Iceland review - 2013, Page 14

CroSS the hammer
the national MuseuM oF iceland
Suðurgata 41, 101 Reykjavík
open tuesdays through Sundays, 11am-5pm
this human figure made of bronze has been dated
back to around 1000 aD. It’s believed to depict Þór
(thor), one of the major norse gods, but it could also
represent Christ enthroned in glory. the figure grasps
an object thought to be Þór’s hammer Mjölnir, but it’s
also similar in shape to the Christian cross.
the figurine is one of the key objects of the
national Museum of Iceland, which celebrates its
150th anniversary this year.
the figurine was unearthed in 1815 at eyrarland
by eyjafjörður fjord, north Iceland. It was sent to
Copenhagen in 1817 but returned in 1930 by the
Danish national Museum along with other Icelandic
archaeological objects.
During the period 800-1000 aD, the prevalent
religion in Iceland was the pagan worship of the
norse gods, but from the beginning of settlement
there were also Christians in Iceland, who apparently
coexisted peacefully with the pagans. PS
12 ICELAND REVIEW
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e16
icelandic place naMes
arnlín Óladóttir, hrönn magnúsardóttir, magnús Rafnsson
Þemaferðir hólmavík
the sub-glacial volcano eyjafjallajökull (‘island mountain glacier’) became
world famous when it erupted in 2010 and because of its near impossible
pronunciation, it got the name e16 in english. a recently released book,
icelandic PlaCe nameS, aims to make visits to Iceland more enjoyable.
More than 400 place names are explained in the book, names that may
sound like gibberish to non-natives, like Breiðdalsheiði (‘wide valley heath’)
and Búlandstindur (‘farmland’s peak’). PS
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E16 or Eyjafjallajökull