Larry’s Pretty Good Journal

Because it looks like we won't manage a trip abroad this year (darn exchange rates), I've been thinking about our last trip, to Iceland. If you should go (and you should) and you have enough time to visit more than Reykjavík and the Golden Triangle (and you should), consider a stop in Hólmavík. This is a small fishing village (pop. 500) in the Westfjords. Admittedly there's not much to see there except the usual stunning landscape (all of Iceland is stunning) and a Sorcery and Witchcraft Museum.

But oh, that museum. The upper room is devoted to the Burning Times of the 17th century. The lower room has exhibits illustrating various spells, as documented in grimoires of the time. It's clear, even to casual observation, that this is a different magical tradition from mainland Europe -- just from the manner of spellcasting (lots of sigils, called "staves" by the translator; my icon is one, the Ægishjálmur [AY-is-hyowl-mur], used for protection), and what they do (almost all to do either with sex or with gaining or protecting wealth), and the continuity (the curator had documented the continuity in grimoires from the 13th through 20th centuries). And that's before you get to the necropants.

( This is very icky. )

Obviously, this is way cool stuff, even if you don't write fantasy -- and if you do (and you should) it's worth studying as another way to put together a magic system. And if you can't visit, there's always the exhibition book (about US$38 with shipping). As to why the museum is in Hólmavík, most witchcraft prosecutions were in the Westfjords (traditionally the most uncanny part of Iceland).

Assuming you don't just pass through (on the way to Ísafjörður, perhaps), for places to stay while there, the nearby Hótel Laugarhóll is run by a French chef who used to work for his embassy until he emigrated. He does cuisine interpretations of traditional Icelandic cooking which are to Yum! for (his wine cellar is good, too, as lrcutter can attest). It's not for travelers on the cheap, tho' -- for us, there's camping (almost every town has a public campground, as well as a heated public pool) in Hólmavík itself.

---L.

A few pictures from a trip to Iceland. These are from the first third — more may come, sometime/ever.

---L.

Amusingly, almost all English language Google results for klasar are tourist pages for Myvatn, a lake in northeastern Iceland. Of course, this may reflect the fact that Myvatn is the only place klasar appear on dry land.

Someplace I've been the past few weeks.