The rich nuance of Iceland's sea idioms

... and how the ocean cuts through to the heart of our nation. LFI #133

Daginn!

One of my favourite things about any language is its idioms and proverbs—those little gems of truth, advice or morality that are handed down through the generations and say so much about the people and culture from which they come.

Iceland, as I have mentioned, has many such gems, and there is a vast number that reference the sea in some way. The ocean has been such a powerful force in our lives over the centuries. I doubt there is a family in Iceland who has not lost a member to the sea at some point over the last 4-5 generations. Icelanders rowed out in open boats to fish, and in those days we did not have the benefit of satellites up in the sky providing accurate weather forecasts. If a storm blew in it was pretty much game over, and sometimes all the men in a single district were killed in a single accident at sea. I mean, picture this, but in an open rowboat:

I rest my case. 😱

In today’s voice note I also talk a bit about Iceland’s history and how families were dissolved when, for example, the man of the house drowned. This is one of the most painful parts of our history, and something that remains largely unresolved in our collective hearts.

From The Little Book of Icelandic …