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Grapevine's Mythical Box of Iceland

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Tales of Myth and Mystical beings and events have been the sheep and cows for Icelanders through centuries. Trolls, elves and ghosts along with all kinds of strange magical beings are the building blocks of countless fairy tales that make up the Icelandic Folklore. This discount box gives a good insight into this tradition and some of these tales have been artfully illustrated to bring them to life!

The Hidden People - by Brian Pilkington and Terry Gunnell

Icelanders have been telling each other stories of the the Huldufólk, the hidden people. These tales tell of their hidden world, their customs and festivals and their interactions with humans. This book is like an encyclopedia of Hidden People, beautifully illustrated by our national treasure Brian Pilkington.

 

25 Ghost stories

In the old days, Icelanders´ belief in ghosts was widespread and deep-rooted. Much of the country´s folklore is decoted to ghost stories, in which various types of phantasms feature. The most common of these otherworldly beings are spectres and zombies, as well as the so-called „family“ ghosts, and, of course, poltergeists.

25 Folk stories

Iceland is rich in folklore; its mountainous landscape, wide-open spaces, harsh climate and long winter darkness must have made it easy, in bygone times, to imagine ghosts, trolls and other supernatural creatures lurking around every corner.
Educator and tale-teller Jón R. Hjálmarsson (1922–2018) retells many of the most famous of Iceland’s folktales and brings trolls and elves, wizards, mermen and a host of other mysterious beings to life.

Magical Rune Candle Holder by Geislar Gautavík

A beautiful candle holder with a familiar shape. Suitable for those classic 4 hour little tea light candles > .

When lit it throw a rune shaped shadow so place strategically if you like that effect on a wall!

"Vegvísir" translates directly to "Road guide" and was believed to protect the bearer from getting lost and help guide them toward the correct path. It was etched onto ships to prevent them from getting lost at sea and carried by navigators and scouts.

 

Fischer Incense (handmade from Icelandic essential oils and herbs)

And to set the mood for your mystical journey of Icelandic monsters, ghosts and mythical beings, light this incense before reading. 

Icelandic Folklore Deck of Cards by Ásta Sigurðardóttir

Ásta Sigurðardóttir is believed to have created the drawings for the cards in the years 1960-63. She had a strong desire to have them printed, but this didn't materialise during her lifetime. The drawings are coloured with watercolours. In the centre of each card, there is quite a broad black border, with one half being white and the other black. Between the halves, there is a circular area, and on it, there is a special magical symbol on each side: On the heart, there is the Helm of Awe, on the spade, Thor's Hammer, on the diamond, Ginfaxi, and on the club, Kaupaloki. Perhaps the suits are meant to represent white and black magic. It is clear that the half with the black suit is more ominous to behold.

Svarti Galdur (Black Liquorice)

Last but not least, something sinister to snack on; black liquorice called "Svarti Galdur", that is; Black Magic.