Icelandic Folktales

by Brian FitzGibbon (Translator)

"A collection of traditional Icelandic stories which have been handed down from one generation to the next through the ages. These stories and fairytales feature elves, trolls, ghosts, and other supernatural beings that were common in Icelandic folklore. At the same time these stories are a treasure trove of wisdom and great entertainment, originating from the very heart of Icelandic culture."

Genres: Nonfiction, Supernatural, Folklore, Mythology, Short Stories

54 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2015

Reviews

[Nathaniel]

Picked this up at a gift shop in Iceland. I like to have book souvenirs of places I travel and this one is a perfect choice. It’s a quick read and obviously meant to be read within the context of the country. I had fun!

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read on a road trip round the ring road

[Nikki Deeley · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick, simple read. I read this book travelling to the airport in Iceland after enjoying hearing some of the folktales during my holiday. The book was sweet and I enjoyed being able to see where each story was set, I only wish the stories were longer and had more content.

[alanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

They're very short stories, and perfect to read while I'm waiting for the kettle to boil or on my lunch break. A great souvenir and interesting to see a blend of more ‘traditional’ folklore with elements of Christianity.

[Ken Pickard · Rating 5 out of 5]

These Icelandic folktales are so delightful. One thing that puzzles me is that there's a pattern wherein a person has to guess the name of another being (person? troll?). If the person guesses the entity's correct name then something good befalls. I plan on reading more Icelandic literature; perhaps I'll discover the meaning of this.

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

They seem to have a knack of finding out the names of the entity, like a wild guessing game with your life on the line.

Having a concept of the topography of Iceland makes for a better or more accurate imagery of the stories.

You could very well tell the belief system, culture and religion wise by these stories.

[Thita · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I found learning about new folktales always a fun experience, the stories in this book are too brief. I find some if not most of them are hanging and still left me curious with all the moral of the stories (even some with the point of the stories).

[Judit]

I don't know how to rate this so I simply won't.

If this is how stories are told around campfires or by children's beds, Icelanders are not born storytellers. The tales themselves were interesting but I expected different prose and a lot less typos.

[Will Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short book with 9 concise folktales about Icelandic culture.
It's well written and good to have a quick understanding of some parts of Icelandic culture.

[victoria riccobono · Rating 3 out of 5]

this book was so random… some were good but others were similar or left me wanting more

[Kate Wood · Rating 2 out of 5]

I bought this in Iceland and read it aloud with friends in our hotel in Reykjavik and on the road to our next destination. The stories all just kind of ended. Short and strange.

[Alyssa Noch · Rating 3 out of 5]

This had several spelling errors and such, but that can be forgiven since translations from Icelandic can be hard, I imagine. Also, the maps showing where the folktales are from in Iceland are less detailed than the similar work called Elves and Hidden People by Hannes H. Gissurarson (Editor).

[Daniele Milani · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book contains 9 short tales of Icelandic folklore that are really easy to read. It would be more interesting if the tales were longer and with more details.

[Jacob Hodges · Rating 4 out of 5]

These are all so weird and I just don’t understand the meanings lol

[Timothy Wright · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

[cailin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Listen to what the elves have to say, got it ✓