Voices of the Icelandic people
Ingibjörg Freyja Gunnarsdóttir
My experience of our tour was amazing.
Especially since I'm from the westfjords so I actually haven't seen all of these places before.
The stories made the places more interesting and made them come alive, like when we were looking at Öxl, the farm were Axlar-Björn the cold hearted murderer lived. When we looked at the house we wondered which river he put the dead bodies in.
And on the mountain that is supposed to be haunted we got to hear some creepy stories from Gummi, and when the rain and fog came around it became really creepy.
The last week we have been thinking why our Icelandic folklore and sagas are important, and I realized the stories are really important for us because they keep the places important, and if no one would know the stories nothing would be as special like it is now.
Guðmundur Jensson
I loved giving the tour because it was probably the only time I get to tell those stories for someone who hasn‘t heard them before. The spots I chose were basically the spots I thought were the most exciting to learn about.
I loved how they were intrigued by things I find so common and don‘t appreciate every day, it makes me thing of everything around me and how I take them for granted.
My experience of our tour was amazing.
Especially since I'm from the westfjords so I actually haven't seen all of these places before.
The stories made the places more interesting and made them come alive, like when we were looking at Öxl, the farm were Axlar-Björn the cold hearted murderer lived. When we looked at the house we wondered which river he put the dead bodies in.
And on the mountain that is supposed to be haunted we got to hear some creepy stories from Gummi, and when the rain and fog came around it became really creepy.
The last week we have been thinking why our Icelandic folklore and sagas are important, and I realized the stories are really important for us because they keep the places important, and if no one would know the stories nothing would be as special like it is now.
Guðmundur Jensson
I loved giving the tour because it was probably the only time I get to tell those stories for someone who hasn‘t heard them before. The spots I chose were basically the spots I thought were the most exciting to learn about.
I loved how they were intrigued by things I find so common and don‘t appreciate every day, it makes me thing of everything around me and how I take them for granted.
Voices of the Travelers
Linda Phan
From an outsider’s perspective, my experience listening to the folklore stories, especially in relations to elves, trolls and the haunted area were very exciting and memorable. I could tell how deep and profound these stories were for Gummi and Ingibjorg because they were stories told by their parents or grandparents who actually believed in trolls and elves. Hearing their own accounts of these stories showed how significant they were for them since it remained with them as children and now as adults. I could also sense their personal attachment to these stories and how these folktales will continue its tradition in their generation and so on. Overall, the experience at some of the folklore locations we visited constantly reminded me of how folktale is an equally important part of the Icelandic culture.
Folklore is also an important aspect to the regional project because it offers the community and especially the youth to stay active and engaged in their culture, traditions and connected to their city. Their belief and desire to keep these stories alive says a lot about Icelandic people, what they hold important and what makes them unique. I believe the regional parks will be more beneficial if the youth and the community of Snaefellnes participate in the walks, set up games and activities and take part in reenacting the stories.
Tylor Prather
There are many experiences one can have in life, some lived through what we read in books and other that come from genuine interactions. Our group focused on folklore and sagas, how these stories make a connection to the regional park with the people who live here and those who may visit. One way we decided this connection could be made would be with a story walk, or drive weather depending. The purpose would be to bring outsiders and insiders together through this expedition to locations with historical significance and the insider would relate the events of the saga and stories to their listeners, this could even be done with actors portraying the stories in a live theater setting.
Over all the excursion we shared with our guide (Guðmundur) was a wonderful experience that can only be found at the location of such events, while he could have told us these tails in a café ,it meant more and the history resonated deeper because we visited these locations. There is in my opinion great potential for people to gain a deeper connection with the land here through this process while for some they may know their hometown and all its tales by heart. However, visiting the other side of Iceland and sharing in an equal exchange has the potential to unify people over grate distances. The exchange of story is a powerful gift and one that is still powerful today maybe more than ever.
Jackie Johnson
My experience was more than learning about the land and the sagas; it was about having connections to the people who live in this magical world. It would have been boring to have a tour guide simply telling me about elf rocks. The trip was exciting because of Ingi and Gummi constantly telling sagas they remember from childhood. They made the experience surreal.
I know that tourists will not have this relationship, but they can still experience the magic of the relationship between the land, people, and sagas.
From an outsider’s perspective, my experience listening to the folklore stories, especially in relations to elves, trolls and the haunted area were very exciting and memorable. I could tell how deep and profound these stories were for Gummi and Ingibjorg because they were stories told by their parents or grandparents who actually believed in trolls and elves. Hearing their own accounts of these stories showed how significant they were for them since it remained with them as children and now as adults. I could also sense their personal attachment to these stories and how these folktales will continue its tradition in their generation and so on. Overall, the experience at some of the folklore locations we visited constantly reminded me of how folktale is an equally important part of the Icelandic culture.
Folklore is also an important aspect to the regional project because it offers the community and especially the youth to stay active and engaged in their culture, traditions and connected to their city. Their belief and desire to keep these stories alive says a lot about Icelandic people, what they hold important and what makes them unique. I believe the regional parks will be more beneficial if the youth and the community of Snaefellnes participate in the walks, set up games and activities and take part in reenacting the stories.
Tylor Prather
There are many experiences one can have in life, some lived through what we read in books and other that come from genuine interactions. Our group focused on folklore and sagas, how these stories make a connection to the regional park with the people who live here and those who may visit. One way we decided this connection could be made would be with a story walk, or drive weather depending. The purpose would be to bring outsiders and insiders together through this expedition to locations with historical significance and the insider would relate the events of the saga and stories to their listeners, this could even be done with actors portraying the stories in a live theater setting.
Over all the excursion we shared with our guide (Guðmundur) was a wonderful experience that can only be found at the location of such events, while he could have told us these tails in a café ,it meant more and the history resonated deeper because we visited these locations. There is in my opinion great potential for people to gain a deeper connection with the land here through this process while for some they may know their hometown and all its tales by heart. However, visiting the other side of Iceland and sharing in an equal exchange has the potential to unify people over grate distances. The exchange of story is a powerful gift and one that is still powerful today maybe more than ever.
Jackie Johnson
My experience was more than learning about the land and the sagas; it was about having connections to the people who live in this magical world. It would have been boring to have a tour guide simply telling me about elf rocks. The trip was exciting because of Ingi and Gummi constantly telling sagas they remember from childhood. They made the experience surreal.
I know that tourists will not have this relationship, but they can still experience the magic of the relationship between the land, people, and sagas.