All Things Iceland

By: Jewells Chambers
Listen for free

  • Summary

  • Discover Iceland’s language, history, culture, & nature
    ©2020 All Things Iceland
    Show more Show less
Social Sciences Travel Writing & Commentary
Show more Show less
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2
Episodes
  • Is Dimmuborgir Iceland’s Gate to Hell? The Shocking Tale Behind This Strange Lava Field

    Is Dimmuborgir Iceland’s Gate to Hell? The Shocking Tale Behind This Strange Lava Field
    Oct 18 2024
    This is episode is part of my Folklore Friday series where I am sharing a Folklore story every Friday in 2024. To hear other stories, I have shared so far, check them out on my website All Things Iceland. How Dimmuborgir was Said to be formed? Legend has it that Dimmuborgir, with its eerie rock formations and twisting lava fields, is more than just a natural wonder. Some say it's a hidden gateway to a mysterious, parallel world – a realm where Iceland's most elusive creatures reside.Elves, trolls, and other mythical beings are said to call this shadowy place home, slipping in and out of our world through secret passages among the towering rocks.In other tales, especially in Nordic Christian lore, Dimmuborgir takes on an even darker role. It's believed to be the very spot where Satan crashed to Earth after being cast out of Heaven. From there, he is said to have forged the catacombs of Hell, using the strange landscape as his foundation.For those who visit Dimmuborgir today, the air still hums with the legends of this supernatural past, making it feel as if you're standing on the edge of another world. Random Fact of the Episode It is estimated that Dimmuborgir was created about 2,300 years ago after a huge volcanic eruption. It‘s a beautiful and sort of eery place. In North Iceland and can be part of your Diamond Circle route. Explore Iceland on Your Own Go Car Rental Iceland Go Car Rental Iceland is a local Icelandic car rental company that has great customer service, a large variety of cars and very competitive prices. Use my code Iceland10 to save 10% off the entire cost of your rental car.I personally use them for when I go on adventures, and I’m so glad to hear that many of my listeners and subscribers are also having a great experience with them. I mentioned in a previous episode that one of my listeners switched to Go Car Rental Iceland from one of the internationally known rental car companies here and she saved $400! That was for a rental during the summer when prices can sometimes double due to demand.Go Campers – Camper Van Rental in IcelandIf you plan to use a campervan, use my code Iceland7 to save 7% and get two free duvets with your GO Camper van rental. Also, I have a great episode coming up soon about how to choose the right camper van for your travels in Iceland, so keep an eye out for that. Icelandic Word of the Episode Dimmuborgir translates to "dark castles" or "dark cities. Share this with a Friend Facebook Email Threads Let's Be Social Youtube Tiktok Instagram Facebook Þakka þér kærlega fyrir að hlusta og sjáumst fljótlega.
    Show more Show less
    6 mins
  • The Merman Who Changed an Icelandic Fisherman’s Life Forever

    The Merman Who Changed an Icelandic Fisherman’s Life Forever
    Oct 11 2024
    This is episode is part of my Folklore Friday series where I am sharing a Folklore story every Friday in 2024. To hear other stories, I have shared so far, check them out on my website All Things Iceland. How an Icelandic Fisherman Caught a Merman Many years ago, there was a farmer living in Vogar, famous for being the best fisherman around. No one could match his skill, and his farm flourished because of it. One day, while he was out on the water, something strange happened. He cast his line into the sea like usual, but when he tried to reel it in, it felt impossibly heavy, as if he had snagged a massive catch.To his surprise, when he finally pulled it up, it wasn’t just a fish—he’d caught a strange creature with the body of a man!Startled, the fisherman blurted out, “What in the world are you?”The creature responded calmly, “I am a merman from the deep sea.”Curious, the farmer asked, “What were you doing when my hook got you?”The merman replied, “I was adjusting the chimney cowl on my mother’s house to make it face the wind. Now, let me go!”But the farmer wasn’t ready to release him just yet. “Not so fast,” he said. “You’ll have to serve me for a bit first.”Without further discussion, the fisherman dragged the merman into his boat and rowed back to shore. The Merman Notices Some Interesting Things About the Fisherman When they reached land, the fisherman’s loyal dog ran up to greet him, barking happily and wagging its tail. But in a foul mood, the farmer struck the dog for being too excited. At this, the merman chuckled softly but didn’t explain why.As the fisherman headed toward his house, pulling the merman behind him, he stumbled over a small hill. Annoyed, he cursed at it. The merman laughed again, louder this time.Finally, when they arrived at the house, the fisherman’s wife rushed out to greet him, wrapping her arms around him affectionately. Pleased with her welcome, he smiled—only to hear the merman laugh a third time.The farmer, now curious, asked, “You’ve laughed three times. Why?”“I’ll only tell you,” said the merman, “if you promise to take me back to the sea and let me go.”The fisherman agreed, eager to hear the reasons.The merman began, “I laughed the first time when you hit your dog, who was only showing you honest joy. The second time, I laughed because you cursed the hill—yet beneath it lies a fortune in gold. The third time, I laughed because your wife’s embrace, though it pleased you, was hollow. She is unfaithful to you.”Shocked, the farmer said, “I’ll believe you if I find gold in that hill. The rest, we’ll see.” The Fisherman is Shocked at What He Found He immediately went to the hill and dug it up. Sure enough, he found a treasure of golden coins buried there, just as the merman had said.Keeping his word, the farmer took the merman back to the sea. Before diving back into the depths, the merman said, “You’ve kept your promise, so I will reward you. Soon, you will come across something valuable. Be ready to claim it.”Not long after, seven sea-grey cows appeared on the beach near the farmer’s land. They were wild and untamable, but the farmer noticed something unusual—they each had a small bladder attached to their noses. Remembering the merman’s words, the farmer chased after them, managing to burst the bladder on one of the cows. Immediately, the cow became calm, allowing the farmer to lead her home. The rest of the cows fled back into the sea.That one grey cow turned out to be an incredible gift, giving more milk than any other cow in the land. She became the ancestor of a prized breed of grey cows, famous throughout Iceland.The farmer grew rich and lived a prosperous life, but he never caught another merman. And as for his wife, well, nothing more was said about her after that, so we can only guess how that part of the story ended. Random Fact of the Episode Stories of Mermen often depict them as being very ugly with hands and feet.
    Show more Show less
    9 mins
  • The Legend of Necropants: A Dark Icelandic Folktale with a Modern Twist

    The Legend of Necropants: A Dark Icelandic Folktale with a Modern Twist
    Oct 4 2024
    This is episode is part of my Folklore Friday series where I am sharing a Folklore story every Friday in 2024. To hear other stories, I have shared so far, check them out on my website All Things Iceland. How Icelandic Necropants are Created Imagine making a pact with your best friend—if one of you dies, the other gets to use the body for something truly bizarre: making a pair of magical pants. These aren’t just any pants though. They’re called Necropants, and they're made from human skin, specifically from the waist down.So, when one friend dies, the surviving one digs up the body, carefully peels off the skin from the legs (without making any holes, of course), and puts them on right away. Sounds grim, right? But here’s the catch—the pants don't just sit on you like a creepy costume. They actually fuse to your body, becoming a part of you. You can wear them as long as you like, but eventually, you’ll have to pass them on to someone else if you want to keep the magic going.But wait, what magic, you ask? Just wearing the pants isn’t enough to unlock the wealth. For that, you need to perform a twisted ritual. First, you must steal a coin from a desperately poor widow, and the timing is key—it has to be done during a church service, right between specific readings on Christmas, Easter, or Whit Sunday.You then place this stolen coin into the “pocket” of the Necropants. And here's where things get even stranger: that “pocket” is more like the, ahem, scrotum area of the pants. Once the coin is in, the pants magically start producing more coins. Free money, but with a dark price. Why Some People Feel Necropants are Worth it But these aren’t your average enchanted pants. If you remove the original stolen coin, the magic stops working. And then there's the even darker part—when you're ready to pass the pants to someone else, you can't just hand them over. There’s a strict process. You have to remove the pants one leg at a time. First, the right leg comes off, and the new wearer has to immediately put on that same leg. Once they’re in, there's no turning back. Even if they try to stop, they’re cursed to wear the full pants, like it or not.If you fail to pass them on properly, your soul could be in danger, and your body, once you’re dead, will be consumed by vermin. Some say theseNecropants are a gift from the devil himself, a symbol of the pact made with dark forces in exchange for earthly riches. But no matter how much wealth you gather, wearing them comes with a heavy cost. Random Fact of the Episode A replica of what these pants are supposed to look like are in the Icelandic Museum of Sorcery and Witchcraft in Hólmavík in the Westfjords region of the country. Icelandic Word of the Episode Nábrók - necropants Share This to a Friend Facebook Email Threads Let's Be Social Youtube Tiktok Instagram Facebook Þakka þér kærlega fyrir að hlusta og sjáumst fljótlega.
    Show more Show less
    8 mins

What listeners say about All Things Iceland

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    3
  • 4 Stars
    0
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    3
  • 4 Stars
    0
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    2
  • 4 Stars
    1
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Audible.com reviews

Amazon reviews
Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Danielle Chambers

Swimming is so wonderful…

I truly enjoyed this episode, didn’t know that Icelanders didn’t have inside plumbing until the mid- 1900’s.

Report this

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for laura

stumbled on this!!

I am going in December 2022.
super helpful! it's like the bioluminescent in PR (don't go during a full moon) . great advice.
she seems super cool

Report this

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!