." I was sure I had heard wrong, sheep shit!!!WHAT! But yes, As he explained that the literal bi-product of feeding sheep for food what poop and it was free, unlike wood which on this volcanic rock of an island, is few and far between. Smoking is a method of preservation and before refrigeration nordic countries had many methods for food storage, hang drying, smoking, curing and fermentation like Hákarl ... but that's is for a later post.
to read more about Dill's uses of dung-smoked fish  click Here 

Iceland, MMMMmmmm that smell

Reykjavik, Iceland 

The first day, I have only been here for a few hours, long hours of traveling and little to no sleep doesn't make for a stable mind. As I get off the plane and proceed to grab a smoked lamb and egg salad sandwich (first time for any combination) I walk out to catch the airport bus to the city.
1 quickly learn lesson, don't buy coffee its not allowed on the bus, and chugging coffee IS. NOT. FUN! But once i throw it back I think about the strong stench coming off my sandwich like, damn I just brought egg salad on the bus people are NOT going to like me! But, alas I am hungry it doesn't seem to smell like it has gone off so, why not. Wafting through the air the smell sticks around and that is when I remember ( I was tired from the trip remember) this is the smell off the 261 toll road in southern California on a summer trip to the beach and I am on a surfer dioxide spewing volcano. Hekla or "Gateway to hell" she is also knows as, is said to erupt at any moment. What fun adventures!
The air, the shower water, the smell is distinctive and its here to stay! fun first hours, everything is so new, next update coming soon.

To read more on the volcano click here
Icelantic volcano ready to blow