Reykjavík Grapevine - Apr 2022, Page 7

Take a walk anywhere in Iceland and
you are likely to see the word “Viking”
slapped in front of everything from
jewelry, to souvenir shops and hot dogs.
The male-dominated seafaring warrior
class has become a supreme icon of all
things Iceland, to the point of an ahis-
torical horned helmet being a stand-in
for the country itself.
But none of these great warriors
would matter one bit were it not for the
Valkyries, whose name literally means
“choosers of the slain”. These feminine
spirits descend upon battlefields, after
the fighting is over, and personally
select which afterlife they will go to.
Half of the fallen are spirited away to
Fólkvangur, a beautiful field under the
auspices of the goddess Freyja, while
the other half went to Valhalla, which
belongs to Ó"inn.
Valkyries played a super important
role beyond the afterlife, too. Through-
out the Middle Ages in Germanic
Europe, the Valkyries were the subject of
poetry, spells, charms, and some of the
most beautiful art of the ages. Vikings
arguably took a back seat once their age
was over, but Valkyries persisted in the
imagination for centuries.
Despite this, it’s the Vikings who
dominate the popular image of the
Norse people today, which is, frankly,
pure misogyny. Valkyries are objectively
better than Vikings.
7 The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 04— 2022

Supersport!
“Taka Samtali%”
Supersport!, (the exclamation point is
theirs, not mine), are probably already
familiar to many musically-inclined
Reykvíkingur, having been around for a
while now and releasing an album last
year. This is charmingly ramshackle
indie that grows on you quickly with a
couple of listens, and comes across a
bit like Belle and Sebastian covering a
Pavement song in Icelandic. JP

Filous & Da%i Freyr
“Sabada”
This relaxed upbeat track—created by
Da%i with Viennese producer Filous—is
a great way for Iceland’s favourite
8-bit avatar to return a$er a couple of
years of Eurovision insanity. He’s a little
more grounded now, having recently
fathered a baby, moved house and
built a new studio. It’s great to enjoy
Da%i again without the high-octane
nonsense of Eurovision getting in the
way. JP
Una Torfa
“Ekkert A%”
This is the first release by Una
Torfadóttir, a 21-year-old singer-
songwriter who has created a
wonderfully gentle ballad, sparsely
arranged around acoustic guitar,
piano and some understated drums.
This track bodes well for Una’s
upcoming EP which has apparently
been in the works since 2019. If taking
her time creates work as good as this,
then whenever you’re ready, Una. No
rush. JP
NEW MUSIC PICKS
JUST SAYINGS Do you remember that scene in, well,
every movie, when there is a funeral and
it’s pouring rain? Well, Icelanders have
a saying for that. „Oft kemur regn eftir
rei"arsalag“ translates literally to “there
is often rain after a shock/tragedy.”
It seems that Icelanders noticed that
the sky got darker and there was rain
after a tragedy hit, and instead of being
dramatic about it, we honed a saying
about it. So, when we look up into the
dark sky at the funeral, we can turn to
the next person with a slight know-it-
all smile on our face, and say; it often
rains after when tragedy hits. I mean,
if you’re that kind of person. Which you
totally aren’t. That’s just how the saying
goes! VG
First
The second-best Andie with Hugh Grant
Shock
And Rain
GODS OF ICELAND
Superpowers:
Ferrying the fallen dead
Weaknesses:
Being overlooked
Modern Analogy:
Talent scouts
Valkyries
Objectively better than Vikin!s
Words:
Andie Sophia
Fontaine
Image:
Lorenz Frølich/
Wikimedia
Commons
UNFORGETTABLE FOOD AND
DRINK EXPERIENCE
Seljavegur 2, 101 Reykjavík, www.hedinnrestaurant.is