Postcards From Iceland, #5 – Two Tongues
Dear friend,
This was one of my favorite vistas on the entire six-day trip. The dark foreground was comprised of sheets of ebony volcanic sand and gravel, like the surface of a black ocean leading to what could easily have been mistaken for an isolated island, but were actually two of the tongues of the Vatnajökull glacier – the most massive ice sheet in Iceland, and one of the top in Europe – flanking the central peak of Hvannadalshnúkur and oozing through valleys in the mountain range.
This felt like I was looking out across a barren planet in one of my favorite space operas. That is the magic of Iceland – the beauty and isolation, balanced on a knife edge, leaving you caught between a scream for help, and a shout for joy.
#5 – Two Tongues
Wow airlines was an appropriate carrier for us to fly in with, because I said wow a lot. I mean … a LOT! (can you blame me?)
Download as Free Wallpaper
Postcards from Iceland is a series of 52 blogposts – delivered one per week – exploring the magic of Iceland through a series of Personalized Digital Postcards highlighting the stunning Icelandic landscape, the colorful cityscapes of Reykjavik; including the prolific urban art scene, and the mystery of Viking magic!
The postcard pictures are from my trip there for the Summer Solstice in 2017. We enjoyed a week exploring the country, driving south across the bottom of the island all the way to Jokulsarlon Glacial Lagoon. Of course we experienced the Golden Circle and the beauty of Reykjavik. Each of these posts includes a free wallpaper picture that can be used on your computer or mobile device. Feel free to share and enjoy these original pictures for non commercial use.
* This series of blog posts is dedicated to my amazing wife, with whom I’ve shared so many great adventures.
BONUS!
Icelandic Rune Poems & Magic
With the first sixteen Postcards From Iceland blog posts, I’ll also include one verse from The Icelandic Rune Poem, which has been called the most systemized of the rune poems. Rune poems are thought to encapsulate esoteric knowledge of the symbol. Such interpretations are used in modern divination and meditation. Learn More?
#IcelandicMagic #Runes #Vikings #Iceland #Reykjavik #PostcardsFromIceland #HughBLong #Amwriting #IndieAuthor
(pictured above is a rune wand that I carved about 10 years ago)
Rune
[image error]
Rune Name
Reið
(Rayth)
Old Icelandic
Reið er sitjandi sæla
ok snúðig ferð
ok jórs erfiði.
iter ræsir.
English
Riding = joy of the horsemen
and speedy journey
and toil of the steed.
Want to learn how to pronounce all these arcane Old Norse words? https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Old_Norse/Grammar/Alphabet_and_Pronunciation
Icelandic Magical Staves
Symbol
[image error]
Icelandic name
Stafur gegn galdri
Manuscript Description
Staves against witchcraft.
[image error]
All of the signs and staves seen here can be found in Icelandic grimoires, some from the 17th century, some from later times though all of them seem to be related. The origin of this peculiar Icelandic magic is difficult to ascertain. Some signs seem to be derived from medieval mysticism and renaissance occultism, while others show some relation to runic culture and the old Germanic belief in Thor and Odinn. Much of the magic mentioned in court records can be found in grimoires kept in various manuscript collections. The purpose of the magic involved tells us something of the concerns of the lower classes that used them to lessen the burden of subsidence living in a harsh climate.
(From the website of: http://www.galdrasyning.is/ The Museum of Icelandic Sorcery & Witchcraft, Hólmavík)
Want To Learn More?
The Runes in 9 Minutes
Northern Plant Lore
Northern Wisdom
Northern Lore
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The post Postcards From Iceland, #5 – Two Tongues appeared first on Author Hugh B. Long.
