Norðurfari; or, Rambles in Iceland

by Pliny Miles

And shrieks the wild sea-mew.”

Old Norway’s coast appears, and we are several days in sight of the brown and snowy mountains, and little villages of wooden houses. The thirteenth day, we passed Cape Lindesness, and Christiansand. We were then within two hundred and fifty miles of Copenhagen—only a few hours’ voyage for a steamship; but we had no steam a-board, except what might be found in certain kettles and casks, and these did not aid our progress much. I thought two days, at farthest would suffice for the rest of our voyage; but Boreas was not in the ascendant, nor any of his brethren either, much, for we had very little wind from any quarter. The current in the Skager Rack took us outwardly about two miles an hour, and the wind was southeasterly, and we were bound in. One tack would throw us near the coast of Norway, and the next brought us along the low, flat sands of Jutland. We progressed from twenty-five to fifty miles a day. Several huge steamers boomed past us, with their black sides, and volumes of smoke, and swift progress. Some of them were bound into the Baltic, and some out, and some to Norwegian ports. At last we rounded the Skagen Horn, and entered the Cattegat. Finally, the towers of Elsinore Castle appeared; and, a breeze springing up from the north, we dropped anchor before Copenhagen, the twentieth day after leaving Iceland; and, in a most terrible rain—so anxious were we to tread the land again—all the passengers were set on the quay, and found lodgings amid the turmoil of a great city.

GENERAL INDEX.

• Adam of Bremen, page [41].
• Ætna, [142], [151].
• Agriculture in Iceland, [178], [303].
• Almannagjá, [73].
• Althing, or Iceland Congress, [42], [45], [78].
• Althing, Journal of, [296].
• America discovered by the Northmen, [36].
• Angelica Archangelica, [125].
• Angling, [78].
• Annexation of an island to Denmark, [148].
• Apavatn Lake, [97].
• Arbrandsá river, [115].
• Arnason, Jon, Librarian of Public Library, [309].
• Atmosphere, its transparency, [141].
• Barrow, the English traveler, [206].
• Bath in the Geyser, [111].
• Beard a protection against the elements, [121].
• Beards worn in Iceland, [60].
• Beards worn by the gods, [249].
• Bessastath, [63].
• Biarni Heriulfson, the First Discoverer of America, [63].
• Birds—the curlew, [169];
  • cormorant, [223];
  • eider-duck, [219];
  • western eider, [221];
  • fulmar, [168];
  • gannet, or solan goose, [31], [224];
  • Iceland gull, [228];
  • skua gull, [228];
  • jer-falcon, [230];
  • white owl, [229];
  • penguin, [222];
  • plover, [169];
  • pochard, [118];
  • ptarmigan, [90];
  • puffin, [163], [168];
  • ravens, [114], [170];
  • sea-fowl on the Westmann Islands, [163];
  • on the coast of Iceland, [198];
  • snow-birds, [226];
  • tern, or sea-swallow, [107], [198].
• Bjarnarfell mountain, [112].
• Bjolfell mountain, [141], [145].
• Blacksmithing, [89].
• Blue berry, the only fruit in Iceland, [157].
• Books published in Iceland, [295].
• Bræthratunga church, [119].
• Brandy, use of it in Iceland, [180].
• Breithifjorth, [313].
• Briem, Rev. Johan, [123].
• Brinjulfsson, Gisli, [311].
• Bruará or Bridge River, [97].
• Bruce’s Address, in Icelandic and English, [286–7].
• Brydone, [93], [135].
• Caraway growing spontaneously in Iceland, [125].
• Cathedral worship in Reykjavik, [306].
• Cattegat, [17], [21], [22], [320].
• Cave in a hill, [96].
• Cave of Surtshellir, [109], [243], note.
• Christianity introduced into Iceland, [82].
• Christiansand, [23], [319].
• Churchyards and burial customs, [178].
• Clays, beautifully colored, [102], [191], [200], [208].
• College at Reykjavik, [57].
• Columbus, his visit to Iceland, [39].
• Copenhagen, [17], [320].
• Craters of Hekla, [138], [143].
• Dancing on ship-board, [317].
• Danish laws in Iceland, [298].
• Danish merchants in Reykjavik, [306].
• Dining on Mount Hekla, [140].
• Diseases in Iceland, [305].
• Domestic animals of Iceland, [55].
• Domestic labor of the Icelanders, [58], [293].
• Eddas, poems of the early Icelanders, [271].
• Edda, the Elder; ascribed to Sæmund Frode, [271].
• Edda, the Younger; ascribed to Snorri Sturlason, [272].
• Egilson, Sweinborn, [52], [308].
• Eider-down beds, [127], [218].
• Elsinore castle and town, [17], [22], [320].
• Eric the Red, [35].
• Ericsson, descendant of Eric the Red, [36].
• Exports of Iceland, [56], [298].
• Eyjafjalla Jokull, [142], [151], [160], [315].
• Farming in Iceland, [179], [182], [303].
• Farming tools, [117].
• Faroe Isles, [24], [25], [233].
• Feasts, in old times, [59].
• Ferryman on the Hvitá river, [185].
• Fish, Iceland method of curing, [215].
• Fishing season in Iceland, [116].
• Fish lake, its disappearance, [152].
• Finn Magnusen, [37].
• Finnsen, William, Treasurer of Iceland, [28].
• Floki, a pirate, [170].
• Flower on Mount Hekla, [136].
• Flowers on a desert island, [121].
• Fourth of July at sea, [23], [24].
• Franklin’s Story of a Whistle, in Icelandic, [289].
• French officers traveling in Iceland, [66], [70], [76], [84].
• French vessel wrecked in Iceland, [315].
• Game in Iceland, [55], [56], [90], [169], [170].
• Gardar Swarfarson, [35].
• Garden vegetables, [62], [179].
• Geimar’s Iceland, Greenland, and Spitzbergen, [317].
• Geographical names and terms, [85].
• Geyser, Eruptions of, [105].
• Geyser, its appearance when still, [100].
• Gissur Thorvaldsen, son-in-law of Snorri Sturlason, [274].
• Graba, a Danish traveler in Faroe, [236].
• Greenland, discovery of, [35].
• Grenadier island, [31], [314].
• Grænavatn, or Green Lake, [142], [201].
• Gudmundsen, Thomas, [175].
• Hacon, King of Norway, [274].
• Hafnarfiorth, [63], [213], [215].
• Hávamál, an Eddaic Poem, [275].
• Haying season, [303].
• Heath, [157], [158], [159].
• Heimskringla, [275].
• Hjalli, [195].
• Hekla, ascent of, [132].
  • Catalogue of its eruptions, [153].
  • its height, [315].
  • its last eruption, in 1845, [134], [138].
  • seen from a distance, [95], [115], [128], [161], [314].
  • View from the summit, [140], [151].
• Helsingborg, [21].
• Herdisa, wife of Snorri Sturlason, [273].
• Hlitharvatn, [198].
• Holland, Dr. 135, [297].
• “Horrible Lava,” 211.
• Horses in Iceland, [65], [116], [129], [298].
• Hospitality of the Icelanders, [197].
• Hot Springs, [187].
• Hraungerthi, [177].
• Hruni, and its hospitable clergyman, [122].
• Hunting sea-fowl in the Westmann islands, [163].
• Hvitá or White river, [118], [119], [185].
• Iceland, its discovery and settlement, [35].
  • its situation and extent, [48].
  • Hymn, Jacob weeping over Rachel, [288].
  • Newspaper, quotation from, [291].
  • Youths educated in France, [316].
• Icelander in the Wars of Napoleon, [293].
• Icelandic language, [270].
• Icelandic poetry, its peculiar construction, [282].
• Imports of Iceland, [56].
• Indians in America in battle with the Icelanders, [38].
• Ingolf, plants the first settlement in Iceland, [35].
• Islands, Sandey and Nesey, in Thingvalla Lake, [92].
• Johnson, Bjarni, President of the Iceland college at Reykjavik, [63], [66], [74], [77], [217].
  • Bjarni, letters from, [300], [307], [309].
  • Misses, [308], [311].
  • Mr. of Hafnarfiorth, [63], [213].
• Jonson, Rev. at Vogsósar, [196].
• Kirkubær, [139].
• Krisuvik, [200].
• Ladies riding on horseback, [91], [215].
• Laugardalr, or Vale of Warm Springs, [94].
• Laugarfjall mountain, [112].
• Laugman, or administrator of the laws, [42].
• Lava, [93], [126], [211].
• Lava from eruption of Mount Hekla, [134], [146].
• Laxá, or Salmon river, [68], [124].
• Lilloise, French vessel lost in the Arctic Sea, [316].
• Lindesness, Cape, [319].
• Literature of Iceland, [52], [270], [281].
• Louis Philippe’s liberality to the Icelanders, [316].
• Markarfliot river, [161].
• Marsh, Hon. Geo. P., opinion of the Icelandic language, [292].
• Meadows in Iceland, [115], [116], [125].
• Meal Sack island, [31], [314].
• Milton’s Paradise Lost, translated by Thorlakson, [53];
  • extracts from, [283].
• Mud Geyser, [206].
• Myggeness island, [236].
• Mythology of the Scandinavians, [242].
  • Index to, [331].
• Myvatn, [203].
• Needles, the, [314].
• Newspapers in Iceland, [296].
• Newspaper, quotation from, [291].
• Næfrholt, [129], [159].
• Norðurfari, [312].
• Norway, coast of, [23], [319].
• Norwegian collectors in Faroe, [240].
• Ornithology of Iceland, [218], [226].
• Petrifactions, [191].
• Pfeiffer, Madam, [95], [123], [161].
• Philmore, Mr., an English traveler, [210].
• Plum-pudding Stone, [199].
• Pope’s Essay on Man, in Icelandic, [53].
  • Quotation from, [285].
• Portland, or Dyarholar, [315].
• Postal arrangements in Iceland, [56].
• Post-ship, time of sailing, [56].
• Products of Iceland, [55], [56], [295], [298].
• Ranthrys, Mr., [308].
• Reindeer in Iceland, [55], [170].
• Reykir Springs, [187].
• Reykjaness Cape, [31], [314].
• Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland, [32], [306].
• River of fire, [149].
• Rolling stones down hill, [130].
• Roses in Iceland, [157].
• Sæmund Frode, [271].
• Sagas, historical writings of the Icelanders, [271].
• Scandinavian Commission, [316].
• Scythes used by the Icelanders, [115], [305].
• Sharks, [26].
• Ship from Iceland; the “Saga,” [302].
• Sivertsen, the Misses, and Mr., [308], [311].
• Sivertsen, Mr., jun., [316], [317].
• Skagen Horn, [320].
• Skager Rack, [319].
• Skalds or Minstrels, [42].
• Skalholt, [44], [172].
• Skaptar Jokull, [115], [147], [151].
  • Great eruption of, [147].
• Skarth, [127], [159].
• Sleeping in a church, [127].
• Snæfell Jokull, [151], [313].
• Snorri Thorfinson, first European born in America, [37].
• Snow on Mount Hekla, [137], [146].
• Spallanzani, [135].
• Stapi and basaltic cliffs, [314].
• Steam jet in the Sulphur Mountains, [205].
• Steam power without fuel, [205], [208].
• Stifftamptman, [45].
• Stilhoff, Captain, [318].
• Strandar Kirkja, [197].
• Strokr or New Geyser, [104], [108].
• Submarine eruption, [147].
• Sulphur Mountains, [200]–208.
• Superstition among the Northmen, [195].
• Surtshellir cave, [109], [243], note.
• Sveinson, Jon, [309].
• Swein Ethrithson, [41].
• Swimming a river, [119].
• Sysselman, a merry one, [173].
• Thingvalla, [43], [73], [78].
• Thingvalla Lake, [72].
• Thiorsá river, [115], [126], [159], [172], [315].
• Thorarensen, Rev. S., [177].
• Thorarensen, Stefan, [178], [185].
• Thorlakson, Jon, the Iceland Poet, [53], [281].
• Thorlakson’s Translation of Milton and Pope, [282].
• Thorwaldsen, [37], [52].
• Tindfjalla Jokull, [142], [151], [160], [314].
• Tin Tron, an exhausted crater, [94].
• Torfa Jokull, [314].
• Trade of Iceland; probable results of opening it to the world, [299], [302].
• Trollekone-finger, or Witch’s-finger, in Faroe, [236].
• Trout-fishing in Iceland, [74], [76].
• Vestri Rangá river, [129].
• Vesuvius, [142], [151].
• Vinland, the name given to America by the Icelanders, [37].
• Vogelberg chasm, in Faroe, [237].
• Vogsósar, [196].
• Volcanic island rising from the sea, [147].
• Volcanic sand, [135], [199].
• Voluspá, the song of the Prophetess, [275].
• Westmann Islands, [141], [161], [165], [166].
• Whales, [25], [26].

INDEX
TO THE
Scandinavian Mythology.

• Ægir, the deity of the ocean;
  • a Jötun, [249], [258].
• Æsir, the gods of the Scandinavians, [242], [246], [265].
• Afi, grandfather, and Ammi, grandmother, and their descendants, [268].
• Ai, great grandfather, and Edda, great grandmother, and their descendants, [268].
• Annar, husband of Night, and father of Jörd, [254].
• Arvak and Alsvid, the horses of Sol, [255].
• Asgard, the city of the Æsir, or home of the gods, [246].
• Ask and Embla, the first man and first woman, [268].
• Audhumla, the cow on whose milk Ymir subsisted, [243].
• Baldur the Good, son of Odin, [248], [266].
  • his death, [263].
• Beli, a giant, slain by Frey, [250].
• Bergelmie, a frost-giant, [244].
• Besla, wife of Bör, [243].
• Bifröst the Rainbow, a bridge from earth to heaven, [246].
• Bilskirnir, the mansion of Thor, [248].
• Bör, father of Odin, Vili, and Ve, [243].
• Bragi, the god of Poetry, son of Odin, [249].
• Breidablik, the mansion of Baldur, [248].
• Bur, the father of Bör, [243].
• Castes, or classes in Scandinavian society, [269].
• Day, son of Night and Delling, [254].
• Dwarfs, [253].
• Eir, presides over the art of healing, [252].
• Embla, the first woman, [268].
• Elvidnir, the hall of Hela, [256].
• Fenrir, a wolf, offspring of Loki, [255], [265].
• Fensalir, the mansion of Friga, [252].
• Forseti, the god of Justice, [249].
• Freki and Geri, Odin’s wolves, [246].
• Frey, the son of Njörd and Skadi, [250].
• Frey in battle with Surtur, [265].
• Freyja, daughter of Njörd, and wife of Odur, [250], [252].
• Friga, wife of Odin, [247], [252].
• Fulla, a maid, attendant of Friga, [252].
• Garm, a dog that kills Tyr, [266].
• Gefjon, a maid, attendant of Friga, [252].
• Gerda, one of the most beautiful of women, [250].
• Geri and Freki, wolves of Odin, [246].
• Ginnungagap, the space between the upper and lower worlds, [243].
• Gjallar-horn, the trumpet of Heimdal, [251], [265].
• Gladsheim, Odin’s hall of Justice, [258].
• Gleipnir, a fetter, [255].
• Glitnir, the mansion of Forseti, [249].
• Gna, messenger of Friga, [253].
• Golden Age, [258].
• Gulltopp, the horse of Heimdall, [251].
• Hati and Sköll, two wolves, [255].
• Heimdall, the sentry of the gods, [251], [265], [266].
• Hel or Helheim, the abode of Death, [256–258].
• Hela, or Death, [255], [256].
• Hermod the Nimble, son of Odin, [246], [263].
• Hlidskjalf, Odin’s throne, [246].
• Hnossa, daughter of Odur and Freyja, [252].
• Hodmimir’s forest, where Lif is concealed, [266].
• Hödur, a blind deity, [251], [263], [266].
• Hófvarpnir, the horse of Gna, [253].
• Hrimfaxi, the horse of Night, [254].
• Hringhorn, the ship of Baldur, [263].
• Hugin and Munin, Odin’s ravens, [246].
• Hvergelmir, a fountain in Niflheim, [243], [245].
• Hymir, a giant, [259].
• Hyrrokin, a giantess of Jötunheim, [264].
• Ida, a plain where Asgard formerly stood, [266].
• Iduna, the goddess of Eternal Youth, [249].
• Jötunheim, or land of giants, [245].
• Jötuns, giants of Jötunheim, [245].
• Lif a woman, and Lifthrasir a man, who survive the destruction of the world, [266].
• Lofna, the friend of Lovers, [252].
• Loki, the god of all evil, [255], [259], [263], [265], [266].
• Magni and Modi, sons of Thor, [248], [252], [266].
• Manheim, the home of man, [247], [268].
• Máni, the Moon, [254].
• Midgard, or Mid-earth, [244], [247].
• Midgard serpent, [255], [256], [265].
• Mimir and Mimir’s Well, [245].
• Mjölnir, Thor’s Mallet, [247].
• Modi and Magni, sons of Thor, [248], [252], [266].
• Munin or Memory, one of Odin’s ravens, [246].
• Muspell or Muspelheim, the upper world, [242].
• Mythology of the Northmen, [242].
• Nanna, wife of Baldur, [249], [264].
• Nidhogg, a dragon, [245].
• Niflheim, the lower world, [242].
• Night, the daughter of Njörvi, [254].
• Njord, the ruler of the sea, [250].
• Njörvi, a giant, father of Night, [254].
• Norns, inferior deities, [253].
• ODIN, the supreme head, leader of the Æsir, and father of all the gods, [170], [244], [245], [246], [247], [266].
• Ragnarök, the end of all things, [256], [265].
• Ran, wife of Ægir, [249].
• Ratatösk, the squirrel on the Ash, [245].
• Rinda, the mother of Vali, [251].
• Roskva the Quick, attendant of Thor, [248], [259].
• Saga, the goddess of history, [252].
• Skadi, the wife of Njord, [250].
• Skidbladnir, a famous ship belonging to Frey, [266–7].
• Skinfaxi, the horse of Day, [254].
• Skirnir, messenger of Frey, [250].
• Sköll and Hati, wolves that pursue the sun and moon, [255].
• Sleipnir, the horse of Odin, [246].
• Sokkvabek, the house of Saga, [252].
• Sol, the source of light, [254].
• Surtur, chief of the chaotic demons, [242], [265].
• Surturbrand, or fire of Surtur, [109], [242], note.
• Thjálfi, the Nimble, attendant of Thor, [248], [259].
• Thor, son of Odin, the god of Thunder, [128], [247].
• Thor encounters the Midgard serpent, [262–265], [266].
• Thor’s adventures in Jötunheim, [258], [259], [260], [261].
• Thrudvang, the home of Thor, [248].
• Tyr, the god of Bravery, [255], [259].
• Ullur, the archer, son of Sif, [251].
• Utgard, a city in Jötunheim, [260].
• Utgard-Loki, King of Utgard, [260].
• Valaskjalf, the mansion of Odin, [246].
• Valhalla, the home or world of the slain, [253], [256], [257], [258].
• Vali, son of Odin and Rinda, [251], [252], [266].
• Valkyrjor, the goddesses of Valhalla, [253].
• Vidar the Silent, son of Odin, [251], [252], [266].
• Vigrid, the last battlefield of the gods, [265].
• Vili and Ve, sons of Bör, [244].
• Vora, the punisher of perjured lovers, [252].
• Yggdrasill, the Ash tree, [245].
• Ymir, progenitor of the Frost-giants, [243], [244].

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TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE

• Inconsistent spelling and hyphenation have been retained, but obvious typographical errors have been corrected. However, spellings of Icelandic words have been silently regularised, if inconsistent within the text.
• The cover has been created by the transcriber and is placed in the public domain.