Þorrablót

In this time of year we are pretty tired of the icelandic winter …..  This winter has been particularly boring, windy days and slippery roads and sidewalks!   At this time of year I seriously wonder if spring will ever come to Iceland again :(

So what do we Icelanders do to survive the long winter here far in the North?  of course we give a party!  

 It is an old tradition in Iceland to celebrate that we are half way through winter so we hold this midwinter feast,  originally  held to honor the god Thor. ( "Blot" meaning a feast held in honor of a pagan god).

 At this feast we enjoy old traditional food as; sheep heads, smoked lamb, lamb testicles, blood- and liver sausage, some of the food has been kept for weeks in whey, so it tastes a bit sour.  Famous is also the icelandic fermented shark, perfect with the icelandic "Brennivín".

The staff from Snorrastofa enjoyed the Þorrablot at the local community house "Logaland" in Reykholt.  After the entertainments the band from Siglufjörður  " Miðaldamenn"  meaning, very suitable, " The Medieval men" played so we could dance the night away :)   

Reference:

Ólafur Davíðsson in Íslenskar gátur, skemmtanir, víkivakar og þulur (1887-1903):

"Þorrablót was begun by Icelandic students in Copenhagen, or at least they did hold a Þorrablót in 1873. I've heard it said that Dr. Bjorn Olsen presented the best performance with his poem "the cup of Thor". In 1880, the Archaeological Society of Reykjavik held a Þorrablót. We drank remembrance to the gods, of Odin allfather, of Thor, of Freyr and Njord for the year-blessing"

For more information please visit Snorrastofa and West Iceland.