Reykjavík Grapevine - 11.06.2004, Qupperneq 15

Icelanders rarely go to church outside
of weddings and funerals. For the
last three decades, however, there
has been something of a revival in
the worship of the Old Norse gods.
Iceland became Christian in the year
1000, and it wasn’t until 1973 that
the old gods were once again granted
official recognition. At the time, it
was the only country where such rec-
ognition was granted, but Norway
has since followed suit. The religion
today numbers some 700 members.
VIKINGS AND ODIN
WORSHIPPERS
Hold Their Annual Festival
The order has become intertwined
with the Viking festival, held in
Hafnafjörður every year at sum-
mer solstice, where worshippers and
Viking aficionados gather together
from all over the world. This year,
the festival runs from the 16th to the
20th of June. Among the attractions is
a virtual fight between Christian and
heathen Vikings. Sparks fly as blades
clash, shields are battered and men are
bruised, and the Christians will, no
doubt, be soundly beaten. The Viking
ship Icelander accepts passengers for
cruises, and this years special guests
are a theatre group from Africa. The
host of the event is, as always, the
Viking Elvis himself, Steinn Ármann.
At six o’ clock on the final day, the
pagans march, in full Viking regalia
of course, towards the stone gate
by the harbour and raise their flags,
coincidentally at the seat of the first
Lutheran church in Iceland. Thereaf-
ter, the Allsherjargoði, the head of the
worshippers, consecrates the festival
by lighting their symbol. The festival
accommodates all sorts, from English-
men primarily interested in the fight-
ing styles, to more peaceful Swedes
more interested in the storytelling
aspect of Vikingdom, to American
true believers who come here to wor-
ship the old Gods. But everyone is
welcome to participate, and get some
impression of what life was like here
in Viking times. And the pagans are
known to be generous with the beer.
photo by Aldís Pálsdóttir
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