Reykjavík Grapevine - 07.10.2016, Side 62

LÓABORATORIUM
SMJÖRFLUGA
Viking
Reparations
By NANNA DÍS ÁRNADÓTTIR
Hey Nanna, I read that when the Vikings
raided Ireland they killed all the men and
kidnapped the tall beautiful women so to-
day 80% of Icelandic women have mainly
Irish blood while the men are 90% Nor-
wegian blood. Should the Icelanders not
compensate Irish men? – Pot o’ Gold
Hey Pot o’ Gold, well first of all, I’m re-
ally taken aback by your excellent grasp
of the differences between female and
male blood. It’s hard to find people
who really understand how asexual re-
production, genetics and biology work.
Secondly, I’m impressed by your com-
mand of the concept of reparations. I
completely agree with you, naturally.
Irish women, whom you don’t know
and are not related to, who were kid-
napped and raped a millennium ago,
entitle you, as an Irish man, to rape the
Icelandic descendants of said women.
Women whom you, incidentally, also
don’t know and who clearly have no
agency and can be ordered to sleep
with anyone the government decrees.
It’s only fair! Icelandic women’s ances-
tors were YOUR ancestor’s property
first! IT’S SIMPLE LOGIC. – Nanna
Nanna, with a patronymic naming system,
what do you do when two people have the
same exact name? – Robert’s son
Hey Robert’s son, we do the same thing
English people do when there are two
people called John Smith.
Attempt to process the fact that
two people can exist and occupy space
within the boundaries of our dimension,
with the same name, at the same time,
without actually being the same person.
I know it’s a big ask to expect some-
thing like that of the human mind, but
by Odin’s Good Eye we give it our best go!
Did you know there are like four
other Nanna Árnadóttirs? Sometimes I
don’t even know who I am. It boggles the
mind. #TheStruggleIsReal
– Nanna
Do you want to ask Nanna a question? Go ahead, but continue at your
peril. Shoot her an email on nanna.arnadottir(at)gmail.com or tweet her
using @NannaArnadottir
DON'T ASK NANNA ABOUT
The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 16 — 2016
62
The fourth type of sending, and the
most peculiar, consists of ghosts
raised from natural substances by
master sorcerers with comprehensive
knowledge of life and matter. These
men were supposed to be experts in the
substances from which the bodies of
men and animals are composed, their
construction and their structure. They
are said to have made copies thereof,
creating forms in which spirits could
dwell. These allegedly had the appear-
ance and substance of spectres, or even
that of mist and vapour. The substanc-
es and their various compounds were
stored in vials and had the appear-
ance of a clear liquid. If ingested, they
would cause insanity or dementia. If
the liquid was poured out of the vial,
it took the form of mist or a wisp of
steam that could then be inhabited by
any evil spirit that was present. If none
was nearby, one could be conjured up.
A few foreign apothecaries were said to
possess these substances and dispense
them in secret. Sorcerers would some-
times add substances to animal car-
casses that they raised, thus endowing
them with new qualities
Sigfús Sigfússon, Íslenzkar þjóðsögur og
sagnir III, p. 203.
"Monster of the Month" is a spin off of 'The Museum of Hidden Beings',
by artist Arngrímur Sigurðsson. He delved into Iceland´s mythological
history, taking creature encounters from across the centuries and bring-
ing them to life through painting in an act of creative cryptozoology. Find the
book at bookstores, or order it online at arngrimur.com.
MONSTER OF THE MONTH
Sending
Ghost of Substance
To learn more visit our website,
www.schoolofenergy.is
Study in the Land of
Renewable Energy
Iceland Shcool of Energy graduate programmes
• MSc Sustainable Energy
• MSc Sustainable Energy Engineering