Reykjavík Grapevine - 21.06.2019, Page 8

You’re out clubbing. You step outside to
the smoking area to get a much-needed
dose of nicotine, but sadly, you’ve
misplaced your lighter. Not to worry:
the staff have helpfully lit a number
of large candles all over the area, so all
you need do is use one of those to light
up, right?
WRONG. Perhaps you haven’t heard,
but lighting a cigarette with a candle
kills sailors. And that is very rude.
In a fishing nation like Iceland,
superstitions about the sea and sail-
ors are very common. This particular
superstition is probably not Icelandic
in origin, but that doesn’t make it any
less meaningful to Icelanders today.
Why candles though?
You can actually find this superstition
across Northern and Eastern Europe,
with it being especially prevalent in
seaside towns. It is understandable,
then, that those communities would
want to protect their sailors, but what
do candles have to do with it?
According to numerous sources,
this superstition goes back to the days
before unemployment insurance,
when seasonal workers would have to
find some way to make a living in the
off-season. A reportedly popular way
for sailors to make money was sell-
ing matches. Ergo, if you use a candle
to light a cigarette, you’re effectively
taking money away from sailors and
slowly starving them to death.
Stealin’ er jurrrrrrrrbs!
The interesting thing about this super-
stition is its lack of any spiritual or
supernatural basis. Instead, it’s like the
18th century version of the “automated
checkout vs cashiers” debate today:
your choice of convenience steals jobs,
and you should be ashamed of yourself.
This superstition is hardly applica-
ble today, as butane lighters are cheap,
and the sailors in Iceland work year
round, eschewing the need to peddle
matches. None of that matters. Light-
ing a cigarette with a candle in Iceland
is considered rude, and respecting local
cultural norms is an important part of
being a good tourist.
How To Kill
A Sailor
Spoiler: light a cigarette with a candle
8 The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 10— 2019
LÓABORATORIUM
This man is not killing a sailor.
Listen, watch & hear
more tracks:
gpv.is/play
ROKKY - 'deux'
A bit like a less goth
and silly Miss Kittin,
Rokky presents a
groovy electronic
dance hit that’ll no
doubt do well in the
Berlin club scene.
The video presents
two simultaneous
views of the
singer—a rather
literal interpretation
of “deux,” sure, but
one that’s done
beautifully. HJC
East Of My Youth -
'By Blue'
‘By Blue’ sounds
eerily like a Lana
Del Rey b-side.
Soulful, harmonic,
tragic and rife with
Americana vocals, it’s
the perfect holdout
for those eagerly
looking for a less-
filled-with-Daddy-
issues compliment to
Miss Rey. This’ll cure
our summertime
sadness. HJC
Hildur & Teitur
Magnússon -
'Mónika'
A charmingly dulcet
duet, ‘Mónika’ feels
like the musical
equivalent of a late
summer evening.
Magnusson’s soft,
confidential voice
is very beguiling
and Icelandic has
never sounded so
beautiful, but it’s
Hildur’s etherial
tones that really
carries the piece
off. It’s surprisingly
old-fashioned and
so sweet it deserves
a calorie count.
Consume in pleasant
moderation. FR

Gyðjan Uxi -
'Litli Selur'
Part of an
experimental
R&B/ hip hop solo
project by Aron
Bjarklind, Litli Selur
is mesmerizingly
hypnotic, with
heavily distorted
vocals blending into
the highly minimalist
electronic backing.
A beat keeps time
in a lazy sort of way
when it remembers,
but the overall form,
such as there is,
comes mostly from
the brutally stark
pauses interspersed
throughout. FR
Bára Gísladóttir - Orf
Composed by Bára
Gísladóttir and
performed by Marco
Fusi on viola d'amore
and Alessandro Perini
on live electronics,
‘Orf’ is a typically
surprising Bára
piece. Scissor snips,
rhythmic clicks, weird
bangs, and barely-
audible feedback
are occasionally
punctuated by
hair-raisingly loud
viola groans and
screeches. Be afraid.
JR
Sigur Rós -
'Svefn í englar'
(Live at Íslenska
Óperan, 1999)
From the deep,
rumbling intro to
that first iconic
sonar ping, and
Jónsi’s glorious
falsetto, the 20th
anniversary release
of ‘Ágætis Byrjun’
presents a welcome
chance to bathe
once more in the
immersive, empathic
sound that would
make Sigur Rós
an international
phenomenon. What
do we find? A light
undimmed. JR
THE
GRAPEVINE
PLAYLIST
The must-hear music of the issue
„A
ð
m
iss
a
an
dl
iti
ð“
JUST SAYINGS
" A ð m i s s a
andlitið" literally
translates as "to
lose your face,"
w h i c h s o u n d s
q u i t e f r i g h t -
ening, but for
Icelanders, it's a
common expres-
sion to describe
a situation when
y o u' r e c a u g h t
by surprise and feeling awkward or
shameful. Imagine sitting with a
friend at a café while they vent about
how annoying their boss is, then they
find out that their boss was sitting
behind them the entire time and heard
everything. You’re witnessing your
friend "lose their face." How awkward!
It has nothing to do with trolls steal-
ing people's faces in the middle of the
night, as you might think, though that
would be awkward, too. KH
ICELANDIC
SUPERSTITIONS
Words:
Andie Fontaine
Photo:
Art Bicnick
First
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