Iceland’s Elf Church Moved for Highway Project

A highway project in Iceland, blocked for over a year by a legal dispute over “elf habitat,” has resumed work after an Ofeigskirkja (“elf church”), a 70-ton lava boulder, was removed from the road’s path and moved closer to similar landscape features.

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“Elves make compromise with Road Ad­min­is­tra­tion,” Anna Margrét Björnsson, Morgunblaðið

Related:

“Why So Many Icelanders Still Believe in Invisible Elves,” Ryan Jacobs, The Atlantic

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Save The Elves

An Icelandic group is seeking a court injunction to halt a highway construction project on grounds that it will disturb the Huldufólk, the ancient elves of Iceland. There has been no direct comment by the elves.

More:

“In Iceland, elves aren’t just Santa’s little helpers,” Zachary Green, PBS Newsletter blog

“Iceland’s hidden elves delay road projects,” Jenna Gottlieb, AP via Yahoo News

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Iceland

“Remember when the Icelandics did the unthinkable and, unlike Ireland, told bank creditors to take a hike? They also imposed capital controls and allowed the value of their currency to fall – the Icelandic krona has lost almost half of its value against the euro over the past five years.

The ‘experts’ queued up to assure us that these latter-day Vikings would be severely punished for their impertinence. While no one forecast that a hole would open up in the North Atlantic and swallow Iceland whole, some of the predictions came pretty darned close.”

Wanted: Icelandic Banker

Interpol wants Sigurdur Einarsson, former chairman of Iceland’s failed Kaupthing bank. Iceland has already arrested the bank’s former CEO, Hreidar Mar Sigurdsson.

Mr. Einarsson, accused of counterfeiting, forgery and fraud, is said to be in London. The real Interpol wanted notice is here. There’s no reward but, if you find the guy, grateful Icelandic authorities will probably treat you to a glass or two of Brennivin.

‘Eyjafjallajökull,’ Just Like It’s Spelled.

Just say “Eyjafjallajökull.”

Couldn’t be simpler. Pronounce  “ö” and “u” as the French “eu” in “bleu” and “ll” as “tl” but with clenched teeth. The letter “j” sounds like “y” and the accent is on the first syllable, which sounds like the Canadian “eh?”

Try drinking some Brennivin first.

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Iceland: Wrath of the Gods

The earth of Iceland belches fire. Huge ash plumes blot out the sky. It this Ragnarök, Twilight of the Gods, the End of the World?

Nei (No). The Althingi Special Investigation Commission Report on Iceland’s financial collapse has reached Asgard. The eruption of Eyjafjallajokull is merely a concurring opinion from Odin, Thor, Loki and the gang. Think it’s excessive? Throw a few former government ministers and the principals of failed Glitnir Bank, Kaupthing Bank and Landsbanki into the volcano and the world can have its air lanes back.

 

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Icelandic Exodus

More people left Iceland in 2009 than in any year since 1887. Some of those who remain line up in charity food lines. A country can expect this after its economy becomes “zombulated” by unregulated financial institutions and a right-wing, laissez-faire government.  In the words of current Prime Minister Johanna Sigurdardottir, “the ideology of an unregulated free market utterly failed.”

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