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Icelandic Folk and Fairy Tales
English, Icelandic (translation)
123 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1852
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
May 17, 2022
A cherished souvenir of my time in Reykjavik!
Did you know, for example, that Icelandic Santas are not really Santas in the jolly, chubby, gift-giving sense? Oh no. In Iceland, the Santas are offshoots of trolls and they have the dispositions to match. Their wardrobes are more yikes! than Yule. They are sometimes mere pranksters, but sometimes they’re homicidal maniacs who eat children.
Merry Freakin’ Icelandic Christmas!!
Did you know, for example, that Icelandic Santas are not really Santas in the jolly, chubby, gift-giving sense? Oh no. In Iceland, the Santas are offshoots of trolls and they have the dispositions to match. Their wardrobes are more yikes! than Yule. They are sometimes mere pranksters, but sometimes they’re homicidal maniacs who eat children.
Merry Freakin’ Icelandic Christmas!!
December 5, 2018
As the title suggests this is a compilation of old Icelandic folk and fairy tales. Many of these stories were passed down through word of mouth over the centuries until Jon Arnason and Magnus Grimsson began collecting and recording them on paper in the mid 1800s. The book is divided into four categories, those being " Elves & Trolls", "Ghosts & Sorcerers", "Sinners & Saints" and finally "Miscellaneous Tales". Some of the stories contain lessons in morality for the time they were written, others as explanations for certain phenomena or geographical areas of significance within Iceland itself. Most of the tales were dark in nature but also somewhat humorous as they often involve mythical creatures of Icelandic lore. Overall I found the tales interesting but thought they could have been written a little better. They seem like good stories you could read to your kids before bed.
December 3, 2015
A folklore book is an almost perfect pleasure. The stories in them always have a lot of variety (heroic? humorous? horror? they got it all!) so you will never get bored. They are often very short, so you can just pick it up and read it anytime. They always have a lot of historical and cultural information in them so you are learning more about the world, too. What could be better?
A lot of Icelandic folklore can also be found in Scottish Folklore and even Nova Scotian Folklore, proving that European people kept their oral traditions around for a very long time regardless of time and place. I find that amazing. Stories of fairies, saints, and magic have been entertaining European-descendent people for generations!
One will find in these stories that many themes in folktales have become popular tropes. I noticed this more with the Icelandic folklore that I have read in this book than with any other book. Trolls (giant ugly creatures who eat cattle and humans who turn into stone upon contact with sunlight - guess where Tolkien got the idea?) and Black Magic.
The introduction gives you a lot of trust in the accuracy of the book that you are reading. The folktales are full of useful footnotes, references, etc which are a real joy to see in a book like this because I am always afraid that when people compile folklore for books they might "spice them up" by adding details that weren't in the originals that appeal to or make sense to modern people. But I didn't feel like there was anything like that in these stories.
The stories are set up into different sections: ghosts, saints and sinners, etc. This gives them even more variety. I felt like this book showcased just enough of each topic, unlike so many other folklore books that often get repetitive when they showcase stories with the same theme over and over and over again.
The only thing I didn't like in these stories are the illustrations. The illustrations are apparently done by a great Icelandic artist, but I didn't like them. I feel like illustrations in a book like this should acquaint you with the traditions of visual artistry in these regions which, when paired up with the folktales, should help you become absorbed in the culture. But the illustrations in this book were often confusing, and looked like something out of a Frank Miller graphic novel (seriously, they were WEIRD). They often took me OUT of the stories, when they should be having the opposite effect. I looked at some traditional icelandic art online to see what it was like, and it was quite different from the illustrations in the book. Often the illustrations would be nothing at all like how I imagined the scene. Seriously, if the illustrations weren't in this book I would give it a higher rating.
The illustrations in "Great Folk Tales of Old Ireland" are a great example of what illustrations should be in a book like this. They look "archaic", they stimulate the imagination, they create atmosphere. This book deserves illustrations like the ones in that book.
Overall, a great book that I recommend to anyone interested in learning about foreign cultures or who loves European folklore (like me!).
A lot of Icelandic folklore can also be found in Scottish Folklore and even Nova Scotian Folklore, proving that European people kept their oral traditions around for a very long time regardless of time and place. I find that amazing. Stories of fairies, saints, and magic have been entertaining European-descendent people for generations!
One will find in these stories that many themes in folktales have become popular tropes. I noticed this more with the Icelandic folklore that I have read in this book than with any other book. Trolls (giant ugly creatures who eat cattle and humans who turn into stone upon contact with sunlight - guess where Tolkien got the idea?) and Black Magic.
The introduction gives you a lot of trust in the accuracy of the book that you are reading. The folktales are full of useful footnotes, references, etc which are a real joy to see in a book like this because I am always afraid that when people compile folklore for books they might "spice them up" by adding details that weren't in the originals that appeal to or make sense to modern people. But I didn't feel like there was anything like that in these stories.
The stories are set up into different sections: ghosts, saints and sinners, etc. This gives them even more variety. I felt like this book showcased just enough of each topic, unlike so many other folklore books that often get repetitive when they showcase stories with the same theme over and over and over again.
The only thing I didn't like in these stories are the illustrations. The illustrations are apparently done by a great Icelandic artist, but I didn't like them. I feel like illustrations in a book like this should acquaint you with the traditions of visual artistry in these regions which, when paired up with the folktales, should help you become absorbed in the culture. But the illustrations in this book were often confusing, and looked like something out of a Frank Miller graphic novel (seriously, they were WEIRD). They often took me OUT of the stories, when they should be having the opposite effect. I looked at some traditional icelandic art online to see what it was like, and it was quite different from the illustrations in the book. Often the illustrations would be nothing at all like how I imagined the scene. Seriously, if the illustrations weren't in this book I would give it a higher rating.
The illustrations in "Great Folk Tales of Old Ireland" are a great example of what illustrations should be in a book like this. They look "archaic", they stimulate the imagination, they create atmosphere. This book deserves illustrations like the ones in that book.
Overall, a great book that I recommend to anyone interested in learning about foreign cultures or who loves European folklore (like me!).
January 4, 2008
The Icelandic have a few interesting twists on some of the traditional fairy tale tropes. My favorites involve the hidden people, which are sort of like Iceland's unique version of faeries, or nature spirits. They live in a world parallel to ours, or sort of contained within ours, but that we cannot see or access. I can attest that when I was in Iceland, I really did see doors painted on rocks and things both around houses (I'm assuming the impetus there was merely for decoration) but also on random slabs of basalt sticking out of the ground in the middle of the countryside.
Icelandic fairy tales are quirky and if you're interested in myth and legend this slim volume is something worth reading.
Icelandic fairy tales are quirky and if you're interested in myth and legend this slim volume is something worth reading.
June 3, 2021
Zaujímavá zbierka, ale ocenila by som viac informácií ku kontextu poviedok a rozprávok!
July 17, 2024
A friend of mine is going to Iceland this summer so I decided to read the book my mom got me when she went to Iceland a few years back: Icelandic Folk and Fairy Tales, which is, as titled, a collection of Icelandic folk and fairy tales. Most of them are very short, some only a few paragraphs long. Most of them are funny. There are many ways in which they remind me of the Irish folk and fairy tale collections I’ve read, although this one has fewer fairies and more trolls and, surprisingly, wizards. This is a short book but ended up taking me almost a week to get through because I couldn’t read for more than about 5 pages at once in the heat, but it was in that case nice to have real short things to read and also to think about cold places like Iceland.
Originally posted at Iceland is very green and Greenland is full of ice.
Originally posted at Iceland is very green and Greenland is full of ice.
February 1, 2021
I love Iceland folklore! I think the north europe story is so interesting and different from what i'm used to. Absolutly recomended if you want to know something about the story of almost everything you will see in Iceland
February 17, 2016
I was in Iceland last July and bough this book because the tourguide was telling stories about trolls, ghosts, invisible people and so on and I wanted to read more about it.
There are some nice stories in this book, but also some that are a bit odd. There is a lot of manslaughter going on in the stories, usually with an axe. I also have the impression that in older times it was the habit in Iceland that women were married off to old or ugly (or both) farmers.
I suppose that the isolated location and the extreme weather conditions can lead to all this kind of stories.
There are some nice stories in this book, but also some that are a bit odd. There is a lot of manslaughter going on in the stories, usually with an axe. I also have the impression that in older times it was the habit in Iceland that women were married off to old or ugly (or both) farmers.
I suppose that the isolated location and the extreme weather conditions can lead to all this kind of stories.
July 6, 2019
On a recent trip to Iceland I found this little book in a gas station (of all places!). It turned out to be quite scholarly for such an origin. It also turned out to be entertaining and interesting.
This collection is a peek into the Icelandic mind. A culture’s folktales always reveal aspects of its worldview, and these tales are no exception. It was interesting to see the similarities between these stories and more familiar ones from the British Isles and Europe. Some were clearly relatives of those familiar tales, but usually the familiar elements appeared as mere details within larger stories — the Emperors New Clothes and Rumpelstiltskin come to mind as examples.
The most interesting stories were the purely Icelandic ones. Those which gave a hint as to what life on that remote island was like over the centuries. Considering how small this book is, it is very rich.
This collection is a peek into the Icelandic mind. A culture’s folktales always reveal aspects of its worldview, and these tales are no exception. It was interesting to see the similarities between these stories and more familiar ones from the British Isles and Europe. Some were clearly relatives of those familiar tales, but usually the familiar elements appeared as mere details within larger stories — the Emperors New Clothes and Rumpelstiltskin come to mind as examples.
The most interesting stories were the purely Icelandic ones. Those which gave a hint as to what life on that remote island was like over the centuries. Considering how small this book is, it is very rich.
October 18, 2024
I’ve been always fascinated by the iceland’s vibes; during my economics and financial studies I likely went off to a little library and I always picked some Icelandic fairytales books. Soaking into this Jónes Árnason's book for the first time felt like you wanted to lounge in the south side of a plum tree or instead near a branch where the clouds seem to burst over your head. Some folklore tales are underrated or people just think it’s not adults matter ( this makes me think about The little Prince book) so it won’t fit or they just want to avoid reading stories that ought to tickle their imagination or regretting something lost . I lately picked this book for the second time and I really miss to fancy about Icelandic fairytale book .
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 9, 2021
This book has various tales, and most are two pages or less, so it is perfect for those of us that never like to put a book down in the middle of a chapter. Some of the tales were quite amusing, while others seemed to have no point at all. This also contains the story of what may be the original version of Rumpelstiltskin.
Most of the stories were mediocre. It gets 3 stars, as most stories deserved 3 stars, and a few stories would be higher or lower rated. I can't say I recommend it, but I also wouldn't tell anyone to not read it.
Most of the stories were mediocre. It gets 3 stars, as most stories deserved 3 stars, and a few stories would be higher or lower rated. I can't say I recommend it, but I also wouldn't tell anyone to not read it.
December 9, 2018
Want to know how elves came to be? What does the everyday life of a troll lokk like?
A must read to everyone who has been or will be visiting Iceland and cares about living land, history, and culture.
Oh, and I just love the way Icelanders tell their stories. I’ll not spoil it for you, but pay attention. And you’ll understand these people better.
A must read to everyone who has been or will be visiting Iceland and cares about living land, history, and culture.
Oh, and I just love the way Icelanders tell their stories. I’ll not spoil it for you, but pay attention. And you’ll understand these people better.
May 3, 2025
A selection of Icelandic folk and fairy tales has been collected and translated by May and Hallberg Hallmundsson. The tales are arranged in four topics- elves and trolls, ghosts and sorcerers, saints and sinners, and miscellaneous tales. Folk tales contain a people's yearnings, fears, sense of honor, and imagination. The tales are a pleasure to read and tell so much about the Icelandic people.
July 29, 2021
Los cuentos tienen más valor históricos que literario. Es muy curioso ver cómo se combinan en las historias el folclore, el paganismo y la religión cristiana, en un país donde la conversión a la religión de Roma no fue tan abrupta como en otras naciones.
July 13, 2024
3.5 stars. I don’t really know how to rate fairy tales lol. The first section was definitely my favorite but obviously each section had their ups and downs. I wish the author notes were more clearly marked and weren’t part of the text.
August 7, 2025
A wonderful collection of Icelandic folklore. I was fascinated with the blending of pagan and Christian elements marking the time when the nation’s storytellers appealed to both audiences. A delight for fairy tale aficionados.
September 22, 2025
I bought this book for my son and his wife and decided to read it first. It had some interesting stories, but overall I found it a bit dry for my taste. I hope my son likes it. He and his wife have been to Iceland twice and should enjoy it.
September 17, 2018
Lidt en spøjs blanding...
December 16, 2018
A collection of folk tales featuring ogres, trolls and imps told with a wry sense of humor.
February 7, 2021
The occasional dryness can be attributed to this being an exact translation, but there were definitely quite a few stories I ultimately enjoyed.
Read
January 12, 2022I find reading the folk and fairy tales of other countries and cultures to be utterly delightful and fascinating 😊
May 29, 2023
Well, that was good fun. And quite strange! Especially enjoyed the very last story in the book, about three sisters in a contest to determine who could make the biggest fool out of their husband.
November 22, 2023
I fun memory from Iceland!
December 26, 2016
This is a translation and so some of rings poorly to an American ear on account of the quality of the translator. Strange and wonderful culture, the Icelandic.
September 2, 2019
Beautifully assembled if not dark tales.
April 4, 2014
I've read a lot of Icelandic things at this point. One aspect of their culture--at least their older culture, who knows if this is true now--involves striking bargains with people that are tricky in some way, and that you'll end up on the right side of. I don't know if this was a part of pre-icelandic norse culture, or if it was a product of their strange governmental experiment that had no executive branch, or what, but it is there. What's nice for me about this collection is that you see that aspect of their culture shine through in these folktales. I know that this is a common trope in folklore, the wiley guy that makes a deal with the devil or what have you, but it somehow feels more right here than in other things. I don't have much experience with folktales outside of Calvino's collection--and I don't have a strong sense of "cultural Italy," so I can't say if that is unique about this collect--or if it's even true of this collection as opposed to others.
Also--the extremely uneasy relationship between Christianity and Paganism is apparent in this book. There are two extended sequences with priests that studied/know/practice black magic. Drangey Consecrated (Drangey is an island that Grettir--a famous saga era outlaw--ends his exile on) involves a priest consecrating an island only to be told by some supernatural being "the wicked need a place of their own, too" (he leaves a part of it unconsecrated for them).
So, yeah, if you're into folktales this might not be the best collection. If you're into Iceland it is a pretty solid one.
Also--the extremely uneasy relationship between Christianity and Paganism is apparent in this book. There are two extended sequences with priests that studied/know/practice black magic. Drangey Consecrated (Drangey is an island that Grettir--a famous saga era outlaw--ends his exile on) involves a priest consecrating an island only to be told by some supernatural being "the wicked need a place of their own, too" (he leaves a part of it unconsecrated for them).
So, yeah, if you're into folktales this might not be the best collection. If you're into Iceland it is a pretty solid one.
January 23, 2013
My boyfriend's family has strong Scandinavian roots and when I was visiting his parent's house, I happened to find this book.
This book is a short and easy read. It's not a pure translation from Icelandic to English, but that doesn't subtract from the quality of the stories. Plenty of fairy tales and moth-eaten folk tales to digest are contained within this collection. Recommended for anyone who likes reading folk tales or has an interest in Icelandic culture.
This book is a short and easy read. It's not a pure translation from Icelandic to English, but that doesn't subtract from the quality of the stories. Plenty of fairy tales and moth-eaten folk tales to digest are contained within this collection. Recommended for anyone who likes reading folk tales or has an interest in Icelandic culture.
September 6, 2020
It was really interesting to read about fairy tales and folk legends of Iceland! And though I was a bit surprised to find that most of their fairy-tales are a bit... dark, I really enjoyed this book!
September 19, 2014
Nejsou to obvyklé pohádky a už vůbec nejsou pro děti. Většinou to je jen takové vyprávění, trosky a pahýly příběhů. Přestou svou barvitostí a zemitým půvabem potěší.
July 10, 2016
Well written!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews