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Vol. 1, No. 2 July 1997
Deb Kimball, Editor
Icelandic Folktales
Stefania Sveinbjarnardottir Dignum
With animals as vital to the survival of humans and living in as close a relationship with humans as the Icelandic sheep lived with the people, it is inevitable that beliefs and folklore would be created. Many a disease and behavior of the sheep were explained based on the beliefs of the times. I will mention a few of these here for your education.
Where sheep were grazed on the seashore, one had to guard the ewes carefully because of a creature that was the size of a sheep and was called “beach walker” (fjorulalli). This beast was known to breed the ewes. The lambs that were produced were generally paralyzed in the hindquarters or deformed. The beach walker was best known on the West Peninsula and in the islands in the western part of Iceland. (The paralyses and deformity resulted from copper deficiency which is caused by eating seaweed which inhibits copper absorption).
If there is snow cover all over in the breeding season, the lambs conceived would be white. If there was snow in spots, the lambs would be spotted. If the earth was free of snow the lambs would be colored.
If the winds came from the north during breeding season most of the lambs would be ram lambs. If the winds came from the south most of the lambs would be ewe lambs. (I personally believe that if we have a comet in the sky during the winter, lambing will be good in the spring - based on comet Hale-Bopp last winter and subsequent lambing season).
Braxy (caused by Clostridium septique) was known in Iceland in the eighteenth century and was believed to be caused by poisoned grasses (believed on the West Peninsula); or by ghosts that made it and spread it around the country; or by an Elf that wanted revenge on a farmer that had stolen a cow from the Elf. For defense against the Braxy it was considered infallible to put a cross made of wood under a sod just inside the door of the sheep barn. A cross drawn with tar was considered to be some defense but not as good as the cross inside the door.
If many sheep attack one sheep in the barn that sheep would die soon.
Anyone that can walk three circles around a sleeping sheep will get his wish.
Children should not be allowed to pet and kiss a lamb in the spring; if the children do so the lamb will be taken by a predator (always the Arctic fox in Iceland).
If a legbone from a sheep is broken, then a sheep owned by the person that broke it will break a leg.
And now for some good advice: Lungs from a sheep, fried and eaten on an empty stomach are good for a hangover.
The ash from burned meat from a ram will cure eczema in the face.
Ram’s urine mixed with honey is good for dropsy (water sickness).
Ash from burned sheep bones heals cuts and wounds.
And a word to end on: I want to recommend a book to all who have Icelandic sheep. The book is “Independent People” written by Iceland’s Nobel Laureate Halldor Laxness. This book is about an Icelandic sheep farmer (crofter) and his struggle.
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