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Dec 5, 2021
21 min

Our Second Annual Book Flood

Icelanders love books so it is not surprising that one of the most beloved traditions in Iceland today is Jólabókaflóðið, the annual...

Nov 22, 2021
4 min

A Virtual Family Reunion

by Heather Goodman I15007347 There’s one in every family. Someone who is way more interested in collecting family memorabilia than anyone...

Nov 18, 2021
7 min

The Saga of Þorsteinn Staff-struck

The third installment of ancient writings about Vopnafjörður is the Saga of Þorsteinn Staff-struck. Many Western Icelanders emigrated...

Nov 16, 2021
3 min

California Horse Owner Goes Full "Tolt" for the Icelandic Horse

by Rob Olason Bellingham, WA Not everyone who visits Iceland and takes a one-hour ride on an Icelandic horse will dream about one day...

Oct 24, 2021
10 min

My Icelandic Emigration by Olaf Bjornsson, MD

Christina Sunley will present "Writing Your Icelandic Family Stories" on November 4th. See the Event Calendar for more information....

Oct 23, 2021
5 min

Ferry Cabin News - The Seal Skin Trunk From Iceland

News from Washington Island and the Surrounding Islands Richard Purinton Washington Island, Wisconsin This story first appeared in The...

Oct 23, 2021
4 min

Inspired by a Global Pandemic

While there is a long list of things that have gone wrong over the past two years due to a global pandemic from Covid-19, let's look at...

Sep 26, 2021
2 min

Tolkien and the Icelandic Sagas

J.R.R Tolkien, the author of Lord Of The Rings, The Hobbit, and more amazing tales studied the Icelandic language, read the Icelandic...

Sep 25, 2021
5 min

Ancient Writings from Vopnafjörður

Do you enjoy the Icelandic Sagas? Do you know how you are related to the people and the places of these stories? I have been sharing...

Sep 24, 2021
2 min

Icelandic Saga Connections

Bryndís Viglundsdóttir told me that when she was a little girl, she thought the characters from the Icelandic sagas were going to walk...

Sep 12, 2021
2 min

Kvennahlaup in Borðeyri and Þórdís Edda

Each year, there is a fun activity that is held in most communities across Iceland called Kvennahlaup or Women's Walk/Run. This weekend,...

Sep 11, 2021
2 min

My Virtual Mission 2021

The Icelandic Roots Fitness Challenge 2021 was a big success. Our most popular mission was the Ring Road route, with 118 participants...

Sep 4, 2021
3 min

The Legend of The Elf Lady Stone at Bustarfell

Once upon a time, a rich and noble sheriff and his wife lived happily at the important farm called Bustarfell. During the darkest days of...

Sep 4, 2021
4 min

The Saga of the People of Vopnafjörður

Vopnafjörður was a main port of Icelandic emigration to America and many of us can trace our families to East Iceland. Therefore, the...

Aug 28, 2021
3 min

Discover Hofsós

The village of Hofsós is located in Skagafjörður and is one of the oldest trading centers in Iceland. The dedicated Emigration Center,...

Aug 20, 2021
2 min

Finding Micah Northman

By David Johnson (Volunteer IR Genealogist on the Emigration Research Team) In 2015, an emigrant Icelander caught my attention. He was...

Aug 14, 2021
1 min

Icelandic Cousins Across the Ocean

Pride in their heritage and the significance of family history followed the Icelanders that moved to North America. Through today,...

Aug 2, 2021
20 min

FROM VOPNAFJÖRÐUR TO WINNIPEG

A translation of a diary from Icelandic to English for the emigration of Sveinn Árnason in 1889.

Jul 21, 2021
20 min

Icelandic Immigrants to Washington Island – 1870

Washington Island Icelanders 1870 and beyond.

Jun 20, 2021
9 min

The Rise and Fall of Icelandic Unitarianism

By Stefan Jonasson During the last two decades of the 19th century and well into the 20th, there was an extensive Unitarian mission to...