Iceland’s Annual Tradition of Counting Sheep Is Far From Sleepy
Every fall, across the country, farmers and their friends and family gather to sort the ewes and rams that spent the summer free-grazing
Why Hikers Are Clamoring to Photograph a Volcanic Eruption in Iceland, Despite Risks
Toxic gas, hypothermia and fragile terrain are among the site’s dangers
The History Behind Robert Eggers’ ‘The Northman’
The revenge saga blends traditional accounts with the supernatural to convey the lived experience of the Viking age
How Much Medieval Literature Has Been Lost Over the Centuries?
A new analysis suggests that just 9 percent of manuscripts produced in Europe during the Middle Ages survive today
How Iceland’s Herring Girls Helped Bring Equality to the Island Nation
Between the 1910s and 1960s, thousands of young women formed the backbone of the country’s thriving fishing industry
One of the Oldest Depictions of Falconry in Scandinavia Is Discovered
The 800-year-old carved figure holding a falcon was found at a dig site in Norway
New Dating Method Shows Vikings Occupied Newfoundland in 1021 C.E.
Tree ring evidence of an ancient solar storm enables scientists to pinpoint the exact year of Norse settlement
Why Do Pilot Whales Chase Killer Whales Near Iceland?
Scientists are working to understand the strange inter-cetacean conflict
Viking Map of North America Identified as 20th-Century Forgery
New technical analysis dates Yale’s Vinland Map to the 1920s or later, not the 1440s as previously suggested
Did Vikings Host Rituals Designed to Stop Ragnarök in This Volcanic Cave?
New findings at a cavern in Iceland point to decades of elite ceremonial activity aimed at preventing the apocalypse
New Fissure in Iceland Volcano Prompts Evacuation of Tourists
Scientists re-evaluated the safety of the eruption site after a new fissure began spewing steam and lava a half-mile from the original craters
![As historian Nancy Marie Brown points out, “[A]sking not ‘Are the sagas true?’ but ‘Are they plausible?’” is a far better barometer for testing the Viking tales’ veracity.](https://th-thumbnailer.cdn-si-edu.com/uCvd5s44tIzpLUnyfAgkN9n0kMY=/450x300/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer/03/0e/030e14ff-633e-49df-a729-cd8d1efc01dd/gudrid3.jpg)
Did a Viking Woman Named Gudrid Really Travel to North America in 1000 A.D.?
The sagas suggest she settled in Newfoundland and eventually made eight crossings of the North Atlantic Sea
If Rotten Fish Smell Like Roses to You, a Genetic Mutation Might Be to Blame
A new study in Iceland found a connection between a person’s ability to sniff stinky fish and a gene called TAAR5
The Legend, the History and the Science Behind Seattle’s New Hockey Team Name
NHL fans, meet the Seattle Kraken—named for a mythical beast that may have been inspired by the very real giant squid
Newly Excavated Viking Dwelling May Be Oldest Found in Iceland
Archaeologists say the settlement, which may have housed a Norse chieftain, dates to roughly 800 A.D.
Take a Virtual Tour of a 17th-Century Shipwreck
A new VR experience lets users explore the “Melckmeyt” without diving into Iceland’s freezing waters
Plaque Memorializes First Icelandic Glacier Lost to Climate Change
In 2014, the Okjökull was declared dead after dwindling from over 5 square miles to a mound of “dead ice”
Two Captive Beluga Whales Are Heading to First-of-Its-Kind Sanctuary in Iceland
It is the first refuge of its kind for belugas
Justin Bieber Ruined This Idyllic Icelandic Canyon
Over a million people have tromped the edges of Fjaðrárgljúfur since Biebs danced on its edge in a 2015 video
Book of Lost Books Discovered in Danish Archive
The index is part of the Libro de los Epítomes, an effort by Christopher Columbus’ illegitimate son to create a searchable index of the world’s knowledge
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