Reykjavík Grapevine - 24.05.2019, Qupperneq 8

Every culture everywhere has supersti-
tions, and Iceland is no exception. There
are numerous superstitions in this
country; some connected to the hidden
people, others far more recent.
As could probably be expected, there
are also superstitions regarding the
northern lights. The earliest people to
see the northern lights, long before the
nature of charged solar particles and
Earth’s magnetic field were discovered,
ascribed all kinds of explanations to
them. Their eerie, otherworldly glow
also inspired a fair share of superstition,
and these existed amongst Icelanders,
as they have for all Arctic peoples.
One Icelandic superstition about the
northern lights has it that when the
auroras display a lot of movement and
flash different colours, one can expect
stormy weather soon; conversely, rela-
tively still northern lights forecast calm
weather. Another weather portent is
that northern lights appearing later in
the year than usual is a sign that snow-
fall will soon arrive.
Not all Icelandic superstitions about
the auroras are connected to weather,
though. For example, red northern
lights are an ill omen, heralding a time
of conflict. The most bizarre super-
stition of all has it that if a pregnant
woman looks at the northern lights, her
child will be born with shifty eyes, or
will be cross-eyed.
Like many superstitions, a lot of
these are difficult, at best, to meas-
ure, and to our knowledge no one has
researched connections between the
northern lights and the weather that
follows. It is probably safe to say that
watching the northern lights is safe
for everyone—including pregnant
people.
Don't Look At
The Lights
The aurora can fuck you up, apparently
8 The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 08— 2019
LÓABORATORIUM
Don't look at the aurora if you're with child
Listen, watch & hear
more tracks:
gpv.is/play
GusGus
- Fireworks
“Fireworks” is one
of the better cuts
from GusGus’s
latest LP, ‘Lies Are
More Flexible.’ The
video, directed by
Kitty Von-Sometime,
adds some spark to
the song, exploding
some vitality and
ambition into a
slick and familiar
pop-techno
production. JR
Kira Kira
- Holding Space For
The Unimaginable
This wonderfully
warm ambient sound
bath will help you
forget about the
turmoil and torment
of the world for a full
seven minutes. And
then 14 minutes. And
then 21. Hell, shut off
your Wi-Fi and spend
a whole afternoon
with it—it’ll do you
good.. JR
Null + Void &
Úlfur Eldjárn
- Where I Wait
(Aristokrasia
Version)
“Where I Wait” is
the new single
from Kurt Uenala, a
Grammy-nominated
producer who
reworked the track
with Úlfur Eldjárn.
Featuring vocals
from Dave Gahan,
the “Aristokrasia
Version” replaces
the synths with a
string arrangement.
JR
Keelrider
- Too Far Gone
If Collective Soul
collected in your
soul, Keelrider will
likely be just up
your alley. “Too
Far Gone” is a
heavy, slow burner
reminiscent of
Alice In Chains and
Puddle Of Mudd.
Yes, you might
have thought
mid-’90s post-
grunge was dead,
but apparently it’s
alive and kicking
and living in
Iceland. We’re not
complaining. HJC
Dadykewl
- Stundum ft. HRNNR
“Stundum” marks a
dark departure for
the normally upbeat
Dadykewl. Over a
crooning trap beat,
the rapper tackles
anxiety, depression,
regrets, and the
stress of making
art. It’s a promising
new beginning for
the artist, who, it has
been rumoured, will
be releasing a new
album soon. HJC
Ottoman
- Perfect Way To Go
Take that classic
Zeppelin sound,
add a pinch of
modern metal and
wham-bam, you’ve
got Ottoman.
“Perfect Way To Go”
is a solid effort,
a classic rock
track with a riff
that’ll no doubt
be headbanging
around your
noggin all day. HJC
THE
GRAPEVINE
PLAYLIST
The must-hear tracks of the issue
„F
ra
m
í r
au
ða
nn
.
da
uð
an
n“
JUST SAYINGS
The 17th century idiom “Fram í rauðann
dauðann” literally means “onward to
the red dead.” But what, exactly, is this
red dead? Well, there are two theories
about that. One is that “the red” just
refers to a bloody fight. And the second
theory—and the one I prefer—is that it
symbolises the red sunset that is evoca-
tive of the end, literally and figuratively
speaking. What it all means is that one
will never back down until death or the
“sun sets.” So, for you gamers that have
been wondering about the meaning of
the title of the epic cowboy adventure,
Red Dead Redemption, well, there you
have it. At least part of it. VG
ICELANDIC
SUPERSTITIONS
Words:
Andie Fontaine
Photo:
Adobe Stock
First
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