Viking Story Night in South Iceland: Njáls Saga and Food Tasting

The farm is in the countryside outside Hvolsvöllur, the area that forms the main setting of Njáls saga. This saga is named for Njáll Þorgeirsson, a lawyer and chieftain from Bergþórshvoll in the Landeyjar district, and also known as the Story of Burnt Njáll. The events span 960 to 1020, though the text wasn't written until approximately 1280, some 260 years later.

Your evening starts at 8:00 PM in the stable. The calm Icelandic horses here are working animals rather than an attraction, and the few moments spent with them set the tone for what follows. A traditional wool cape is offered if you want one. These were practical garments long before they became symbols, and since there's no heating where you're headed, most guests take one. 

From the stable, you’ll move into the old barn hall: gravel floor, concrete walls, candles down a long wooden table where everyone sits together. Small plates go from guest to guest rather than in courses. You’ll enjoy hákarl, or fermented shark, along with dried fish, smoked lamb, a local spirit called Brennivín, and an Icelandic malt drink. These are tastings rather than dinner, so eat before you drive out. 

Valdimar Flygenring, a local storyteller with roots in the district, opens with Njáls saga and widens into old ways of working the land and the folklore that still shapes how people treat certain places nearby. Elves and trolls feature. Nothing is hurried, and there's room to listen rather than keep up. 

Expect to finish around 9:30 PM. In winter, that means driving back in full dark, so check weather and road conditions before you set out. In late June and July, it will still be daylight when you leave, which changes how the barn feels but not its substance.