All Things Iceland

As you stroll the streets of Reykjavik, with its vibrantly painted houses and Mount Esja as a backdrop, you’re likely to encounter many four-legged and furry locals. Yes, cats are roaming freely around the city.

These furry residents are not only tolerated but adored by the city’s human inhabitants. Please know that these are not stray cats. Rather, they have homes, but their owners let them roam around to explore and interact with other living beings. After learning this fact, you might be wondering if dogs are given the same amount of adoration.

Why Dogs Were Banned in Reykjavik, Iceland

The short answer is that in present day, dogs are accepted in Reykjavik BUT cats are by far more numerous and widely accepted. The reason for this is that dogs were banned from living in the city for 60 years!

The story begins in the early 20th century. In 1924, Reykjavik authorities enacted a ban on dogs within the city limits. This ban was a response to two things. One was a housing shortage, which made authorities feel like it would be too much to also have dogs in the city. The second was that dogs were not considered hygienic because they could be carries of a deadly tapeworm that could be spread to humans.

At the time, the health risks posed by dogs were considered significant, and in the interest of public health, the city opted to ban them entirely. Even though dogs were banned in Reykjavik, they were still considered an integral part of farm life in the countryside because they worked on the farms, so people were allowed to have them out there.

Illegal Ownership of Dogs in Iceland Changed History

For much of the 20th century, dogs were a rare sight in the city. Major spotlight was put on the ban’s legitimacy in the 1980s after some well-known public figures in Reykjavik continuously violated the ban by owning a dog within the city limits.

One of the people involved was Albert Guðmundsson, who was the minister of finance at the time. He was repeatedly fined for owning his dog Lucy, but he refused to pay what amounted to about $500 in fees. He was so steadfast in not paying that he invited the police to arrest him and send him to prison, which they never ended up doing.

Albert was not alone in illegally owning a dog. It’s estimated that about 3,000 dogs were living in the city at the time and the police would periodically fine owners. Most people didn’t see the reason for the ban any longer and in 1984 it was lifted.

Dogs Can Be Owned in Reykjavik But Strict Rules Still Exist

While the ban has since been relaxed, tight regulation of dog ownership in the city was enforced for an additional 22 years. Special permits were required for dogs and the application process was tedious. This discouraged potential dog owners from getting a canine friend and kept the dog population in the city low.

Today, residents can own dogs but there are still strict regulations. For instance, dogs must be registered and there is a yearly dog registration fee. Additionally, there are strict residency, leash, vaccination and worming laws, just to name a few. There is even a whole document detailing all of the rules that I found on Reykjavik.is.

The Rise of Cats in Reykjavik, Iceland

While strict rules have been in place for dogs, cats, on the other hand, did not and do not face such restrictions. They were traditionally seen as useful animals, keeping the rodent population in check, especially in a city surrounded by water where ships and fishing were common. Without any competition from their canine counterparts, cats quickly became the favored pet among city dwellers.

The cats of Reykjavik are a proud part of the city’s landscape. They are well-cared-for, with many locals taking it upon themselves to feed and watch over those that don’t have an obvious home. As I mentioned, these cats have homes/owners but they have neighborhood hang out spots. It’s not unusual to find water bowls and cozy shelters set up by residents for the community cats.

The Reykjavík Cat Walk Tour

If you are a cat lover or are even just intrigued to see where some of these feline cuties hang out, then I think you’ll enjoy the Reykjavik Cat Walk Tour hosted by Your Friend in Reykjavik, a tour company that prides itself on offering authentic local experiences. I have personally done this walking tour and loved it. It’s surprising how many stops there and all of the adorable cats that can be found in their usual spots, if you know where to look.

There are even cat murals and, of course, a visit to the Cat Café. This café takes in cats that need a home and they roam freely around the cafe as people enjoy their drinks and food. The whole café is decorated in a cat theme, and it ...

While there are not many ́tourist traps ́ in Iceland, there are certainly things worth avoiding or at least knowing what you are getting into so you can make an informed decision. The five tourist traps in Iceland that I‘m sharing in this episode are the most common ones you will enocunter.

Review of the All Things Iceland Podcast

“Wish this show was done for every country”

We are heading to Iceland in 1 week (2/15/23) and this podcast has been so interesting and informative. Well done on all levels!!!

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Thank you Blueharpplayer for that review. If you are enjoying the show, feel free to leave a review. It helps others to get an understanding of what they can expect to hear and you might get a shoutout in one of the episodes.

5 Tourist Traps to Avoid in Iceland

1. Fake Icelandic sweaters

One of the worst tourist traps, in my mind, are fake Icelandic sweaters. Some shops have been selling sweaters with similar patterns to a lopapeysa (the official name of an Icelandic sweater) but they are made in China and are not made with Icelandic wool. In 2020, the term „lopapeysa“ was protected by Parliament because so many shops were selling fake ones.

Criteria that a sweater needs to meet to be considered an Icelandic lopapeysa

• The wool used to make handcrafted Icelandic sweaters shall be cut from Icelandic sheep.
• Only virgin wool shall be used as material for the sweater (wool that has not been recycled).
• The sweater shall be knitted from unspun wool, such as unspun plötulopi wool, thinner léttlopi wool, Álafosslopi wool, etc..
• The sweater shall have a circular knitted yoke with pattern shapes and/or pattern benches from the shoulder area to the neck.
• The sweater shall be handknitted in Iceland.
• The sweater shall be knitted in a circle without stitches.
• The sweater shall have an open front or be whole.

My advice is to always look at the label of the Icelandic sweater in question to see where it is made. If it doesn’t say, then ask the shop assistant. Stores, like the Icelandic Handknitting association, have knitters around the country that they employ to make their sweaters. Their sweaters have the name of the knitter on them, which I think is pretty cool. They have two brick-and-mortar stores in Reykjavik where you can go and try on a variety of sweaters.

A great place to buy Icelandic sweaters online is The Iceland Store.

I will have links to both shops in the show notes of this episode at allthingsiceland.com/Iceland-tourist-traps.

Another thing to know is that a fake Icelandic sweater will likely be much less expensive than a real one. It’s normal for an Icelandic lopapeysa to cost $200 or more. The high-quality material, craftsmanship, and the fact that they can last many years, even decades, makes it worth it to me.

2. Puffin Shops

A potential culprit of selling fake Icelandic are a type of store nicknamed „Puffin shops“. These shops sell a lot of knick knacks that are massed produced in China. Sometimes they are little statues, t-shirts with random sayings on them, plastic Viking helmets and so on. There are a decent number of these shops on Laugavegur, Iceland‘s famous shopping street.

Of course, it is totally up to you to buy these things but if you are looking for unique souvenirs made in Iceland, you can buy a lopapeysa or visit kirsuberjatréð. It‘s a shop that sells handcrafted jewelry, apparel, and home décor made my local designers. That is just one of many other stores that are available for buying locally designed/made items. I am a collecting a longer list for a future episode. Make sure you are subscribed to the podcast on whatever platform you listen to this on, so you don’t miss out when that episode is published.

3. Near beer

If you‘re fairly new to the podcast, you might not know that alcohol and beer in the country are sold almost exclusively by the icelandic government in stores called Vínbúðins. What I mean by them being exclusive is that there are no other liquor stores that can sell you a six pack of beer or a bottle of wine. While you can buy alcohol from restaurants and bars with liqour licenses, oh and br...

This episode is part of my Folklore Friday series, where I am sharing fascinating stories from Icelandic folklore on Fridays throughout 2024.

The Wrath of an Elf Woman Scorned

Even though this story is based in West Iceland, it starts out on the Reykjanes Peninsula in a small village. A group of men ventured to Geirfuglasker, known as Great Auk rocky island, on a g mission to capture great auks (a type of bird). But when it was time to sail back, they realized one of their own was missing. Reluctantly, they returned home, heavy-hearted and believing him lost to the sea.

A year later, the same crew found themselves back at the the same rocky island, and to their surprise, they found the missing man alive and well. He revealed an incredible tale: elves had enchanted him and held him captive for a year. The interesting part is that they treated him kindly yet keeping him away from his world. Even though they were nice to him, he longed for his home and elated to return to the world he knew with the group.

But his story took an unexpected turn. An elf woman, with whom he had shared a brief but intense connection, was expecting his child. She made him vow to baptize the child if she brought it to his church.

How the Evil Icelandic Whale Came to Be

Time passed, and during a mass at Hvalsnes church, a mysterious cradle appeared outside, bearing a note demanding the child’s baptism. This raised suspicion among the people in the village that the man who had vanished for a year was the father of the child.

The pastor confronted him, but he vehemently denied any connection. At that moment, a tall, imposing woman emerged, cursing the man for his denial. She proclaimed that he would become a monstrous whale, a terror of the seas, then vanished with the cradle, leaving the villagers in shock and awe.

Driven to madness by the curse, the man raced to the sea and leapt from a cliff, instantly transforming into a whale that later was called Redhead because the man was wearing a red cap on his head when he plunged into the sea. Redhead became notorious and feared because he sank nineteen ships in his wrath.

A Blind, Magical Icelander Pastor Vs a Massive Serial Killer Whale

One of the people deeply impacted by Redhead’s wrath was a blind pastor who lived at Saurbær. Tragedy struck when Redhead drowned the pastor’s sons during a fishing trip. Grieving yet determined, the pastor, guided by his daughter, made a pilgrimage to the fjord. One thing that made the pastor different than others who encountered this whale is that he was skilled in magic.

There, he and his daughter spotted the whale in the water. The pastor used a stick that his stuck in the ground along the shore to lead the whale through the fjord and up the Botnsá River. Not surprisingly, the huge whale struggling in the narrow, shallow waters. As they reached the roaring Glymur waterfall, the ground trembled like there were massive earthquakes because of the whale’s immense flailing about trying to fight against the magic. In fact, it is said tha the hills above Glýmur waterfall (glýmur meaning roaring) are called Skjálfandahæðir or Shaking hills because of this incident.

Finally, the blind pastor, with the help of his daughter leading him, had dragged Redhead the hot-tempered whale up to Hvalvatn Lake. Due to pure exhaustion from the difficult climb, Redhead died in the lake. The most intriguing part of the is story to me is that remains of whale bones have been found in this lake, which has led people to believe that it is a true story. When the pastor and his daughter returned home, the villagers were grateful for the work he had done to rid Redhead of the seas so it could be a little safer for all.

Random Fact of the Episode

Hvalfjörður is only 26 kilometers from Reykjavík, which is about an hour one way. It’s a lovely fjord and the drive is really nice. If have time and you want to take the scenic route, I recommend not taking the tunnel and driving on the longer road around the fjord. Due to the beauty of the fjord, remote location, and proximity to the city, many Icelanders have cabins in this area.

Icelandic Word of the Episode

Hvalfjörður literally means whale fjord

Books About Icelandic Folklore

1. The Guardians of Iceland and other Icelandic Folk Tales
2. Icelandic Folk Legends: Tales of Apparitions, Outlaws, and Things Unseen
3. The Little Book of the Hidden People: Twenty Stories of Elves from Icelandic Folklore
4. Icelandic Folk Tales

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This episode is part of my Folklore Friday series where I am sharing a folklore story every Friday in 2024.

An Icelandic Saga that Mentions the Lyngbakur

The Saga of Örvar-Oddur from the 13th or 14th century mentions the Lyngbakur. In part of the saga, Oddur is seeing vengeance against Ögmundur Flóki (sometimes referred to as Ögmundur Eyþjófsbani or “Eythjof’s-killer”) for the murder of his blood-brother Þórður.

To make it safely to Ögmundr Flóki’s location, Oddur was guided by his half-giant son, Vignir. Oddur and his crew set sail towards a fjord in Helluland where Ögmundur was rumored to be hiding. Along the way, they encountered two enormous sea creatures that were so large they appeared as islands.

Two Sea Monsters that Look Like Islands

In the saga, Vignir said, “These were two sea monsters, one called Hafgúfa and the other Lyngbakur. Hafgúfa is the largest creature in the entire ocean. It devours men, ships, whales, and anything else nearby. It stays submerged for days before surfacing, and when it does, it remains on the surface for at least one tide.”

Five men had mistakenly disembarked on what they believed was an island, only to be dragged into the sea when Lyngbakur dove beneath the waves, leading to their deaths. Despite this, the group managed to navigate through the jaws of Hafgúfa, the other monster that Ögmundur had magically summoned to stop them.

Lean More About Sea Monsters Spotted in Iceland

The book “Meeting with the Monsters” is a wonderful resource if you want to learn more about sea monsters in Iceland.

Random Fact of the Episode

The lyngbakur is said to eat every three years when it swallows everything in its path, including birds, fish and any other life in the sea.

Icelandic Word of the Episode

Lyngbakur – Heather back

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Þakka þér kærlega fyrir að hlusta og sjáumst fljótlega.

During part 2 of the interview that I did with Dóra Björt Guðjónsdóttir, Iceland’s youngest President of the Reykjavík City Council, she reveals even more details about Icelandic society that are unknown to the outside world. If you haven’t listened to part 1 yet, I highly recommend that you do because Dóra shares some insightful information about Icelandic politics and society.

In this episode, Dóra talks more about Iceland’s aggressive discussion culture and ways she is working to combat it in order to foster a more democratic society. She also hits on the shift toward freedom of the press, independent media, transparency and the growing feeling in Icelandic people that it is their responsibility to care about what is happening in politics in their country. However, there is a long way to go and this interview opened my eyes to some deep seated beliefs in Iceland.

The Questions I Asked Dóra During the Interview

• Have other women assimilated to using masculine and aggressive ways of expressing themselves in the City Council?
• Are men aware of the aggressive discussion culture and their role?
• From a foreigner or outsider’s view, it seems as though the 2008 financial crash in Iceland sparked a change in the government because the people demanded it. How different is the political landscape now as opposed to before the crash?
• What do you feel are some important topics being discussed in Iceland that people who live outside of the country or those that do not understand the language would not be aware of?
• The financial crisis in 2008 and some scandals since then have weakened some people’s confidence in politicians in Iceland. What do you feel politicians and the government as a whole needs to do to gain back the confidence of Icelandic people?

I hope you enjoyed listening to part 2 of this interview. The third and final part will be released next week, so make sure you are subscribed to the All Things Iceland podcast so you don’t miss it. If you are able to leave a review, please do so, if you haven’t already.

Let’s be social! Here is where you can connect with me on social media platforms:

• Facebook
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• Twitter

Þakka þér kærlega fyrir að hlusta (og að lesa) og sjáumst fljótlega (Thank you kindly for listening (and reading) and see you soon!