Bárðar saga

General, Pic of the Day, You Don't Get This On the Bus Tour

Twists and Turns of Life (Or, A Labyrinth in Iceland), part 2: Calming Rituals or Magic Devices?

This is part 2 of a convoluted path towards interpreting an old remote labyrinth I sought out and visited in Iceland in June 2021.

General, Pic of the Day, You Don't Get This On the Bus Tour

Twists and Turns of Life (Or, A Labyrinth in Iceland), Part 1: Trolls, Christianity, and “Excrement Bay”

My mild fascination with labyrinths was revealed in an Ancient Dan post a few years ago, triggered by my literally stumbling upon a carved representation of one at ancient Knidos in Turkey. A recent trip to Iceland provided a chance to investigate the most remote labyrinth of Europe in a more planned and systematic manner. My circuitous trek to arrive at it was unexpectedly matched by the maze of background info on the site, legends in the region, questions about the form of the labyrinth itself, and—ultimately—how we deal with changes of direction and uncertainties of life.