Faces: People, Places, and Cultures articles from May 2000

Faces: People, Places, and Cultures archives from May 2000

Iceland at a Glance.
May 1, 2000... Location: Iceland an island is located in the North Atlantic Ocean just south of the Arctic Circle. Greenland is about 160 miles (260 kilometers) to the northwest, Scotland is about 500 miles (800 kilometers) to the southeast, and Norway is...

Only In ... Iceland.(Vatnajokull Glacier)
May 1, 2000... Vatnajokull (VAT-nayer-kull) Glacier in Iceland, the largest glacier in Europe, sits atop an upland plateau, a high area with a flat top. The eastern part of Iceland, known as Oraefasveit (ER-ay-va-svate), is the most accessible part of glacier...

The Icelandic Alphabet.
May 1, 2000... a, a, b, c, d, [Delta], e, e, f, g, h, i, [Iota], j, k, l, m, n, o, o, p, r, s, t, u, u, v, x, y, y, z, ??, ae, o Look closely at the Icelandic alphabet. Notice that most of the 34 letters are just like ours, and they come in the same...

OVER COLD WATERS.(explorer Leif Eriksson)
May 1, 2000... Leif Eriksson beat Christopher Columbus to the New World by nearly 500 years. Leif was not a Viking Pirate who raided foreign coasts and looted towns. He was one of many peaceful Icelanders who sailed west to find land and build prosperous...

Viking Sail 2000.(celebration of 1,000th anniversary of Leif Eriksson's voyage to North America)
May 1, 2000... One thousand years ago, Leif Eriksson set sail with a party of 35 adventurers from Iceland in search of new land. In the summer of 2000, Viking ships will again set sail for North America, this time to commemorate the millennial anniversary of...

ICELAND Through Time.
May 1, 2000... C. A.D. 6th-7th century Irish monks settle on Iceland, which is only known to Europeans as a mysterious place on the northern edge of the world called "Thule." 874 Norse ancestors of modern-day Icelanders begin settling the island....

Once Upon a Saga.(Icelandic sagas)
May 1, 2000... In "The Lay of Thrym," Thrym the Giant steals Thor's hammer, the god's trusty weapon used to defeat giants and make thunder. Loki borrows the goddess Freya's feathered cloak and flies to ask Thrym to return it. As Thrym sits braiding gold...

Living With the Weather.(Iceland )
May 1, 2000... Living in Iceland does not always mean a chilly forecast. A steady mingling of cold polar breezes from the north and warmer southern winds from the tropical Atlantic Ocean influences the climate. In addition, the warm waters of the Irminger...

Swimming in Iceland -- in January.
May 1, 2000... D people really swim outdoors in winter in Iceland? YES! Icelanders do it regularly. Iceland was formed by volcanic eruptions. Today, the island remains one of the most volcanically active spots on Earth, with erupting volcanoes, hot...

Bjork and Gulli Two Icelandic Teens.
May 1, 2000... Bjork Gunnarsdottir, 16, is most definitely a city girl. With her blond hair and fair skin, she is a true Icelander. She lives in an apartment in Reykjavik with her older sister, Yr, and their cat. Her mother lives in The Netherlands and her...

Are You a Son or a Dottir?(Icelandic names)
May 1, 2000... Karl Jonsson, Margret Ingvarsdottir (EENG-vahrs-dote-teer), Katrin Jonsdottir (YONES-dote-teer), and Jon Magnusson (MAG-new-son) are members of the same family. Can you figure out who is the father, the mother, the son, and the daughter? ...

Althing The World's Oldest Parliament.(Iceland)
May 1, 2000... In an age when kings and emperors ruled the world, the people of Iceland were revolutionaries. They formed a government without a king. Nordic people began settling Iceland in A.D. 874. At first, there were no rules or laws. Families fought...

Celebrating Geology on Icelandic Stamps.
May 1, 2000... With rifts and fissures, craters and mountains, Iceland is a land of stark geologic beauty. Ice-cold rivers flow through sunken valleys. Lava deserts and gigantic waterfalls flow over basalt cliffs. Surrounded by this dramatic geology, the...

Dig Up the Shark - It's Time to Eat!(Icelandic cuisine)
May 1, 2000... Thorrablot (THOR-ra-bloat) is an Icelandic winter feast. A burning candle at the front door welcomes guests. In the old days, Thorri was the fourth month of winter. By January, the worst of winter darkness was beginning to lift after two long...

Ponnukokur (PERN-nu-ker-kur).(Icelandic pancakes)(Recipe)
May 1, 2000... You need 2 eggs 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1-1/2 cups milk 2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine griddle or large frying pan cooking oil or cooking spray measuring spoons large spoon for...

Surtsey.(Icelandic volcanic island)
May 1, 2000... The Island That Rose From the Sea Without any warning, a massive volcanic eruption sent a column of Wash about 30,000 feet into the sky. The eruption occurred close to a group of islands off the southern coast of Iceland's mainland. So...

The Rettir.(sheep gathering in Iceland)
May 1, 2000... The Annual Gathering of the Sheep Iceland has more than half a million sheep, twice as many sheep as people. An important part of Icelandic culture, today's sheep are Nordic breeds, descendants of those brought across the Atlantic Ocean in...

The huldufolk.(Short Story)
May 1, 2000... An Icelandic Folktale Long ago, on a sunny spring morning, God told Eve that he would come for a visit that evening. Eager to make a good impression, Eve immediately began preparing for God's arrival. She called to her children, and they...

Pratik's Trip.(trip to India)
May 1, 2000... A trip to India in 1997 was more than a relaxing vacation for then 11-year-old Pratik Chougule of East Greenwich, Rhode Island. Pratik had the opportunity to help an uncle, who is a doctor, care for patients in a remote village. The following...

Books.(Review)
May 1, 2000... Iceland by Jonathan Wilcox This is another title in the publisher's excellent Cultures of the World series. In 12 vividly illustrated chapters, readers learn a great deal about this island country, from its geological origins to its...

Articles.(magazine articles on Iceland)(Bibliography)
May 1, 2000... Several recent National Geographic publications have featured articles on a variety of Icelandic topics. See, for example, the May 1997 issue of National Geographic Magazine ("Iceland's Trial by Fire") and the July 1997 issue of National...

On-Line.(Web site on Icelandic maps)
May 1, 2000... Antique Maps of Iceland This site is a treasure trove for map enthusiasts. The collection includes a variety of beautifully rendered maps, the earliest created by 16th-century Italians and the most recent by a 19th-century Nordic surveyor....