Reykjavík Grapevine - 12.09.2008, Blaðsíða 10

10 | REYKJAVÍK GRAPEVINE | ISSUE 14—2008
ARTIClE BY HAuKuR S MAgnúSSon — ILLuSTRATIon BY HugLeIKuR DAgSSon
“In our past and our stories, we’ve got this mas-
sive database of monsters and mythological
creatures. A lot of their stories are really fascinat-
ing, and I think it’s a shame that they’re not used
more in modern culture. Many people haven’t
heard about them,” remarked master comic art-
ist Hugleikur Dagsson in a Grapevine-interview
this summer. The subject was his latest graphic
novel, Garðarshólmi, in which he depicts many of
the aforementioned creatures. This prompted the
Grapevine – on a perpetual quest to educate the
masses – to draft Dagsson to illustrate a series of
articles on these monsters of yore. For this edition,
we introduce the sad fate of Iceland’s unwanted
children, the Útburðir.
Even though the children are our future, and
life is a miracle, we as a species need to uphold
constant procreation in order not to perish; bring-
ing a new child into this world isn’t always easy.
There are many reasons why a parent may not be
able to welcome a baby into his or her life – be they
economic, domestic, temporal or spatial – and this
is the main reason why abortion is an accepted
and legal, if regretful, alternative in most civilised
parts of the world.
While safe and legal abortion is a relatively
recent addition to our society, the problems that
render them necessary are not. And this is where
Útburðir come in. Back when giving a baby up for
adoption wasn’t an option and untrained amateurs
performed abortions at a great risk, parents-to-be
often reverted to inhumane ways to rid themselves
of unwanted pregnancies (keep in mind that bear-
ing a child out of wedlock was often a punishable
crime back then). In rural Iceland, the most com-
mon method for this was to carry the newborn out
into the wilderness and leave it to its fate: i.e. to die
of exposure in the unforgiving Icelandic climate.
Legend has it that parents who employed
such methods of postpartum abortion were more
often than not sealing their own fate in the pro-
cess, as the child would inevitably come back as
a ghost and haunt them for the rest of their lives
– eventually driving them past the brink of sanity.
Such ghosts are collectively referred to as Útburðir
and Icelandic folklore is abound with tales of their
misfortune.
Útburðir can generally be divided into two
camps: those who keep to their final resting places
and like scaring the pants off any passers-by, and
those who focus on haunting the persons respon-
sible for their fate until they go mad. Some sources
say that when in human form they can be identi-
fied by the fact that they crawl using only one of
their knees and elbows, and they are said to give
off a chilling howl when the mood strikes them.
The most infamous Útburður tale – Móðir mín
í kví kví – deals with a young female farm worker
whose dire circumstances forced her to abandon a
newborn to exposure. A while later she was asked
to a dance, and was fretting to a co-worker about
not having anything to wear. At that moment, her
Útburður was heard reciting a chilling poem from
underneath the rafters, promising to lend her a rag
to dance in. The poor woman reportedly went in-
stantly mad, and never regained her sanity.
a pair oF ÚtBurðir out oN the proWl
More Monsters and Mythical Beings:
Confront the Útburður
ARTIClE
ARTIClE BY JAMeS cRugnALe — pHoTo BY gAS
Everyone knows Reykjavík isn’t a cheap city.
There are however plenty of ways to shave some
Krónur off your monthly purchases, and “Cheap
Reykjavík” is where Grapevine attempts to pass
some of them on to you, loyal reader. Please send
your saving tips to haukur@grapevine.is.
CHEAP luNCH
As much as we hate admitting it, the good people
of Subway often make a pretty mean sandwich
– and they sometimes sell ‘em for cheap, too.
Should you find yourself penniless and hungry
nearby a Subway franchise, it is therefore always
a good idea to check if their “Sub of the month”
deal is any good (even if the bastards usually only
grant their least appealing subs for the deal).
It’s still pretty sweet to get a six-inch sub of
the month for only 329 ISK; in fact it’s probably the
cheapest choice of lunch available. Surely it will
fill you up OK if you remember to instruct your
sandwich technician to load on vegetables and
condiments well past the point of reason.
CHEAP STuff
As anyone will tell you, no weekend visit to 101
Reykjavík is complete without a sojourn to Ko-
laportið. Basically an indoor flea market, Kola-
portið gathers bargain-hunters, penny pinchers
and garage entrepreneurs in a decadent orgy of
old vinyl LPs, second-hand clothes and furniture
and pretty much anything else you can think of.
Whether you need a tent, a bootleg Slayer T-shirt
or a collection of random chotskies, you can be
sure to find it at a reduced rate in Kolaportið.
Kolaportið furthermore features a plethora
of food stands, and is a great place to purchase
frozen or dried fish, foal meat and fresh potatoes.
Their selection of local sweets is also impressive.
Finally, it is good to keep in mind that Kolaportið
is one of the only establishments in Reykjavík
where incessant haggling is accepted.
fREE WINE, BEER AND HORS D'OEuVRES
Long-time Grapevine fan Mikkel sent the follow-
ing tip on how he scores drinks in Reykjavík:
“One of the reasons why I like the Grapevine
is its excellent listings section. It does a fine job
of keeping me informed of the city’s music and
cultural life, but more importantly lets me know
where and when I can expect to score free drinks
and snacks. Every weekend, you can find some
sort of opening in one of 101’s many galleries and
showrooms, and they often offer up impressive
amounts of alcohol and other treats to lure in the
public. In the past month alone, I’ve kept down
my drinking tab and feasted on some of the finest
wines, crackers, beers, cheeses and vodka avail-
able. The art is often amusing, too.”
Upon entering the doors to World Class at Laugar,
the enormity of it all will immediately leave you
spellbound. In your head, Also Sprach Zarathus-
tra (theme from 2001: A Space Odyssey) plays and
then off into the distance you suddenly see hun-
dreds of treadmillers running in unison. “This is
only the first floor,” explains the co-owner, Disa
Jonsdottir.
What a first floor it is (!) with 250 cardio ma-
chines and 200 weight machines, this palace of
a workout studio is one of the largest in Europe.
Constructed in 2004, the entire facility measures
up to 7,600 square meters (30,000 if you include
the pools)
There are 4–5,000 daily exercisers in the
sprawling three-floor facility, which boasts 18,000
members in total (nearly 10% of the entire popula-
tion of the country). The features are seemingly
endless with a smoothie bar, copious saunas, and
a top-of-the-line beauty salon replete with facials
Cheap Reykjavík
World Class
is true to their
name
Safe and legal abortions are a
great idea. Just ask the Útburðir.
BY HAuKuR S MAgnúSSon
and pedicures. “Even men are using this as they’re
becoming more conscious of their appearance,”
Jonsdottir says. Nearby there is a massage therapy
centre that has expertise in hot stone massages,
Swedish massages and even chocolate massages!
The saunas are breathtakingly detailed with
a luxurious relaxation room. The spa inside could
only be described as a mini-Blue Lagoon. One
room away is a bar that will offer you anything
your heart desires.
The silver-medal winning handball team
worked out at the facility two weeks before head-
ing to Beijing. “They can be considered a true
‘World Class’ team,” Jonsdottir joked. Anyone who
ever questioned Olympic chances should have
seen the World Class gym and there would’ve
been no doubts.
Also included in the sprawling fitness em-
porium is an elaborate kid’s gym called Shokk
– aimed at an 8-15 demographic – with weights
and other equipment. “Kids these days need to do
it,” Jonsdottir says. “They’re sitting behind a com-
puter all day and their parents are driving them to
school. They need specific training.”
Before you go, you should make sure your
bank account can handle it as a day pass is an
overwhelming $55 US dollars. Despite the costs,
when asked via email whether the weakened Ice-
land economy has decreased turnout, the owner
answers a succinct, “No.”